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Lapism is a belief system created in the stories of Phil Geusz. It is described as a religion followed by a small but growing number of people on twenty-first century Earth. The most obvious feature of Lapists is that many of them have undergone a physical transformation through genetic engineering to resemble anthropomorphic rabbits.
Within the context of the stories, Lapism was founded in the twenty-first century by Dr. Thomas Aaron, a master "gengineer" (genetic engineer) who underwent radical alteration to become an anthropomorphic rabbit. He had multiple motives: to regenerate his ailing body, to use a masterpiece body design that would otherwise have been wasted, and to help himself become a better person through emulating rabbits' reputation for peace and kindness. He found that the transformation had a profound effect on him, and ultimately published a document known as the Book of Peace describing his moral insights.
Aaron changed his name to "Sweetgrass" and soon attracted several dozen "converts" to a rabbit form. The United States outlawed animal-based gengineering, but after a prolonged legal battle, the Supreme Court granted an exception for Lapists as a "legitimate religion" with a legally protected rite.
The movement continued to grow, becoming a small but prominent group through the end of the current stories' timeline.
Beliefs and practices[edit]
Lapists study the Book of Peace as a scripture, and hold regular Discussion Times, typically on Sundays and Wednesdays. These events are nominally for Book study, but in reality believers use them to share social interaction and discuss personal and community issues.
Lapists take new names to go with their new bodies. All of these new names adhere to the general pattern "[Specific plant] [Performer of specific activity] Rabbit". The tradition began with Aaron, who rechristened himself "Sweetgrass Bloomsniffer Rabbit," a name chosen spontaneously by a little girl. Other Lapist names include "Bluegrass Spelunker Rabbit", "Popcorn Scribbler Rabbit" and so on.
Lapists are portrayed as being anthropomorphic rabbits, because of their main ritual: an elaborate physical transformation called the Change. Early Lapist characters joined the movement as adults, but as new generations were born, the children were changed at a young age. Far from merely cosmetic, the standard transformation process alters a person's DNA with rabbit-based genes. Because of the altered body -- large feet, mobile ears, and tail -- the brain itself must be changed somewhat to accommodate it. A very small percentage of the population is incapable of safely undergoing this procedure, or similar regenerative therapies, due to biochemical problems.
Lapists believe that the Change serves two overlapping purposes. One is that the changes in brain structure and chemistry alter behavior directly, making the person more peaceful and friendly. The subtler aspect is social reinforcement. As the believer commits to appearing in public with a rabbit-like appearance as a religious practice, something possible even before any transformation, others react to them as a representative of the religion. The believer feels a duty to be on their best behavior and to live up to the group's positive stereotype. The fact that outsiders think "rabbit" reinforces that stereotype and peer pressure; e.g. Lapists are vulnerable to spontaneous juvenile adhesion (hugging).
Not all Lapists have undergone the Change. A novice member wears imitation rabbit ears and tail in public as a means of preparing themselves. The relative importance of the physical rabbit-form and a person's actual beliefs and behavior is a major theme of the Lapist stories. Several protagonists question whether they "have a Rabbit in them," meaning whether they live up to the ideal regardless of their physical form. Aaron/Sweetgrass wrote much of the Book of Peace before his transformation, based on insights gained from other, traumatic experiences. The interplay is summed up by one character:
- We're no better inside than the next man, despite the fact that we do turn the natural aggression knob down a few clicks as part of the Change. But, in the end, I think that what is important is the fact that we are trying to be something more, trying to achieve higher goals. That, far more than the fur and funny teeth, is what sets us apart from everyone else. - Digger, Full Immersion
The Lapist Church is known to have at least one physical place of worship; a converted Christian church renamed the Oaktree Temple. The Church possesses a gengineering clinic that performs the conversion procedure, which can also be done elsewhere. Its other assets are unknown, but it probably has considerable funds from Aaron/Sweetgrass' numerous patents.
Book of Peace[edit]
The contents of the the Book of Peace itself are never revealed in full, though short sections are quoted by different characters throughout the stories.
The Book started out as the personal journal of Dr Thomas Aaron as a supplement to his imminent gengineering into an anthropomorphic rabbit- it wasn't intended to become the basis for any religious movement. But as Dr Aaron underwent his Change into Sweetgrass, he discovered things about the Change and about himself that- evidently- others caught on to, and agreed with. Little is revealed about Lapism's infancy, and less about how his journal became The Book of Peace as it is known to Lapists.
Readers of the series are lead to believe that in every story chronologically following "In The Beginning," a copy of The Book of Peace is owned and frequently read by almost every Changed Rabbit by the fact that Silkfur, Sundew, and both of their children each have their own Book. Weekly and bi-weekly Discussion Times are supposed to focus on study, absorption and talk of the Book and it's message, though this is not a strictly enforced rule.
The physical object that is The Book of Peace is described thusly: "The cover was of hand-tooled Cordovan leather, the leaves were gilt-edged..." "...the very finest paper."
Geusz has described Lapism as "an entirely new kind of religion," yet it has roots in, and similarities to, existing belief systems. Lapist teachings do not specifically mention any gods or appeal to revealed knowledge, making Lapism similar to some religions, such as Confucianism, that are sometimes called "philosophy" rather than "religion." The definition of religion is fuzzy enough that Lapism could be considered as either, and even Lapist characters disagree on the question. The Book of Peace is described as Lapism's "bible" and is the topic of extensive study as with Christianity's New Testament. Church members argue about whether its moral positions should be taken literally, or questioned and reinterpreted. As with Islam and the Quaker denomination of Christianity, there seem to be influential Church members but no official clergy. Lapists have no obvious idols, as with Christians, and seem to avoid formally worded prayers, as with Mormonism.[1] As with religion in general, Lapists maintain a community of believers and identify themselves by appearance and ritual.
Lapist ethics emphasize kindness and peace (as with the Quaker Testimony of Peace) but do not reject violence when necessary, judging from the design decisions made for the original anthro-rabbit template. The lack of alleged divine revelation or a racial aspect sets it apart from most existing religions. The group's founder is revered as a leader, but unlike many religious prophets is not said to be divinely inspired. The fact that the Lapist body template involves improved senses and altered diet ties the movement in with Transhumanism, the belief that technology can help people to surpass human limitations. One character suggests that Lapism hearkens back to ancient totemic faiths as well as embracing Transhumanism.
The Book of Peace explicitly rejects proselytization, on the grounds that the decision to convert must come from the individual, but almost immediately after Aaron/Sweetgrass' death Church leaders questioned how strictly this doctrine should be kept. The eventual decision, to the extent that the issue was settled, was that the Church would welcome media attention but avoid outright advertising, letting members' presence in the community serve as a recruitment tool.
In context[edit]
The overall setting of the Lapist stories is twenty-first century America. Its exact future history is not described in much detail, but includes the development of advanced gengineering technology and is not clearly utopian or dystopian. A noteworthy event that takes place early in the series is the schism of the Catholic Church into its Roman branch and a new American branch, which struggles to reconcile its faith with independence from the Vatican hierarchy.
The unknown[edit]
Some aspects of Lapism remain yet unknown through the stories. The legal battle over gengineering and the initial gathering of converts are not thoroughly described, and of Book of Peace itself only a few snippets are quoted by characters. The exact content of the Book is left to the reader's imagination, as is the setting's future.
Each Lapism story focuses on different aspects of the lives of individual believers and the people around them. These are the existing stories in the order written, with a mostly spoiler-free synopsis of each:
- Drama Class: Two brothers deal with depression, suicide and gang violence. (published in Anthro [2])
- Intermission: Described by Geusz as involving "a half-changed movie critic who's lost his wife and his reasons for living, and who goes home to find his roots." (Not publicly released.)
- Schism: The young movement faces a severe crisis after its founder's death. (Published in TSAT [3].)
- Full Immersion: A boy questions his faith while facing poverty, and danger, at a family-owned cave. (Published in Anthro [4].)
- In the Beginning: An expert gengineer creates the most heavily transformed human design yet, while battling despair and addiction. (Published in Anthro [5].)
- Prodigal Son: A news producer covers a Lapist gathering that puts him in company with his estranged, troubled son. (Published in Anthro [6].)
The chronological sequence, based on in-story events and Geusz' comments, is "In the Beginning" (Book of Peace unwritten) followed by "Schism" (Digger as toddler), "Drama Class," (Digger as teenager), "Full Immersion" (Digger as young adult), and "Prodigal Son" (Digger as young adult in contact with Bluegrass).
Geusz' "Freedom City" novel series also involves gengineered rabbit-folk. As the two continuities (FC and Lapism) have very little else in common, however, they should not be regarded as co-existing within any larger setting/world.
The stories Drama Class. Full Immersion, Schism, and In the Beginning have been collected into a 300-page paperback edition, The First Book of Lapism, which was published in June 2009 by ANTHRO Press.
- ↑ Mormonism from the BBC
- ↑ Drama Class from Anthro
- ↑ Schism from TSAT
- ↑ Full Immersion from Anthro
- ↑ In the Beginning from Anthro
- ↑ Prodigal Son from Anthro


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Ham and potato omelet was tonights dinner. This wasent a new recipe but one we have made before and really enjoyed. It has few ingredients and comes together in a flash. The potatoes were tender but not mushy. The ham brought a subtle smokey taste that paired well with the eggs and potatoes.
Before adding the eggs
I finished this dish in the oven help to cook the eggs evenly without burning.
Today's requested recipe was for the sesame chicken dish.
For the Chicken
2 Tbls low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbls chili sauce with garlic
1 Tbls toasted sesame oil
4 Skinless boneless chicken breast halves (4-6oz each)
For the Salsa
2 cups diced seedless watermelon
1/4 cup diced yellow bell pepper
2 tbls sliced green onions
1 tbls chopped cilantro
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsps mirin
1 tsp *fresh* lime juice
1/8 tsp salt
1 minced jalapeño pepper (We like it hot so I included the ribs and seeds)
Combine first 3 ingredients in a large ziploc bag. Add chicken to bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator for 1-2 hours, turning bag occasionally.
Preheat Grill
For the Salsa - Combine watermelon and next 8 ingredients - cover and chill until ready to serve.
Remove chicken from marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place chicken on the grill. Cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from grill; let stand 5 minutes. Cut chicken diagonally across grain into thin slices. Top with salsa.

subset: commoncrawl


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System requirements
Headset and headphones
- About the VIVE Cosmos headset
- Putting on the VIVE Cosmos headset
- Can I wear prescription glasses while using the headset?
- Adjusting the IPD on the headset
- Flipping up the visor
- Connecting a USB device to VIVE Cosmos
- Removing or reattaching the face cushions
- Removing the front and back pads
- Reattaching the front and back pads to the headset
- Reattaching the headset cable strip to the back pad
- Detaching the top strap from the headset band
- Attaching the top strap to the headset band
- Replacing the front cover
- What does the status light on the headset mean?
Product care and maintenance
Link box
Play area
- What is the play area?
- Planning your play area
- Choosing the play area
- Setting up VIVE Cosmos for the first time
- Setting up the play area
- What is the recommended space for the play area?
- Can I include space occupied by furniture for the play area?
- Does VIVE Cosmos store my room or environment image?
- Can stationary experiences work at room scale?
- How do I fix download errors during VIVE Setup installation?
- I can't complete the room setup. What should I do?
- Why are the headset and controllers not tracked properly?
VIVE Reality System
- Disabling Volume limit
- Capturing screenshots in VR
- Seeing real surroundings
- Enabling motion compensation
- What is motion compensation?
- Updating the firmware
- Troubleshooting VIVE Cosmos
- Joining the VIVE Cosmos beta program
- Setting the power supply frequency
- What do the error codes and messages mean? What can I do?
Reattaching the front and back pads to the headset
Always make sure that the front and back pads are attached to the headset.
While holding the visor with one hand, pull up the band.
Starting from the middle, align the front pad tabs with their corresponding slots on the band, and then press along the front pad. You may need to gently bend the ends of the front pad to align the outermost tabs with the slots on the band.
Make sure to minimize the gap between the pad and the band and that all tabs are fully locked into place.
Align the back pad tabs with their corresponding slots on the band, and then press along the back pad to reattach.
Note: Check that the headset cable strip is properly attached. For details, see Reattaching the headset cable strip to the back pad.You'll hear a click when the tabs are inserted.
Make sure to minimize the gap between the pad and the band.
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text: ARCHITECTURE comes about as a result of the synthesizing by the architect of creative responses to input from the client; data gathered from the site and the climate; and an understanding of structure, materials, space and light. Working from the inside-out, the architect guides the growth of an IDEA resulting from the combination of these responses to a completed design which is as much a portrait of the client as it may be of himself." - Bart Prince


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In the course of IIS7 development, the team and I have answered an infinity of questions about IIS7 on any possible topic imaginable.Ironically, neither I nor anyone else I know on the team has ever answered the most basic question – what is the minimum set of steps necessary to get a website running with IIS7?
This post answers this exact question, and explains the key IIS7 concepts of sites, applications, and virtual directories (vdirs), which must be created before your IIS7 server can serve a single request.
Update: We recently launched a service that significantly helps you understand, troubleshoot, and improve IIS and ASP.NET web applications. If you regularly troubleshoot IIS errors, manage Windows Servers, or tune ASP.NET performance, definitely check out the demo at www.leansentry.com.
It also provides the steps necessary to create IIS7 sites, applications, and virtual directories, and options for configuring them.
If you are familiar with IIS6, read on to learn about critical differences in the way sites, apps, and vdirs work on IIS7, and how to create and manage them using IIS7 tools.
If you don't care about the background, and just want to know how to create your first IIS7 website in the quickest way possible, jump ahead.Then, come back and read about what it all means …
So, what's the deal with sites, applications, and virtual directories?
Before you can serve a single request from your IIS7 server, you need to create a set of configuration that describes how the server listens for requests, and how these requests are then dispatched to your scripts or static files.To do this, you need to at minimum create a site, an application, a virtual directory, and an application pool, which together provide the basic configuration necessary to serve your website (to be fair, the default configuration of the server already includes a set of these that you can use right away – more on that later).
A site is the top-level logical container that specifies how http requests are received and processed – it defines a group of bindings that determine how the site listens for incoming requests, and contains the definitions of applications/virtual directories that partition the site's url namespace for the purposes of structuring your application content.
A binding is a combination of protocol name and protocol-specific binding information.While IIS7supports multi-protocol bindings (WCF's soap-tcp, FTP, etc), we will focus on the http path only here.So, for our purposes an http binding effectively defines an http endpoint that listens on:
·A specific interface ip address (or all interfaces)
·A specific port number
·A specific http host header (or all host headers)
This way, you can configure many sites on your server that listen on different ip addresses, different ports, or on the same ip address / port but with different host headers.
It's important to note that the url of the request has no part in determining which site the request is routed to – only the bindings do.All requests received on a binding are sent to the site that owns the binding, so effectively each site owns its own full url namespace starting with "/".
This url namespace is then partitioned further into applications, and then further yet by virtual directories.
An application is a logical container of your website's functionality, allowing you to divide your site's url namespace into separate parts and control the runtime behavior of each part individually.For example, each application can be configured to be in a separate application pool, thereby isolating it from other applications by putting it in a separate process, and optionally making that process run with a different Windows identity to sandbox it.The application is also the level at which ASP.NET applications / appdomains are created.
Each application has a virtual path that matches the initial segment of the url's absolute path for the requests to that application.A request is routed to the application with the longest matching virtual path.
– Each site must have at least the root application with the virtual path of "/", so any requests not matching other applications in the site will be routed to the root application.
Finally, a virtual directory maps a part of the application url namespace to a physical location on disk.When a request is routed to the application, it uses the same algorithm to find the virtual directory with the longest virtual path matching the remainder of the request's absolute path after the application path.
– Again, each application must have at least the root virtual directory with the virtual path of "/" to be functional.
For example, here is how a request to /app1/dir1/file.txt may be routed based on site layout:
Site layout |
Request routing |
"/app1" APP, "/" VDIR |
"/" APP, "/app1/dir1" VDIR |
Let's look at an example:
In this example, I have two sites:The default IIS7 site named "Default Web Site", and another site named "MySite".
"Default Web Site" site has a single binding enabling it to receive requests on port 80 of all interfaces, with no specific host header specified.The "MySite" site also listens on port 80 of all interfaces, but it only receives requests that specify "mysite" in the host header.The ability to host multiple sites on a single port using host headers is critical for mass hosting scenarios,and is enabled by the http.sys kernel driver that performs low level request management on IIS's behalf.
A request to http://domain.com/test/hello.aspxwith host: domain is received on port 80, and is dispatched to "Default Web Site".Then, its routed to the root application, and the root virtual directory within it, and the physical path of the file served for this request becomes c:inetpubmysitetesthello.aspx.
A request to http://mysite.com/ with host: mysite is received on port 80, and is dispatched to"MySite" because it matches the host header specified by "MySite"'s binding.As before, it is routed to the root application, and its root virtual directory, with the physical path being c:mysite, a directory.
Finally, a request to http://mysite.com/test/hello.aspx with host:mysite is received on port 80, and is again dispatched to "MySite".It is routed to the root "/" application, but within that application, it is routed to the "/test" virtual directory, because the http://mysite.com/test part of the url matches the virtual directory's path.So, the physical path of the file served becomes c:inetpubtesthello.aspx.
What's an application pool?
An application pool is technically not a part of the site / application / virtual directory containment hierarchy, but it is an important part of configuring the server to be able to serve requests to the application.
An application pool defines the settings for a worker process that will host one or more IIS7 applications, carrying out their request processing.The application pool is a unit of process isolation, since all request processing for an application runs within its application pool's worker processes.It is also a unit of isolation from a security perspective since the application pool can run with a different identity, and ACL all needed resources exclusively for itself to prevent applications in other application pools from being able to access its resources.
The application pool mechanism has been introduced in IIS6, and has been a key strategy in supporting IIS6's stellar security record.In IIS7, it has been further enhanced to offer improved isolation and scalability – I will cover strategies of using application pools efficiently in a future post soon.
So, how do I create a simple IIS7 site?
To summarize what we learned from before, a functioning website is one that has at least the following:
1.A site
2.A binding that determines on which interface, port, and hostheader the site listens on.
3.A root application
4.A root virtual directory mapping the root application to its physical root folder
5.An application pool to run the application
The good news is that IIS7 by default comes with the aptly named "Default Web Site" already configured, so if you are ok with a website on port 80 that listens for all host headers, and a single application located at the root, you can just start using it without having to create anything.Just drop your files in %systemdrive%inetpubwwwroot, and hit up http://localhost/.
Given that, why would you want to create a separate website / application / etc?Here are some of the reasons:
1.You want to have multiple websites (different domain names, or ports).
2.You want to have multiple applications to isolate part of your website for reliability, or security reasons by placing them in separate application pools.Or, you need to have separate ASP.NET applications.
3.You want to redirect parts of your website's url namespace to a different location on disk by creating a virtual directory.
Let's start with the simplest case- creating a new website from scratch.This post will show how to do these tasks from the command line, but you can do most of these from the new IIS7 Admin tool.The command line is a more flexible way to do it, and lends itself well to automation with cool batch scripts I know you will write.
So, without further ado, let's create a completely new website using the IIS7's AppCmd.Exe command line tool, located in %windir%system32inetsrv.Be sure to do this as an Administrator from an elevated command line prompt – Start > Programs > right click on Command Line Prompt, and choose Run as Administrator):
> %windir%system32inetsrvAppCmd ADD SITE /name:MyNewSite /id:3 /bindings:http/*:81: /physicalPath:c:inetpubmynewsite
SITE object "MyNewSite" added
APP object "MyNewSite/" added
VDIR object "MyNewSite/" added
This creates a new website named "MyNewSite", with id = 3, and creates a single HTTP binding configured to listen on all interfaces, port 81, without a host-header restriction.Note that a root application, and root virtual directory are automatically created.This is because I specified the optional /physicalPath parameter – which results in the root application with a root virtual directory pointing to the specified physical path to be created.At this point, you can immediately begin using the website by placing files in c:inetpubmynewsite, and access the site with http://localhost:81/.
What about the application pool?By default, all applications use the "DefaultAppPool", a default application pool that also hosts the "Default Web Site"'s application.You can create a new application pool / place the application in a different application pool later if you want.
Going deeper with site, application, and virtual directory creation
Ok, so now we have a simple website we just created.Let's examine it with the AppCmd List Sites command:
> %windir%system32inetsrvAppCmd LIST SITES
SITE "Default Web Site" (id:1,bindings:http/*:80:,state:Started)
SITE "MyNewSite" (id:3,bindings:http/*:81:,state:Started)
This displays the default and the new site we created, including their ids, their bindings, and their state.The state is a runtime property of the site, and indicates whether the site is currently receiving requests.If there is an error in the site's definition, for example, another site has a conflicting binding, or the site is missing some required configuration, the state will be "Stopped".A state of "Started" is a good indication that the site is functional.
You probably noticed earlier that the site binding was specified with the /bindings parameter as "http/*:81:", which looks like a mangled url.This is the binding syntax used by AppCmd, which allows multiple bindings to be specified in a list of comma-separated PROTOCOL/BINDINGINFORMATION entries, like:
This syntax allows bindings to be specified for any protocol, where the PROTOCOL is the protocol name, and BINDINGINFORMATION is a string passed to the listener adapter for this protocol to construct the binding.For HTTP, the binding information string is the following:
[interface-ip-list or * ]:port:[hostheader]
The interface-ip-list is a comma separated list of ipv4 interface addresses on which the binding listens, and * can also be used to mean all ip addresses.The hostheader specifies the request host header value that requests must specify to match this binding, and empty means all host headers.
We also used /id parameter to specify the id for the new site.If you are creating a lot of sites and don't know which ids are available, you can have the tool assign the next available id by omitting this parameter.
There are times when you do not want to create a root application / virtual directory together with site creation, especially if you require other settings to be set on them – such as specifying the application pool to which the application should belong.In this case, we can create the site, application, and virtual directories separately as follows:
> %windir%system32inetsrvAppCmd ADD SITE /name:MyOtherSite /bindings:http/*:82:
SITE object "MyOtherSite" added
> %windir%system32inetsrvAppCmd ADD APP /site.name:MyOtherSIte /path:/ /applicationPool:MyNewAppPool
APP object "MyOtherSite/" added
I specified the mandatory site name when creating the application, the virtual path, and also optionally set the application pool name for this application.Notice that here you can also use the /physicalPath parameter to force automatic root virtual directory creation.
Now, let's also create the application pool.For application pools, only the name is required, but you can also set a multitude of application pool configuration settings including identity, recycling settings, etc.
>%windir%system32inetsrvAppCmd ADD APPPOOL /name:MyNewAppPool
APPPOOL object "MyNewAppPool" added
Finally, let's create the root virtual directory for the application:
> %windir%system32inetsrvAppCmd ADD VDIR /app.name:MyOtherSite/ /path:/ /physicalPath:c:inetpubmyothersite
VDIR object "MyOtherSite/" added
At this point, we should have a functional site with a root application, and virtual directory.Lets inspect these:
> %windir%system32inetsrvAppCmd LIST SITES
SITE "Default Web Site" (id:1,bindings:http/*:80:,state:Started)
SITE "MyNewSite" (id:3,bindings:http/*:81:,state:Started)
SITE "MyOtherSite" (id:4,bindings:http/*:82:,state:Started)
> %windir%system32inetsrvAppCmd LIST APPS
APP "Default Web Site/" (applicationPool:DefaultAppPool)
APP "MyNewSite/" (applicationPool:DefaultAppPool)
APP "MyOtherSite/" (applicationPool:MyNewAppPool)
Notice that our root app for the MyOtherSIte site we just created is in the MyNewAppPool application pool, as we intended.
> %windir%system32inetsrvAppCmd LIST VDIRS
VDIR "Default Web Site/" (physicalPath:%SystemDrive%inetpubwwwroot)
VDIR "MyNewSite/" (physicalPath:c:inetpubmynewsite)
VDIR "MyOtherSite/" (physicalPath:c:inetpubmyothersite)
You will notice that each object has a quoted string right after the object type.This is the unique identifier of the object, which for sites is the site name, for applications is the application config path (site name + virtual path of the application), and for virtual directories is the virtual directory config path ( parent app path + virtual directory path).These identifiers can be used to reference these objects for other operations, such as SET, DELETE, etc.
Finally, during the creation of any of these objects with the ADD command, you can set any of the other configuration properties associated with that object. You can also set them afterwards using the SET command.You can obtain the settable properties for each object, such as below for a site object:
> %windir%system32inetsrvAppCmd SET SITE "Default Web Site" /?
For example, to disable logging for a site, you can do:
> %windir%system32inetsrvAppCmd SET SITE "Default Web Site" /logFile.enabled:false
The site object in particular has a lot of different settings that can be set.For more information on how to set these settings, including collection settings, see http://www.iis.net/articles/view.aspx/IIS7/Use-IIS7-Administration-Tools/Using-the-Command-Line/Getting-Started-with-AppCmd-exe?Page=4.
You can also get more help and examples from the tool itself – for example:
APPCMD SITE /? Displays the commands supported by the SITE object
APPCMD LIST SITE /? Displays the help and examples for using the LIST SITE command
The topic of managing sites, applications, virtual directories and application pools is extensive, and so it's hard to cover everything.I hope I got the bases covered, but if you are confused about anything or want more information on any specific issue, please leave a comment.I hope to be able to tune this post to include the stuff you need to know.


text:
The gambler who cannot put an end to gambling will walk, talk and breathe casino. He will tell stories of previous big wins, often exaggerating the measurements of the goldmine. He will regularly corner others, telling anybody may listen about his latest scheme, or his unbeatable strategy. Man usually use more than one form of gambling, not being able to stop gambling online, in the track, or on the pokies. Even bingo and also the lottery hold him spell-bound. He loses interest component of his normal activities and hobbies, instead increasingly becoming obsessed with gambling.
There are surely no hard and fast rules to win these slot games a person can obviously increase the likelihood of winning. Before playing one of the following slot games, you must set your win and loss limits in order to play safe. This must be exercised as it you to economise from your bankroll. Win limit is the particular amount that a gambler is ready to lose when if he loses the sport. Rubah4d must immediately stop playing as soon as he meets this limit. On the other side, whenever a player is happy with the number of he has won so far can stop playing online game. However, it is crucial to follow these limits in order to improve bankroll virtually any future market.
If you might have some extra cash, subsequent the is what you should only use for Gambling. Also, assume that an individual are on a roll, you will never forget. It really can be a good feeling to win one soon after the other. However, if your winning streak breaks, it's time for you stop.
Scatter Pays: Specific symbols of the slot game that pay even when the symbols aren't on exact same payline. Tip: Scatter Pays pay only on a line which was activated using a bet.
Ludomania is considered the impulse or itch to gamble even when you're conscious of its' corresponding implications. Nevertheless is just a minor effort. Severe cases actually nod into the direction Pg slot of a mental illness. It is called pathological gambling. One is considered in the form of pathological gambler if is actually preoccupied with gambling often and in the area mainly all he thinks about. He tends to imagine as he will be playing again in long term or acknowledges the game he played yesterday.
Be careful with online fraud all too. Online gambling frauds are all over this country. Educate yourself with regards to different kinds of frauds have got very rampant on the world wide web so a lot fewer know in case you started to feel that something is wrong and malicious in which you can accomplish something over it.
Before then playing, you should read rules and instructions on the slot machinery. This will help you realize the payouts and the dollar amount of coins should insert perform a ball game.


text:
Everyday Hero is a specialist software provider to the not for profit sector. Our software is designed to make fundraising easier, lower cost and a more enjoyable experience for fundraisers, not for profit organizations and donors.
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Areas of Expertise
Conflict Resolution, International Law, Mediation
Advanced International Negotiation Seminar
Hrair Balian joined The Carter Center in 2008 as director of the Conflict Resolution Program. Balian oversees the program's efforts to monitor conflicts around the world and coordinates the center's cross-program efforts in the Middle East. He is also adjunct professor at the Emory University School of Law, teaching an advanced international negotiations seminar.
Since 1991, Balian has worked in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, the independent states emerging from the former Soviet Union, the Middle East, and Africa, serving in intergovernmental organizations (the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) and nongovernmental organizations (International Crisis Group and others). He has worked on elections, human rights, and conflict resolution. Balian received his juris doctor degree from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. In May 2009, the New England College awarded Balian the degree of doctor of laws, honoris causa, for his "lifetime commitment to the dignity, respect, and self-determination of all peoples" and for his "uncompromising effort to resolve international conflicts." He is fluent in English, French, and Armenian, with a basic knowledge of Arabic. He was born and raised in Lebanon, and moved to the United States in 1970.
Education: JD, Golden Gate University; Doctor of Laws, New England College (honoris causa).


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Graeme Cruickshank
Pictish Studies
My first introduction to the Picts came in the flickering firelight of a West Highland school. I was raised in Glencoe, attending the primary school there. In those days (the early 1950s) electricity had not yet come to the village. The single schoolmistress had to teach all subjects to all age-groups; history came late in the afternoon, hence many a lesson was conducted in the gathering dusk, under the fitful illumination of a paraffin lamp which was often outshone by the roaring open fire. It was here that I first learned
how in ancient times the Picts and the Scots held the might of imperial Rome at bay, and, after the departure of the legions, saw off attempts by the Angles to make the whole island their own.
Of course, history as presented in a primary school text-book tends to be somewhat over-simplified, although in those days it would have been difficult to have found any alternative information on the Picts, mostly presented from an archaeological viewpoint in the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, was somewhat indigestible. It was also problematic in that it proved extremely difficult to identify a Pictish site, and if anything it was worse for historians because of the total lack of Pictish literature (apart from very late King-lists) and the paucity of literary references in general, as demonstrated by Alan Anderson in his two-volume work Early Sources of Scottish History of 1992.
Almost alone among Victorian studies as a work of reference was William Skerne's Chronicles of the Picts, Chronicles of the Scots, and other Early Memorials of Scottish History (1867). Though there is much within its covers which the reader should treat with caution. Most other books in this vintage about the Picts are highly fanciful, and probably the kindest thing that can be said about them is that they are entertaining rather than instructive. They are certainly of interest to bibliophiles, though of little help – and at times of considerable hindrance – to serious students of the Picts.
If a straightforward approach to Pictish history was proving something of a difficult hurdle, then a different course might provide the key. It centred around the most visible reminder of this vanished society -the carved standing stones which were left over much of Pictland, (which comprised the greater part of northern and eastern Scotland), close on 200 of which still exist. They are remarkable for their quality of craftsmanship, command of line, ornate decoration, and especially for their enigmatic symbols. This unique corpus of evidence hinted at various aspects of the nature and structure of Pictish society, yet even today most of its secrets remain locked within their splendid artistry. A scheme was initiated to create a comprehensive illustrative record of all Pictish stones, for the majority at that time were still standing as field monuments, gradually succumbing to the weathering forces of a millennium and more.
Such a notion had been developing throughout the nineteenth century. IN 1814, the historian John Pinkerton called for an illustrated volume of all early medieval sculptured stones in Scotland. He was critical of early eighteenth century attempts, especially regarding the quality of those illustrations. Those of Thomas Pennant were 'too diminutive', likewise those of Charles Cordiner, 'whose representations cannot be trusted, his imagination being strangely perverted by some fantastic ideas', whiel those of Alexander Gordon were 'too rude and inaccurate'. This theme clearly required a more disciplined approach. The first systematic study was the Ancient Sculptured Monuments of the Country of Angus by Patrick Chalmers, published in 1848. Although confined to one county, it did include a large proportion of all known Pictish stones, and Chalmers was a skilled and respected antiquarian. The book was welcomed – though not for its size: it consisted of imperial pages measuring 22 x 30 inches making it difficult to use and impossible to shelve.
The next advance came with the publication of a more wide-ranging work, The Sculptured Stones of Scotland by John Stuart, issued in two volumes in 1856 and 1867, an interdisciplinary study, with extensive references to historical sources, associated topographical and archaeological material, and much art-historical analysis.
The next major development stemmed from the delivery of the Rhind Lectures to the Society of Antiquaries in 1879 and 1880, and their publication in 1881, by Jospeh Anderson. He adopted a rigorously scientific approach, building upon a groundwork of exact knowledge based on the collection of as complete a store of data as possible; only then could valid deductions be made. Anderson's two-volume work, Scotland in Early Christian Times, covered an enormous range of material, among which he included the artistry and symbolism of the Pictish stone-cut designs. This encouraged a subcommittee of the Society of Antiquaries to issue a report in 1890 recommending the creation of a complete register. No special provision had been made for a Scotland in the Ancients Monuments Protection Act, and so the moral responsibility for overseeing the protection of the Pictish stones fell on the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.
Tow men then embarked upon this mighty project: J. Romilly Allen compiled a classified, descriptive, and illustrated inventory of all the Pictish stones then known, and such other material as existed, while Joseph Anderson undertook an artistic analysis of Pictish designs. Their weighty volume, The Early Christian Monument of Scotland, which remain the 'Bible' of Pictish Art, was published in 1903, but it was very expensive to produce, and a limited edition of only 400 copies was printed. It has long been out of print, and, with demand growing, second-hand copies have been fetching very high prices. Now, ninety years on, a reduced-scale two-volume reprint has been published by the Pinkfoot Press.
With the original publication of ECMS Pictish art at last received a treatment worthy of it, yet the Picts themselves remained very much in the shadows for the next half-century. Indeed, they did not receive a scholarly appreciation until the publication by Nelson in 1955 of The Problem of the Picts, a multi-author book edited by Frederick Wainwright. Some parts may be a little dated now, but it did provide a very thorough consideration of the issues. It became a classic of its kind, but it also has been long out of the print, and the 1980 Melven Press reprint is, likewise, hard to come by.
A different approach was adopted in a booklet published by HMSO in 1964 entitled The Early Christian and Pictish Monuments of Scotland by Stewart Cruden. Following a brief introduction to the subject, he provided a catalogue of the stones in the two specialist museums run by his department (then known as the Ministry of Public Buildings and Woks) at Meigle and St. Vigeans. This little volume has also been out of print for a long time, and surely a reprinting, or better still a rewriting, is very much overdue. A similar approach, though in much broader social and historical terms, was adopted for the booklet Foul Hordes: the Picts in the North-East and their Background, written by Ian Ralston and Jim Inglis to accompany an exhibition in the Anthropological Museum at Aberdeen University in 1984. Two other catalogues have been produced: Dark Age Sculpture in the National Museum by Joanna Close-Brooks and Robert Stevenson (HMSO, 1982), which deals with Pictish stones (and Scottish, Anglian, and Norse ones also); and Pictish Stones in Dunrobin Castle Museum by Joanna Close-Brooks (Sutherland Trust and Pilgrim Press, 1989). All these catalogues are attractively produced and well illustrated. A major step forward in Pictish studies took place in 1967 when Thames and Hudson published The Picts by Isabel Henderson as volume 54 of their Ancient Peoples and Places series. The author is a renowned scholar and respected historian, and this book rapidly achieved the status of 'the standard work'. Interest, continuing to grow, was further fostered by the 1971 BBC television series Who Are the Scots? Isobel Henderson wrote the Pictish chapter in the accompanying book, going back to Wainwright's volume for her title. Another educational publication was The Kingdom of the Picts by Anna Ritchie (Chambers, 1977), which was aimed specifically at schoolchildren.
1985 provided a special occasion to get to grips with a very special Pictish event, because it was the 1300th anniversary of the Battle of Dunnichen, in which the Picts routed the Northumbrians and thereby laid the foundations of the Scottish nation. Such an event could not be allowed to pass uncelebrated, and so I laboured away for many months beforehand, but the 'big guns' in the world of Scottish history did not, and so it was with some embarrassment but soon after with a sense of elation that I became the sought-after 'expert' on the subject, being called upon to deliver a lecture to the Forfar and District Historical Society, to lead an outing of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, and to give three interviews for radio and make two television presentations.
The most lasting of my contributions to that event was a booklet, Nechtansmere 1300: A Commemoration, for the Forfar Society (Nechtansmere being the English name for the battle, which for some illogical reason was widely used until recently). Just as this went out of print in 1991, shocking news broke. A firm of local quarry-masters had applied to blast away Dunnichen Hill, without which our ability to appreciate the visual explanation of the Picts' battle strategy would be destroyed. Showing commendable enterprise the Pink-foot Press (located within sight of the Hill) promptly produced a rewritten, redesigned version of my booklet, retitled The Battle of Dunnichen, which made its contribution to the Save Dunnichen Hill campaign. To date, the hill remains unmolested.
Most new work on the Picts continued to appear in learned journals, some of them rather obscure. Occasionally papers were gathered together in volumes, such as Pictish Studies: Settlements, Burial, and Art in Dark Age Northern Britain edited by J. Friell and W. Watson: British Archaeological reports, British Series 125, 1984; and The Picts: a new look at old problems edited by Alan Small, Dundee, 1987. While some of these papers were useful, their overall contribution was patchy. What the subject badly needed was a new approach, and happily this appeared in several refreshing guises.
In 1988 the Pictish Arts Society was founded with a very broadly-based membership, eager both to build upon the past and to adopt novel approaches to Pictish studies. Sacred Stones, Sacred Places was written by one of its founder members, Marianna Lines. The Society's thrice-yearly Journal has quickly gained a sound reputation. Another landmark was reached in 1989 with the publication of Picts by Anna Ritchie, one of an HMSO series dealing with various aspects of Scotland's history and culture. The work of an experienced archaeologist and respected antiquarian, this really is a little gem, not only interestingly written, beautifully produced, and superbly illustrated, but also very reasonably priced. I was invited to write a detailed appraisal of it, which appeared as the Pictish Arts Society Occasional Paper No. 1.
Two other events occurred in 1989. A booklet entitled The Pictish Trail by Anthony Jackson was published by the Orkney Press. It opens with his view of the purpose of the Pictish symbols (a simplified version of his 1984 book The Symbol Stones of Scotland from the same publisher), and goes on to give brief details of eleven trails which lead to Pictish stones between Edinburgh and Golspie. In that year, too, Groam House Museum at Rosemarkie, which had developed into a Pictish centre, initiated a series of annual lectures, published them in the year following. The first, The Art and Function of Rosemarkie's Pictish Monuments by Isabel Henderson, set a high standard. Pictish studies is indeed in a healthy situation, with new publications coming thick and fast. This article is not intended to provide a complete survey of the literature (which it does not), but more to indicate the range of material available. The latest is a handsome, if pricey, production by Alan Sutton Publishing intriguingly entitled The Pcits and the Scots by Lloyd and Jenny Laing. Having examined it under the steadfast glare of an electric light, the subject seems much more complicated than it was back in Glencoe forty years ago. For me, Pictish studies has come full cycle.
© Graeme Cruickshank
From the Scottish Book Collector archives.
For more information contact the Pictish Arts Society: www.pictart.org
Graeme Cruickshank is photographed holding a copy of his booklet, The Battle of Dunnichen, published by The Pinkfoot Press in 1991. He is pictured at Dunnichen, three miles south-east of Forfar, beside a fibreglass replica of the Dunnichen Stone. (The actual stone was removed to Dundee museum in 1971, to the great dissatisfaction of the local community; the replica was erected in 1977.) Photo: Kim Cessford Studio, Forfar.
The line drawings are taken from The Early Christian Monuments of Scotland by J. Romilly Allen and Joseph Anderson. The first picture is of Clynemilton no. 2 stone (Dunrobin Castle Museum), the second of Ulbster Stone (Thurso Museum), and the third of a panel from the Shandwick Stone field monument (Easter Ross).


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Reusable Glass Takeaway Cup
Take your matcha on the go with our new subtly branded takeaway cups. BPA free silicone lid with anti-scalding protective sleeve and thickened borosilicate glass.
Approx 5.8cm x 11cm
236mls or 8oz
What does Matcha taste like?
It is rich, balanced yet sharp. Our matcha is unique to our organic farm, it smells sweet with earthy undertones, a fruity aroma and tang. Poor quality Matcha will taste bitter and be close to yellow tones as opposed to green tones.
What can I use Matcha for?
Almost anything you like - get creative! Most popular recipes include tea, lattes, chocolate, smoothies, pasta and list goes on.
Can I have too much Matcha?
While 1/2 tspn - 1 tspn is all you need to get the benefits of Matcha, there is only so much your body can absorb. One to two servings of Matcha per day is reasonable. But remember, keep everything in moderation.
What's the best way to store Thea Matcha?
Keep in a cool, dry spot, sealed in an airtight container that you can recycle or reuse. Our tins are available in 30g, 50g (limited time) and 100g. To increase the shelf life, storing in fridge is the best option. Keep away from storing in glass as it will expose matcha to sunlight.
Do you offer Buy Now Pay Later on subscriptions?
Unfortunately we are not able to activate Laybuy/Afterpay on subscription products due to the incompatibility between the software. BNPL is available on non subscription products only.
Can I use my loyalty points on my subscription order?
Yes you can, but codes do not automatically sync up with our subscription app so please chat with us or email firstname.lastname@example.com and we will get that applied ASAP!
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It may take up to 24 - 48 working hours to process your order. Delivery times will be up to 2 working days. Rural, please allow an extra 2 working days. Your order will be delivered with NZ Post (non signature) or Aramex. We do try to get this out to you as soon as possible! For International orders, it may take up to 24 - 48 hours to process your order and it will take 2-6 working days for express delivery with DHL Express OR up to 21 working days for standard delivery through NZ International post.If a product is out of stock, we will notify you. If you have pre-ordered product, we will let you know asap on any updates!
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We do not ship to PO boxes - sorry!


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Kahina Giving Beauty 100% Organic Argan Oil 100ml
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Available to buy online
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Don't forget to check other essentials! Kahina Giving Beauty 100% Organic Argan Oil 30ml
Apply 1-3 drops of Kahina Argan Oil to face morning and evening after your cleansing routine. Alternatively use Argan Oil as a body oil or as a hair treatment to restore shine and relieve frizz. Kahina Argan Oil is perfect to use on hands to treat everyday dryness.
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Often, deciding to sell a home is one of the biggest decisions a person will make. There are many different options to consider and each has its pros and cons. A successful, experienced investor can and will make the process of selling your home less stressful, quicker, and more straightforward.
Selling a house the traditional way with a real estate agent is often not the best for everyone. There can be lots of pitfalls when selling a house with an agent, including having to clean up and repair the property so it shows well, finding an agent who you trust and who can deliver on their promise (selling your house quickly), signing a contract that binds you to an agent for a certain term, the piles of paperwork you have to sign, shuffling paperwork back and forth from buyer to agent to you … and back.
With today's real estate market conditions, a house can linger on the market for 90 days or longer! With an experienced investor, you can receive an offer within 48 hours and close in 30 days or less (often within 7 days), depending on how quickly the title can be transferred. They are able to settle quickly because investors pay cash and avoid the hassles of involving a bank or mortgage company.
Here are the top four reasons for selling your home to an experience investor who can provide a fair offer and quick cash:
Investors Buy As-Is:
To get a home ready for market, the repairs can be an expensive and a very stressful process. With a typical sale through a real estate broker, the realtor will make many recommendations for repairs that are needed in order to ask a higher price for your home and make it attractive to retail buyers. If you have the cash, patience, time, and reliable contractors to complete the job for you, this may be an option. However, if you need to get quick cash for your Richmond house, then working with an investor is the best option for you. The experienced investor will not ask you to make repairs and will buy the home in "As-Is" condition, which means no headaches for the person selling.
Investors Do Not Charge Fees:
When selling your home to an investor, you are not charge the fees typically associated with selling your home. There are no realtor fees (typically around 6% of the sales price). In many situations, an investor may cover all the closing costs associated with selling your home. Also, an investor most likely will not care about code violations and will pay exiting past due fees – past due water bills, past due taxes, and even past due mortgage amounts to make it possible to close on you home quickly.
Investors are Problem Solvers:
Experience, successful investors are problem solvers. The have encountered many, many situations in which homeowners can find themselves. They are creative and have open minds and can structure the sale in many different ways to meet the sellers' needs. Investors work with home owners in many stressful situations such as divorce, bankruptcy, inherited property, foreclosure, pre-foreclosure, or vacancy.
Investors Make the Sale Stress Free:
Selling your home to an investor can be a stress free process. Experience, successful investors are open and honest and survive on their reputation for being fair. They take time to explain the process and will walk you through the sale step-by-step. They have built relationships with bankers, mortgage companies, contractors, inspectors, title companies, and attorneys. They have faced the challenges of buying distressed properties and have experience dealing with the multitude of obstacles which may be present.
In summary, if you need to sell your house fast in Richmond or the surrounding RVA areas, you should consider the option of selling to an experienced investor.
RVA Home Buyers buy houses fast in Richmond, VA and the surrounding RVA areas in any condition! They pay cash and homeowners will not pay any commissions, real estate agents fees, or any other charges. They will even guarantee their offer and homeowners can have a check in as little as 7 days.
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See the RVA Home Buyers Video


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The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which is part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), administers various single family mortgage insurance programs. These programs operate through FHA-approved lending institutions which submit applications to have the property appraised and have the buyer's credit approved. These lenders fund the mortgage loans which the Department insures. HUD does not make direct loans to help people buy homes.The Section 203(k) program is the Department's primary program for the rehabilitation and repair of single family properties. As such, it is an important tool for community and neighborhood revitalization and for expanding homeownership opportunities. Since these are the primary goals of HUD, the Department believes that Section 203(k) is an important program and intend to continue to strongly support the program and the lenders that participate in it.
Many lenders have successfully used the Section 203(k) program in partnership with state and local housing agencies and nonprofit organizations to rehabilitate properties. These lenders, along with state and local government agencies, have found ways to combine Section 203(k) with other financial resources, such as HUD's HOME, HOPE, and Community Development Block Grant Programs, to assist borrowers. Several state housing finance agencies have designed programs, specifically for use with Section 203(k) and some lenders have also used the expertise of local housing agencies and nonprofit organizations to help manage the rehabilitation processing.The Department also believes that the Section 203(k) program is an excellent means for lenders to demonstrate their commitment to lending in lower income communities and to help meet their responsibilities under the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). HUD is committed to increasing homeownership opportunities for families in these communities and Section 203(k) is an excellent product for use with CRA-type lending programs. If you have questions about the 203(k) program or are interested in getting a 203(k) insured mortgage loan, we suggest that you get in touch with an FHA-approved lender in your area or the Homeownership Center in your area.
Most mortgage financing plans provide only permanent financing. That is, the lender will not usually close the loan and release the mortgage proceeds unless the condition and value of the property provide adequate loan security. When rehabilitation is involved, this means that a lender typically requires the improvements to be finished before a long-term mortgage is made. When a homebuyer wants to purchase a house in need of repair or modernization, the homebuyer usually has to obtain financing first to purchase the dwelling, additional financing to do the rehabilitation construction, and a permanent mortgage when the work is completed to pay off the interim loans with a permanent mortgage. Often the interim financing (the acquisition and construction loans) involves relatively high interest rates and short amortization periods. The Section 203(k) program was designed to address this situation. The borrower can get just one mortgage loan, at a long-term fixed (or adjustable) rate, to finance both the acquisition and the rehabilitation of the property. To provide funds for the rehabilitation, the mortgage amount is based on the projected value of the property with the work completed, taking into account the cost of the work. To minimize the risk to the mortgage lender, the mortgage loan (the maximum allowable amount) is eligible for endorsement by HUD as soon as the mortgage proceeds are disbursed and a rehabilitation escrow account is established. At this point the lender has a fully-insured mortgage loan.
Eligible Property
To be eligible, the property must be a one- to four-family dwelling that has been completed for at least one year. The number of units on the site must be acceptable according to the provisions of local zoning requirements. All newly constructed units must be attached to the existing dwelling. Cooperative units are not eligible. Homes that have been demolished, or will be razed as part of the rehabilitation work, are eligible provided some of the existing foundation system remains in place. In addition to typical home rehabilitation projects, this program can be used to convert a one-family dwelling to a two-, three-, or four-family dwelling. An existing multi-unit dwelling could be decreased to a one- to four-family unit. An existing house (or modular unit) on another site can be moved onto the mortgaged property. However, release of loan proceeds for the existing structure on the non-mortgaged property is not allowed until the new foundation has been properly inspected and the dwelling has been properly placed and secured to the new foundation. A 203(k) mortgage may be originated on a "mixed use" residential property provided the property has no greater than 25 percent (for a one story building); 33 percent (for a three story building); and 49 percent (for a two story building) of its floor area used for commercial (storefront) purposes. The commercial use will not affect the health and safety of the occupants of the residential property and the rehabilitation funds will only be used for the residential functions of the dwelling and areas used to access the residential part of the property.
Condominium Unit
The Department also permits Section 203(k) mortgages to be used for individual units in condominium projects that have been approved by FHA, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or are acceptable to FNMA under the guidelines listed below. The 203(k) program was not intended to be a project mortgage insurance program, as large scale development has considerably more risk than individual single-family mortgage insurance. Therefore, condominium rehabilitation is subject to the following conditions:
By law, Section 203(k) can only be used to rehabilitate units in one-to-four unit structures. However, this does not mean that the condominium project, as a whole, can only have four units or that all individual structures must be detached. Example: A project might consist of six buildings each containing four units, for a total of 24 units in the project and, thus, be eligible for Section 203(k). Likewise, a project could contain a row of more than four attached townhouses and be eligible for Section 203(k) because HUD considers each townhouse as one structure, provided each unit is separated by a 1 1/2 hour firewall (from foundation up to the roof). Similar to a project with a condominium unit with a mortgage insured under Section 234(c) of the National Housing Act, the condominium project must be approved by HUD prior to the closing of any individual mortgages on the condominium units.
How the Program Can Be Used
This program can be used to accomplish rehabilitation and/or improvement of an existing one-to-four unit dwelling in one of three ways:
To purchase a dwelling and the land on which the dwelling is located and rehabilitate it, and to refinance existing indebtedness and rehabilitate such a dwelling, the mortgage must be a first lien on the property and the loan proceeds (other than rehabilitation funds) must be available before the rehabilitation begins. To purchase a dwelling on another site, move it onto a new foundation and rehabilitate it, the mortgage must be a first lien on the property; however, loan proceeds for the moving of the house cannot be made available until the unit is attached to the new foundation.
Eligible Improvements
Mortgage proceeds must be used in part for rehabilitation and/or improvements to a property. There is a minimum $5000 requirement for the eligible improvements on the existing structure(s) on the property. Rehabilitation or improvements to a detached garage, a new detached garage, or the addition of an attached unit(s) (if allowed by the local zoning ordinances) can also be included in this first $5000. Properties with separate detached units are acceptable, however, a newly constructed unit must be attached to an existing unit to be eligible under 203(k). Any repair is acceptable in the first $5000 requirement that may affect the health and safety of the occupants. Minor-or cosmetic repairs by themselves cannot be included in the first $5000, but may be added after the $5000 threshold is reached. Examples of eligible improvements are listed below. (This list is not all inclusive.)
When basic improvements are involved, the following costs can be included in addition to the minimum $5000 requirement:
Luxury items and improvements that do not become a permanent part of the real property are not eligible as a cost of rehabilitation. The items listed below (not limited to this list) are not acceptable under the 203(k) program, including the repair of any of the following: Barbecue pit; bathhouse; dumbwaiter; exterior hot tub; sauna, spa and whirlpool bath; outdoor fireplace or hearth; photo mural; installation of a new swimming pool; gazebo; television antenna; satellite dish; tennis court; tree surgery. Additions or alterations to provide for commercial use are not eligible.
Please visit the HUD website for more information on this program.
Royse R (Skip) Clayton
3729 Cromwell Ct
Plano, TX 75075
I perform home inspections in the following areas:
Allen, Anna, Carrollton, Celina, Coppell, Corinth, Cross Roads, Dallas, Denton Farmers Branch, Farmersville, Frisco, Garland, Highland Park, Irving, Lewisville, Lincoln Park, Little Elm, McKinney, Melissa, Oak Point, Plano, Princeton, Prosper, Richardson, Rockwall, Rowlett, Shady Shores, The Colony, Van Alstyen, Weston, University Park, Wylie, Collin County, Dallas County, Denton County, Tarrant County,Rockwell County


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This makes me so angry.
A 35-year-old Iranian web programmer is facing imminent execution in connection with developing and promoting porn websites, charges that his family insist are trumped up.
Saeed Malekpour, a permanent resident of Canada who was arrested in October 2008 after his arrival in Tehran, is convicted of designing and moderating adult content websites, acting against the national security, insulting and desecrating the principles of Islam, and agitating the public mind.
Speaking from Toronto, Malekpour's wife, Fatemeh Eftekhari, said her husband has been informed of the verdict and has been transferred to solitary confinement for the sentence to be administered if the supreme court sanctions it. She says her husband was a web programmer who had written photo uploading software that was used in a porn website without his knowledge.
Human rights groups have expressed alarm over a sharp increase in the use of capital punishment in Iran. According to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran (ICHRI), 121 people have been hanged between 20 December 2010 and 31 January this year. An ICHRI report published in mid-January said that Iran has hanged an average of one person every eight hours since the beginning of the new year.
Last week prosecutor general Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi told reporters in Tehran that two people had been sentenced to death for running porn websites, without naming the convicts.
"Two administrators of porn sites have been sentenced to death in two different court branches and the verdicts have been sent to the supreme court for confirmation," Dolatabadi was quoted by IRNA state news agency as saying.
Malekpour, who has been kept in Tehran's notorious Evin prison for the past two years, was arrested by plainclothes officers and was initially kept in solitary confinement for almost a year without access to legal representation.
"For a long period we even didn't know that he was arrested," Eftekhari said. According to Eftekhari, Malekpour's arrest was in the face of a new crackdown by Iranian government on "indecent" websites in 2008 to fight what they had described as "the campaign launched by western governments to corrupt Iranian youth".
A year after his arrest Malekpour was put on state television to confess. He later retracted the confessions in a letter sent from inside prison in which he said they were taken under duress.
"A large portion of my confession was extracted under pressure, physical and psychological torture, threats to myself and my family, and false promises of immediate release upon giving a false confession to whatever the interrogators dictated," he writes in the letter.
"Once in October 2008 the interrogators stripped me while I was blindfolded and threatened to rape me with a bottle of water." He went on to say: "While I remained blindfolded and handcuffed, several individuals armed with cables, batons, and their fists struck and punched me. At times, they would flog my head and neck. Such mistreatment was aimed at forcing me to write what the interrogators were dictating, and to compel me to play a role in front of the camera based on their scenarios."
Eftekhari said: "Even if my husband's charges were true, which they are not, it's hard to imagine why he should be sentenced to death. I think Iran is trying to intimidate the opposition or any sign of protest by sentencing an unprecedented numbers of prisoners to death."
Malekpour's sentence has prompted reactions from human rights activists and organisations who have launched a campaign to save his life. Lawrence Cannon, the Canadian foreign affairs minister, has also expressed concerns over his sentence.
Gloria Nafziger of Amnesty International in Canada, an organisation which has sought for Malekpour's sentence to be commuted said: "Amnesty International is very concerned that Saeed Malekpour is facing a death sentence in Iran after an unfair trial and reports that he was tortured in order to confess to his crimes."
Last month Iran executed Zahra Bahrami, a Dutch-Iranian woman convicted of drug smuggling, which resulted in a freeze of the Dutch diplomatic contacts with Iran.


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Douglas MacArthur, 33°. United States Army General. WWII. Freemason. by Travis Simpkins |
Portrait Sketch of
Douglas MacArthur
( 1880 - 1964 )
Five-Star General in the United States Army
Field Marshall of the Philippine Army
Commander of U.S. Forces in the Far East
Pacific Theater during World War II
Recipient of the Medal of Honor
Made a "Mason at Sight" in the Philippines
on January 14, 1936
Received the 4° to 32° at Gaumata Consistory
on March 28, 1936
Received the 33rd Degree
at the American Embassy in Japan
on December 8, 1947
by Travis Simpkins
Douglas MacArthur
For more info, please visit:
General Douglas MacArthur, 33°. United States Army. WWII. Freemason. by Travis Simpkins |


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'Community' Creator Dan Harmon Suggests Movie Is In The Works
Dan Harmon's Community has been through the ringer, from cancellations to network shifts to showrunner changes. But throughout it all, it has persisted in its own wacky, format-breaking way. Originally airing on NBC in 2009, the comedy about the ragtag group of community college students ran for five seasons before being scooped up by Yahoo for a final season. Since then, it's developed a cult following. On April 1, the show found a new home on Netflix, leading to a resurgence of its popularity. So could this mean a long-rumored Community movie might actually happen? In an interview with TheWrap, Harmon said:
I can tell people for sure that the enthusiasm for Community both for all of this time and the resurgence of it [on Netflix], there's always an aspect of that affects the marketplace. And when the marketplace gets affected, conversations happen. And when conversations happen, things happen. I mean, when you're part of the Community family, you learn never to raise expectations, keep 'em nice and low and then be pleasantly surprised. So I can say that there are conversations happening that people would want to be happening and that I'm very, very excited about the coming months.
In November of 2019, the cast of Community sounded their support for a movie adaptation of the beloved show, but it was Harmon who had minor reservations. But it seems like he's warming up to the idea. Community was instrumental in advancing the careers of Donald Glover, Gillian Jacobs, and Joel McHale, so a movie starring these actors would certainly draw a lot of buzz.
Until we get the official news of a Community feature film, we can look forward to a Community table read reunion on Sony Pictures TV's YouTube channel on Monday, May 18 at 2PM PT.
Gallery — The Most Shocking TV Twists Fans Predicted (With Spoilers):


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Updated at 9:07 a.m. ET
New York Attorney General Letitia James suedAmazon on Tuesday, claiming the massive e-commerce company's "flagrant disregard for health and safety requirements" during the coronavirus pandemic put the lives of workers and the general public at risk.
She accused the company of shoddy contact tracing and poor cleaning — both designed to prevent the spread of the virus — at two New York facilities: a Staten Island fulfillment center and a Queens distribution center. A worker at the State Island plant warehouse died of COVID-19.
The Staten Island facility employs about 5,000 workers, and the Queens distribution center employs several hundred workers — most of whom were deemed essential during the pandemic, the filing says.
New York's lawsuit follows one filed by Amazon — in a Brooklyn federal court — trying to prevent James from filing her own. The company argues that federal labor and safety laws take precedence over New York's laws, meaning James would not have the legal authority to sue Amazon for workplace safety violations.
In response to James' suit, Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a statement, "We care deeply about the health and safety of our employees, as demonstrated in our filing last week, and we don't believe the Attorney General's filing presents an accurate picture of Amazon's industry-leading response to the pandemic."
James began investigating Amazon in March 2020 after receiving several complaints from current and former Amazon employees.
The company "failed to follow health and safety requirements" at its massive distribution hubs in violation of New York's labor laws, James said. Under state guidelines, employers are required to provide "reasonable and adequate protection" to their employees.
Amazon received written notification of at least 250 employees at the Staten Island facility who had positive COVID-19 tests or diagnoses, of which more than 90 workers had worked in the facility within seven days of notifying Amazon.
The complaint says, "In more than 80 of these instances, Amazon failed to close any portion" of the Staten Island facility even after receiving documentation from workers of their positive coronavirus tests.
The attorney general said in her court filing, "Amazon has cut corners in complying with the particular requirements that would most jeopardize its sales volume and productivity rates, thereby ensuring outsize profits at an unprecedented rate of growth for the company and its shareholders."
The complaint notes Amazon's financial success during the pandemic — with profits of $130 billion.
James also accused Amazon of illegally retaliating against employees who publicly complained about inadequate safety measures. Last March, Amazon fired worker activist Christian Smalls after he led a protest over conditions at the Staten Island warehouse. The company said Smalls had violated a mandatory quarantine order.
Amazon also issued a final written warning to employee Derrick Palmer, another worker who demanded stronger safety protections. Palmer and two other workers sued Amazon, claiming it failed to follow guidelines set by public health agencies. The lawsuit was thrown out.
This lawsuit comes as nearly 6,000 Amazon employees at a Bessemer, Ala., warehouse are voting on whether to unionize — an effort spawned in part over workplace safety concerns during the pandemic. If the workers are successful, it would be the first unionized Amazon warehouse in the U.S.
Editor's note: Amazon is among NPR's recent financial supporters.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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With this package by MindMeld Learning, you are able to train up to 100 employees on one single payment with no additional per-user fees. This package provides access to both the employee (1 Hour) and manager/supervisor (1 Hour) versions of the training. This package lasts for 1 year from the date of purchase. If your company grows beyond what you have forecast, don't worry! We will simply upgrade your package anytime during the 1-year term
With rising costs for live training that slow down a companies production, this online video course was developed to lower costs, lessen down time, and preserve company culture. With the #metoo movement, legal scandals, and new employment laws, this course will help to educate your employees on recognizing and mitigating sexual harassment in the workplace. Check this too.
Price: $799.00


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By this time, you might have mastered how this game of online free roulette is being played. People with sheer interest in this endeavour are usually on the search of tips and techniques to make them win the game—a challenge.
Others are simply wondering whether mastering the techniques of winning the game roulette; others are wondering whether they would break the bank in doing so. (i.e they don't have a roulette system)
But the pros would easily tell you that winning at roulette is so much easier than winning other casino games, most especially if you are aware of the risks and the certainties. You can always start by playing free roulette before betting for money.
The ideal for any player and beginner to learn the rules and ways of the game is to practice their skills by introducing themselves into the game itself—winning at roulette will not be anywhere possible if you do not take some risks. You can take your experience further by learning your chances on this game.
It is never a bad idea to get to know some experts and pros in this field and ask them for pointers and tips—as they may have done the same during their early days in the endeavour. Well, you might be taken aback to know that some actually sell their ideas. Nonetheless, if you are to win big in roulette, then you just have to observe the pros, learn the basics, and follow the rules. If you are up to learn the guidelines and tactics in winning roulette, you'd be glad to know you can find some here.
Roulette System – Free Roulette Tips to Win at Roulette Games
The European roulette wheel is the ideal option for starter players who want to test their luck in playing free roulette because this version allows players to gain higher chances to win at roulette—2.7% versus 5.26% house advantage on the American roulette wheel.
Should the ball land on 0 or 00, a player would have an option to withdraw half of their wager on the even wagers (red/black, high/low, and odd/even) with this rule known as Surrender rule.
Free Roulette Strategies that Help Gamers Win at Roulette:
Learning different roulette methods can be valuable because they guide you in being able to win at roulette. They are the following:
- Usually, players who make single number bets—those that pay out 35 to 1—lose in roulette. Hence, any player must begin with even number wagers. At the same time, they can go and gamble on 4 or 6 figures and 2 to 1 wagers. This ensures that when you win in the big wagers (like 4, 6 or 3 numbers) you will not only pay off all your losses but you also gain a bit of cash.
- The most important tip is to bear in mind that playing with small chips means dodging large risks but could also mean small wins because the chances are winning depends on how much you are willing to risk—it's the general rule in everything.
- There are two kinds of roulette wheel—American and European wheel. By preferring European wheel to American, you gain greater chances at winning.
- The last important tip is to keep a track of your wins and losses when playing roulette for money, or even free roulette.


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Not sure what career might be best for you? Just answer a few questions about yourself and Career Profile will suggest career options that match your interests. The questions should take around 20 minutes to complete.
If you are a Veteran, click here
Here's how it works: You'll be asked to answer 60 questions about what you like to do and how you like to work.
To answer a question, you simply select the answer you want. Don't worry - this isn't a test, and there are no wrong answers!
Select the answer that best describes how you feel about each activity or job. Click NEXT to proceed. If NEXT does not appear then you have missed a question. Note: Your answers are not stored or saved until you click NEXT on the bottom of each page or SAVE on the scores page. Remember, this is not a test! There are no wrong answers, and your answers shouldn't depend on your education or the salary you want. Just be honest and think about what you really like to do.
If you don't know the exact amount, enter your best guess. You will be able to edit your amounts at the end.
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Explore Los Angeles like a local: Top 10 tips by an LA resident
Carola Förnäs has lived in California for six years and is currently based in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles. "I love LA," says Carola, who previously lived in San Francisco. "People here are super friendly and always willing to help, whether you're lost or just want to have a chat with someone."
"LA has already gone back to normal after the pandemic. The traffic can be pretty horrible if you're driving at the wrong time. It's a good idea to avoid rush hours and leave enough time for getting from one place to another."
We asked Carola what her favourite places and experiences are in LA right now and what travellers should see there right now. Read Carola's tips below.
1. A spinning class at Santa Monica beach on Saturday or Sunday morning at sunrise
How about a good, sweaty workout at the beach at sunrise? In Santa Monica, your view will be as epic as your workout. It rarely rains in LA, so the chances are you'll be lucky with weather.
2. Immersive Van Gogh Experience
The multisensory Van Gogh Experience arrived in LA in early 2021 and it's been a massive hit with LA'ers and visitors alike. The display transforms the iconic paintings of Vincent van Gogh into moving, wall-filling projections. The exhibit uses music, colour, movement, and light to envelop visitors in the artist's work.
3. A concert at Hollywood Bowl or LA Philharmonics
Since its opening in 1922, the Hollywood Bowl has been the premier destination for live music in Southern California, hosting everyone from Billie Holiday to the Beatles. Classical music fans should check out the tickets for LA Philharmonics.
4. All the amazing hiking trails
Californians love to hike, and the hills around Los Angeles provide fantastic opportunities for this. "Some of my favourite hiking trails are located in Malibu and Hollywood Hills," Carola says.
5. Laugh Factory
If you're into stand up comedy, you need to add Laugh Factory on your LA bucket list. The first Laugh Factory was opened in 1979 at 8001 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. The club put comedy stars including Eddie Murphy, Jay Leno, Dave Chappelle, Kathy Griffin and Jerry Seinfeld on stage early in their careers.
6. Goat yoga
Californians love their yoga - in all forms. The latest LA yoga craze is doing sun salutations with goats (yes, you read that right). "I haven't yet tried goat yoga myself, but many people swear by it," Carola laughs.
7. LA rooftops and all the other restaurants
One of Carola's favourite areas for eating out is Silverlake, which has a lot of pop up restaurants and al fresco dining options. "Hyperion Public has live music at the weekends. I also like going out in West Hollywood, which has a lot of fine dining establishments, like Nobu, and fantastic brunches. My favourite brunch spot is The Eveleigh."
8. Outdoor movies
"If you'd like to get an all-American outdoor movie experience, you should head off to Glendale or Manhattan Beach," Carola says. While you're watching a movie, you can grab a bite to eat from a food truck.
9. Shopping
Many people like to shop when they visit California. "I like to go shopping on Santa Monica Promenade or Beverly Grove. And obviously, you can't miss Rodeo Drive!" Carola points out.
10. Surfing classes
What is California without surfing? Whatever your current skill level is, you can get surfing lessons in several surf schools around the LA beaches. Sea water in California is cold, so you're going to need to wear a wet suit.