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For years I only wrote code in a terminal via Neovim but chose to give VSCode a spin and I found I really like it. However, it's not as open source as I originally thought.
After a bit of digging I learned that the download from their website is not open source but the code hosted on Github is open source. This is like Google's Chrome verses Chromium but with the same name so it's expected to get confused.
For some context this Github issue comment explains the difference:
When we [Microsoft] build Visual Studio Code, we do exactly this. We clone the vscode repository, we lay down a customized product.json that has Microsoft specific functionality (telemetry, gallery, logo, etc.), and then produce a build that we release under our license.
When you clone and build from the vscode repo, none of these endpoints are configured in the default product.json. Therefore, you generate a "clean" build, without the Microsoft customizations, which is by default licensed under the MIT license.
So as an open source junkie I proceeded to download the source code from the Github page to build from source when I came across another repo. This repo is called "VSCodium" as a play with the Chrome/Chromium branding. This repo strips out all telemetry and removes all branding to keep their binaries 100% open source (MIT to be exact).
This repo exists so that you don't have to download+build from source. The build scripts in this repo clone Microsoft's vscode repo, run the build commands, and upload the resulting binaries to GitHub releases. These binaries are licensed under the MIT license. Telemetry is disabled.
- VSCodium_
After a bit of coding with VSCodium it seems to run exactly as expected. The first test was if it could still download extensions because there is no better way to code than with Vim keybindings. It worked as expected!
If you run Arch or Manjaro you can use the AUR to install this truely open source variant of VSCode; just search for
For other system head over to the Github Readme.
Happy coding!
Posted on by:
J. R. Swab
Hacker, Content Creator, Linux Enthusiast, Dvorak Typist, & Eagle Scout | Col. 3:17
Microsoft doesn't state anywhere on the VSCode website that it's open source. It states that the version you're downloading out there is
built on open source. And this still doesn't mean, that VSCode is not truly open source, because it is 😄
As the OP said, the code from the repo is open source, not the binaries you download from the website. So, that's the licence from the repo, but when you install it you get a slightly different license.
We've had a few posts about this VSCode/VSCodium difference recently, and I think it's interesting that people are starting to question "open source" as a term, without realising that this is the problem that "free software" already solves.
Even things that adhere to the OSI definition, which is only "official" in that they proclaim it so, aren't really all that free.
Someone recently commented about a site generator that was "open source" but the license forbade deploying it anywhere.
People have been complaining elsewhere on the webs that big companies are using their software in ways they don't like... and yet that's exactly why they chose to use a permissive license in the first place.
I think people don't know what they want.
People have this notion that OSS should be completely free, and that you should be able to do what you want with the source code but that's completely wrong.
You can have an OSS project with the strictest license, where you can't do anything but look at the source code. You can maybe even charge to get a different license still open source, there is a weird mentality when it comes around the term "open source". Way too many myths.
I'm perfectly fine with Microsoft license and telemetry, after all VScode binaries are free. Are we really that picky? Can I build it from source? Yes, but why?
VSCode provides an extension store, are you going to reproduce a open source store server because of this technicality too?
Does VSCode vs VSCodium have any functionality differences?
I think imho people want something to be a problem because the binaries come from Microsoft, I'm pretty sure other companies or even small teams do the same thing to better their products. By the way you have the option to opt out telemetry in VSCode.
I don't think you need AUR. There is a
code package in the community group thingy.
If you check
pacman -Ss code. You'll get a lot of output, but somewhere in there you'll find.
community/code 1.40.0-3
The Open Source build of Visual Studio Code (vscode) editor
In simple terms, Source code of VSCode is open source, But compiled binaries provided by microsoft is not. So if you want a true open source edition, you can compile the source code yourself.
AURin arch and
eopkg on solus are actually compiled by community, hence they are covered by ms branding restrictions not their binary restrictions. In solus, (AFAIK in arch too) Telemetry are disabled by default and you can opt-in to that if you want. VSCodium has an additional benefit of not using their branding. But I do give credit to them for initial spark on this discussion about ambiguous marketing by these tech giants.
This has been discussed before here on dev dev.to/twitmyreview/issues-with-vs... . Here is what I commented there.
It reminds me the issues with Firefox binaries & logo (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozilla_soft...)
I'm a Free Software junkie as well, will operate a migration :)
Thanks a lot for this article!
I've just replaced my VSCode install with VSCodium and the only noticeable change is the icon in the taskbar so far.
One important thing to mention is that I had to copy the config files from the old install of VSCode to ~/.cinfig/VSCodium
I really appreciate your approach. Thanks for enriching my understanding of Microsoft's spice in VS Code.


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Officers were dispatched to the 3000 block of Main St. for a motor vehicle accident. While officers were en route witnesses stated the operator of the vehicle attempted to leave the scene of the accident and may be intoxicated. Officers arrived and found the operator, Timothy BRONSON, hit 3 buildings and 4 parked vehicles. Officers preformed a battery of field sobriety tests and determined BRONSON was under the influence of alcohol. BRONSON was arrested for DUI and multiple summary traffic offenses.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Every year, the OCDSB Student Recognition Awards celebrate students who have demonstrated initiative, the will to succeed, the dedication to finish what they started, and the commitment to achieve their personal best. Congratulations to Amina El Sharif, who is one of this year's Student Recognition Award recipients!
Amina has achieved her personal best by helping her fellow students achieve their personal best. She has been an active member of Student Council and exhibited the Lion's Pride by spearheading, organizing, and participating in many events, including Leadership Camp, Battle of the Grades, Relay for Life, and assemblies.
Amina has been dedicated to her studies and personal growth. Despite having faced hurdles over the years, she has invariably seen the big picture and worked with her teachers to overcome obstacles. In return, she mentors and celebrates her peers. Amina provides a voice for students in numerous ways, including speaking to CBC Radio about student life and contributing to an article about learning from home.
It is fitting that Amina has spent much of her time at Earl of March on the Girls' Basketball team – a sport that relies heavily on the principles of cooperation. Her powerful sense of citizenship and pride has left a lasting impression on students and staff.
Learn about all of the 2020 Student Recognition Award recipients.


text:
4 Bedrooms House - Detached Sold Subject to Contract
Beautifully presented and inviting entrance hall with double glazed glass panelled external door to front elevation providing plenty of natural light with turn flight staircase leading to first floor, under stairs storage, central heating radiator and wood effect laid flooring.
Offering an extensive range of wall, base and drawers units in a light wood effect finish providing ample storage with roll top work surfaces and laminate splash backs, inset single bowl stainless steel sink with drainer and mixer tap over, ample space for free standing appliances with double glazed windows to front elevation, inset LED spot lighting to ceiling, laminate flooring and central heating radiator.
Double glazed external door to side elevation with two large built in storage cupboards boasting plumbing for free standing appliances and wall mounted gas combination boiler, stylish vertical radiator, wine store and vinyl flooring.
Fitted with a modern two piece suite comprising vanity unit with hand wash basin and storage plus low flush w/c, double glazed window to side elevation and vinyl flooring.
Naturally light and versatile reception room boasting unspoiled garden views with double glazed sliding patio doors to rear elevation, feature Art Deco style tiled fire place creates a superb focal point to the room, traditional stained glass windows to side elevation continue to add character throughout with attractive coving, central heating radiator, television point and fitted carpets.
Warm and comfortable lounge complete with wood burning stove set on a tiled hearth with timber mantle, feature stained glass windows to side elevation, attractive wall lighting and inset LED spot lighting to ceiling with fitted coving, central heating radiator, television point, double glazed window to front elevation, central heating radiator and stylish light wood effect floor throughout complete with under floor heating throughout.
Truly the heart of the this incredible home with simply stunning open garden views to the rear with double glazed windows and french doors for access. The kitchen has been carefully designed and updated to provide a contemporary two tone finish with a quality range of wall, base, display and drawer units with wood effect work stops and inset ceramic one and half bowl sink unit complete with combination boiling water mixer tap, contrasting curved edged island unit with fitted breakfast bar and stylish solid marble top, integral appliances throughout with fridge, freezer, dishwasher and bin store plus free standing Range Master oven and extractor hood included, ample space for a separate dining table with attractive wall lighting, inset LED spot lighting to ceiling with continued light wood effect laid flooring again benefiting from under floor heating.
Fitted carpets, central heating radiator and access to part boarded loft space.
Generous sized master bedroom with double glazed window to rear elevation again offering a superb garden view, quality built in wardrobes to one wall complete with hanging rails and fitted shelving plus additional walk in dressing area with sliding door access, inset spot lighting to ceiling, television point, central heating radiator and fitted carpets.
Modern fitted en-suite with roll top bath benefiting from fitted shower attachment, solid oak vanity unit incorporating hand wash basin and storage with water fall taps plus low flush w/c, heated towel rail, attractive vinyl flooring and double glazed window to side elevation.
A further spacious double bedroom with double glazed windows to side and rear elevations, inset spot lighting to ceiling, central heating radiator and fitted carpets.
Third good sized double bedroom with double glazed window to front elevation, built in wardrobes to one wall plus matching dressing table and fitted drawers, inset spot lighting to ceiling with attractive coving, central heating radiator and fitted carpets.
Spacious single bedroom with double glazed windows to dual aspect, built in double door wardrobe, central heating radiator and fitted carpets.
Updated shower room with double length wet walled shower cubicle complete with drench shower head and separate shower attachment plus vanity style unit incorporating hand wash basin and storage cupboard, matching wall mounted cabinet, heated towel rail, inset spot lights, fully tiled walls, double glazed window to front elevation and vinyl flooring.
Fitted with a low flush w/c, fully tiled walls, double glazed window to front elevation and vinyl flooring.
This superb property sits proud within its own 1/2 acre plot with well presented gardens to the front of the property having been mainly laid to lawn with well stocked borders and mature trees giving a fair degree of privacy throughout. Impressive garden to the rear that backs onto Hall Garth Park with a formal garden again mainly laid to lawn with mature planted trees and shrubs, elevated decked area offers a fantastic place to entertain. Woodland area to the side again offers privacy and screening from any neighbouring homes with log store, garden shed and gated side access.
Recently installed fully insulated work shop with wood effect cladding allowing the building to blend into its surroundings boasting power, light, heating and water supply. This detached building would make an ideal home office or summerhouse.
Extended single brick built garage with double hung doors to front elevation and personal door to side plus power supply and light. Garage is accessed via private drive offering ample off street parking.
DISCLAIMER: These particulars are produced in good faith, are set out as a general guide only and do not constitute, nor constitute any part of an offer or a contract. None of the statements contained in these particulars as to this property are to be relied on as statements or representations of fact. Any intending purchaser should satisfy him/herself by inspection of the property or otherwise as to the correctness of each of the statements prior to making an offer. No person in the employment of Woolley & Parks Ltd has any authority to make or give any representation or warranty whatsoever in relation to this property.
PLEASE NOTE: To date these details have not been approved by the vendor and should not be relied upon. Please confirm all details before viewing.
MEASUREMENTS: All measurements have been taken using a laser tape measure or taken from scaled drawings in the case of new build homes and therefore, may be subject to a small margin of error or as built.
To discuss this property please call us on:
01482 755700
Ref No: 29220618ARRANGE A VIEWING


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Asaduddin Owaisi reacts on UIDAI notices to Hyderabad people - Maha Tv
Wed, Feb 19, 2020, 03:45 PM
HYDERABAD: AMIM president Akbaruddin Owaisi reacted on the UIDAI notices to 127 people in Hyderabad to verify their citizenship on February 20. Reacting to the issue, Akbaruddin took Twitter and tweeted as "Request @UIDAI & @TelanganaPolice to tell us how many of those 127 listed people are Muslim & Dalit @TelanganaPolice please stop asking for Aadhaar during your "search & cordon" operations. You're not legally permitted to do so". He also mentioned as "The words used in the notice is the verification of citizenship (not the validity of Aadhaar). So will @UIDAI suspend the Deputy Director who issued this notice? They clearly exceeded their powers by issuing this notice It was a bad faith & biased exercise of their powers". He further added that "The Deputy Director, in this case, made it about verifying citizenship - which they aren't empowered to do The identical notices don't even provide any specific findings of the preliminary inquiry that has to be made Notices don't even say what these "false pretences" were". Earlier, the issue flared up after an Old City auto driver MD Sattar received a notice from UIDAI to attend before enquiry officer to prove the citizenship.


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Thread: Roll Call, 7/3
Roll Call, 7/3
How is everyone doing? Around here it's been quiet. I'm done tutoring for the summer and won't pick it back up again until mid-August when the public school kids return to school. Gardens look great and flowers are in full bloom. Kiddos are both doing well. Although she has an online job, DD just started a part-time job at the Iowa City Public library to get out with people. She's a "Maintenance Aide"--cleans, picks up books at remote drop sites, etc. She could have applied to be a clerk, but the maintenance job pays $4/hour more! And as she said, we definitely taught her how to clean and fix things. She had to help wake up a drunk man the other day; library staffers were afraid he was dead as it seemed like he wasn't breathing. Definitely a slice of life!
Tomorrow is Independence Day here in the US. Personally, I'm not into all the overt patriotism and backyard fireworks...oh well. US folks, what are you doing for the 4th of July?
Members in other parts of the world, what do you do to celebrate your country's independence/origin?
I was Australia a couple of years ago on Australia Day, in the Blue Mountains. The best part of the day was walking through Wentworth Falls looking for the Charles Darwin Trail. We happened upon the town's celebration. The local, small community brass band was playing Men At Work's Down Under. It was quaint and funny at the same time. Far better than the fireworks over the Sydney Bridge, in my opinion.....Carol
Homeschooled two kids for 11 years, now trying to pay it forward
Daughter -- a University of Iowa graduate: BA in English with Creative Writing, BA in Journalism, and a minor in Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies
Son -- a Purdue University graduate: BS in Computer Science, minor in math, geology, anthropology, and history
BalletBoy is deep into his ballet intensive. Mushroom is still doing a little school. It's so hot that I swear I could SEE the air outside earlier. It was downright thick. Too miserable even to go to the pool.
I had a busy week. I got arrested at the big Senate protest on Thursday. I really did it for my own mental health as much as for the border separations, but I'm so glad I did it. Best I've felt in ages. Still need to go pay my court forfeit though.
Also, I published my book about homeschooling middle school. I'm super proud of it. I still haven't announced it on my blogs or anything, but I'm psyched. I'm nearly ready for the SEA Conference in... gosh... less than two weeks. Anyone here going to Atlanta for it?Want to read about my homeschool?
Children's Books, Homeschooling and Random Musings...
Want help homeschooling or sending kids to college?
I quite liked Independence Day when we lived in the US. We were in San Diego, so no backyard fireworks, which I also can't stand. (We have them here on Guy Fawkes and they should just be banned as they cause so much trouble with fires, anxious pets [and kids in our house].)
Anyway we don't do anything for our independence because we are not independent. We are still a Commonwealth country, which I just see as so outdated and archaic. I would rather we were not. I mean, we pay them (royals) to come and tour here. Why, what exactly do they contribute, it is just weird!
I like Independence Day because it seems a positive thing. The only thing we have is Waitangi Day, which is more of a national day of discussion of the negative implications of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, which we need, but it would be nice to have a positive celebration day as well.
We are all good. Surviving winter, although our firewood stocks are getting very low. Both DDs are pretty good about their school work at the moment. I mean, both of them get up and want to do math first thing in the morning at about 8.30, so I can't really complain. The only issue is still time. I have three jobs due this week (of 25 pages, 21 pages, and 13 pages), which is the minimum I like to have money wise, but it is really hard to fit it. It would be much easier if they just got ready for bed when they needed to without needing reminders every 2 mins to stop mucking around or reading and to do what they know they need to do. By the end of that, I am exhausted and can't sit down and work straight away. So they waste a good hour of potential evening work time with their mucking around and then the distraction it causes in my brain. Any tips for evening routines? We have tried all variations of having a checklist, natural consequences, rewards, punishments. They just never ever do what they know they are meant to.
Otherwise the only other thing I need to sort out is DD5's writing. She is a lefty, and her writing is very unique. I don't know how much of it is regular lefty things (crossing t's the other way, doing her ticks backwards?) and what I should correct (she writes all of her letters from the bottom up and lots of letters backwards? – edited to clarify, they still look right, she just does the steps to form them backwards to what I would do and the writing book recommends). We have Handwriting Without Tears, but I think she is pretty sick of me reminding her of what way to form her letters.
Anyway, back to work!
Last edited by NZ_Mama; 07-03-2018 at 10:49 PM.NZ homeschoolers (school year runs start Feb to mid Dec).
DD 12 (year 7) and DD 7 (year 2).
Fourth year homeschooling.
Part-time freelance science copyeditor.
07-04-2018, 06:08 AM #5Carol
Homeschooled two kids for 11 years, now trying to pay it forward
Daughter -- a University of Iowa graduate: BA in English with Creative Writing, BA in Journalism, and a minor in Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies
Son -- a Purdue University graduate: BS in Computer Science, minor in math, geology, anthropology, and history
I usually like the festivities...but, this year feels different. DD asked why were skipping our tradition of our small town annual parade. I told her it was hard to feel patriotic when kids are in cages like animals. Sigh. I let her know we will still grill, etc., quietly at home but that would be it. This is the first year I feel like I have no right to celebrate "independence" when others have none; I hope that makes sense.
Farrar!! How exciting (your book). Completely stoked for you--do tell when it is available, please. Also, wow: being able to go--awesome; getting arrested--a little scary but also awesome--you probably can sleep a bit better knowing you are doing what you can.
This is probably my most political post--times are weird right now. I watched the RBG documentary; I am trying to keep myself from being totally bummed about the state of affairs knowing things have gotten really bad before and we have come out on the other side better than before.
I have been gone from the forum for a bit--just life. I am SOOO happy I can always "come home". I will think of you all as I quietly ponder the state of our nation tomorrow. We may not have met IRL but I do care for you guys.
My two favorite signs from the the protests: "Dissent is patriotic" and "Voldemort called. He said, "Take it down a notch."Kids are so much more than a test score.
Qualities not measured by a test: creativity, persistence, curiosity, humor, self-discipline, empathy, humility and so many more!
Wow Farrar, jail and publishing! That is a busy week, and congratulations! The advice Ive seen from you here has always been so sensible, I hope it is able to help lots of people!
Inmom, Im with you on the more personal, smaller scale celebrations.
NZmama - speaking as a lefty, there shouldnt be much difference. I believe downward and left to right strokes originated when pen ink was very wet. And just try pushing a calligraphy nib upwards! Crossing a t right to left is going to leave a trailing mess going over the letter before you start the next one.
I would suggest that when you practice handwriting that you focus on those issues, and not when it is the content that is important. My oldest didnt consistently write with proper case and direction until he was in firstish grade. DS6 (who has been in OT since he was 2) mixes his upper and lower case together in words.
Ive spent the last month or so learning (to write) the japanese syllabaries, and am starting on the kanji (2k symbols/words taken from chinese). They tend to write their horizontal lines first, then the verticals, which causes me grief. Must it be in order? The internet says 1) order makes calligraphied text more legible, and 2) writing-to-text is based on stroke order (and direction). There were a few letters that were just hard for me to look right. (ふ, ね, and す, when written in handwriting font, took a while, and I investigated other handwriting samples for my ふ interpretation.)
Maybe some of it just takes time to feel fluent writing?
A weekend ago, we went to the (Scottish) Highland Games. Sheepdog trials, scottish games, food, and.... Wicked Tinkers! Theyve been my favorite celtic-rock group for decades, and apparently my mother in law is now a new fan. Her church doesnt allow for dancing, but she said there was nothing wrong with walking along in time with the music. DS6, the sensory-seeker, was enthralled, but DS12 the sensory-avoider, thought it was too loud.
Im going to start a 30 day drawing course with the boys, just to get them some time off the video games. Aiieeks, maybe we shouldve just continued schooling through the summer. Too much gaming makes them unpleasant little critters!Homeschooling DS13, DS6.
My spelling was fine, then my brain left me.
- Join Date
- Apr 2018
- Location
- Posts
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Farrar, congratulations and I'm looking forward to hearing more about your book!
Nothing much going on here. DS is getting over a cold. We're going to have a quiet bbq and then light some fireworks at a neighbor's house, since fireworks are banned in our city. We're schooling through the summer, so I'm looking forward to using the day to just tidy up a bit and make some donations.
Alexsmom, I teach my son how to write Chinese and I'm learning it myself. Stroke order is essential to the writing because--it's hard to explain--but somehow it helps you read the word, but it also helps you figure out how to look it up and write words that you hadn't learned before. Parts of a Chinese character, especially the more complicated ones, fit together like a puzzle and you can learn things about its origins from looking at parts of its characters. So as an aside, when the Chinese government decided to adopt a simplified script so it was would be easier for its people to learn, a lot of the history of the characters will eventually be lost to future generations. As another aside, knowing how to write cursive helps with writing Chinese/Japanese characters.
And yes, it takes a lot of practice. Mine don't always look right either. I just think, as long as it's legible....
Last edited by vicsmom; 07-04-2018 at 12:20 PM.Homeschooling an only, DS10
Trains move quickly
To their journey's end
Are where we begin again
Vicsmom and Alexsmom, I think it is so admirable (and cool) that you're learning Chinese and Japanese. I can barely keep my high school Spanish fluent!
But honestly, what great examples for your kids to show life-long learning!Carol
Homeschooled two kids for 11 years, now trying to pay it forward
Daughter -- a University of Iowa graduate: BA in English with Creative Writing, BA in Journalism, and a minor in Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies
Son -- a Purdue University graduate: BS in Computer Science, minor in math, geology, anthropology, and history
- Join Date
- Dec 2013
- Posts
- 2,408
Things have been chaotic for us. I am on a research trip and I left the family at home for the month I am gone. The dogs are upset and misbehaving (I didn't realize they would notice so much because I am out the house more than anyone else in the family.) *sigh*
Like many of you mentioned, it is hard to feel patriotic with the current state of affairs. I didn't go to the protest, as I didn't want to go alone and really didn't want to chance getting arrested with no support network available.
Before I left, DS picked up my Arabic app and wanted to try it out. He is fascinated now. He is simply learning the alphabet and I think it is in part, he just wants to know he can do it more than wanting to learn the language. We are focusing on Spanish as part of school since that is the one language that all of us can speak and use at home and hopefully in the community.
I am sad I am missing the SEA conference this year. I enjoyed it last year. This year it overlapped with my work, so I will have to miss it. I was disappointed it was on the east coast again this year. Hopefully they will move it west. Even better, the PNW!
Farrar, congratulations on the book! That is wonderful. It is very satisfying to finish a project like that.


text:
- Library
- Combating Fraud
- News & Congressional
- About HUD OIG
Due to the evolving situation concerning the coronavirus (COVID-19), the HUD OIG mail operations are suspended and we strongly encourage that you file all inquiries and/or complaints electronically to Whistle Blower Report Form, Hotline Complaint Form or FOIA Requests.
3 items
The Wausau Community Development Authority, Wausau, WI, Generally Complied With HUD's and Its Own Requirements Regarding Housing Quality Standards Inspections
We audited the Wausau Community Development Authority's Housing Choice Voucher Program based on our analysis of risk factors related to the public housing agencies in Region 5's jurisdiction (States of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin). The audit was part of the activities in our fiscal year 2019 annual audit plan. Our audit objective was to determine whether the Authority ad
December 12, 2019
Brown County Housing Authority, Green Bay, WI, Did Not Always Ensure That Its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program Files Complied With HUD's and Its Own Requirements
We audited the Brown County Housing Authority's Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program based on our analysis of risk factors related to the public housing agencies in Region 5's jurisdiction and the activities included in our fiscal year 2015 annual audit plan. Our audit objectives were to determine whether the Authority (1) appropriately calculated housing assistance payments and (2) maintained required eligibility documentation
August 28, 2015
The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Needs to Improve Its Procedures and Controls Regarding Its Homeownership Programs
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Inspector General audited the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee's (Authority) 5(h) and Section 32 homeownership programs (programs). We selected the Authority based on a risk analysis showing that it had high-risk program indicators.
April 08, 2009


text:
Wencke Schuncken
author awarded score:
Alida Review
Published by:
Project Three Interactive
Developed by:
Dejavu Worlds
Format Reviewed:
Review by:
Wencke Schuncken
Welcome and please enjoy your stay on one of the most original designed island called Alida. Oh no wait, you cannot enjoy it as you would like to (relaxing holiday, getting served by servants) as a quest is waiting on you! Wasn't there a woman called Julia who is pleading to find her husband Arin back and bring him home. Well any female gamer cannot resist helping out a girlfriend, won't you agree?
The girlfriend I was referring to is called Julia who's married to Arin, one of the four musicians of the band called Alida. This band had a phenomenal success with their first CD release and earned lots of money with it. And you know how it goes with musicians who are floating in money; they get some pretty wild ideas on how to spend it. The craziest idea was to build an island theme park called Alida which had the shape of a giant guitar (330 meters long). And to make it even more attractive they decided that the guitar should be playable, assisted by machinery, and the internal workings of the guitar could be accessible and manipulated by switches, pots, etc. As Alida was nearing its completion things got complicated as the bands' popularity was decreasing which resulted in a cash flow stop. The band members became distrusted and didn't wanted to lose too much of their fortune and each of them claimed a different area of Alida. And as each of them was very suspicious and distrusted, they defined their area and tried to protect their individual wealth by devising weird and elaborate systems. Not a healthy situation if you ask me and finally the band members retracted from each other, leaving Alida uninhabited. But after 15 years the bands'manager tries to reunite the four members on Alida to resurrecting the island again and operate it as intended. Arin left for Alida but his wife Julia hasn't heard from him since he left home. What happened to Arin?
Alida is an interactive point & click adventure that you can navigate through using your mouse only. Depending where the cursor is on the screen, it will change when new options become available like grabbing for an object, moving / looking forward, backwards, use a magnifying glass, etc. Many objects can be manipulated and the cursor will change and it's up to the gamer to push, pull or turn things. When you explore Alida, many puzzles will confront you. The clues to these puzzles could be anywhere so think about where you have been and what you've seen or heard. Many puzzles cannot be solved immediately so if you're not having any luck, don't get frustrated, just leave it and go somewhere else, where you can find possible clues to solve the puzzle. Explore!
Although many point & click games are very well designed, I've never seen something spectacular as Alida in this game genre. Not only does it contain high quality graphics but also holographic video clips and animations to spice things up. Yes you're going to see some actors projected on screen and with the help of a T-runner (a transfer machine) you'll get an animation of how you're gliding through some tunnels. The graphics and related features are well chosen and define the atmosphere of the game. Sometimes it's really dark and spooky but on the other hand there are lots of cool designed places with natural looks including water, trees, etc, which gives you a pleasant feeling. The developer has put a lot of his energy in making the objects as realistic as possible and succeeded.
As some of the puzzles can only be solved by listening to certain noises, it's very important to have a good hearing ability. The game doesn't contain any subtitles and the spoken language is in English. The sound effects and background music is very cool and again needed to solve some of the puzzles. So not only do you need to explore the environments and it's beauty but you also have to concentrate on the sounds which are also pleasant; wind, water, birds, insects accompanied by an orchestral music theme.
Female gaming angle
The goal of this game is based on a cry for help by Julia. She's asking if you can find her husband Arin and bring him back home. You don't see her, only hear her voice. No other female characters take part in this game. For the female gaming audience who love to solve complicated and mysterious puzzles and have a lot of patience, this game is an excellent choice.
Alida contains meticulous graphics, unique locations, intriguing puzzles, bizarre transportation machines, ornate objects, electronic imagery, tactile contraptions, massive constructions, animated natural elements and original music, and now I need to breath...
This point & click game is enjoyable for all gamers who like to explore and interact within the virtual 3D environment of Alida, totally packed with pretty difficult puzzles, mysteries and the urge to move on, but patience is the hidden factor to complete this game. In the beginning of the game you don't exactly understand what is wrong or where to go to. You'll spend much time exploring the available sections of the Alida Island and in the meantime you'll find answers or new mysteries as you go along. The good thing is that the developer included 2 important things to make a gamer's life easier: A rocket mode feature and a walkthrough. The rocket mode can be switched on if you're in a certain area and at any time of the game you can be transferred to the place you've assigned. This will save time as you don't have to walk all the way to that certain place. The walkthrough is always handy if you get stuck and you don't have a clue how to solve a puzzle. And yes I had to use it a lot unfortunately as the puzzles confused me as the answers should be found at a totally different place. Also the difficulty level is very high, but again the developer has counted the somewhat less intellectual gamers in and included the walkthrough.
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All Things APHA
Health Topics
APHA Annual Meeting
Public health is grounded in data and science. From that bedrock, studies and reports emerge that might one day help change policy and create programs that improve lives.
During Sunday's poster sessions at APHA's 2019 Annual Meeting and Expo, scores of public health researchers were on hand to display and explain their evidence-based work.
Kristin Yeoman, with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, talked about research into worker heat strain in an Idaho mine. She and her team found that the body temperature of miners can exceed safe limits of heat exposure.
But that's not what makes the research unique — many workplace studies have found unsafe heat exposure in occupational settings.
Yeoman's study differs in finding that the Idaho miners' body temperature rises and falls like a roller-coaster throughout their shifts. Yeoman believes it's because they're periodically taking breaks or doing less physically strenuous work. Yeoman's question: Does a variable spike in body temperature harm cognitive function?
The pilot study is helping researchers "understand patterns of heat exposure in mining so we can figure out how to mitigate" cognitive health risk, Yeoman said. That work could then be applied to workers in other mines.
A fellow poster also focused on worker health safety. This one involved dangers for workers who inhale food flavorings, including a chemical used in butter-flavored popcorn.
Besides flavored popcorn, harmful chemicals are also used in pet foods, baked goods and other products, according to the poster presentation. Inhaling flavoring chemicals can cause permanent lung disease in workers.
Presenting the information were Peter Dooley, an occupational health and safety consultant, and W. Taylor Lacy, a South Carolina lawyer who is representing a group of workers who claim to have suffered ill health due to exposure to flavoring chemicals.
Lacy said he hopes the research will lead to educating employers and employees about the dangers of exposure, which might lead to developing safety equipment and engineering controls to minimize health risks.
In another poster presentation, a trio of California students presented their research on teaching home-cooking to reduce obesity, primarily in low-income Hispanic communities.
The study involved adolescents in two underrepresented California communities. The goal was to educate about nutrition and help them create their own healthful dishes, with the ultimate hope of reducing weight gain and creating a model for others in the community to follow.
Victoria Ayala, who's pursuing an MPH at the University of California-Los Angeles and is a co-author of the study, said she was interested in improving nutrition because she grew up in one of the study communities, which she described as a "food desert."
Results so far show that teens are empowered by learning to cook using healthful ingredients, and the effort has yielded some impact on reducing participants' initial habit of high-calorie, low-nutrition eating.
"We want to see the young take these cooking skills into adulthood," Ayala said. "Then teach their families about it."
Photo by Mark Barna
© 2020 Public Health Newswire
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The enrollment object allows to generate de 3DS transaction.
The cardholder can proceed to secured payments thanks to the 3D Secure protocole (transaction known as a strong authentification). The 3DS protocole improves the merchant protection against fraudulent chargebacks.
CentralPay delivers a complete service that takes care 3D Secure functionnality. Which means, you don't need to use an external Message Passing Interface (Message Passing Interface)
The 3D Secure payment process starts like regular transactions.
You need to obtain a cardTokenID or use a CustomerID already existing.
Before processing to the transaction, you need to get beforehand those additional information.
- Check if the card is considered as 3D Secure or not
- If the card is considerd as 3D Secure you need to get the following parameters: a payer Autentification Request ("Pareq") and a URL pointing through the authentification service of the cardholder's issuer.
Your customers are redirected on the card issuer's website to check their Identity using the 3DS process.
You receive back then a confirmation, called as a payment authentification Response "PaRes" to use to finalize the transaction.
Proceed to the following steps for a 3D Secure transaction process:
1Create a card (thanks to the Customer and Cardtoken objects)
- Create a cardToken (and potentially a Customer)
- Or you can use a customerID already existing
2Check if the card needs 3D SECURE authentication
- Execute a chekEnrollment with a cardTokenId or customerId.
- Keep the field enrollmentId for future use.
3Redirect the cardholder to a Strong Customer Authentication (this process is done by the merchant)
In case of success, take the Payer authentification Request "paReq" and the «acsURL» received during the checkEnrollment execute the following redirection:
<form id="downloadForm" name="downloadForm" method="POST" action="<ASC_bank_url>">
<input type="hidden" id="PaReq" name="PaReq" value="<value_of_paReq>">
<input type="hidden" id="TermUrl" name="TermUrl" value"="<return_merchant_url>">
<input type="hidden" id="MD" name="MD" value="<merchant_description>">
[..] Ds
This process allows to display the interface in which tha cardholder has to complete his personal data.
4Obtaining information from the ACS (this action is done by the merchant)
As en answer from the ACS you get a "paRes"» field.
5Process to the secure transaction
Proceed to a transaction with those 2 additional fields "3ds [enrollmentId]" and "3ds [paRes]":
- The value of the field enrollmentId is obtained from the checkEnrollment
- The value of the field paRes is obtained from the ACS
Note: all functions use the "MIME" type: "application/x-www-form-urlencoded".
Test / Sandbox environment
You can test totally the 3D Secure process in our test/sandbox environment. In order to make a simulation of a 3D Secure authenitiftion with the checkEnrollment fonctionality, please use the testing credit card number.
If you wish to proceed to a simulation with a card which is not 3D secure you can use the following numbers : 4100000000000019 and 4100000000000027.
The API will send back a failure message. You won't be redirected to the ACS authentification window.
Process a 3DS transaction with Acceptance Rules
An acceptance rule is a logic condition that makes it possible to Authorise, Restrict and/or Prohibit transactions. A rule is comprised of 4 aspects: The action, attributes, operators and values.
- The syntax of a rule is as follows:
- "Action" "if" "Attribute" "Relational operators" "Comparison value"
- Example: REFUSE if card_country != 'FRA'
The previous example refuses payments if the country of the card is not France.
The syntax of the grammar selected by the platform for its acceptance engine is very similar to SQL syntax (used to converse with databases).
You can find more details about how to set Acceptance Rules in the API v2 documentation page. Read the content of this chapter if you are interested in applying the CentralPay API v2 rules engine to define the acceptance conditions of a payment.
Rules engine action
Manage a HTTP 307 response
If a transaction request is returned with a HTTP code 307 the merchant should request either a CVC (card verification code), an OTP (one time password) or send a request for 3DSecure.
- For CVC requested:
- Add the field cvcValidation with the value submited by cardholder to the transaction.
- For OTP requested:
- Add the field otp with the value submitted by cardholder to the transaction.
- For 3DS requested:
- Use the checkEnrollment object recieved in the HTTP 307 response to load the URL received in the field checkEnrollment.acsURLwith th following POST parameters:
- PaReq: use the value of checkEnrollment.paReq.
- MD: use the value of the checkEnrollment.merchantName.
- TermUrl: the URL that will be loaded after 3DS validation, it has to read and manage the response from the 3DS bank page.
- Read the 3DS response and make another transaction request adding the following parameters to the attempted previously:
- 3ds[paRes] use the value of paRes from the 3DS response.
- 3ds[enrollmentId] use the value of checkEnrollment.enrollmentId from the previous transaction object.
- Use the checkEnrollment object recieved in the HTTP 307 response to load the URL received in the field checkEnrollment.acsURLwith th following POST parameters:
Example of transaction requests after 3DS rule engine action
First transaction request:
curl -v https://test-api.centralpay.net/v2/rest/transaction \ -u 'DEMOPSC:eUZG&DVD6cCD' \ -d merchantTransactionId=00201806876 \ -d pointOfSaleId=95f83a22-e0a2-4a57-9457-6fcd8198b82b \ -d amount=2500 \ -d currency=EUR \ -d email@example.com \ -d customerId=20f26fd6-56a2-492a-9a87-2603c9a77ca5 \ -d cardId=943ed87f-92c6-4546-a312-c187453a9a86 \ -d endUserIp=172.24.72.54 \ -d order[firstName]=JOHN \ -d order[lastName]=DOE \ -d order[country]=GB \
Response after rule engine action (HTTP response code 307):
{ "checkEnrollment": { "enrollmentId": "d43fa45f-e7c3-4b40-a886-cffc76d56fa7", "creationDate": "2018-02-14T12:50:41.591+01:00", "additionalData": {}, "acsURL": "https://test-threedsecure.centralpay.net/acs", "amount": 2500, "cardFingerprint": "b384a276872de0bc02bb858cab0a76d0dc9a607e", "currency": "EUR", "first6": "400000", "last4": "0002", "merchantCountry": "FR", "merchantName": "Live Demo", "merchantTransactionIdentifier": "180214125040048", "merchantURL": "https://centralpay.net", "paReq": "eJxVUttuwjAM/ZWq7yVJSUuL3CA... ...J+b6RfubH+fYVvye+/+Q==", "status": "SUCCESS" }, "otp": false, "cvc": false }
Transaction request after 3DS successful validation:
curl -v https://test-api.centralpay.net/v2/rest/transaction \ -u 'DEMOPSC:eUZG&DVD6cCD' \ -d merchantTransactionId=00201806876-#act \ -d pointOfSaleId=95f83a22-e0a2-4a57-9457-6fcd8198b82b \ -d amount=2500 \ -d currency=EUR \ -d email@example.com \ -d customerId=20f26fd6-56a2-492a-9a87-2603c9a77ca5 \ -d cardId=943ed87f-92c6-4546-a312-c187453a9a86 \ -d endUserIp=172.24.72.54 \ -d order[firstName]=JOHN \ -d order[lastName]=DOE \ -d order[country]=GB \ -d 3ds[enrollmentId]=d43fa45f-e7c3-4b40-a886-cffc76d56fa7 \ -d 3ds[paRes]=eJydVlmzosgSfvdXnDjzaNvsKhPoRLEpss... ...mRz+79T1//eFx+PIif76GvD+W/AatUt1c= \
Mind new fields 3ds[enrollmentId] and 3ds[paRes] added in the second transaction request and the difference in the value of field merchantTransactionId:
- First transaction request: 00201806876.
- Second transaction request: 00201806876-#act.
The transaction response returned will contain, among others, the following details:
{ "transactionId": "14b7b7ef-3411-495a-b322-d1a77520b848", "merchantTransactionId": "00201806876-#act", "creationDate": "2018-02-14T12:50:52.752+01:00", "totalAmount": 2500, "customerId": "20f26fd6-56a2-492a-9a87-2603c9a77ca5", "card": { "cardId": "943ed87f-92c6-4546-a312-c187453a9a86", "customerId": "20f26fd6-56a2-492a-9a87-2603c9a77ca5", "fingerprint": "b384a276872de0bc02bb858cab0a76d0dc9a607e", }, "3ds": true, "endUserIp": "172.24.72.54", "receiptEmail": "email@example.com", "pointOfSaleId": "95f83a22-e0a2-4a57-9457-6fcd8198b82b", "enrollmentId": "d43fa45f-e7c3-4b40-a886-cffc76d56fa7", "additionalData": {} }
Match successful order reference
After receiving a transaction response from the API you may want to update your order reference in your backoffice/database.
Mind the following note if you set any acceptance rule to verify the transaction either with 3DS, CVC or OTP:
If you used this order reference to submit the merchantTransactionId mind to substract the string added (prefixed or suffixed) before matching it with your original order reference.
Mind that you are free to submit additional fields using the additionalData parameter, e.g. additionalData=[referenceId]00032051. All the data sent into the additionalData object will be returned in the transaction response.


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…Nigeria, other violators have until June 22 to detail cuts
Nigeria, Angola and other signatories to the OPEC+ agreement have been given until June 22 to declare and submit their compliance plans, according to a monitoring committee tasked with tracking compliance with the OPEC+ production cut accord and assessing market conditions.
"The committee stressed that the attainment of 100% conformity from all participating countries is not only fair and equitable, but vital for the ongoing and timely rebalancing efforts and helping deliver a sustainable oil market stability," the OPEC+ Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee said in a draft statement after meeting online June 18.
Nigeria has said it was ready to make additional oil output cuts from July to September to compensate for producing more than its quota in May and June, when OPEC and its allies implemented a deal to curb supply by record.
"Nigeria reconfirms our commitment under the existing agreement and also subscribes to the concept of compensation by countries who are unable to attain one hundred per cent conformity in May and June to accommodate it in July, August and September," the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources said in a statement on Twitter.
The agreed cut for Nigeria is about 417,000 barrels per day, which is about 23 per cent of the country's production. However, Nigeria's crude production stood at 1.61mn b/d in May, a full 200,000 b/d above its May-June Opec+ 1.41mn b/d output quota, according to the Ministry, which cited data from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
Iraq and Kazakhstan have submitted their plans to the OPEC+ alliance on how they will implement deeper oil production cuts in the coming months, following through on pledges to make good on violating their quotas in May.
The statement did not detail the exact schedule of cuts for Iraq and Kazakhstan. The deal calls for the compensatory cuts to be made over July-September. Ministers for both countries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Kazakh energy minister Nurlan Nogayev had said June 9 that his country pumped 3.13 million barrels over its quota over May 1-12.
Iraq produced nearly 600,000 b/d over its quota in May, according to Platts latest survey of OPEC output, and oil minister Ihsan Ismaael said June 15 that crude exports in June had already been slashed in an effort to comply with the deal.
The OPEC+ alliance's overall compliance with the cuts was 87% for May, the committee said.
OPEC and 10 allies are in the midst of a 9.7 million b/d production cut agreement aimed at speeding the oil market's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. The cuts are set to run through July, with the JMMC meeting monthly to adjust the quotas as needed.
No decisions were made on August cut levels, delegates said, with the market outlook still uncertain.
"We are committed to a common goal — balancing the global oil market," Russian energy minister Alexander Novak said in his opening remarks at the JMMC meeting ."Everyone understands that we are not yet close to reaching a sustainable recovery."
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Oman have agreed to implement an additional voluntary 1.2 million b/d cut for June but have said they do not plan to continue those in July.
The nine-country JMMC is co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and Russia, the OPEC+ coalition's largest producers.


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If you sell the home, you will not be able to use the program for your next purchase because this is a program for first-time buyers. You are not required to work with specific real estate agents for your home search or to work with any specific lender when getting a home loan.
Dream Makers provides matching grants for down payment and closing cost assistance for a military service member's first home purchase.
or imagining how happy the home's residents would be having brunch on the back veranda. You don't have to limit yourself to.
Homebuyer Sample Application Form for NSP (XLS) Tags: NSP Disclaimer: All peer approved resources shared on the HUD Exchange have been provided by the organization that developed them.
House Loan Companies The deceleration in loan disbursements by housing finance companies (HFCs) could have a spillover impact on both retail home loan borrowers and property developers, according to India Ratings and.
Go finding at HomeGoods for an ever-changing selection of amazing finds at incredible savings. Find Furniture, Rugs, Dcor, and More. See what's in store.
Whether you are a Qualified Approval, purchasing a home right away, or a Non-Qualified Approval who participates in the Rent-To-Own program until you can purchase, NHBA allows you to select your home. Once you are approved for financing, NHBA or its designee purchases the home for cash and then resells the home to you for market value.
Buying a home should be fun and exciting – not stressful and confusing! That's why we strive to make the process as smooth and seamless as possible. That, of course, means taking measures to help you prepare for submitting a home loan application.
Usda Loan Eligible Homes For Sale Fha 0 Down Home Loans Down payment assistance and FHA loans. The Chenoa Fund works hand-in-hand with a fixed-rate FHA first mortgage on a single-family property, providing assistance up to 3.5% of the home's purchase price. This effectively covers the FHA loan's 3.5% down payment requirement.The North Carolina State Office, located in Raleigh, NC, administers USDA Rural Development programs through six Area Offices and fourteen field offices across the state. State Director's Office: 919-873-2015. Business Programs: 919-873-2040. Community Programs: 919-873-2030. Multi-Family Housing Programs: 919-873-2050
New to home financing? Buying your first home is a big deal. Between comparing neighborhoods and reviewing real estate listings, make sure you understand the basics of home financing – from mortgage rates to fees and costs. Ask yourself these questions. You can think about how you might pay for a down payment.
Usda County Loan Limits To find the loan guarantee income limit for the county where you live, consult this USDA map and table. USDA guaranteed home loans can fund only owner-occupied primary residences. Other eligibility.
The Online On-demand Home Services market report [6 Year Forecast 2019-2025] focuses on Major Leading Industry Players,
Buying a Home ; Contact a Housing Counseling Agency ; Contracting Opportunities with HUD ; Disabled Persons ; Disaster Assistance ; Economic Development ; Energy ; Environment ; Fair Lending ; Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Grants ; Home Improvements
Loans For Buying A Home Rural Development Home Requirements This program assists approved lenders in providing low- and moderate-income households the opportunity to own adequate, modest, decent, safe and sanitary dwellings as their primary residence in eligible rural areas. eligible applicants may build, rehabilitate, improve or relocate a dwelling in an eligible rural area.
Becoming a homeowner is still seen as the American Dream. However, being a first time home buyer can be a frustrating situation. traditional mortgages require high down payments and can be fairly difficult to qualify for. Fortunately, there are many first-time home buyer programs, grants, and down-payment assistance available.


text:
From the 10th floor of our Academy our view has changed dramatically over the last few years. Gone is the dated bus station and ageing shops on Wood Street, replaced with the modern and vibrant Central Square development – the new home to BBC Wales and new businesses alike.
Our central location is now becoming the hub of Cardiff – a fastly-growing city looking to the future. And if that wasn't enough, a recent report by Airbnb has just ranked Cardiff the 11th highest trending city in the world!
So why do we think Cardiff has ranked so highly? Many reasons! For starters, Cardiff is fortunate to have one of the highest seating capacity stadiums in Europe – attracting events such as the champions league final – Anthony Joshua – Monster Jam – and top artists such as Coldplay – Ed Sheeran – and of course the Six Nations Rugby! Not only is the city centre a hub for sport and music, it's filled with cultural and historical significance – from the Bay to the Castle, Cardiff is drenched in history. The capital city also boasts more green space per person than any other UK core city, with over 330 parks and gardens.
We understand the importance of choosing a study destination where you can enjoy everything a city has to offer, whilst being reassured that you will be safe and welcomed. Cardiff offers this – and so much more!
With time still left to apply for our International Foundation Programme (IFP) and applications open for our January Intensive IFP, there has never been a better time to join us.
Images used with the permission of Holder Mathias Architects and Rightacres Property Co. Limited.


text:
Clay Wants More Time, Nicole Leaves
Nicole is ready for an engagement, and Clay says he's starting to fall in love with her -- but he's not there yet and wants more time to explore their relationship. Nicole says she already knows and if he's not there then she doesn't want to be together knowing that he doesn't love her yet. From Week 7: The Season Finale of Bachelor in Paradise 2019. Watch Bachelor in Paradise MONDAYS and TUESDAYS 8|7c on ABC, streaming and on demand.
Most Recent
Most Recent
Deleted Scene: Bachelor In Paradise 2019 Bloopers09.19.2019 | 2m
Deleted Scene: Clay and Nicole in the Hot Seat09.19.2019 | 8m
Peter Weber Is The Next Bachelor09.17.2019 | 4m
Demi and Kristian Get Engaged09.17.2019 | 3m
Tayshia Meets Up With John Paul Jones After Paradise09.17.2019 | 2m
Kristian Proposes to Demi09.17.2019 | 2m
Chris and Katie Fight After Their Time On Stage09.17.2019 | 2m
Hannah and Dylan Get Engaged09.17.2019 | 3m
Clay Wants More Time, Nicole Leaves09.17.2019 | 2m
Finale Sneak Peek: Who Gets Engaged and Who Goes Home?09.10.2019 | 1m
Bri Turns Down a Rose from Luke S.09.10.2019 | 2m
Tayshia Draws a Portrait of John Paul Jones09.10.2019 | 2m
Tayshia Breaks Up with John Paul Jones09.10.2019 | 2m
New Arrival Whitney Goes Chasing After Connor09.10.2019 | 4m
Ghosts of Paradise Past: That Time Clare Crawley Talked to a Raccoon09.05.2019 | 1m
Ghosts of Paradise Past: Ashley I. Cries to a Parrot09.04.2019 | 1m
Ghosts Of Paradise Past: Jordan Drowns a Stuffed Animal08.30.2019 | 1m


text:
With the increasing influence of K-beauty globally, we look at the novel and kitsch packaging innovations from South Korea that are spurring Gen Z and millennial beauty packaging trends.
K-Beauty: Packaging
Not yet a member?
Stylus membership is your window to tomorrow's most exciting opportunities.
We already arm more than 500 of the world's most forward-thinking brands and agencies with the creative insights they need to make transformative business decisions.
We'd love to do the same for you. Discover what you can achieve by becoming a member.


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#tbt to a few minutes ago when the light was perfect in our studio and I distracted myself by taking a gratuitous #selfie before closing up shop and heading home for the day.
Sign up for our mailing list!
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In France, an elderly man is fighting to make a formal break with the Catholic Church. He's taken the church to court over its refusal to let him nullify his baptism, in a case that could have far-reaching effects.
Seventy-one-year-old Rene LeBouvier's parents and his brother are buried in a churchyard in the tiny village of Fleury in northwest France. He himself was baptized in the Romanesque stone church and attended mass here as a boy.
LeBouvier says this rural area is still conservative and very Catholic, but nothing like it used to be. Back then, he says, you couldn't even get credit at the bakery if you didn't go to mass every Sunday….


text:
Academic Year 2018/2019
Learning outcomes
Advanced course in design and construction of architecture models. The aim of the course is to assimilate theoretical and practical knowledge trough exercises with CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) and CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) equipment provided by modelling laboratory.
Course contents
The course is based on design and construction of architectural models as a tool for analysis, verification and representation during the process of architectural design.
Students will face technical features of the most commonly used materials for architectural models and they will acquire necessary tools to understand architectural drawings and to interpret them according according to the needs and the realization of the model.
The course will be scheduled in a series of lectures followed by practical study about main processing techniques.
Moon K., Modeling Messages. The architect and the model, The Monacelli press, New York 2005.
Sardo N., La figurazione plastica dell'architettura. Modelli e rappresentazione, Edizioni Kappa, Roma 2004.
Consalez L., Bertazzoni L., Modelli e prospettive, Hoepli, Milano 1998.
«Rassegna (Maquette)», 32, dicembre, Electa, Milano 1987.
Gulinello F. (a cura di), Modelli di architettura, Il Vicolo, Cesena 2005.
Knoll W., Hechinger M., Architectural models, B.T. Batsford Ltd, Londra 1990.
Salvarani F., La costruzione del modello architettonico, Di Baio editore, Milano 1992.Dunn N., Come realizzare un modello architettonico, Logos, Modena 2010.
Teaching methods
Students will participate to a workshop that is a necessary condition to pass the exam.
Assessment methods
Course attendance is not compulsory but strongly recommended to all students to pass the exame.
It's also necessary to carry out the exercise proposed during the atelier, consisting in the realization of an architectural model by traditional techniques and with facilities of modelling laboratory equipments.
Teaching tools
Each lesson will be followed by communication to the students that summarizes lesson contents and provides the necessary informations for carry on in developing exercises.
Equipment of modelling laboratory supplied by the faculty will be used in addition to tools of each student.
Office hours
See the website of Cristina Reggioli


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Email Abbie!
"I would like to open this site for conversation with women of all ages, convictions and styles of life – wherever situated on the gamut of experience. In principle, there is no bar to men joining in, since how one defines women has a lot to do with what it means to be a man. But it is women I invite to pull up a chair at this virtual café table and put their questions and views into the conversation. I can be wrong as often as right, so specific advice will be avoided. What will be sought is light on how best to frame the situation of women, considered as a highly interesting problematic. What kind of hand have we been dealt, as women, and how can we best play it?
Comments are warmly encouraged on any post at any point."
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Tag Archives: brute power
Who or What Were Adam and Eve?
Posted on August 18, 2020 by Abigail
Who or What Were Adam and Eve? Unless you believe that the entire universe actually came into being at the divine summons 5,781 years previous to the New Year of September, 2020, with the two parents of the human race … Continue reading →
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Posted on April 28, 2015 by Abigail
"Victims" The other day, Jerry and I attended an event bringing together people whose professions circle around religion. There were ministers, scholars and theologians in academic departments, of Religion or Theology, students in seminaries and nuns in street clothes. (Nuns … Continue reading →
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Being Gary
Text by Anand Vasu. Statistics by Rajesh Kumar. Photographs by Gallo images / Getty Images / AFP
Source: This article was taken from the April 2011 issue of Sport Illustrated
Reticent, reserved and remarkable, Gary Kirsten lets us in on his philosophy of success after three years spent making India the best Test team in the world, and a force to be reckoned with in ODI cricket.
The World Cup is a cruel competition. Every four years, the event brings to cricket a massive upheaval in terms of personnel. With every team in the world in the mix and only one winner, the search for scapegoats begins in earnest the day a team is knocked out. And who are the hardest hit? The coaches. Captains run them a close second, but it is the former cricketers that steer teams who feel the pinch the most.
At the end of this World Cup, though, one man will walk away with his head held high, regardless of where his team ends in the standings. And that is no mean feat considering his job is the most high-profile of all, the one that attracts the most scrutiny and, barring unfortunate incidents in Pakistan, takes the heaviest toll.
Gary Kirsten is lucky in that he will return home to Cape Town to the warm embrace of wife Deborah and young sons Joshua, 8, and James, 4, when the competition ends on 2 April. But the fact that he will do so has little to do with luck.
Systematically, in the three years he has worked with the team, Kirsten has earned the unstinting respect and trust of every cricketer he has been associated with. Is that easy to do? Ask Greg Chappell.
That defining moment, when Kirsten knew he would be accepted, came even before he began working full-time with the team. It was at the WACA in Perth, where a quiet South African formed a deep bond with the most quintessentially Indian cricketer.
Before the third Test in 2008, which India went into trailing 2-0 in the series, Kirsten was called upon to give Sachin Tendulkar the first of what would seem like a million throw-downs in the nets.
"I still remember that day in Perth, when Sachin came up to me and said, 'Can you throw a few balls at me?' I said to myself, I need to impress him. I threw from 16 or 17 yards and he missed a few balls. Next moment, he came to me and said, 'Gary, do you mind going a few yards back?'"
To the bystander, this might seem a trivial, everyday exchange. But it signalled the beginning of a beautiful relationship. For, if Tendulkar had even the slightest doubt that Kirsten would take the act of playing and missing as weakness and opt for something lighter, he would not have asked. Tendulkar knew instinctively that Kirsten, having played 101 Tests and 185 ODIs himself, would understand that the little master had stretched himself enough in the nets proper, against the bowlers, and now needed to get something else out of practice. 'After that, lovely cover drives flowed from Sachin's bat. It was a good learning experience for me."
The goal Kirsten set was a staggering one. He decided to make India the no. 1 test team in the world. He succeeded.
Typically, it is the pupil that comes out of an exchange having learnt something, not the man designated as coach, who is supposed to be the one doing the teaching. But Kirsten knew that in the university of cricket, Tendulkar already owned the equivalent of several PhDs and that he'd have to do things differently.
The shift from the prescriptive method of instruction, which is the norm in Indian cricket, to one in which players were encouraged to take on the responsibility for learning, happened over the course of Kirsten's tenure. Looking back, he says: "I felt that many of the more experienced Indian players were actually crying out to be given more responsibility – they did not want to be told what to do, they had their own thinking on how they were going to play. It does not work with everyone, though, and some have needed more guidance. Much of that depends on the type of players one is working with."
This readiness to reject the one-size-fits-all approach was a cornerstone of Kirsten's methodology. One of the first things he did was to encourage the players to apply themselves and think hard about the kind of practice they needed in the lead-up to a game. Given India's occasionally crazy scheduling, Zaheer Khan worked out that it served him best to bowl flat out two days before a game and then not bowl at all one day prior. Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Tendulkar and various others, at different times, have availed themselves of the chance to stay away from optional sessions and emerged rather more fresh for it.
Naturally, this was first met with widespread criticism in some sections of the media, who couldn't come to terms with the fact that not all members of the team showed up at practice after a heavy defeat.
But Kirsten has known all along that his battle would not be won in the media.
In fact, he stayed studiously far from the media, never being rude or stand-offish, always happy to have a chat if you ran into him at a cricket ground or hotel on the road, but deliberately avoiding speaking to the Indian public through the media.
Even this interview took over a month to come to fruition, from the day he agreed to do it to the time he spent studying the questions and meticulously answering them. Simply put, Kirsten knew that the players were the prime stakeholders in his professional life and that the Board of Control for Cricket in India had a role to play. The rest were all peripheral.
However, he insists it was not a conscious decision to keep a low profile or stay away from the notoriously aggressive Indian media. "I have never been a person who enjoys the spotlight, so it was a natural process for me," he explains. "I'm also of the opinion that the coach's work is behind the scenes and the success of the team belongs to the players. Whether the team is winning or losing, the work that we do to prepare the players for performance does not change."
When any coach takes up an assignment, it's reasonable for him to want to have a say in the things that directly impact the work he does. In Indian cricket, selection and scheduling are the tricky ones. Kirsten, instead of putting these forward as pre-conditions, chose to try and get some success on board first. Even from his position of strength, he requested, not demanded, things from the BCCI.
Try and prise out a moment of frustration for him, a time when he simply could not get the Board to do what was best for the team, and you draw a blank. "I think there's been consistency in decisionmaking, which allows everyone to work towards a common goal," is all Kirsten will say of his relationship with his paymasters. The goal Kirsten set up, first privately and then gently to the public, was a staggering one. He insisted that this Indian team should become No 1 in the International Cricket Council's Test rankings. While those he first discussed this proposal with apprised him of the gravity of what he was proposing – essentially that the Indian team could not afford to lose a single Test series in his tenure – Kirsten would not back down. What was the team's reaction when he proposed this? "A real excitement and something to work towards, as they knew it was within their capabilities," says Kirsten. "How we were going to get there was then my responsibility. I had to make sure we were doing the right things on a day-to-day basis. We set this goal before Australia arrived in India in October 2008 and after we had lost the series to Sri Lanka. We had to put our peg in the ground and every player has responded brilliantly and often from out of their comfort zones."
Kirsten talks about the team and his India experience
Fresh people bring fresh ideas. What do you think needs to change in India?
There is a lot of talent in India. As is always the case in any country, narrowing the gap 'between the quality of first-class cricket and that of international cricket is crucial. Because of the size of India, there must be caution around diluting its first-class competition.
While the class and ability of players such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman et al are established, how would you rate the quality of the emerging players?
There is no shortage of talent in India and because of this there is no reason why Indian cricket can't remain a force in world cricket when these top players retire. The rebuilding period need not be long but they will need to go through it.
The players insist this is the happiest dressing-room they've been in. How does it compare to dressing-rooms you've occupied as a player?
We have taken a lot of pride in creating a healthy working environment where people can express themselves freely and really enjoy their time together. No team environment is immune to challenges and difficulties, and it has been my responsibility to deal with any issues.
What has touched you most about the past three years?
I'm humbled by the way the Indian cricket fraternity has accepted me and I have never taken anything for granted.
Finally, if you had to give one speech to the players, and another to India's public, what would you have to say?
To the players, I'd say: ensure you treat every day that you represent your country with respect and humility. Give your best at all times in your attitude to performance and in your preparation. To the public: your support is truly recognised and appreciated.
While taking players out of their comfort zones – in a cricketing sense – was important, it was equally critical that they first be returned to a good mental space. After all, Kirsten had taken over after a particularly turbulent time, when Chappel's tenure had left the players wary of one other, and in some cases unsure of themselves. What Kirsten and his trusty deputy Paddy Upton did was shut up and listen.
Kirsten spent the first nine months to a year of his tenure just listening to the players and trying to develop a bond of trust with each one to help them work together. The most striking example, which is why it is pointed out so often, is Tendulkar. While Chappell and Tendulkar had never managed to get to the stage that they helped each other, Kirsten broke through and succeeded. "Sachin has been a real pleasure to work with and he continues to be a great example to young cricketers. He takes no short cuts in his preparation," explains Kirsten.
"He still has a desire and motivation to work hard at his game. Most importantly, he really enjoys his cricket and brings a positive energy to the change-room. Whenever Sachin walks out to bat, he treats his batting with absolute humility."
Kirsten encouraged players to do what they felt was best. He did not saddle them with his own ideas.
It's no secret that one of Chappell's biggest regrets was that he could not get Tendulkar to play more of a mentoring role within the dressing-room. But perhaps pointedly asking the great man to do so was not the best way of achieving that goal. Tendulkar, like Kirsten, is not one for big speeches. What Kirsten decided was to think less about what he wanted the players to be and instead encourage them to do what they thought was best.
Unsurprisingly, the two goals were not mutually exclusive. As any management guru will tell you, the best way to get someone to do something is to let him believe it was his own idea in the first place.
While Kirsten's relationship with Tendulkar has been important in setting the tone for how some of the other players perceive their coach, what was more critical on a day-to-day basis was how the coach and captain got along. How important was it that they were on the same page? "I think MS [Mahendra Singh Dhoni] and I think very differently in many areas of the game, but we have a deep respect for each other's work and, in this way, we complement one another. MS has been critical to the success of this team.
He leads by gut feel and has a calming influence," says Kirsten. "I believe the captain and the coach need to show a combined face to the players in what we say. But, there are many ways to achieve success and I'm fully aware that my way may not always be the right way." Kirsten concedes that it took him a while to establish a relationship of trust with Dhoni – something that was critical for leaders of the team – but now believes that was time well spent, as it has allowed them to work together more successfully than any coach-captain combination in the history of Indian cricket.
When Kirsten was appointed India's coach (largely by accident, although many now take credit for this masterstroke) he had no credentials for the job. He had never coached an international team, even though he had worked with domestic side the Warriors as a consultant batting coach back in 2006, and was in the process of setting up his own academy in Cape Town.
Fellow South African Graham Ford, after several rounds of interviews in 2007, stunned the BCCI by declining its offer to coach India after applying for the job in the first place. England's John Emburey and Dav Whatmore, who had tasted success with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, were also in the fray. However, a committee of three former India captains – Sunil Gavaskar, S Venkataraghavan and Ravi Shastri went with Ford, who then promptly declined, under mysterious circumstances. There was speculation that Ford had demanded a tenure longer than the two years the BCCI was offering and the freedom to choose his own support staff, but Niranjan Shah, then-BCCI secretary, revealed Ford had made no such demands.
Kirsten's boys have achieved many firsts in the past three years…
- Between October 2008 and January 2010, for the first time in history, India won five successive Test series – one each against Australia, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. This feat was achieved during Kirsten's tenure.
- India moved to No 1 in the Test rankings – a position they still hold – for the first time under Kirsten after beating Sri Lanka by an innings and 24 runs in the third Test in Mumbai in December 2009.
- Before Kirsten took charge, India had never beaten Australia in two successive Test series [one-off Tests excluded). Since then India have beaten Australia in two successive Test series, both in India, by 2-0 each time, in 2008/09 and 2010/11.
- With their 1-0 series win over New Zealand in 2008/09, India, under Kirsten, finally won a Test series in New Zealand after 41 long years. India's previous series triumph in New Zealand was recorded way back in 1967/68. It was Sachin Tendulkar's spectacular 160 that won the Hamilton Test for India in 2009 and helped the team beat the Kiwis 1-0.
- India have not lost a single Test series under Kirsten. When Sri Lanka won the 2008 series 2-1, Kirsten was not the coach for the Colombo Test, which India lost by eight wickets. He had flown to South Africa before the start of the Test to be with his mother, Gayl Hall, who died of cancer in a Cape Town hospital soon after. Paddy Upton had officiated as coach in that Test.
- India have not lost a single Test against Australia with Kirsten as coach.
- For the first time, India did not lose a Test series played in South Africa. The series played in the latter half of 2010 ended in a 1-1 draw.
In Kirsten's case, he never formally applied for the job. He wasn't one of those out-of-work former players lured by the fame, attention or money that the India coaching job offered. However, he was invited to attend an interview and was then offered the position. Even then Kirsten didn't jump at the offer, choosing first to check if there was any truth to the stories that some of India's senior cricketers thought he was not appropriate for the position. "If the players aren't happy with the working conditions or the staff then there's no point carrying on," Kirsten would tell Neil Manthorp, a leading South African journalist who was also his biographer. Manthorp recounts Kirsten's mental pedigree, asserting that it was essential to his success, given that he was not even the most talented cricketer in his family let alone the country.
"Look out for my boet – he has more heart than anyone I've seen… he has it here, too," Peter Kirsten told Manthorp, tapping the side of his head.
Gary had sufficient reason to be wary. His father, Noel, was a wicketkeeper-batsman in Natal for domestic side Border between 1946 and 1961. Gary's brother, Paul, and half-brothers Andy and Peter were first-class cricketers. Peter, whose career was cut short by SA being isolated from international cricket, was easily the most talented and technically adept. But Gary, who schoolmate and now partner-in-crime Paddy Upton calls the "professor of cricket", had more bloody-minded dedication to succeeding than anyone else since South Africa reentered international cricket.
The biggest test came when the team arrived in South Africa to play against the Proteas.
Cricketing pedigree established, Kirsten still had reason to think twice, because he had never coached internationally.
Typically, he turned this into a strength. "In a way I think it helped that I had never coached an international team," he says. "I came to the job with no coaching reference points, only what I thought of the Indian players when I played against them."
Kirsten had tremendous success against India in ODIs, averaging more than 60 against them compared to an overall average of 40.95. In Tests, his best came at Eden Gardens in Kolkata when he made 102 and 133 against an attack that included Javagal Srinath and Anil Kumble, as South Africa won by a huge margin of 329 runs. But he resists the temptation to correlate his success as coach with the mountain of runs he scored against India.
"I didn't know any of the Indian players personally," he says. 'All I had were some thoughts on how I saw them as cricketers. I believe both coaching and leading people begin with understanding what makes each person tick."
However, Kirsten is willing to concede that his massive experience as a player was a huge help, although Kapil Dev and Chappell had already amply proven that crossing the bridge from playing to coaching was anything but easy.
"Having the experience of playing as much as I did has helped tremendously in my coaching philosophies, as I have been able to check myself if what I'm saying to the players is appropriate," says Kirsten.
Indians who played against Kirsten had nothing but respect for him, well before he took over as coach. Sample what Rahul Dravid had to say way back in 2004: "In a lot of ways I saw myself in him, in the sense that he was always more a stable, solid player than a flashy one. His ability to score runs for South Africa in difficult times amazed me. He showed that he was a genuinely big player, someone who could score big. In both Test and ODI cricket, he was always developing. Every time you played against Gary in a new series, he was a better player than last time around. I always remember him as a very tough competitor and someone who made the very best of his abilities."
For Kirsten's India, the biggest test came when the team arrived in SA late last year. In all their attempts, India had only won one Test on South African soil, in 2006 when Sreesanth bowled an inspired spell at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.
This time around, India arrived as the No 1 Test team, quietly harbouring hopes of winning their first series in the country.
It was Kirsten who insisted that the team get there early and practise on bouncy pitches, at his academy, to offset the fact that they would play the first Test in Centurion, having concluded an ODI series against New Zealand six days earlier on a slow, low Chennai wicket.
"The SA series was the most demanding for all of us," admits Kirsten. "The players knew they would be playing on difficult wickets that suited the South African seamers. They responded brilliantiy and showed a lot of courage."
That courage translated into a 1-1 series that was alive till tea on the penultimate day of the final Test. "I was really proud of the players in the way they embraced the difficulties of what they were confronted with. Many were put under extreme pressure and had to play completely out of their comfort zones," says Kirsten. "The character that some of the players showed was remarkable and it was a good indication of how important team success was to each one of them."
This was the culmination of what Kirsten had tried to instil in a team of individuals. After years of many good men trying and failing, here was a real Indian team, one that placed more value on winning games than on individual glory. "I believe that for any organisation or team, establishing a day-to-day culture of preparing to perform for a bigger cause is the No 1 priority for any leader," he says. What he omits is that this has been a long-time goal entrusted to Upton, who has found novel ways to demonstrate to players that while individual success may be elusive, victory is in sight and this is a goal worth working towards.
At the end of the SA series, when India walked away with their best result on South African soil, the players all gratefully accepted an invitation to the Kirsten home for a braai, which was tailored carefully to include vegetarian "sensibilities". With Kirsten, Upton and bowling coach Eric Simons all from Cape Town, the final Test could have been one in which loyalties were stretched to breaking point. But when South Africa's bowlers were warming up before play, they all made a point of exchanging a quick "Howzit?" with Simons, and when the last ball was bowled Upton certainly didn't have a shortage of friends to have a cold beverage with in the hospitality boxes.
For Kirsten, though, the Cape Town ending was unexpectedly apt in that it reminded him of what was dearest. "I enjoy meeting people from different parts of the world. There is a lot to learn and I have always tried to listen carefully to what people are trying to say," explains Kirsten. "But I love being around my family. The snippets of quality time I've had with my wife and my two boys over the last three years have been precious moments but all too few."
Ultimately, it was the deal-breaker as far as Indian cricket was concerned. "To leave has not been a difficult decision because I have so enjoyed my time with the Indian team," Kirsten says. "I made a commitment to my family that this would be no longer than a three-year journey and I want to honour that commitment."
If you've watched Kirsten's journey with the Indian team closely and had to describe it in one word, you'd choose "respect". He impressed on the players the need to respect the game every time they took the field. He gave the players the respect they deserved, never trying to claim a part of their success. He embraced a different culture whole heartedly respecting the fact that people did things differently in this part of the world. As he departs, to be reunited with his family, he has left us with another equally powerful word: honour. And every member of the Indian team is the better for his association with Kirsten.
Kirsten also tasted success as India's ODI cricket coach…
- For the first time in their playing history, India recorded a clean 5-0 sweep in a bilateral series, accomplishing the feat against England in India in 2008/09.
- India won the Compaq Cup, defeating Sri Lanka by 46 runs in the grand finale at Colombo, in September 2009.
- India won the Asia Cup in June 2010, defeating Sri Lanka by 81 runs in Dambulla.
- India beat New Zealand at home by a 3-1 margin in 2008/09. It was the first time that India had won both the Tests and the ODI series against the Kiwis in New Zealand in the same season.
India have won nine and lost nine of the 18 matches under Kirsten. Winning percentage: 50.00
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