text:
Fellows call for interventional cardiology matching system
Mariah Taylor (Email) - Thursday, October 20th, 2022
Interventional cardiology is the last subspecialty within cardiology to not use a match system to place fellows into programs, and it's time to change that, an article by TCTMD said on Oct. 19.
The current system of individual applications has led to trainees dealing with high-stress, undergoing ultimatum-style interviews where many are required to respond within 24-72 hours, should they receive an offer. This leads many to sign offer letters while still interviewing elsewhere in search of their best possible match.
The Society of Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions is attempting to fix the problem by creating a match system. The Interventional Cardiology Match task force, created earlier this year, aims to create a match process for the 2025 cycle. They also advocate for shifting the application deadline later so trainees would apply at the end of their second year of general cardiology training.
In order to have their match system approved, 75 percent of interventional cardiology programs have to opt in before the end of November. Forty-four programs have signed on so far, according to the article.
The match system would reduce stress and uncertainty for trainees and programs, while also addressing diversity, equity and inclusion issues in the field, according to the report.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Novaquark, Developer of Civilization-Building Sci-Fi MMO, Surpasses $22.6M in Total Fundraising
French video game developer Novaquark finalizes an additional $11.2M fundraising deal, led by Andurance Ventures and Azom Partners. This nearly doubles the company's previous total funding as of August 2018 ($11.4M), for a total of $22.6M which includes Novaquark's noteworthy crowdfunding revenue as the 3rd largest video game Kickstarter worldwide in 2016.
This new round of funding aims to support the development of Novaquark's ambitious and anticipated massively multiplayer online game, Dual Universe, which seeks to revolutionize online entertainment. In contrast to the prevailing industry stance, Novaquark empowers players to create the content and the stories that populate Dual Universe's digital world. Driven by a strong belief in the creativity of its community, Dual Universe proposes a vast sci-fi world where everything is editable, and where sprawling cities, lunar outposts, space colonies and giant space stations are entirely built by the players. The game is set to realize an old dream and deliver on the promise of an alternate virtual life, in which players all share the same world and engage in trade, warfare, exploration and social activities without being constrained by the narrative designed by the game makers.
Novaquark's proprietary Continuous Single-Shard server technology is core to the promise of a shared digital world, hosting an unprecedented number of individuals at the same time. With its recently successful tech demonstration involving an industry record of 30,000 simulated players on the same planet, the company continues to demonstrate its ability to realize the vision behind Dual Universe. Today's fundraising announcement highlights investors' continued support for Novaquark's vision to disrupt the entertainment industry, and confidence in its capacity to fulfil that vision. In order to maintain its momentum, Novaquark intends to bolster its presence in Canada by hiring at its newly created Montréal studio, becoming a part of one of the most acclaimed game development communities in the world.
"Dual Universe is more than just a game, it's a metaverse: an alternative world where millions of individuals can reinvent themselves and build a new virtual society", says Jean-Christophe Baillie, Founder of Novaquark and Creative Director of Dual Universe. "As we continue to constantly exceed our ambitions, we are proud to share that vision with our investors, whose unwavering support will allow us to further accelerate the growth of Novaquark."
Dual Universe is available now in its Alpha 1 phase, with Alpha 2 slated to arrive mid 2019. The beta and final release are planned for 2020 (see here for the roadmap). For the latest updates on all things Dual Universe, visit the official website, and follow the game on Twitter, Facebook,Discord, Reddit, and YouTube.
Tags: access action early mmo multiplayer pc sim simulator space
Previous Playful's 'New Super Lucky's Tale' Revealed for Nintendo Switch
Next FuturLab's table-top VR battle game "MINI-MECH MAYHEM" launches June 18th exclusively on PlayStation VR


Click to Listen, pt 1 – Pt 2 available here.
Well now, would seem that RevKess has been even more neglectful of things than usual. It has been some time since he did an edition of Musica Pagani. He's making it up for it the best he can with a two parter: Rock It, Pagan Style!
Earlier in 2013, Kenny Klein launched a recording project with his touring band FishBird. Some of the music they did was rock-like covers of some of his older music. And of course, every good musician is experimenting with new pieces whenever possible. That's just what FishBird has done.
In this two parter of Musica Pagani you will get a taste of FishBird as well as some other rocking musicians and bands with a distinctive Pagan flare. Everyone from Leigh Anne Hussey with her unreleased Uglytown demo to Wendy Rule and Rosin Coven, with stops along the way to visit with Omnia and Frenchy and the Punk.
We do hope that you have enjoyed this special edition of Musica Pagani!


Every now and then, it's good to get a fresh reminder of why suspects are presumed innocent in this country. Case in point: Donald Rumsfeld's office just announced today that the Pentagon might release some of the prisoners locked up in a military detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where they have been held virtually incommunicado for months or years. Rumsfeld and others in the Bush administration like John Ashcroft justified the inmates' detention by calling them security risks, even terrorists. Ashcroft didn't even change his tune after last week's crushing Supreme Court ruling, which required the government to give Gitmo prisoners access to civilian courts. Here's what he had to say then: "The Supreme Court accorded to terrorists, in a variety of cases this week, a number of additional rights." Terrorists? Really?
Days later, the Pentagon is admitting that many of the detainees may very well be harmless. The Associated Press reports: "Larry Di Rita, chief spokesman for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, told a news conference that no final decisions have been made about how the government will respond to Supreme Court decisions this week requiring that detainees be given a way to challenge their incarceration."
"But he said it was possible that if it could be determined some people need not be held then they also 'need not necessarily be part of a judicial process.'"
"Di Rita referred to the Pentagon's newly adopted system for annually reviewing each of the nearly 600 detention cases at Guantanamo Bay. Under that system, a panel of three military officers would assess each case, but the detainees would not be represented by lawyers."
"'If there are people who can be released after some due process of review that we've established, it's worth considering whether that's the right next thing to do,' Di Rita said." It seems the time for "due process" passed years ago.


text:
Tunisia nabs main suspect of 2015 Bardo carnage
May 18, 2021 Jaber Ali
Tunisian coast guards Monday arrested the main suspect of the Bardo Museum attack in capital Tunis in 2015 that claimed the lives of more than 20 people most of whom were foreign tourists.
Karim Belhouche, spokesman of the union of Tunisian coast guards in the city of Sousse, Webdo Tunis reports, told local Shems fm radio that the suspect who has not been named was nabbed during an illegal migration operation.
27 people trying to cross the Mediterranean to Italy were arrested in the early hours of Monday off the coasts of Sousse and Nabeul.
Investigation, Belhouche noted, led to the identification of the alleged terrorist.
In March 2015, he stormed the Bardo Museum near the Tunisian legislature and killed 23 people including 21 foreign tourists of several nationalities.
44 other people were also injured. Authorities have launched legal action against 25 people allegedly accomplices of the attack.
Dozens of other people have been charged in absentia.
Written by: Jaber Ali on May 18, 2021.
Headlines, World Newsattack, Bardo Museum, Karim Belhouch, Nabeul, Sousse, Tunisia
Written by Jaber Ali
Previous Previous post: Saudi Arabia expects to open borders for tourists "very soon"
Next Next post: Egypt to set up metro, railway cars production line


text:
Home Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Finance
Inside the lives of some of the most powerful people on Wall Street
Dan DeFrancesco
Welcome back. Dan DeFrancesco checking in from NYC. For those who celebrated Christmas, hope you avoided getting coal.
Seeing as this week should be a quiet one, we decided to take a trip down memory lane. We're highlighting profiles we've done of some of the most powerful people on Wall Street.
They are, as you will see, largely white males — a telling reminder of who still wields the power throughout most of Wall Street.
But before we get into it, I'd also like flag our most recent class of Wall Street's rising stars. While these folks might not be quite at the level of the people profiled below, they might get there soon.
P.S. — Which powerful people would you like to see covered in 2023? Drop me a line at ddefrancesco@insider.com.
If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Download Insider's app here.
Lucky-photographer/Shutterstock
1. From a potential heir to the Goldman throne to blazing his own path. Gregg Lemkau was considered a future CEO candidate at Goldman Sachs before he shocked Wall Street by leaving for Michael Dell's investment firm in 2020. In less than two years, he helped orchestrate a merger with billionaire advisory BDT, which positions him at the top of a hybrid investment bank catering to the world's wealthiest people. Oh, and he's got a great head of hair. More on Lemkau's big bet on himself.
2. Jonathan D. Schiller helped build Boies Schiller Flexner into the powerhouse law fim it is today, but he also played a key role in the exodus of partners the firm has endured. Insiders pointed to Schiller's temperamental management style, an unfair comp system, and preferential treatment towards his own son. Read more here.
3. Don't bet against Julian Salisbury. Soft-spoken types can sometimes get bulldozed on Wall Street, where so-called alphas often reign supreme. But Goldman Sach's Salisbury, a Brit who came out of the unheralded middle office, has proven you don't need to be the loudest in the room to be successful.
4. Meet the team behind what was one of the most profitable trading strategies on the Street. Index-rebalance trading isn't the sexiest topic, but during the pandemic it helped hedge funds reap billions in returns. And no one did it better than Millennium's Glen Scheinberg and his team. Here's an inside look at how they did it.
5. Musk's money man. Jared Birchall is one of Elon Musk's top deputies, having run his family office for the past six years. But while Musk entrusts a lot to Birchall, the two men could not be more different. Inside the life of the straight-laced, low-key banker handling Musk's money.
6. Brad Karp weighs his next step. The chairman of the powerful law firm Paul Weiss won big-name clients like Citibank, the NFL, and Apollo. But the man whose client relationships generate some $500 million in fees a year for the firm isn't sure how much longer he wants to stay in the game. More on Karp's future here.
7. Bringing Big Tech to Wall Street. Plenty of banks talk about transforming their firm into a technology company, but few have pursued that strategy as aggressively as Goldman Sachs. Marco Argenti, a former AWS exec and the bank's chief information officer, is the mastermind behind it all. Inside his strategy for turning Goldman into the Amazon of Wall Street.
8. Tough times for the leader of a top investment team at Morgan Stanley. Dennis Lynch could do no wrong running Counterpoint Global, which posted triple-digit gains in 2020 and was described as the "crown jewel" of Morgan Stanley Investment Management. But the 28-year Morgan Stanley vet has faced much harder sledding this year, and insiders have started questioning the culture on his team. More on the troubles for Morgan Stanley's rock star portfolio manager.
9. The lawyer repping everyone from Jay-Z to Elon Musk. Alex Spiro is no stranger to the spotlight. The Quinn Emanuel partner has defended a plethora of high-profile clients, playing a key role in Musk's fight to break out of his Twitter deal and most recently serving as counsel for Megan Thee Stallion. Here's more on how Spiro rose to power.
10. What it takes to get to the top of one of the most competitive PE firms on the Street. Aaron Sobel, Reed Rayman, and Robert Kalsow-Ramos all were named partners at Apollo Global Management before they turned 40. Here's how they rose to the top of an investing firm known for being an intense workplace.
Curated by Dan DeFrancesco in New York. Feedback or tips? Email ddefrancesco@insider.com, tweet @dandefrancesco, or connect on LinkedIn. Edited by Jeffrey Cane (tweet @jeffrey_cane) in New York and Hallam Bullock (tweet @hallam_bullock) in London.
Finance Newsletter 10 Things on Wall Street


text:
Emma Stone On Spray Tans, Acne Cures, & "Being A Little Bit Crazy"
Story from Makeup
Tara Rasmus
Okay. Raise your hand if you know anyone (male, female, gay, straight, canine, whatever) who isn't in love with Emma Stone. We know, right? Ms. Stone is just one of those celebs. The kind who has managed to explode on the scene without annoying even the most celeb-averse among us. There's something about her...the sparkling eyes, the freckles, and the girl-next-door honesty that never ceases to seem completely genuine...yeah, we're crushing hard.
So, it goes without saying that we (and every person we know) were thrilled to have the chance to sit down and talk beauty with her, in honor of the launch of Revlon's new Nearly Naked makeup (in stores in January). Read on to learn all about Stone's skin care routine, her favorite Revlon product, and the hair color she loves most — and prepare to fall just a little bit more more in love with everyone's favorite leading lady.
So, tell us all about this new foundation.
"Well, I like it because I break out all the time, and so I have to wear foundation daily, and it ends up being really thick. But, this [formula] lets me show off my freckles...which is a good thing."
Have you always embraced your freckles?
"No, not so much. I used to spray tan a lot when I was a teenager. The last time I got spray-tanned was for the Golden Globes. And I was like 'I love spray-tanning so much.' I still really like it. But it definitely makes me look like I have leprosy, after a point."
Are you super-vigilant about taking care of your skin? Are you big on SPF?
"Yeah, I wear pretty strong SPF. I'm actually pretty interested in skin care, because I had bad hormonal acne when I was 17, and they put me on Accutane for it. After two months on the Accutane, I went off of it, and since then, my skin, my mouth, my lips, my eyes are all so dry. Then, I had stress acne when I was 20, when I did Easy A, which they kindly video-airbrushed out of the movie. But I realized how debilitating and embarrassing it can be to have cystic acne. So, I'm really interested in the biology of what makes up acne and how to work on it from the outside, too. Wait. Why am I talking about that? What did you ask?"
About SPF.
"Yeah, so I'm vigilant about skin care across the board, both with sun and breakouts."
What's your typical skin care routine like when you're on set?
"Well, I'm pretty slutty with products. So that's part of the problem. I should work in a beauty department, because all I want to do is try whatever is happening. I like it, and I find it really interesting. For the most part, I use Cetaphil, the bar soap, and then these pads that I get from the dermatologist, and then Elta lotion. Ideally, I'd like to just use single-note products. But…I think I still need to work on my formulas...in my lab."
We've seen you pull off such a range of vibrant hair colors. Which is your personal favorite?
"Well I'm like the color of this [foundation bottle] cap — I'm so white. My hair grows out blonde, but my coloring is similar to that of a redhead. So...I really like having red hair. I'm a natural blonde, but I really like the red."
Like this post? There's more. Get tons of beauty tips, tutorials, and news on the Refinery29 Beauty Facebook page!
Photo: David X. Prutting/BFA
Do you tend to take the lead when it comes to your hair and makeup for events?
"Oh, no! My trio is the reason that I've looked like a presentable human being in any circumstance. Petra Flannery is my stylist, who is the best-dressed woman alive, clearly. She's never forced anything on me, but she's brilliant. And Rachel Goodwin and Mara Roszak have done my makeup and hair for a long, long time. They work so well as a trio...I don't know how helpful my suggestions are. I'm like, 'Today, we should wear lashes!' and Rachel's like, 'No, we're not wearing lashes.' Or I'll say to Mara, 'We should do a topknot!' and she's be like 'Hmm...no, we're doing a ponytail.' So...I trust them very much."
What about your everyday makeup look? What are your top three products?
"Usually some foundation, some concealer, and mascara. And a lot of moisturizer. I put it on throughout the day."
Do you layer it on top of your foundation?
"Yeah, I just add it on on top of whatever I'm wearing. I don't know if it looks weird, but I do it anyway, because my skin is so dry that it can actually crack. It's bad. And this coffee is really helping...so yeah, I'm diligent about hydration."
What is the best tip that Rachel's taught you, makeup-wise?
"Brows! She always draws on a really strong eyebrow. And she sees my face completely differently than I see my face, so she does things that I'd never think of. I always feel like she makes my eyes look different, my brows look different…it's really cool, to see her artistry."
So, do you pencil in your eyebrows in the same way?
"Yup, I have this palette and it's just eyeshadow, so I'll just fill them right in."
Do you still break out?
"Yes, I'm breaking out right now!"
But you can't see it!
"It's because of Rach."
What do you put on your face when you do have a zit?
"Usually, I use tea tree oil. I can't go too crazy, or I'll get a rash. My skin is really sensitive. Whenever it's been really bad, I've gone to the dermatologist to get those cortisone shots. Those are amazing. They're kind of a miracle. But also kind of terrifying because this huge needle is coming at your face. But no pain, no gain!"
Back to hair. We're in love with your bangs. Do you have any tips for taming them on your days off?
"No. No! I am so bad at my own hair. I have no idea how to do it. It's really not fun. The only days that I'm like 'I'm so into my bangs!' are days that I've had my hair done. And then, I try to sleep like Marie Antoinette for as long as possible. Not like, in the guillotine...like, trying to preserve the wig (laughs)."
Is your texture naturally straight?
"Oh yeah, like bone-straight."
Do you wash it every day?
"Yeah, I have to. Well, I don't have to, but I wash it often if I don't want to look like a drowned rat. It's the truth."
Switching gears yet again, how do you stay healthy? Do you have a workout regimen?
"Well, I was kind of born with a 10-year-old boy's body. For years, I was like, 'Please let me grow some kind of curvature!' But it did not happen. So...this is my natural form for the most part. I'm sure that will change as the years go on. But, yeah, I have a boy body. I work out when I'm in a movie…like on Spider-Man, they get you a trainer, which is awesome, so then I do it. But, if there isn't someone yelling in my face then 'm just not into it. Pilates is the one thing that makes me happy while I'm doing it. But other than that, it puts me in a bad mood to lift stuff over my head. I hate it. But it is important to do it for my health, so I need to do it more."
Do tend to dress with the goal of creating curves?
"I mean, I've kind of given up the ghost on that one. It's not happening. So, I just kind of wear whatever I'm drawn to. There are no illusions there. I wish. I'd kill for some cha-chas and a tuckus!"
As we've seen today, you're super down-to-earth. Is it hard to hold on to your easygoing attitude amidst the Hollywood hoopla?
"Well, I've had this weird and crazed paranoia over the past year. I keep feeling like I'm slipping away from authenticity. I'm like 'Oh my god…I'm going to go crazy!' And like, I haven't gone completely crazy yet but…I'm a little bit crazy. For a long time, I thought I might be a journalist, because it's kind of similar to being an actress...you're thinking about people and the way that they function. And I would self-edit all the time, and when I was writing I would just rip out all of the pages. So the problem with this kind of exposure, in interviews, is that I immediately want to say, 'None of my opinions are final! Oh god, why did I say that?!' All the time. So, don't worry, I'll just panic when you leave the room."
Photo: Courtesy of Revlon
Acne Cures, Beauty Tips Emma Stone Interview
Makeup • Acne Skin-Care Guide • Beauty • Emma Stone • Entertainment
written by Tara Rasmus
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We've updated our FoolProof for Parents program with 12 new learning topics to arm your children and grandchildren with even more knowledge and critical thinking skills, great new monitoring tools, and other useful new features.
Working through the old version?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to use your old account in the new version. You can either continue using the old version, or create a new account and get instant access to all new topics and features.


Students will count forward or backward from any given number chosen.
Begin your lesson by asking your students questions about counting. Potential discussion questions include: "Have you ever lost count and needed to know where to start? What do you do when you need to know how many pencils you and your neighbor have?"
Show your students how to roll the dice. Put the dice into the plastic container and shake them inside. Show your students the numbers on top of the dice, explaining that they will be adding these numbers together in the lesson.
Review numbers 1-10 in English and student's home language (L1).
Introduce or review the concept of adding with students to check for their understanding.
Have students practice identifying numbers on a die prior to the lesson to check their comfort and familiarity.
Using the numbers from the previous roll, instruct your students to add the dots together. For example, if the numbers are five and six, have them add those numbers together to get 11.
After determining the sum, or the total, of the two numbers, direct your students to find out the number before and after that sum. For example, if the sum is 11, they will count forward to the next number to get 12, and they will count backward to get the number before (10).
On the board, draw a red circle as seen in the worksheet. Write the sum (11) in the center.
Call on a student to say the the numbers that come before and after 11.
Write the previous number (10) to the left of the circle on the board, and write the next number (12) to the right of the circle on the board.
Model how to add numbers together using smaller quantities with math manipulatives for support.
Review mathematical terms ("sum," "add," etc) in both English and student home language (L1).
Model the steps of the game using a student as your partner. As you teach the steps, provide visuals to reference.
Give each of your students a recording rolling worksheet.
Roll the dice and show them to your class again.
Have them add the two top numbers.
Instruct them to find the sum, the previous number and the next number on their worksheets.
Ask for a volunteer to say these numbers aloud to make sure that everyone has the same numbers.
Play a round of the game as a whole group, having the students practice finding the sum collaboratively (e.g. echo counting or counting together as a group).
Pair students together to play the game during the practice round.
Provide students with manipulatives to support their addition if needed.
Give each of your students two dice.
Instruct them to roll the dice by shaking them in their hands, then add the two top numbers.
Have them write the sum in the red circle, the previous number before the circle, and the next number after the circle.
Have them repeat this process four more times.
Pair students together to play the game.
Provide students with math manipulatives and a number line to support their addition.
Pass out materials and direct students to work independently while you repeat each step of the process, having them pause between steps to ensure understanding.
Enrichment: Give students additional dice to roll. Have them add more numbers together and see how high they can count.
Support: If your students are having trouble identifying numbers, ask them to just add the numbers together instead of counting backward and forward.
Write each student's name on the assessment sheet in the empty space provided.
Walk around the class and circle numbers that the students can recognize. This will give an indication of what numbers your students know.
Circulate around the room and check that students are able to identify the numbers on the dice and add the numbers together.
As students are working, ask them guding questions to assess their understanding, e.g., "What number did you roll? What numbers will you add together? How do you know?"
Ask your students to call out the sums that they rolled. Write these numbers on the board.
Ask your students to call out the previous and next numbers, and write those numbers on the board as well.
Keep asking until you have all the numbers from one through 13.
Play a final game with the class and have them practice saying the numbers aloud as a group.
Provide a number line and hundreds chart as a reference.
Pair students with a partner to share their work.
Do some apple math with your child. Invite your preschooler to a storybook land of brightly colored illustrations and apple math perfect for her skill level.
Slip a bit of subtraction practice into this classic fairy tale with Cinderella math!
Let your preschooler dive into this adorable math worksheet that may just remind her of her favorite storybook.
Either way, encourage fantastical imaginations with this math story about a tired princess.


text:
const fs = require('fs');
const db = require('../db/db');

const logging = require('../utils/logging');
const utils = require('../utils/utils');
const vttToJson = require('../modules/vtt-json');
const perror = logging.perror;
const info = logging.info;
const log = logging.log;
var dateformat = require('dateformat');

//const watchLectureVideosPage = fs.readFileSync(mustachePath + 'watchLectureVideos.mustache').toString();

router.get('/watchLectureVideos/:courseOfferingId', function (request, response) {
    if (request.isAuthenticated()) {

        response.writeHead(200, {
            'Content-Type': 'text/html'
        });

    renderWithPartial(Mustache.getMustacheTemplate('watchLectureVideos.mustache'), request, response);
  } else {
      response.redirect('/login?redirectPath=' + encodeURIComponent(request.originalUrl));
  }
});

router.get('/getPlaylist/:courseOfferingId', function (request, response) {
    var courseOfferingId = request.params.courseOfferingId;
    var ctr = 1;
    db.getPlaylistByCourseOfferingId(courseOfferingId).then(
        values => {
            var playlist = values.map(result => {
                let video = {};
                let des = JSON.parse(result.siteSpecificJSON);
                if (result['sourceType'] == 0) {
                    video['name'] = ctr++ + ": " + dateformat(result['createdAt'], "mm-dd-yyyy");
                } else if (result['sourceType'] == 2) {
                    var sitespecifcJSON = JSON.parse(result['siteSpecificJSON']);
                    video['name'] = ctr++ + ": " + dateformat(result['createdAt'], "mm-dd-yyyy") + ": " + sitespecifcJSON.lessonName;
                }
                else {// if youtube
                    video['name'] = des.title;
                }
                var sources = [{ src: result['videoLocalLocation'], type: 'video/mp4' , "label":"View 1"}];
                if(result['altVideoLocalLocation'] != null && result['altVideoLocalLocation'].length > 0) {
                    sources.push({ src: result['altVideoLocalLocation'], type: 'video/mp4', "label":"View 2" })
                }

                video['sources'] = sources;
                video['textTracks'] = [{ src: result['srtFileLocation'], srclang: 'eng', label: 'English' }];
                video['thumbnail'] = false;
                return video;
            });
            response.json(playlist);
        });
});

router.get('/getSrts/:courseOfferingId', async function (request, response) {

    var courseOfferingId = request.params.courseOfferingId;

    counter = 0;
    var allSubs = await db.getPlaylistByCourseOfferingId(courseOfferingId).then(
        async function (values) {
            var allSubs = [];
            await utils.asyncForEach(values, async function (value) {
                var subctr = 0;
                try {
                    var subFile = value['srtFileLocation'];
                    var videoFile = value['videoLocalLocation'];
                    let results = await vttToJson(subFile);
                    await utils.asyncForEach(results, async function (result) {
                        if (result.subtitles.length > 0) {
                        result.part = result.subtitles[0];
                        } else {
                        result.part = ''
                        }
                        result.createdAt = value.createdAt;
                        result.subFile = subFile;
                        result.video = videoFile;
                        result.subId = subctr++;
                        result.id = counter++;
                        allSubs.push(result);
                    });
                } catch(err) {
                    console.log(err);
                }
            });
            return allSubs;
        }).catch(err => { perror(err); });

    response.json(allSubs);
});

router.post('/submitEdit', async function (request, response) {
    console.log(request.body);
    utils.transferJsonToVtt(request.body.sub, request.body.subFile);
    response.json({
        success: true
    });
});

module.exports = router;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Of all the mail and e-mail I receive from Star readers, by far the greatest amount deals with workmanship issues and uncompleted items in new homes and condominiums by a small number of local builders.
Most of these letters relate in some detail the frustrating experiences of buyers as they try to get the defects in their new purchases remedied.
Many of the problems are small and inexpensive to fix, but the homeowners who write to me have been unable to get a satisfactory response or in many cases, any response from the builder's after-sales service staff. Unfortunately, too many of the defects readers write to me about are major and even structural, yet the items are not attended to week after week, and month after month.
Even worse, perhaps, are the defects noticed by the purchasers before closing. Despite their complaints, buyers frequently report that they can get the brush-off from construction personnel even in situations where a careful explanation is all that would be required.
Typical of the complaints I receive is a recent e-mail from one reader, who wrote that she has never been so frustrated with anyone as she has with the builder of her new home.
"I really can't get around the fact that homeowners pay out over $250,000 and get this sort of non-client customer service are all builders like this? I was just wondering if you know of any articles have been written about the lack of customer service with builders or the many frustrations people have had with them ... They seem to always have an excuse because they know we are uninformed about the processes and we have to take their response at face value."
After receiving this letter, and dozens more like it, I began to wonder: How would I react if I was buying a new home and the builder's staff were not responding? How would I advise readers or clients?
Aaron's first rule of dealing with problem builders is: The squeaky wheel gets the grease. The second rule is: Never take "no" or "later" for an answer.
If weekly phone calls, letters or faxes are not producing results, increase the frequency to every three days, then daily, even hourly. Ask the receptionist for the names of everyone at the builder's office, and contact all of them.
Find out the name of the company president or owner it will be on file with the Ontario New Home Warranty Plan and the Greater Toronto Home Builders' Association. Call, write or e-mail the president. If he doesn't return your calls, look up or ask for his home phone number.
If the construction problem occurs before closing, prepare to spend several hours on the pre-closing inspection. Bring a home inspector, write down every single problem, and photograph every defect.
If the issue is after-sales service or repairs, file a claim with the Ontario New Home Warranty Plan immediately and call them regularly for progress reports. Consider a small claims court action.
Contact my fellow Star columnist Sheldon Libfeld, president of the Greater Toronto Home Builders' Association. Explain the problem and find out what the association will do in your case to ensure that its members adhere to its high standards of construction.
Call the municipal building inspector in charge of the condominium or subdivision, and demand immediate action on the defects. If that doesn't work, enlist the help of your local city councillor.
The bottom line is this: There is no excuse for builders to tolerate shoddy workmanship or poor public relations. If they're too busy or understaffed to help you, they shouldn't be in the business.
By the same token, most builders create superior products and have excellent relationships with their customers. If you are happy with your home or condominium or the builder's after-sales service, tell everyone you know. Good builders are proud of their homes and satisfied customers are their best advertisement.
CORRECTION: My July 6 column contained an error in suggesting ways to prevent household mould. The suggestion should have read to consider the use of an air conditioner or a dehumidifier.


Welcome to this year's 7th issue of DistroWatch Weekly! In the open source community Linux tends to be the dominant player, attracting a lot of developers and attention. This week we begin with a look at an alternative open source project, XStreamOS. The XStreamOS project has its roots in Solaris and features both server and desktop editions. In our Feature Story we talk about XStream Desktop, its strengths and weaknesses. In our Questions and Answers column we discuss free hardware (the physical counterpart to free software) and explore where to find hardware that respects user freedoms. In our News section we discuss new features available to Raspberry Pi owners through Raspbian, reasons why WebKit-based browsers may be vulnerability to security exploits on Linux and Ikey Doherty's vision for future versions of Solus. In our Torrent Corner we share the torrents we are seeding and then we cover the distributions released last week. In our Opinion Poll we ask our readers if you like to customize your desktop environment or stick with the default settings. Plus, we have added two new projects to our database, the BSD Router Project and the Guix System Distribution. We wish you all a wonderful week and happy reading!
I have mentioned before that I have a special place in my heart for open source forks of the Solaris operating system. Solaris was my first exposure to UNIX and represented the first step in my journey into the Linux and BSD communities. Getting to know Solaris was a challenging and educational experience for me and, as a result, I look upon derivatives of Solaris fondly.
XStream Desktop unites a free, light and modern desktop, with the unique characteristics of the Illumos kernel, including a number of pre-installed applications, as LibreOffice, Firefox, Thunderbird, GIMP, VLC and more.
Sonicle will continue the effort to add support for more software, publishing them on the public repository, directly accessible from the desktop.
XStream Desktop appears to be compatible with 64-bit x86 computers only. The project provides two installation images: a 1.8GB ISO file and a 2.2GB image file for USB devices. I decided to download both to cover all my bases. Booting from the project's media brings up a text console. We are shown a list of supported keyboard layouts and asked to select one. The system then shows us a list of 22 supported languages and asks us to pick our preferred language from the list. The next menu gives us the option of launching the XStream system installer, installing additional drivers, dropping to a command line shell or rebooting the computer. I decided to jump straight into the installer.
Launching XStream's system installer brings up a series of text screens. Each screen displays a group of fields or menus we a can navigate with the page up/down keys and the function keys. The installer begins by asking us on which hard disk we want to install XStream. We are then given the option of using the entire disk or installing XStream on a specific partition. Once we have selected a free partition, we are asked to provide a hostname for our computer. We are then given the option of automatically setting up networking using DHCP or we can set up our network card by manually providing network settings. We then select our time zone from a list and confirm the system clock has the correct time. The following screen gets us to create a password for the root account and set up a new user account for ourselves. The installer copies its files to our hard drive and then gives us the option to either view the installation log or quit. Taking the latter option returns us to the menu where we can run the installer, access a command line shell or reboot.
When we reboot the computer the system brings up the GRUB Legacy boot loader. From the GRUB menu we can launch XStream which brings us to a graphical login screen. I think it is worth noting that XStream uses boot environments, file system snapshots that get created when the operating system is updated. Each boot environment is listed in the GRUB menu. When we upgrade packages on the system, a new boot environment is added to the list. Selecting an older boot environment allows us to restore the operating system to a previous point in time. In short, if a software update breaks the operating system, we can reboot and select the previous boot environment to restore the system to its working state.
Signing into our user account brings up the LXDE desktop running on the Openbox window manager. The desktop's application menu and task switcher panel are placed at the top of the screen. An OS X style launch bar is placed at the bottom of the display. The wallpaper offers a plain, soft blue background.
Before going any further, I would like to acknowledge that the biggest problem I usually face with members of the Solaris family of operating systems is hardware support. I tried running XStream Desktop in three test environments: a desktop computer, a laptop and a VirtualBox virtual machine. I was unable to get the operating system to boot on either the laptop or desktop computer. This left me to experiment with XStream Desktop in a virtual environment. The project's website provides a special ISO file that is supposed to provide us with VirtualBox guest modules as Sonicle reports the default VirtualBox guest modules will not work with XStream Desktop. I downloaded this small ISO file and mounted it. I installed the guest modules from the mounted disc and rebooted, but found the VirtualBox modules did not produce the desired effect. As a result, I was stuck with a low-resolution desktop in a virtual machine for the duration of my trial. Still, despite the hardware issues I encountered, I felt it was worthwhile exploring the features XStream Desktop offers.
While running the operating system, I found XStream Desktop used a little over 10GB of disk space with the default set of applications. Measuring memory usage on XStream is a little different than doing the same on Linux distributions. XStream presents memory statistics differently, but I found the operating system tended to consume about 750MB to 1,100MB of memory, including application data and cache when sitting idle at the LXDE desktop. This may seem high compared to most Linux distributions, but when I measure memory usage on Linux (and the BSDs) I do not include statistics on cached data, which places XStream at a disadvantage.
The operating system ships with a graphical software manager called Package Manager. This application looks and acts a good deal like Debian's Synaptic package manager. Down the left side of the window we find filters and software categories. Over on the right side of the window we see a list of software available to us. By adjusting the filters we can narrow down the list of packages displayed in the list. We can also search for items by name. Clicking a box next to a package's entry gives us the option of adding or removing the software. Package Manager also has a button which triggers an upgrade process that will install all available software updates.
It has been a while since the last stable version of XStream Desktop was released and this meant I had 384 updated packages waiting to be installed in the project's repositories. These updates totalled 495MB in size. After the initial update, I did not receive any further updates during the week. One aspect of Package Manager I like is that when a package upgrade is performed, the software manager will create a new boot environment. We can name the boot environment, making it easy to roll back to older versions of the operating system if something goes wrong. I am happy to report that in my trial, nothing did go wrong with packages or upgrades.
XStream also ships with a command line package manager, called "pkg". This program works a lot like dnf on Fedora or the pkg command on FreeBSD. It allows us to search for software, perform installations and removals, upgrade selected items and gather information on software in the project's repositories. I did not use pkg much, preferring to stick with the graphical software manager, but pkg worked well enough for me.
One aspect of XStream I found unusual was that the package manager sometimes provides a full category and path name for packages rather than just a name. For instance, a package might have the name "system/data/terminfo" instead of just "terminfo", or "terminal/screen" rather than just "screen". This did not happen all the time, but the longer names did come up sometimes in searches and I found it a little jarring to switch back and forth between the partial name and the full names. I suspect this is done because some Solaris utilities have the same names as GNU utilities. Having a longer path name allows both versions to coexist in the repositories.
On the topic of software, the XStream application menu contained a fairly common collection of open source software. We are given copies of the Firefox web browser, the Thunderbird e-mail client, the Filezilla file transfer program and the Ekiga software phone. LibreOffice 4.4 ships with the operating system and LibreOffice 5 is available in the repositories. The VLC media player is included along with the GNU Image Manipulation Program. The Wireshark network monitoring tool is installed by default. XStream also treats us to an archive manager, a calculator, an image viewer and a text editor. There are a few configuration tools for changing the look of the LXDE desktop. Both Java and the GNU Compiler Collection are installed. I also found a background services manager, a tool for working with user accounts and an application for changing the system time.
While using XStream, I made a number of observations which I will present here in no particular order. One is that XStream provides the "sudo" command and the first user account we create automatically has sudo access. In a similar manner, the first user account we set up can add, remove and update software without being prompted for credentials. Any additional user accounts we create do not automatically have this privilege.
Another thing regular users could not do, aside from the first user account created, was shut down the computer. Regular users need to sign out of their accounts and shut down the computer using a button on the operating system's login screen.
One aspect of XStream I found very unusual was that I could not use its secure shell utilities to connect to any of the Linux computers on my network. The secure shell utilities would display an error essentially saying the protocols used by the two secure shell programs were not compatible. However, I was able to form connections between XStream and FreeBSD servers. This meant if I wanted to access a console on a Linux computer from XStream, I had to first connect to a FreeBSD server and use that operating system's secure shell utilities to connect to my Linux computer. In a fun twist, XStream's copy of Filezilla was able to connect to my Linux computers via OpenSSH and transfer files, though XStream's version of "sftp" could not.
Early on I had trouble getting Firefox and Thunderbird to open. This turned out to be a permission problem with the directories these two programs were using to store their configuration files. Once the directories were assigned proper permissions both applications worked well. By default, Firefox would try to open a local file containing documentation for the OpenIndiana operating system, a close sibling to XStream. However, the documentation did not exist and so Firefox would simply open an error page. I found Firefox generally worked well for web browsing and was up to date with Mozilla's recent releases. My only gripe with Firefox was when it would play HTML5 video files it would not produce any sound.
The user account manager utility and the services control panel worked well for me. I had no complaints with either of these programs. While using the service manager, I noticed the CUPS printing software was installed. XStream does not ship with a printer manager utility though. I installed a printer manager from the software repositories, but the printer manager did not appear in my application menu. This left me to try to set up printers from the command line.
There are two process managers listed in the application menu. One would launch and the other did not. The task manager which did work did its job, but incorrectly displayed the amount of memory on the system, reporting memory sizes as being in megabytes instead of kilobytes. This makes it seem like the computer has a thousand times more memory than it really has.
XStream uses ZFS as its default file system. I like ZFS and the features it offers. File system snapshots and boot environment are especially nice to have. The ability to easily add more disks to the system is another benefit I enjoy when using ZFS.
I think XStream Desktop does a lot of things well. Admittedly, my trial got off to a rocky start when the operating system would not boot on my hardware and I could not get the desktop to use my display's full screen resolution when running in VirtualBox. However, after that, XStream performed fairly well. The installer works well, the operating system automatically sets up and uses boot environments, insuring we can recover the system if something goes wrong. The package management tools work well and XStream ships with a useful collection of software.
I did run into a few problems playing media, specifically getting audio to work. I am not sure if that is another hardware compatibility issue or a problem with the media software that ships with the operating system. On the other hand, tools such as the web browser, e-mail, productivity suite and configuration tools all worked well.
What I appreciate about XStream the most is that the operating system is a branch of the OpenSolaris family that is being kept up to date. Other derivatives of OpenSolaris tend to lag behind, at least with desktop software, but XStream is still shipping recent versions of Firefox and LibreOffice.
For me personally, XStream is missing a few components, like a printer manager, multimedia support and drivers for my specific hardware. Other aspects of the operating system are quite attractive. I like the way the developers have set up LXDE, I like the default collection of software and I especially like the way file system snapshots and boot environments are enabled out of the box. Most Linux distributions, openSUSE aside, have not caught on to the usefulness of boot environments yet and I hope it is a technology that is picked up by more projects.
The Raspbian project announced a new release of its Debian-based distribution for Raspberry Pi computers last week. The update includes a number of bug fixes and tweaks to the user interface to make the distribution's desktop more consistent. A bigger change though is the introduction of an OpenGL driver for the desktop which makes use of the Pi's hardware and offers much better performance. "In this release we are shipping an experimental OpenGL driver for the desktop which uses the GPU to provide hardware acceleration. This is turned off by default - if you want to enable it, you can find it in the command line version of raspi-config, under Advanced Options->GL Driver. Due to memory requirements, this will not work on Pi 1 or Pi Zero boards - it is solely for Pi 2. (raspi-config will only allow it to be enabled on a Pi 2; be warned that if you enable it on a Pi 2 and then move that SD card into a Pi 1 or Pi Zero, the Pi will not boot.) If you don't use this option, the desktop does have OpenGL support, but it uses a very slow software renderer, which makes all but the most basic OpenGL applications pretty much unusable. The hardware-accelerated version is much faster, and makes some quite decent OpenGL games playable on the Pi." A full list of changes and more details on the new OpenGL driver can be found in the project's announcement.
WebKit is an open source web browser engine which is used in many applications, including the Chromium web browser and the Evolution e-mail client. Earlier this month, GNOME developer Michael Catanzaro posted a detailed report on the WebKit packages available in most Linux distributions and why he believes they are not properly patched against security vulnerabilities. "Historically, WebKitGTK+ has not had security updates. Of course, we released updates with security fixes, but not with CVE identifiers, which is how software developers track security issues; as far as distributors are concerned, without a CVE identifier, there is no security issue, and so, with a few exceptions, distributions did not release our updates to users. For many applications, this is not so bad, but for high-risk applications like web browsers and e-mail clients, it's a huge problem." Catanzaro also points out Debian is unique in that the project has a public policy regarding WebKit-based web browsers which states, "Browsers built upon the WebKit, QtWebKit and KHTML engines are included in Jessie, but not covered by security support. These browsers should not be used against untrusted websites." (Debian's Chromium package, while based on WebKit, is an exception and receives security updates.) Catanzaro goes on to explore how distributions such as Fedora, Arch Linux, Debian and Ubuntu handle WebKit updates and the benefits and drawbacks to each approach.
The LinuxUser website has an interview with Solus project founder Ikey Doherty. The interview talks about Doherty's past projects, his goals with regards to the Solus project and the powerful features planned for Solus 2. Of the design of his distribution's Budgie desktop environment, Doherty said: "I want something that's pretty, but functional so I can just get on with my job while the operating system gets out of my way. At the end of the day, the only purpose of an operating system is enabling me to safely and easily use my software. The problem with too many distros and too many desktops is that they try and get up in your face: having welcome screens, first-run tours, `Look at our massive software centre that takes eight minutes to load'. Not interested in all that. I just want something that gets out of the way."
Doherty said the next major version of Solus will make some interesting changes which will set it apart from other Linux distributions: "With Solus 2, package management will only be a build tool - the end operating system that you get will not have a package manager. We will be completely separating the operating system itself from the apps, so your operating system itself will be updated in one atomic operation. The advantages you're going to have there are that if you're using a particular GTK version - say, for the Budgie desktop - you're going to be having your own version if necessary for your apps. An update to the apps will not affect the operating system, and an update to the operating system should definitely not break the applications, which is the problem that we see in every single Linux distribution out there today." The rest of the interview can be found on the LinuxUser website.
Seeking-free-hardware asks: There are lots of free software solutions available to us Linux users, but so much hardware requires proprietary blobs. Where can I find hardware that supports user freedom the same way free software does?
DistroWatch answers: There are a few resources for people who want to find hardware that respects user freedom the same way free software does. The Free Software Foundation, a champion of software freedom, also certifies hardware that respects user freedom. Their website explains why certifying hardware that respects user freedom is important: "The `Respects Your Freedom' computer hardware product certification program encourages the creation and sale of hardware that will do as much as possible to respect your freedom and your privacy, and will ensure that you have control over your device." In 2015, the Free Software foundation (FSF) certified just six new devices which they found respected the rights and privacy of users.
The full list of FSF certified hardware can be found on the Foundation's website. Several of the items are sold by Think Penguin which tests and sells computer equipment, including laptops and desktop computers, that respect user freedom.
Another valuable resource for finding hardware that respects user freedom is h-node. The h-node website maintains a database of hardware devices which respect user freedom. The h-node database tends to focus on individual pieces of hardware rather than end-user products such as laptops and workstation computers.
Simon Long has announced the release of Raspbian 2016-02-03, the latest version of the project's Debian-based distribution for the ever so popular Raspberry Pi computer: "Some of you may have spotted that there is a new Raspbian release available for download. For most people, this is primarily about updates and bug fixes - but there's one exciting new feature that might be of interest to some people. ... In this release we are shipping an experimental OpenGL driver for the desktop which uses the GPU to provide hardware acceleration. This is turned off by default - if you want to enable it, you can find it in the command-line version of raspi-config, under Advanced Options, GL Driver. Due to memory requirements, this will not work on Pi 1 or Pi Zero boards - it is solely for Pi 2. If you don't use this option, the desktop does have OpenGL support, but it uses a very slow software renderer, which makes all but the most basic OpenGL applications pretty much unusable. The hardware-accelerated version is much faster, and makes some quite decent OpenGL games playable on the Pi. " Continue to the release announcement for more details.
RebeccaBlackOS is a distribution which provides live media that showcases Wayland running various desktop environments. The latest release of RebeccaBlackOS, version 2016-02-08, includes a number of changes. The Ubiquity system installer has been replaced by Calamares. The KDE Plasma desktop is now a session option and runs on top of Wayland. The Linux kernel has been updated to version 4.3. "ISOs are now EFI bootable, (both the 32-bit and 64-bit ISOs). For booting on Macs, you may need rEFInd. This has not been tested on Macs. EFI booting has only been tested on QEMU and TianoCore, and also VirtualBox. To comply with Canonical's new licensing requirements for Ubuntu, Ubuntu is no longer the base tier 1 distribution providing core packages. Debian Testing is now used for tier 1 packages. Casper and Lupin from Ubuntu are pulled in from BZR, which allow Debian Testing ISOs to be bootable, when generated with Remastersys." A full list of changes can be found in the project's release notes.
Alan Baghumian has announced the launch of a new stable version of the Parsix GNU/Linux distribution. Parsix GNU/Linux is based on Debian Stable and features a number of extra desktop features and optimizations. The new release, version 8.5r0, ships with GNOME Shell 3.18, version 4.1.17 of the Linux kernel and the BFS kernel scheduler which offers improved responsiveness on the desktop. "Parsix GNU/Linux 8.5 (code name Atticus) ships with the stable GNOME 3.18 desktop environment and an updated kernel. This version has been synchronized with Debian Jessie repositories as of February 13, 2016. Parsix Atticus ships with GNOME 3.18 and LibreOffice 4.3.3 productivity suit by default. Highlights: GNOME Shell 3.18.3, GRUB 2, GNU Iceweasel (Firefox) 44.0, GParted 0.19.0, Empathy 3.12.11, LibreOffice 4.3.3, VirtualBox 4.3.36 and a kernel based on Linux 4.1.17 with TuxOnIce 3.3, BFS and other extra patches. Live DVD has been compressed using SquashFS and XZ." Further information can be found in the project's release notes.
Some computer users never customize their desktops. The icons, wallpaper and theme are just part of the tool they are using and they do not spend time trying to alter them. Others like to have their desktops arranged in a specific way, arranging the panels, theme and short-cuts to suit their preferences.
This week we would like to know if you prefer to customize your desktop or keep the defaults. Let us know what customization steps you like to perform in the comments.
Pragmatic Linux. Pragmatic Linux is an Arch-based, lightweight distribution.
AscendOS. AscendOS is a user-friendly desktop distribution based on Linux Mint. It features desktop elements from the Me-OS project.
Knoppel was a Greek distribution for the desktop, based on Debian's testing branch.


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Representative Levin Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Improve Transition Assistance Program for Servicemembers Returning to Civilian Life
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Levin (D-CA), Chair of the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, announced the introduction of the Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer William "Bill" Mulder (Ret.) Transition Improvement Act of 2019, a bipartisan bill to improve the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) for servicemembers returning to civilian life. The legislation is cosponsored by Representatives Jodey Arrington (R-TX), Gil Cisneros (D-CA), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Joe Cunningham (D-SC), and Susie Lee (D-NV).
The bipartisan bill, first introduced by Representative Arrington in the 115th Congress, would create a pilot program for off-base transition training to make the transition process easier for veterans and spouses by giving them more time to access resources and digest the information provided to them, all while living in their new community. The legislation would also create a grant program for organizations to provide multiple transition assistance services such as resume assistance, interview training, and job recruitment training from a central source. Currently, veterans must navigate several organizations to access these resources.
Lastly, it would require a one-year independent assessment of the effectiveness of TAP and expand access to better employment data at the Department of Labor and the Veterans' Affairs Department.
"We have a solemn duty to ensure that our nation's heroes are able to readily access the best possible services when it comes time to transition back to civilian life after sacrificing for their country," said Rep. Levin. "Far too often, servicemembers have difficulty accessing essential resources to receive their benefits, connect with community organizations, and start new careers. The Transition Assistance Program plays a critical role in providing veterans with the support they need and deserve, and I am proud to introduce a bipartisan bill that will make much-need improvements to the program."
"An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Investing in an effective and seamless transition from active duty to civilian life is not only the right thing to do, it can prevent much of the pain, problems and cost associated with our servicemen who struggle in the process," said Rep. Arrington. "Bill Mulder, my friend for which this legislation was named, was a true American hero and highly decorated combat veteran whose life may have been saved by a more comprehensive and effective transition assistance program. We owe it to Bill and to all 'who have borne the battle' to do all we can to ensure a successful transition to civilian life and I'm confident this legislation does just that."
"I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan bill to take steps to improve the Transition Assistance Program for our nation's heroes," said Rep. Cisneros. "As a Navy Veteran, I understand the difficulties our service members face as they attempt to transition back to civilian life, find work, and relocate to be close to their families and loved ones. Instead of burdening our veterans with added responsibilities, the government should step up and serve those who have served us, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to improve access to the resources our veterans deserve."
"I am proud to once again co-sponsor this important bill because it ensures a more individualized and mindful approach to counseling servicemembers departing from the military," said Rep. Bilirakis. "Veterans from my district were able to give input that has been incorporated and strengthened the bill. We must continue to support our nation's heroes as they transition from military service into civilian life, and this legislation will allow us to make tangible progress toward reaching that moral imperative."
"I am honored to help introduce this important legislation, which would improve the Transition Assistance Program and ensure our men and women in uniform get the support they need when they return home from service," said Rep. Cunningham. "Bottom line, we have a responsibility to our veterans to make sure they are equipped to succeed as they make the often-difficult transition into civilian life. I'm proud Democrats and Republicans are working together to make sure every single veteran is able to access the support they have earned."
"Our veterans give up so much in selfless service to our nation and we need to ensure they have a seamless transition back to civilian life. I have been fighting to make sure they get all the benefits they have earned, so I'm proud to help introduce this legislation," said Rep. Lee. "It is time we modernize the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) and invest in making sure our men and women in uniform and their spouses have peace of mind once they leave the service."
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This new variety of chocolate has a surprising flavor — and color
Ruby Dripping Donuts / Donut Dip
A new variety of chocolate has a surprising color and flavor
t might taste like berries and have a brilliant pink hue, but ruby chocolate is cocoa to the core.
Creator Barry Callebaut calls ruby chocolate the "fourth chocolate," an addition to traditional varieties of dark, milk and white chocolate. The pink treat was introduced in Shanghai in 2017 and quickly developed a cult following among chocolatiers and pastry chefs. Francoise Labrique Walusis, president of Madame Delluc Artisan Chocolatier in Ohio, is a big fan of the pink treat, explaining, "It's a beautiful experience to bite into it."
With rare exceptions, the novel ingredient isn't sold in the U.S. Madame Delluc Artisan Chocolatier has an exclusive relationship with Mary Chocolatier, a Belgian chocolatier with access to ruby chocolate.
Walusis believes her Ohio chocolate shop is the only place in North America selling ruby chocolate treats. Nestle introduced ruby chocolate version of its Kit Kat bar last spring but (so far) distribution is limited to Japan and the U.K.
To get ruby chocolate distributed in the U.S., Callebaut needs to convince the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to change its definition of chocolate. Currently, the federal definition of what can be labeled as chocolate is narrow. Ruby chocolate is not white, dark or milk chocolate — all approved under federal guidelines — so it must be labeled as a compound, not chocolate.
Callebaut has requested a temporary marketing permit and awaits a response.
The Secret Behind the Science
It took 10 years for Callebaut to develop ruby chocolate. Although the Swiss chocolatier has been tight-lipped about the ingredients, citing "trade secrets," he has confirmed the pretty pink confection is made from cacao beans and contains no artificial ingredients. The so called "ruby beans" are botanical cocoa bean varieties that grow in Brazil, Ecuador and the West African nation of Côte d'Ivoire. Callebaut calls it the most "innovative breakthrough in chocolate" in 80 years.
"I've done a lot of research and I can't figure out how it's made," Walusis says.
Artisan chocolatier Luke Owen Smith, owner of The Chocolate Bar in New Zealand, speculates that the cacao is unfermented and adds, "I'm sure there's some other trickery in the processing [but] it's all guesswork at the moment as nothing has been revealed." Smith believes ruby chocolate isn't a new type of chocolate but rather a different kind of processing.
It appears that the secrecy around its origins has only fueled the desire to try the new confection.
Ruby Dripping Donuts
75 g (1/3 cup) butter, softened
115 g (½ cup) caster sugar
50 g (1 large) eggs
650 g (2 ¾ cups) flour
350 g (2 ½ cups) whole milk
30 g (2 tablespoons) yeast
2 g (pinch) salt
Add the caster sugar and eggs to the butter and mix until smooth.
Add the flour, milk and yeast and stir well.
Add the salt.
Knead the dough until smooth.
Shape the dough into a ball, put in a bowl and cover with foil. Once the dough is twice its original volume, roll it out (about 1 cm thick) and cut donut shapes.
Place dough under a towel, leave for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Preheat 1 kg sunflower oil to 175-180°C.
Fry the donuts until golden brown.
Put on paper towel to absorb fat and then place them in the refrigerator.
Donut Dip
500 g (18 ounces) ruby chocolate
Pre-crystallize at 27°C (80.6°F) to obtain thicker texture.
Dip donuts in ruby chocolate, shake slightly and fix drippings with a cooling spray.
Madame Delluc Artisan Chocolatier sells a made-in-Belgium truffle made with ruby chocolate. The "Truffle Champagne Rose" has a champagne-infused dark chocolate mousse center covered in ruby chocolate. From the moment it was introduced last spring, the Ohio chocolatier has struggled to keep up with demand.
"There was a huge rush of people who came in wanting to try something new and kept coming back wanting more," Walusis recalls. "In the first month-and-a-half after we started selling [ruby chocolate] we went through five kilograms of truffles."
Ruby chocolate is so popular that it took center stage at the 90th Academy Awards. The 2018 Governors Ball, the official Oscars after party, included ruby chocolate strawberries and cream, a dessert made with strawberry-hibiscus mousse, strawberry compote, vanilla sponge cake, mascarpone cream and ruby chocolate.
Ruby chocolate doesn't just look different from other chocolate varieties, it tastes different, too. Callebaut describes the brilliant pink confection as having "intense fruitiness" and fresh sour notes with subtle hints of the cocoa flavor of milk and dark chocolate.
Both Smith and Walusis use the words "light" and "berries" to describe the flavor of ruby chocolate.
"The flavor is subtle, not overpowering," Walusis says. "You bite into it and it blooms in your mouth at the end of the bite. The berries are not the first thing you taste."
Due to its fruit-forward flavor, Callebaut suggests pairing ruby chocolate with other fruits such as apricot, pineapple, mango and citrus; it also complements flavors ranging from caramel, vanilla and dark chocolate to camembert, green tea and saffron.
As an ingredient, Callebaut believes ruby chocolate presents opportunities to get creative with confections, pastries and desserts. On its website, the Swiss chocolatier shares videos on how to work with the novel ingredient, offering tips on tempering ruby chocolate; using it in molds; making buttercream; and even using the colorful chocolate in cocktails.
While ruby chocolate has created a lot of buzz, Smith has called it "on the fringe of what I would want to consider chocolate," and credits its color, not its flavor, for the attention.
"I think that everyone will want to try it because of the hype, but I'm not sure it's interesting or unique enough to maintain a dedicated following," he says. "My instinct is that the majority of chocolate fans would prefer something that tastes more traditionally chocolatey…What I am interested in is whether perhaps this technique could be developed in the future, and implemented by fine chocolate companies to create a higher quality version."
Walusis believes ruby chocolate has staying power.
"Mary Chocolatier is a traditional chocolatier that has been making chocolates in small batches, by hand, since the 1920s; it doesn't do fads," she says.
"Their embrace of ruby chocolate and all of the excitement around it tells me it has staying power. As soon as you taste it, you'll agree.
SourceJodi Helmer
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Meet the 2022 ACF Chef of the Year and Pastry Chef of the Year
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Ruby Dripping Donuts / Donut DipThis new variety of chocolate has a surprising flavor — and color


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Picturing the Mind
Consciousness through the Lens of Evolution
By Simona Ginsburg and Eva Jablonka
Consciousness in all its possible human and nonhuman varieties, explored through words and images.
"Two of the central voices of evolutionary consciousness science present a remarkable work about the mind and its embodiments. Clear exposition of deep concepts, many new ideas, and incredible artwork will move readers on many levels. Most highly recommended."
Michael Levin
Distinguished Professor and Vannevar Bush Chair, Department of Biology, and Director of the Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University
What is consciousness, and who (or what) is conscious—humans, nonhumans, nonliving beings? How did consciousness evolve? Picturing the Mind pursues these questions through a series of "vistas"—short, engaging texts by Simona Ginsburg and Eva Jablonka, accompanied by Anna Zeligowski's lively illustrations. Taking an evolutionary perspective, Ginsburg and Jablonka suggest that consciousness can take many forms and is found not only in humans but even in such animals as octopuses (who seem to express emotions by changing color) and bees (who socialize with other bees). They identify the possible evolutionary marker of the transition from nonconscious to conscious animals, and they speculate intriguingly about aliens and artificial intelligence.
Each picture and text serves as a starting point for discussion. The authors consider, among other things, what it's like to be a bat (and then later, what it's like to be a bat in virtual reality); ask if the self is like a hole in a doughnut; report that women, children, and nonwhite men were once thought by white men to be less richly conscious; and explore what sets humans apart—is it music, toolmaking, cooperative parenting, blushing, sentience, symbolic language? In Picturing the Mind, questions suggest answers.
Pre-Order Hardcover
$39.95 T ISBN: 9780262046756 256 pp. | 8 in x 9 in 87, color illus. February 2022
Simona Ginsburg
Simona Ginsburg is Associate Professor at the Open University of Israel, where she developed and headed the MA Program in Biological Thought. She and Eva Jablonka are coauthors of The Evolution of the Sensitive Soul: Learning and the Origins of Consciousness (MIT Press).
Eva Jablonka
Eva Jablonka is Professor at the Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas at Tel Aviv University. Jablonka is coauthor (with Simona Ginsburg) of The Evolution of the Sensitive Soul: Learning and the Origins of Consciousness (MIT Press).
"A unique and beautiful book, full of insights and delights. This rich mixture of science, art, philosophy, and poetry provokes many questions, and offers some answers, about the deep mystery of consciousness. Picturing the Mind is a work to treasure and to return to again and again."
Anil Seth
author of Being You: A New Science of Consciousness
Transformations of Lamarckism
Snait B. Gissis and Eva Jablonka
https://sicm.mitpress.mit.edu/books/picturing-mind


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Faith Taylor keynote at ECG2015
AIA New Jersey
Faith Taylor is a senior global executive with progressive record of achievements and significant experience in strategic planning, development of new and existing businesses, innovation and change management, P&L and brand management as well as marketing. Known as an expert in Corporate Responsibility, Innovation and Sustainability she has a broad experience to draw from.
General Counsel Lawrence Powers recognized
Congratulations to our very own Larry Powers Esq. for being a finalist in the NJBIZ Counsel of the Year Awards for his work and dedication to AIANJ. The 2015 NJBIZ General Counsel of the Year Awards program, sponsored by Update Legal, Update Discovery, Gibbons P.C., Archer & Greiner P.C., K&L Gates, Princeton Legal Search Group, Hudson Reporting and Garfunkel Wild, honors New Jersey's standout General Counsels and Chief Legal Officers for the critical role they play in making their companies successful.
Philadelphia-based architectural firm recognized for work on Brown Hall
AIA-NJ has recognized Philadelphia-based architectural firm Atkin Olshin Schade Architects with a merit award in the built open category in recognition of its design work on David B. Brown Hall at Princeton University.
An architect's story: Chris Downey
Before beginning to design, architects look up. They look up to see what isn't there and to envision the potential for what could be. Architecture surrounds us in our daily lives. Look up and be inspired.
Michael Bell, AIA, esq. & Marika Snider, AIA discuss the new residential design-build contract
Michael Bell and Marika Snider, and other members of the AIA Contract Documents Committee, wrote the newly release A145™-2015, Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Design-Builder for a One or Two Family Residential Project. Here is an interview discussing the new A145™-2015 document, its benefits and the importance of standard legal agreements for the design and construction industry. You can also listen to a podcast of the interview.
Historic Trust funding recommendation not enough to preserve NJ's past
The annual list of New Jersey's 10 most endangered historic sites reminds us that threats to our state's treasures come from many fronts. Some sites are neglected and in crying need of maintenance. Others are located in the path of proposed gas pipelines, or face public auction. The list is the work of Preservation New Jersey, the West Trenton-based organization which since 1978 has been advocating to protect and enhance the state's rich and diverse heritage.
The 21st-century skill set for architects
The Journal of the American Institute of Architects
The architecture profession is not known for being quick to change, but as the design process goes digital and clients demand more value from their projects, a budding or seasoned architect must evolve to stay relevant. While the core competencies — design, planning, drafting, rendering and BIM — remain invaluable, the following skills can give designers an edge.
'Ugliest ... building' in NJ may get $675 million bonds
New Jersey's American Dream entertainment and shopping center, the incomplete mega mall that Governor Chris Christie once called "the ugliest damn building" in the state, is poised for a jumpstart from the municipal-bond market. A decade after ground was broken for the project in New Jersey's Meadowlands Sports Complex, proceeds from about $675 million of bonds could speed up construction, according to East Rutherford Mayor James Cassella.
Tech startup harnesses virtual reality for use in architecture
A startup company called The Third Fate envisions virtual reality as a way for architects and builders to offer tours of their designs before they're even constructed.
Rehab at Red Mill Museum Village wins Historic Preservation Award
The Red Mill Museum Village in Clinton and Eclectic Architecture, LLC of Pohatcong, received a 2015 New Jersey Historic Preservation Award on May 14, for the rehabilitation of the Screen House. The coveted awards were presented at a ceremony at Monmouth Battlefield State Park Visitor Center to 10 preservation projects from across the state of New Jersey.
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WELL buildings getting better
By Michael J. Berens
The release of the WELL Building Standard last fall has helped raise awareness of ongoing efforts to make buildings of all kinds healthier for occupants. Promoted as "the world's first building standard to focus on enhancing people's health and well-being through the built environment," WELL is a great step forward in setting health and wellness objectives for building design and construction. Others also are making strides to bring occupant health and wellness to the forefront of the building industry.
The rich history of architectural internships
Architecture has an intern problem. Like many industries, the exact meaning of the title, and issues of compensation and responsibility, have been debated for years. The role "has been perceived as negative by many in the architecture community," says Dale McKinney, President of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), which recently decided to drop the title of intern architect and work on a replacement.
What should be in your portfolio? Firms tell you what they're looking for and how to get hired
Archinect
Putting together a portfolio for a job application is practically a design commission in of itself. What projects should be included? How should they be presented? Most importantly, what does the compendium of work say about you, the applicant? After speaking with employers, we discovered that the work itself isn't necessarily as important as the thought and agility the portfolio demonstrates.
Shigeru Ban, the architect who reshapes disaster zones
After helping disaster survivors in Japan, Rwanda, India and Sri Lanka, the architect Shigeru Ban will next use his building expertise to aid those affected by Nepal's deadly earthquakes. The Japanese architect recently announced he would be building emergency shelters to aid the displaced victims after two major earthquakes left more than 8,500 dead and tens of thousands homeless.
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After a tough weekend against coastal division rivals Northeast Generals before Thanksgiving the Stampede look to get back on track and make a move on regaining second place in the Northeast division. The team will host the Niagara Falls Powerhawks in a two game set at "The Fort" in Oswego Friday and Saturday with the hopes of catching the Skylands Kings and taking over second place at the mid season mark.
The Stamp with a record of 7-11-1-1 will play the Powerhawks this weekend in Oswego and then travel to Niagara Falls to play the final two games before the mid season Blaine Showcase."If we play like we are capable of we should gain ground on the Kings and possibly take over second place in the division" States Coach Travis Hyde. The Stampede trail the Kings by three points in the division. "We would love to go into the break at .500 and we have the chance to accomplish that over the next two weeks." added Hyde.
The Stampede will face off this Friday evening at "The Fort" 7:30 PM and then again on Saturday evening with puck drop at 6:00 PM sharp. Stop by and support your local team and catch all the action live this weekend or tune into hockeytv.com for all the action.


Plummeting temperatures means people in Hull are able to claim payments to ensure they can keep warm.
Temperatures have fallen to -6C as the wintry weather kicked in this week, which means pensioners and people on benefits will be entitled to the Government's Winter Fuel and Cold Weather Payments.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed those in Hull are entitled to the payments, which means many people can receive government support with paying their heating bills during the cold winter months.
Guy Opperman, minister for pensions and financial inclusion, said: "It's important that older people keep their homes warm during the cold snap and we provide a range of financial support including Winter Fuel and Cold Weather Payments to enable them to do so.
It is expected to remain freezing across the region until at least Saturday, with specific Met Office weather warnings in place on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
According to the Government, residents claiming certain types of benefit payments would be entitled to get a payment if the average temperature in their area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees celsius or below for seven consecutive days.
They must be in receipt of pension credit, income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance, income-related employment and support allowance or universal credit.
What can you claim with the Cold Weather Payment?
What do you have to do to claim the payment?
You actually don't have to do anything. Residents don't have to apply for the payments.
What about Winter Fuel Payments?
Anyone born on or before August 5, 1953 could get between £100 and £300 to help pay heating bills.
Residents would usually get a payment automatically if they're eligible and in receipt of the state pension or another social security benefit, excluding housing benefit, council tax reduction, child benefit or universal credit.
Residents have until March 31 to claim for winter 2017 to 2018.
You can go to the DWP website to check if a Cold Weather payment is due in your area. Most HU postcodes are now entitled to the payment.


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Travel|Sampling a Continent at Home
Weekend in New York | Tastes of Africa
Sampling a Continent at Home
Masks are part of the décor at Les Enfants Terribles.Credit...Robert Caplin for The New York Times
By Seth Kugel
CAN'T afford to chow down in Addis Ababa or gambol in some South African game park any time soon? Then try this whirlwind tour that has you (kind of) crisscrossing the continent, from an Ethiopian vegetarian's paradise to Mauritanian appetizers to a South African brunch, all in one weekend and for little more than the cost of a trip to New York. O.K., for exactly the same price as a trip to New York, since that's what it is.
For many Americans, African food begins and ends with Ethiopian cuisine, with its slightly sour flatbread that's used instead of silverware to scoop up stews of meats and vegetables. So it makes sense to start the weekend with an Ethiopian restaurant.
Peter Meehan, a Times food critic, recommended Meskel last November, saying that the bread, known as injera, "works in incredible harmony with the stewed, simmered and sautéed meats, vegetables and legumes." He called the vegetarian combination plate "the best thing to happen to East Village vegetarians in a long time."
A short cab ride west at Zinc Bar, Friday nights always feature African music. Depending on the weekend, you might find Source with Abdoulaye Diabaté, an interracial New York-based African group, or the African jazz and funk of the African Blue Notes, led by the Cameroonian singer and guitarist Martino Atagana. Sets begin at 10 and 11:30 p.m. and at 1 a.m.; the cover charge is $7.
If that's not late enough, you could end the evening at Cain, a chic Chelsea nightclub where the décor is inspired by South African game lodges, and the bar is upholstered in zebra skin. Too bad there are no Chelsea consulates around that can grant you a visa for entry in advance; Cain's velvet ropes can be tougher to cross than some African borders.
For brunch, take the South African theme a few steps closer toward legitimacy at Madiba, a Brooklyn restaurant that serves what is a rarity in New York City: South African food. It's a warm place modeled after the informal bars known as shebeens, and the menu is full of things that you have probably never heard of, inspired by the mishmash of cultures that make up South African cuisine. On the brunch menu, that can mean anything from scones or toast coated with Marmite yeast extract to burgers in (monkey-free) monkey gland sauce, or frikkadels, South African meatballs.
The city's Museum for African Art has no permanent exhibitions these days as it waits for its new building to be built at what will become the northern tip of Museum Mile in 2009. But you can check out African displays at other museums in town, including the Met, which has ancient art from Mali to Madagascar in its Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas collection; and the Hall of African Peoples in the American Museum of Natural History.
(If museums aren't for you, you can sneak in a little ersatz Africa by going to see "The Lion King" on Broadway.)
For dinner, try Les Enfants Terribles, deep in the Lower East Side on the eastern edges of Canal Street (kind of like Manhattan's equivalent of Timbuktu). The masks on the walls inside and tentlike canopy outside give it a game-lodge feel, and those who enjoy pronunciation challenges will enjoy ordering dishes from throughout Africa and the African diaspora (i.e. Brazil). There's the aumônière mauritanienne, a compote of lamb, dates and prunes; and steak with spices from the Ivory Coast known as koroghofefemugu.
You could linger at Les Enfants Terribles all night, downing caipirinhas and cocktails made with Senegalese dried bissap flowers, but if you prefer your crowded night spots to be less expensive, less chic and more sweaty, head to St. Nick's Pub, way up north in Harlem. (Take the F train to the B train, and have something substantial to read.)
The little basement joint overflows with energy (and people) for the Saturday night African music jam, which features Abdoulaye Alhassane and a fluid group that changes as the evening goes on. There's no cover, but a $5 beer and a donation of a few bucks to the band mean you can stay as long as you want. The mesmerizing drumming and singing inspires a few couples to turn bits of the crowded space into tiny individual dance floors.
As your African weekend draws to a close, do you sense an elephant in the room? That's North Africa, left out, so far, in its entirety. New York's north-of-the-Sahara spots are way too much to cover in a day, so just sleep in, take it easy, with brunch at Barbès — an Algerian-Moroccan spot that Frank Bruni gave one star in 2005.
You can have eggs Benedict, if you wish, but there are plenty of North African-inspired dishes, too, like a merguez sausage or lamb brochettes. Uncork a bottle of Algerian Domaine El Bordj with that, and the rest of the afternoon will take care of itself.
Meskel Ethiopian Restaurant, 199 East Third Street (Avenue B), East Village, (212) 254-2411.
Madiba, 195 DeKalb Avenue, Fort Greene, Brooklyn, (718) 855-9190.
Les Enfants Terribles, 37 Canal Street (Ludlow Street), Lower East Side, (212) 777-7518; www.lesenfantsterriblesnyc.com.
Barbès, 21 East 36th Street (between Fifth and Madison Avenues), Murray Hill, (212) 684-0215.
Zinc Bar, 90 West Houston Street (La Guardia Place), Greenwich Village, (212) 477-8337; www.zincbar.com.
Cain, 544 West 27th Street (10th and 11th Avenues), Chelsea, (212) 947-8000; www.cainnyc.com.
St. Nick's Pub, 773 St. Nicholas Avenue (149th Street), Harlem, (212) 283-9728.
For listings of African music in New York, www.afropop.org lists concerts and events. On Friday, March 30, for example, you can replace a night at the Zinc Bar with a concert at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall by Toumani Diabaté's Symmetric Orchestra, which the Carnegie Hall Web site says plays "everything from age-old Malian standards to contemporary Cuban-Senegalese salsa."