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Buying or selling a home (or other piece of real property) usually involves the transfer of large sums of money. It is imperative that the transfer of these funds and related documents from one party to another be handled in a neutral, secure and knowledgeable manner. For the protection of buyer, seller and lender, the escrow process was developed.
As a buyer or seller, you want to be certain all conditions of sale have been met before property and money change hands. The technical definition of an escrow is a transaction where one party engaged in the sale, transfer or lease of real or personal property with another person delivers a written instrument, money or other items of value to a neutral third person, called an escrow agent or escrow holder. This third person holds the money or items for disbursement upon the happening of a specified event or the performance of a specified condition.
Simply stated, the escrow holder impartially carries out the written instructions given by the principals. This includes receiving funds and documents necessary to comply with those instructions, completing or obtaining required forms and handling final delivery of all items to the proper parties upon the successful completion of the escrow.
The escrow must be provided with the necessary information to close the transaction. This may include loan documents, tax statements, fire and other insurance policies, title insurance policies, terms of sale and any seller-assisted financing, and requests for payment for various services to be paid out of escrow funds.
If the transaction is dependent on arranging new financing, it is the buyer's or the buyer's agent's responsibility to make the necessary arrangements. Documentation of the new loan agreement must be in the hands of the escrow holder before the transfer of property can take place. A real estate agent can help identify appropriate lending institutions.
When all the instructions in the escrow have been carried out, the closing can take place. At this time, all outstanding funds are collected and fees--such as title insurance premiums, real estate commissions, termite inspection charges--are paid. Title to the property is then transferred under the terms of the escrow instructions and appropriate title insurance is issued.
Payment of funds at the close of escrow should be in the form acceptable to the escrow, since out-of-town and personal checks can cause days of delay in processing the transaction.
The following items represent a typical list of what an escrow holder does and does not do:
- serves as the neutral "stakeholder" and the communications link to all parties in the transaction;
- prepares escrow instructions;
- requests a preliminary title search to determine the present condition of title to the property;
- requests a beneficiary's statement if debt or obligation is to be taken over by the buyer;
- complies with lender's requirements, specified in the escrow agreement;
- receives purchase funds from the buyer;
- prepares or secures the deed or other documents related to escrow;
- prorates taxes, interest, insurance and rents according to instructions;
- secures releases of all contingencies or other conditions as imposed on any particular escrow;
- records deeds and any other documents as instructed;
- requests issuance of the title insurance policy;
- closes escrow when all the instructions of buyer and seller have been carried out;
- disburses funds as authorized by instructions, including charges for title insurance, recording fees, real estate commissions and loan payoffs;
- prepares final statements for the parties accounting for the disposition of all funds deposited in escrow (these are useful in the preparation of tax returns).
- offer legal advice;
- negotiate the transaction;
- offer investment advice.
Your local title company should be happy to provide additional information.
Article by CLTA
Closing and Title Costs
It's the big day.
The day you go to the title or escrow company, sign your name on the dotted line, hand over a check and prepare to take ownership of your new home.
It's also the day that you and the seller will pay "closing" or settlement costs, an accumulation of separate charges paid to different entities for the professional services associated with the buying and selling of real property.
It's too often a day filled with uncertainty and stress.
To help you better understand this confusing subject, the Land Title Association has answered some of the questions most commonly asked about title, closing and closing costs.
What services will I be paying for when I pay closing costs?
You will usually be paying for such things as real estate commissions, appraisal fees, loan fees, escrow charges, advance payments such as property taxes and homeowner's insurance, title insurance premiums, pest inspections and the like.
How much should I expect to pay in closing costs?
The amount you pay for closing costs will vary; however, when buying your home and obtaining a new loan, an estimate of your closing costs will be provided to you pursuant to the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act after you submit your loan application. This disclosure provides you with a good faith estimate of what your closing costs will be in the real estate process. An itemized list of charges will be prepared when you close your transaction and take title to your new property.
Can I pay for my closing costs in installments?
No, and it is easy to understand why. Many different parties will have fulfilled their responsibilities and be awaiting payment upon closing. The title or escrow company will disburse money to those parties, pursuant to the escrow instructions, when funds are available.
Will I be allowed to write a personal check to cover my closing cost?
Your closing funds should be in the form of a cashier's check, issued by an institution from the state of your purchase, made payable to the title company or escrow office in the amount requested. A personal check may delay the closing or may be unacceptable to the title or escrow company. An out-of-state check could also cause a delay in your closing due to possible delays in clearing the check.
How much can I expect to pay for Title Insurance?
This point is often misunderstood. Although the title company or escrow office usually serves as a meeting ground for closing the sale, only a small percentage of total closing fees are actually for title insurance protection.
Your title insurance premium may actually amount to less than one percent of the purchase price of your home, and less than ten percent of your total closing costs. The title policy is good for as long as you and your heirs own the property with the payment of only one premium.
Why are separate owner's and lender's title insurance policies issued?
Both you and your lender will want the security offered by title insurance.
Your home is an important purchase, and you will want to be certain your home is yours, all yours. Title insurance companies insure your rights and interests in order to protect you against claims.
Your lender is looking to insure the enforceability of their lien on your property and marketability. What is meant by "marketability"? Local lenders will "originate" a loan here, and, often, sell it to an out-of-state investor. This investor, who may never see the property, needs to know that he has a valid and enforceable lien. Title insurance is the way of making certain. Without a current title policy, the loan is essentially unmarketable.
What does my Title dollar pay for?
Title insurers, unlike property or casualty insurance companies, operate under the theory of "risk elimination."
Risk elimination can only be accomplished after an intensive period of risk identification.
Title companies spend a high percentage of their operating revenue each year collecting, storing, maintaining and analyzing official records for information that affects title to real property. The issuance of a title insurance policy is highly labor-intensive. It is based upon the maintenance of a title "plant" or library of title records, in many cases dating back over a hundred years. Each day, recorded documents affecting real property are posted to these plants so that when a title search on a particular parcel is requested, the information is already organized for rapid and accurate retrieval.
Trained title experts are able, with the aid of their extensive title plants, to identify the rights others may have in your property, such as recorded liens, legal actions, disputed interests, rights of way or other encumbrances on your title. Before closing your transaction, you can seek to "clear" those encumbrances which you do not wish to assume.
The goal of title companies is to conduct such a thorough search and evaluation of public records that no claims will ever arise. Of course, this is impossible--we live in an imperfect world, where human error and changing legal interpretations make 100 percent risk elimination impossible. When claims do arise, title insurance companies have professional claims personnel to make sure that your property rights are protected pursuant to the terms of your policy.
To conclude, when you pay for your title insurance policy, you are paying for a team of professionals who have worked together to deliver you a title insurance policy which represents protection for your ownership of real property.
Who can I look for straight answers on Title, Closing, and closing costs?
Title or escrow company personnel are available to review and explain your title policy and your closing statement.
Article by CLTA
Understanding Title Insurance
What is title insurance? Newspapers refer to it in the weekly real estate sections and you hear about it in conversations with real estate brokers. If you've purchased a home you may be familiar with the benefits of title insurance. However, if this is your first home, you may wonder, "Why do I need yet another insurance policy?" While a number of issues can be raised by that question, we will start with a general answer.
The purchase of a home is one of the most expensive and important purchases you will ever make. You and your mortgage lender will want to make sure the property is indeed yours and that no one else has any lien, claim or encumbrance on your property.
The Land Title Association, in the following pages, answers some questions frequently asked about an often misunderstood line of insurance -- title insurance.
What is the difference between title insurance and casualty insurance?
Title insurers work to identify and eliminate risk before issuing a title insurance policy. Casualty insurers assume risks.
Casualty insurance companies realize that a certain number of losses will occur each year in a given category (auto, fire, etc.). The insurers collect premiums monthly or annually from the policy holders to establish reserve funds in order to pay for expected losses.
Title companies work in a very different manner. Title insurance will indemnify you against loss under the terms of your policy, but title companies work in advance of issuing your policy to identify and eliminate potential risks and therefore prevent losses caused by title defects that may have been created in the past.
Title insurance also differs from casualty insurance in that the greatest part of the title insurance premium dollar goes towards risk elimination. Title companies maintain "title plants" which contain information regarding property transfers and liens reaching back many years. Maintaining these title plants, along with the searching and examining of title, is where most of your premium dollar goes.
Who needs title insurance?
Buyers and lenders in real estate transactions need title insurance. Both want to know that the property they are involved with is insured against certain title defects. Title companies provide this needed insurance coverage subject to the terms of the policy. The seller, buyer and lender all benefit from the insurance provided by title companies.
What does title insurance insure?
Title insurance offers protection against claims resulting from various defects (as set out in the policy) which may exist in the title to a specific parcel of real property, effective on the issue date of the policy. For example, a person might claim to have a deed or lease giving them ownership or the right to possess your property. Another person could claim to hold an easement giving them a right of access across your land. Yet another person may claim that they have a lien on your property securing the repayment of a debt. That property may be an empty lot or it may hold a 50-story office tower. Title companies work with all types of real property.
What types of policies are available?
Title companies routinely issue two types of policies: An "owner's" policy which insures you, the Homebuyer for as long as you and your heirs own the home; and a "lender's" policy which insures the priority of the lender's security interest over the claims that others may have in the property.
What protection am I obtaining with my title policy?
A title insurance policy contains provisions for the payment of the legal fees in defense of a claim against your property which is covered under your policy. It also contains provisions for indemnification against losses which result from a covered claim. A premium is paid at the close of a transaction. There are no continuing premiums due, as there are with other types of insurance.
What are my chances of ever using my title policy?
In essence, by acquiring your policy, you derive the important knowledge that recorded matters have been searched and examined so that title insurance covering your property can be issued. Because we are risk eliminators, the probability of exercising your right to make a claim is very low. However, claims against your property may not be valid, making the continuous protection of the policy all the more important. When a title company provides a legal defense against claims covered by your title insurance policy, the savings to you for that legal defense alone will greatly exceed the one-time premium.
What if I am buying property from someone I know?
You may not know the owner as well as you think you do. People undergo changes in their personal lives that may affect title to their property. People get divorced, change their wills, engage in transactions that limit the use of the property and have liens and judgments placed against them personally for various reasons.
There may also be matters affecting the property that are not obvious or known, even by the existing owner, which a title search and examination seeks to uncover as part of the process leading up to the issuance of the title insurance policy.
Just as you wouldn't make an investment based on a phone call, you shouldn't buy real property without assurances as to your title. Title insurance provides these assurances.
The process of risk identification and elimination performed by the title companies, prior to the issuance of a title policy, benefits all parties in the property transaction. It minimizes the chances that adverse claims might be raised, and by doing so reduces the number of claims that need to be defended or satisfied. This process keeps costs and expenses down for the title company and maintains the traditional low cost of title insurance.
Article by CLTA
|Why Do You Need Title Insurance?
Title Insurance.
Title Insurance - Where Does Your Dollar Go?
Title Insurance: As a homebuyer, the term is probably familiar -- but is it understood? What is your dollar actually paying for when you purchase a title policy?
Title Insurers, unlike property or casualty insurance companies, operate under the theory of risk elimination. Title companies spend a high percentage of their operating income each year collecting, storing, maintaining and analyzing official records for information that affects title to real property. Their technical experts are trained to identify the rights others may have in your property, such as recorded liens, legal actions, disputed interests, rights of way or other encumbrances on your title. Before closing your transaction, the title company will proceed to "clear" those encumbrances which you do not wish to assume.
This theory is different from that of most other insurance where, for example, rates and anticipated losses are based on actuarial studies and premiums are pooled on the assumption that a certain number of claims will be made. The distinction is important: title insurance premiums are paid to identify and eliminate potential risks and claims before they happen. Medical and casualty insurance premiums, for example, are paid to insure against an unpredictable future event, knowing that risks exist and claims will occur. Furthermore, title insurance involves a one-time premium, paid when you close the real estate transaction, while property, casualty and medical insurance require regular renewal premiums.
The goal of title companies is to conduct such a thorough search and evaluation of public records that no claims will ever arise. Of course, this is impossible -- we live in an imperfect world, where human error and changing legal interpretations make 100 percent risk elimination impossible. When claims arise, professional claims personnel are assigned to handle them according to the terms of the title insurance policy.
As in all competitive business environments, rates vary from company to company, so you should make comparisons before deciding on a particular title company. Your real estate professional can help you do this. In addition, there are many helpful customer services provided by title companies which you and your real estate professional may find helpful to your transaction.
The issuance of a title insurance policy is highly labor-intensive. It is based upon the maintenance of a title "plant," or library of title records, in many cases dating back over a hundred years. Each day, recorded documents affecting real property and property owners are posted to these title plants so that when a title search on a particular parcel is requested, the information is already organized for rapid and accurate retrieval. This investment in skilled personnel and advanced data processing represents a major part of the title insurance premium dollar.
Article by CLTA
Understanding Preliminary Reports
After months of searching, you've finally found it -- your perfect dream home. But is it perfect?
Will you be purchasing more than just a beautiful home? Will you also be acquiring liens placed on the property by prior owners? Have documents been recorded that will restrict your use of the property?
The preliminary report will provide you with the opportunity, prior to purchase, to review matters affecting your property which will be excluded from coverage under your title insurance policy unless removed or eliminated before your purchase.
To help you better understand this often bewildering subject, the Land Title Association has answered some of the questions most commonly asked about preliminary reports.
What is a Preliminary Report?
A preliminary report is a report prepared prior to issuing a policy of title insurance that shows the ownership of a specific parcel of land, together with the liens and encumbrances thereon which will not be covered under a subsequent title insurance policy.
What role does a Preliminary Report play in the real estate process?
A preliminary report contains the conditions under which the title company will issue a particular type of title insurance policy.
The preliminary report lists, in advance of purchase, title defects, liens and encumbrances which would be excluded from coverage if the requested title insurance policy were to be issued as of the date of the preliminary report. The report may then be reviewed and discussed by the parties to a real estate transaction and their agents.
Thus, a preliminary report provides the opportunity to seek the removal of items referenced in the report which are objectionable to the buyer prior to purchase.
When and how is the Preliminary Report produced?
Shortly after escrow is opened, an order will be placed with the title company which will then begin the process involved in producing the report.
This process calls for the assembly and review of certain recorded matters relative to both the property and the parties to the transaction. Examples of recorded matters include a deed of trust recorded against the property or a lien recorded against the buyer or seller for an unpaid court award or unpaid taxes.
These recorded matters are listed numerically as "exceptions" in the preliminary report. They will remain exceptions from title insurance coverage unless eliminated or released prior to the transfer of title.
What should I look for when reading my Preliminary Report?
You will be interested, primarily, in the extent of your ownership rights. This means you will want to review the ownership interest in the property you will be buying as well as any claims, restrictions or interests of other people involving the property.
The report will note in a statement of vesting the degree, quantity, nature and extent of the owner's interest in the
real property. The most common form of interest is "fee simple" or "fee" which is the highest type of interest an owner can have in land.
Liens, restrictions and interests of others which are being excluded from coverage will be listed numerically as
"exceptions" in the preliminary report. These may be claims by creditors who have liens or liens for payment of taxes or assessments. There may also be recorded restrictions which have been placed in a prior deed or contained in what are termed CC&Rs--covenants, conditions and restrictions. Finally, interests of third parties are not uncommon and may include easements given by a prior owner which limit your use of the property. When you
buy property you may not wish to have these claims or restrictions on your property. Instead, you may want to clear the unwanted items prior to purchase.
In addition to the limitations noted above, a printed list of standard exceptions and exclusions listing items not covered by your title insurance policy may be attached as an exhibit item to your report. Unlike the numbered exclusions, which are specific to the property you are buying, these are standard exceptions and exclusions appearing in title insurance policies. The review of this section is important, as it sets forth matters which will not be covered under your title insurance policy, but which you may wish to investigate, such as governmental laws or regulations governing building and zoning.
Will the Preliminary Report disclose the complete condition of the title to a property?
No. It is important to note that the preliminary report is not a written representation as to the condition of title and may not list all liens, defects, and encumbrances affecting title to the land, but merely report the current ownership and matters that the title company will exclude from coverage if a title insurance policy should later be issued.
Is a Preliminary Report the same thing as title insurance?
Definitely not.
A preliminary report is an offer to insure, it is not a report of a complete history of recorded documents relating to the property. A preliminary report is a statement of terms and conditions of the offer to issue a title insurance policy, not a representation as to the condition of title.
These distinctions are important for the following reasons: first, no contract or liability exists until the title insurance policy is issued; second, the title insurance policy is issued to a particular insured person and others cannot claim the benefit of the policy.
Can I be protected against title risks prior to the close of the real estate transaction?
Yes, you can. Title companies can protect your interest through the issuance of "binders" and "commitments."
A binder is an agreement to issue insurance giving temporary coverage until such time as a formal policy is issued. A commitment is a title insurer's contractual obligation to insure title to real property once its stated requirements have been met.
Discuss with your title insurer the best means to protect your interests.
How do I go about clearing unwanted liens and encumbrances?
You will wish to carefully review the preliminary report. Should the title to the property be clouded, you and your agents will work with the seller and the seller's agents to clear the unwanted liens and encumbrances prior to taking title.
Who can I turn to for further information regarding Preliminary Reports?
Your real estate agent and your attorney, should you choose to use one, will help explain the preliminary report to you. Your escrow and title company can also be helpful sources.
CONCLUSION: In a business which is directed at risk elimination, the efforts leading to the production of the preliminary report, which is designed to facilitate the issuance of a policy of title insurance, is perhaps the most important function undertaken.
Articles by CLTA
|Required Reporting to the I.R.S.
Sellers of real property will have certain information regarding the sale reported to the Internal Revenue Service.
|Statements of Information
What's in a name?
|Title Insurance Requirements for Insuring Trusts
In today's world of busy probate courts and exorbitant death taxes, the living trust has become a common manner of holding title to real property. The following may help you understand a few of the requirements of the title insurance industry if title to property is conveyed to the trustee of a living trust.
|Title Insurance When Refinancing Your Loan
Lower interest rates have motivated you to refinance your home loan. The lower rate may save you a tremendous amount of money over the life of the loan, but you should also expect to pay the lender the typical closing costs associated with any new loan, including service fees, points, title insurance protection and other expenses.
Creative financing
Creative financing: You've heard of it, and, as a seller, the idea sounds pretty attractive. But, do you know everything you need to know about carrying back a second; essentially, about becoming a lender? You better know the same things that financial institutions know - you better know about lender's title insurance.
It's time to sell your $150,000 home, a home that you have owned for fifteen years, a home in which you have substantial equity. The loan terms call for a $20,000 down payment from your buyer, a new $100,000 loan from a local savings and loan, and for you, the seller, to carry back a note for the remaining $30,000.
Will you, the seller, need title insurance?
Yes, you will. Everyone who retains an interest in the property needs title insurance. When you took on the role of lender, you retained a record title interest which you will want to protect for the term of the loan.
But, why would you need lender's title insurance when the repayment of your loan is assured by a lien in the form of a recorded deed of trust against the property? What could possibly go wrong?
You must insure yourself for the same reason that financial institutions obtain title insurance - for the protection of your investment. You must be assured that your lien on the property cannot be defeated by a prior lien or other interest in the property, which, if exercised, would wipe out your security.
Anything that involves the new buyer's ownership rights to the property is of direct interest to you because you are holding the second mortgage. If such ownership rights are in question or defective, you may have trouble collecting your monthly mortgage payments. But, you say, there is nothing in your property's history that could cause problems: no problems with easements, no problems with boundaries, no problems with rights-of-way.
Contrary to what may be popular belief, these matters are not the only source of title problems; a large proportion of title problems arise out of man's interaction with man. The fact of a marriage, a divorce, a death, a forgery, a judgment for money damages, a failure to pay state or federal taxes - these occurrences can and usually will affect your rights as a mortgage lender.
As an example of what can befall the lender, did you know that a federal tax lien recorded against your "buyer" before the loan transaction is concluded may result in the loss of security in "your" home? Sophisticated mortgage lenders are aware of this possibility as well as many others which could jeopardize their loan security and seek the protection afforded by a lender's title insurance policy.
If you are considering carrying back a second, be sure to get all the facts regarding the benefits of lender's title insurance. Your local title insurance company should be happy to provide the information you need.
Article by CLTA


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The Raglan Gallery & Cultural Centre showcases work by the region's talented artists. Throughout the year the Raglan holds at least twelve exhibitions with keen competition in the prestigious annual Lions / Snowy Hydro Exhibitions (February) and the John Briscoe Awards (Easter). Work on display and sale comes from painters, ceramicists, potters, sculptors, jewellers, craftspeople and artisans. The Raglan's growing reputation also draws artists from interstate and overseas to exhibit in Cooma. The Raglan hosts regular art classes and workshops.
The Raglan was built in 1854 by James Hain, and was licensed as the Lord Raglan Inn, named after Lord Raglan who commanded the British in the Crimean War. It has served as Cooma's first bank, a private hospital and a family home.
The Raglan's life as an art gallery began in the 1960's. In 2014 a versatile new gallery space was completed behind the original building. A sheltered courtyard provides excellent space for outdoor sculpture displays.
Volunteers maintain the heritage style garden which retains several original trees, now well over 100 years old. The Raglan is staffed entirely by volunteers, and supported by the Cooma-Monaro Shire Council and the community.
Open Wednesday – Sunday 10.30am to 3.30pm – Contact (02) 6452 3377 or E-Mail email@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Politico's Jonathan Martin reports on Limbaugh's latest display of bigotry: Rush Limbaugh said Colin Powell's decision to get behind Barack Obama appeared to be very much tied to Obama's status as the first African-American with a chance to become president. "Secretary Powell says his endorsement is not about race," Limbaugh wrote in an e-mail. "OK, fine. I am now researching [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Sports'
Rush Limbaugh plays race card on Powell's Obama endorsement
October 19th, 2008 · 1 Comment
Tags: Barack Obama · Democrats · Media · Sports
Sarah Palin not greeted as liberator at hockey game in Philly
October 13th, 2008 · 1 Comment
Whichever McCain staffer thought up the idea of sending Sarah Palin to a hockey game in Philly to drop the puck should be fired. No questions asked, no excuses. This might have been the easiest call in sports/politics history. I mean, in the middle of a heated campaign, you're sending a Republican with sky-high negatives, [...]
Tags: Republicans · Sarah Palin · Sports
Hillary wants NCAA superdelegates to overturn National Championship result
April 9th, 2008 · No Comments
End Politics As Usual reports that Hillary Clinton is expanding her sore loser-ism into the world of sports. This is just phenomenal creative writing: In a move that's sure to be seen as controversial, Hillary has contacted the NCAA Board of Directors to argue that Memphis is actually better qualified to be National Champion. Ms. Clinton [...]
Tags: Barack Obama · Democrats · Hillary Clinton · Sports
LA Times blog: Obama's one point plan to lose the Wisconsin primary
February 16th, 2008 · No Comments
The LA Times digs up an incriminating photo of Barack Obama that could severely damage his campaign in Wisconsin. Hilarious. The Washington Post blog also gets in on the action, referring to Obama as "Sen. Barack Obama (D-Bears)."
Tags: Barack Obama · Democrats · Sports
Comment of the day
February 5th, 2008 · No Comments
Commenter Republican Soldier In Iraq thought I was a bit too hard yesterday on Mitt Romney and his generic Super Bowl hat: Wow. This website often has very humorous articles about the political realm, but I feel that anyone who is remotely aware of how difficult it is for a politician to gain support, would [...]
Tags: Mitt Romney · Republicans · Sports · Train Wreck Politics
Why Mitt Romney will never be president (Super Bowl edition)
February 4th, 2008 · 1 Comment
Focus on the hat. This guy was the governor of Massachusetts for four years and doesn't have the balls to wear a Patriots hat during the Super Bowl? How big a panderer do you have to be to wear that lame, generic Super Bowl merchandise? Worst of all, it's not like he even has a chance to win in [...]
Tags: Mitt Romney · Republicans · Sports
Judgment and vision
February 4th, 2008 · No Comments
I missed the score, but got the margin of victory exactly right: I do know that for all 18 games this season, anyone who picked against the Patriots was wrong. But I also know that my mother told me, "Cheaters never win." So considering the fact that the Giants matchup as well as anyone with the [...]
Tags: Sports
Super Bowl XLII predictions
February 1st, 2008 · No Comments
The only guarantee I can confidently make for this Sunday is that Joe Buck's man-crush on Tom Brady will force me to mute the volume midway through the first quarter. After that, all I have is guesses. I do know that for all 18 games this season, anyone who picked against the Patriots was wrong. [...]
Tags: Sports


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Toned, tanned and ready for the sun! Teresa Giudice showed off her killer body at the beach with her daughters on Friday, September 2.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey star, 44, shared a series of Instagram photos with her four girls — Gia, 15, Gabriella, 11, Milania, 10, and Audriana, 6 — at Beach Haven in New Jersey.
"In high tide or in low tide I will be by your side," Giudice captioned a sweet shot with Gia. In the pic, the mom of four looks better than ever as she poses in a low-cut black swimsuit, white jean shorts and a baseball cap.
"The two of you look fantastic #twins," one user commented in reference to the mother-daughter duo's strikingly similar looks.
The reality star also posted two photos with Gabriella, writing, "Ending the summer the right way. … Beach day." She later gushed of her adorable youngest daughter, Audriana, "Her smile says it all."
As previously reported, the cookbook author and her husband, Joe Giudice, were sentenced to prison in October 2014 for fraud. Teresa completed her 11-month sentence in December 2015, while Joe is five months into his 41-month sentence.
During Teresa's prison stint, she spent much of her time doing yoga and toning her figure. In May, the Bravo star and her sister-in-law Melissa Gorga reunited and spilled their fitness secrets during an interview with Us Weekly.
"We went to yoga [together] the other day!" Gorga told Us at the time, while Teresa joked, "I gotta do more squats!"
For access to all our exclusive celebrity videos and interviews – Subscribe on YouTube!


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Since in 2008 I met a girl who visited Iran and was raving all about it, I had in my mind I want to go there some day. That time to me it did not felt safe and to get a visa was difficult. So I just kept it in mind that one day it would be the place to go.
August 2014. I got a message from my friend who loves to travel too. 'You know Pegasus airlines has great deals to Istanbul? Me and my wife booked a flight'. Istanbul is a place which I love to see and in November I would have some time. So the same evening I start surfing to the website. I saw great deals, only 90 euro return. I entered some dates and since I didn't know this airline well I was scrolling to the list of places where they flight to. My eye catches Teheran and before I blinked my eye I clicked 'search'.
Just a few moments I had to wait before the price was revealed. 200 euros popped up. I couldn't believe it so I entered the dates again. Again 200 Euros's return. I tried to find the catch, but it all seamed to be fine.
I told my husband I found a great deal to Iran. And as I expected he wasn't trilled at all! I tried to convince him to come with me, but his reaction of 'definitely not!' Was loud and clear. So I searched the web try to find out if there is still a problem to get a visa. The website of the embassy of Iran in The Hague was clear. I only needed health insurance, copy of the flight tickets and some documents to fill in. Easy as that!
With that problem having cleared I only have to figure out the safety and how the dress code is. The dress code was still quit strict. Cover all female body curves and I should wear a scarf. Well I can deal with that. The safety issues seem to be better and better. As long as I avoid over crowded places and the land borders of Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan it seems to be fine.
Two days later I booked the flight. I called my older sister to tell her the news. She and her husband love to travel too, so I made the joke she could join me. She said no as I expected. One week later she called me. What are the exact dates? 'I'm about to make the booking, I'm coming with you!' She said.
I was so happy, since it is so much more fun to travel to a country like this together.
We started to prepare four our trips.
Before my trip I searched for the right dress code. Of course I knew I had to cover my bum and I had to wear a scarf. A scarf could be a shawl, which you can drape around your head and neck. I guess most of the woman have a shawl, so you don't have to buy something specific. It doesn't matter if it colorful. I had one in black and one in pink/beige. No problem!
To cover my female curves was more of a challenge. A dress or a blouse, I just couldn't figure it out which would be the best. Since it was November, the temperature could be warm and cold. Finally, my sister said she bought a trench coat. This would cover the bum and the curves. We ended up buying the same coat, since there wasn't much available in the shops in this season.
In the end we felt this coat was spot on! Woman complimented us with dressing us properly and still looking neat. Underneath the coat we could wear whatever we wanted. Singlets when it was warm, or a vest when it was cold. Perfect!
We did wear sandals and sneakers together with a skinny jeans. This was fine.
I would lie is I say I didn't mind wearing the scarf during the trip. Because it slipped of my head all the time, I was trying to correct it all the time. Sometimes I even used hairpins! It got itchy and when you need to wash you hair, it takes ages to dry. So you have to wait to go outside before you can put on a scarf. But it wasn't too bad. You only have to adjust and be aware of it all the time.
When we got invited to the houses, mostly they told us we could drop the scarf.
And when we took a tour around Yazd, they told us we could walk with bare feet in the sand of the mini desert and we could leave our scarf in the car. It felt good to feel the wind in our hair!
Wearing makeup is allowed, but we noticed you would see it more in bigger cities. We didn't wear it, just to be sure. The same counts for nail polish. Woman start to wear it right now, so we kept our nails clean to avoid being inappropriate.
Some places like mosques you have to wear a chador. This is a big cloth which covers your whole body. You can see woman wear this all the time, but to us this was new.
If you need to wear it, you can borrow it at the entrance. Woman will help you how to wear it. Don't hesitate to ask!
At some places you might notice there are woman with a green feather broom. If you show too much hair, they tap your shoulder. You should cover your hair immediately. But on tourist they are not that strict. They know it is difficult to handle the rules and you won't do it on purpose.
There are no ATMs so you have to take cash. Right after customs and when you collected your bags, on your right hand you can see an escalator. Go upstairs, immediately on your left hand you can see a changing office. This office would have the best changing rate.
There are actually 3 ways to change your money. The official bank, changing office or those man on the streets, who offer to change money. The last one is illegal for us, so avoid this. The official bank gives a low rate, so the changing offices would be your pic. You can find them everywhere in the cities.
Some hotels might change you small amounts, which can safe you when you run out of money.
Another thing which can be complicated. The official currency is called Rial. But popularly it is called Toman. For example. 100.000 Rial is 2,50 Euro. But when somebody says 10.000 Toman, they mean 100.000 Rial. Do you get it? Mostly the price tags are in Toman.
To avoid misunderstanding we just asked to type the amount in our mobile. But you'll notice, you'll get to used to it quickly.
The language Farsi is difficult to read for us. So when you want to book a bus ticket you'll have to ask about time and money. Most cities have a big bus station with a lot of different companies. Just ask around for time, money and cities. They'll be happy to help you. Overall with all the help from people, it is easy and cheap to travel with the bus.
The buses leave mostly close from the ticket office. Just ask them to show the right bus.
The bus stations have toilet buildings, and at some bus stations we even saw showers.
When you leave the bus station, there are taxi's waiting to take you to your hotel. At some bus stations you have to walk to a taxi booth. Here you buy your ticket and wait for the destinations your heading is announced.
To us this wasn't completely clear, but people helped us, how the system works. And it works fair for every person.
One time in Esfahan they searched us on the bus station, we were a bit late. They told us the lady at the office wrote down at the bus time table, that there where 2 blond tourist from Holland and that they should make sure we would catch the right bus. How sweet is that?
Coincidental my sister and I traveled to Iran with the event Toshua and Ashura. We didn't know much about this event or how it is celebrated or what it is for.
When we arrived in Esfahan, the day before Tahoa and Ashura would start, we found out for 2 days there will be no buses.
We asked around and it seemed to be in the most places there will be just a few buses or no public transport at all. There where a few taxi's when we stayed in Shiraz, so going around in the cities would be fine I guess.
We noticed there will be a few restaurants opened, but that will be at random times. In the hotel we could get a meal, so I assume this would be possible in most hotels.
Ashura (or Asjoera) is celebrated on the 10 day of the month Moeharram, which is the first month of the Islamic calendar. The day before Ashura is a fasting day which is set by prophet Mohammed, but fasting is not compulsory. This day called Tasua (or tassuoua). Man and woman are dressed in black. The ceremonies start on this day and continue on Ashura, the next day.
Within the Sjiisme Ashura has a special closure for the 10 days of a mourning period. They remember the martyrdom of Imam Hoessein in the year 680. Imam Hoessein is the grandson of the prophet Mohammed.
There are mourning rituals and processions on the streets. Woman slapping their chests and chanting. Some man want to feel suffer of Imam Hussein by flogging themselves with chains. In some countries man cut themselves with knives. But soon we found out this is forbidden in Iran. There are several groups with their own passion plays which represent the martyrdom. There are different plays with drum music.
Most of the people don't go to work. You'll find streets blocked to let the processions pass. People go to the mosques to pray, which are overcrowded.
Fountains have red colors to represent the blood which has been shed.
They provide free food and drinks. The lines are long. Luckily with the family we have celebrated the event we could taste some of this delicious food!
Since it is really crowded at most places, they have a lot of security. This contains a body check and they check your bag. Sometimes you have to store your back in a special place. They will point you out where you can store it. It is free, and you'll get a ticket to pick up your bag.
The day after Ashura everything was back to normal life. Shops opened, sights and museums opened. We could visit mosques and travel around with the buses. We did notice buses we couldn't book the bus we wanted, as people were returning back to their homes. We just took an other route to get were we wanted to be.
It was interesting to see this special event. I couldn't imagine how it would be.


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Nutritionists usually call omega-3 essential fatty acids "good" and omega-6 essential fatty acids "bad." Dividing them into "good" and "bad," however, misses the point of good nutrition, which is getting both of these essential fatty acids in the right balance.
Your Body Needs Both Omega-6 and Omega-3
Omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids are both needed by the body, but for opposite purposes.
The body uses omega-6 essential fatty acids to make the hormones that stimulate the release of mucus, that cause inflammation around foreign objects and germs, and that tighten blood vessels to prevent bleeding. Omega-6's also activate stress hormones.
The body uses omega-3 essential fatty acids to make the hormones that stop the release of mucus, that keep inflammation from destroying healthy tissues, and that relax blood vessels to permit blood flow. Omega-3's also help the brain make the neurotransmitters associated with good mood and relaxation.
The body needs both kinds of hormones. The problem with the modern diet is that the fats in meat, eggs, and dairy products, and the fats that are relatively more abundant in plant oils, contain a lot more omega-6 than omega-3.
Corn, sesame, safflower, and sunflower oils, for example, contain 100 per cent omega-6 fatty acids and no omega-3 fatty acids at all.
Soybean oil contains 7-1/2 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids, but when you look at the DHA and EPA your body can actually make from the omega-3 fatty acids, the ratio is more like 50 to 1.
Walnut oil is a little better, but the ratio is still 7 to 1.
Only flaxseed oil and perilla oil provide more omega-3's than omega-6's, and even their omega-3's aren't in the form the body can use readily.
The body needs more omega-6 than omega-3, but only about twice as much. Most of us get 20 to 100 times as much of the fatty acids that make inflammatory hormones, so diseases of inflammation are a chronic dietary problem. Most of us get too much omega-6.
Is It Possible to Have an Omega-6 Deficiency?
If you ever eat fast food or deli sandwiches, you won't have an omega-6 deficiency!(See Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency) However, it is possible to have an omega-6 deficiency. As recently as 70 years ago in places like the United States, and even today in many Middle Eastern countries among the poor, it is actually is possible not to get enough omega-6.
The people who don't get enough omega-6 fatty acids are those who live mostly on bread and beans. Just a touch of sesame oil, corn oil, or butter is enough, but at least a tablespoon (15 ml) of fat or the equivalent every day is essential for good health.
People who have omega-6 deficiencies can't fight infections. Their immune systems can be overrun, especially in the skin. But correcting the omega-6 deficiency without also correcting omega-3 deficiencies is still problematic. It's not all about "how much."
The omega-3 essential fatty acid of a single serving or a wild vegetable called purslane, or just a bite of fish, for instance, can balance that one tablespoon of oil. But everyone needs at least a little of both kinds of essential fatty acids.
It's Also Possible to Have an Omega-3 Excess
Some people who take 25 to 50 fish oil capsules a day develop a condition of omega-3 excess that keeps the body from making the protective hormones it needs. The easiest way to tell whether you are getting too much omega-3 is belching, burping, and gas.
If these happen, don't take so much fish oil or microalgae! But the easiest way to know you need fewer omega-6's and more omega-3's is by developing high blood pressure, heart disease, eczema, allergies, arthritis, cancer, depression-any of myriad conditions that omega-3 essential fatty acid supplements can help you overcome.


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With Fincher you can always expect bold trailers and this one is no exception. A very moody and brooding sound montage, very 70-ish. Just brilliant or plain fustrating? It's up to you. But enough said.
Watch it now. And let's hear what you think:
The Social Network - Official First Trailer


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As we all know to download torrents, we need to have a torrent client installed on our device. But sometimes, the speeds can go very low on these clients because of the lousy internet or low seeders. While it is the most common method to download torrents to one's computer, it is not the only one.
There are a couple of other ways by which you can download a torrent to your computer. Like using browsers with an in-built bit torrent client and the one that we are going to discuss here, downloading torrents with the use of IDM.
Internet Download Manager or IDM, in short, is a Download manager application for Windows. By using the sites listed below, you can 'convert' the magnet link to direct download which you can use to download the stuff using IDM or any other download manager.
What these sites do is that download the torrent files to their servers and then provide you with a download link for the file from there. The transfer of the torrent to their server happens very fast as most of their servers have a gigabit connection and they can provide you with a direct download link of the torrent within seconds.
1. Seedr
First, on the list, we have seedr. seedr.cc is a very popular site and offers one of the best torrent caching services that you can enjoy for free. To start downloading a torrent, you need to upload the '.torrent' File to seedr or provide them with the magnet link. Once you have done that, the file will be added to seedr, and they will start caching it to their server.
Once it is on their server, you can start downloading your file with IDM or any other download manager. You can also copy the download link of a file to use it on the downloader of your choice. The link will keep working until the file is removed from your account.
Seedr can handle a file up to 2gb (free plan) and allow you to download your torrent directly via IDM with blazing fast speeds. You can store as many files as you want in your account until the storage limit of 2gb is reached.
Type: Free/Paid | Speed (free plan): unmetered
2. Offcloud
Offcloud is a website that I recently found. If you only intend to download one torrent file using IDM and need a free service with high storage and faster speeds, then offcloud is the one for you. They offer 10gb of storage space for free users. You can add up to 3 torrent files on a free account, and the speed they offer is un-metered, meaning no limitations.
To download your torrent using IDM, paste the magnet link on offcloud and after that click on download as a zip. Offcloud will now start downloading the torrent file to their servers. After the uploading is done, the downloading button will now become available. Right click on it and copy the URL, now open IDM and paste it in there, click ok and your download will now start.
Type: Free/Paid | Speed (free plan): unmetered
3. Zbigz
Zbigz is a very old torrent caching service. They support files up to 1 gigabyte and offers speeds of 150kbps in their free package. The speed is very slow when compared to services like seedr. I would only recommend using zbigz free when the torrent that you are trying to download has very fewer seeders and is small in size. Otherwise, if you have money, their premium services are very affordable. The speeds are really good, and also there is no size limit on the file/torrent.
Type: Free/Paid | Speed (free plan): Limited
4. Bitport
Bitport provides 1 gigabyte of storage space & un-metered downloading speeds, and that too for free users. If the torrent that you are trying to download is a video file, you can even stream it for free using bitport. The uploading might take a minute or so but the downloading speed will be very fast. While they only allow free users to upload 1 file per day, their excellent download speeds and 1 gb of storage space still make them a good site to convert and download small torrent files quickly.
Type: Free/Paid | Speed (free plan): unmetered
5. Dasan
Dasan offers a couple of file caching services, but here we are going to talk about Torrenting. Once you sign up and create an account on their site, you can then add a torrent their via a file or magnet link. They will then cache the completed torrent to their server. And from there, you can download it at maximum speed with IDM or any other download manager.
Dasan is a freemium site. Meaning while they do offer their service for free, to get the most out of it, you will need to pay. No need to worry tho as dasan have plans which you can get for as low as 3 $, it will grant you 35 gigs of space on their premium servers.
Type: Paid | Speed (free plan): Limited
6. Boxopus
If you want un-metered download speeds, 100gb of storage space, and that too for cheap, then boxopus is the way to go. You can get all the things on the list above for a single dollar, for a day that is. By adding 5 cents more, you get the service for seven more days. Your file is stored in their servers for up to 30 days, and you can access it even if your subscription ends before.
Overall, boxopus is one of the cheapest ways to download torrents using IDM. There are other free or even cheap options available, but they don't offer as much storage space as boxopus and sometimes caps speeds too.
Type: Paid | Speed (free plan): unmetered
7. TorrentSafe
With torrentsafe, you don't need to have an account on their website. You can add a torrent, want for their server to load it, and then start your download instantly.
They provide 1GB storage space and don't have download speed capped. After the upload, your file will be kept for two days, and you can access it via a direct link until then.
Type: Free/Paid | Speed (free plan): unmetered
So there you go, these were some sites which you can use to get your torrent to IDM. If the download is starting directly in your browser instead of IDM, here is how to solve it.
First, find the download link or button and right-click on it.
There you will see an option called copy link location, click on it, and the download link will be copied to your clipboard.
Next, launch IDM and click on this button on the top bar.
The copied URL will already be there, and you need to press "Add URL." Your download will now start on IDM.
Now an FAQ Section for some of the questions about downloading a torrent using IDM.
1. Is it illegal?
While it is not illegal to download a torrent, but downloading someones else' es work and copyrighted content are. The same applies to directly downloading torrent using IDM.
2. Why is the downloading speed slow?
Maybe you are using a service that is free and limits the speeds. Check out our full list; there are a couple of services which are free but still don't cap download speeds.
3. Why use premium sites when there are free alternatives?
Even if some free sites provide unlimited download speeds and plenty of space. There will be some people out there who trying to download a huge file from a torrent, need fast speeds and don't want the hotlink to expire soon.
4. The site is not caching/downloading your torrent.
There can be many reasons for that like the website that you are trying to use has some issue with its server, the problem is with the torrent trackers, etc. Another problem can be the low number of seeders on the specific torrent that you are trying to download. It is the most common issue and unfortunately means that either the torrent is dead or the reaming few seeds are not active atm.
This concludes the article. In the end, I want to say that this list of sites that I have prepared works excellent, even if you decide to use the free ones, you will get your torrent into IDM very easily. If you face any problems with any of the sites, try any other torrent link. Most of the time when these sites fail to load a torrent, it is because there are no seeders available. Also if you know any other good torrent caching site, suggestions are always welcome.


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I've been catching up a bit with what's up in games. Some day I will tell you about my knitted telephone @developconf. But today I want to share what I most enjoyed from reading Derek Yu's book on the making of Spelunky.
Splelunky (the book) is the tale of how a small scale, free indie game (called Spelunky) ends up becoming a massive indie hit (also called Spelunky), distributed on Steam, PSA and XBLA, and selling over a million copies I ran into the book via an en passant reference from Liz England on Twitter which pulled out a great quote to do with one of the challenges of games user research and user research in general – and life in general.
Yup! People are generally pretty great at telling you when they aren't happy, especially when you specifically give them a heads up that's something you're interested in hearing about. But people are sometimes not as great at being able to attribute their unhappiness to its cause.
I think this point is a real gem. On the basis of this I thought the book might have other treasures in it too.
And… it did. The book is both easy to read and insightful. It's also funny and humble. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in game design.
The stories in the book aren't recipes for success or straightforward morality tales. Although the ending is happy, you get the sense that despite trying to make the right choices at each progression towards publication – as we all do – the ending might well have turned out differently. And there is a deeper lesson, too, when looked at as a whole. Just as you'd expect from the author of a game which – pretty much just for the sheer mischievous joy of it – hides a deeply context-dependent eggplant.
The gems
Here are my favourite gems – starting with the one Liz England picked out.
People may know what they feel but not why
Like patients, players are often most in tune with how they feel about the problem rather than what is causing it. Doctors and game developers, with their experience and knowledge of their fields, need to ask questions, perform tests, and eliminate possibilities in order to zero in on the correct solution. p. 57
Users' practice reveals the nature of a design
The next gem I found is not opaque enough to be a koan – but it is still pretty wise:
It was only after the audience entered the picture that I started to understand the reasoning behind my own designs. p. 59
I love this one. Personally, I can't imagine designing something and not being utterly passionately interested in how people actually use it.
There is a culture gap here. There are many design discovery practices which – not unreasonably – talk about all the useful insight generating things you can do ahead of actually building something, that can make the thing you build that much better. (The Ideo field design toolkit – which I only recently discovered – is a handy resource here, even though it isn't designed for games – and there are interesting reasons why there is an awkward stretch to map it to games, which is a story for another day).
But the practice of using real audience behaviour to understand how a design is working in practice is not so well established. As the authors of Designing with Data point out, taking real advantage of data from use is not always part of designers' training. In games, Numbers are often used measurement of the sufficiency – or insufficiency – of the current design, rather than as source of insight into how the design operates. For sure that can take the fun out of it.
You can't have it all – or at least not all at once
True for games as well as just about everywhere else, this one.
We can't have everything that we want all at once… We can't know what to expect and also be surprised. We can't be free from frustration and also be challenged. We can't go unchallenged and also feel satisfied with our accomplishments. Mystery, surprise, tension, challenge and a real sense of accomplishment always come at the cost of feeling uncomfortable. p. 86
I think this tension between frustration and satisfaction is what game 'balance' is really about. It isn't fun to shoot fish in a barrel. There needs to be a rhythm of ebb and flow between striving and accomplishment, and between exploration and the joy of discovery.
You gotta trust yourself (and your players)
It is not my intention to quote the whole book to you but the next gem follows directly after the one I just picked up. But it's a bit like finding great stones on a beach: it's difficult to stop at just one.
So, moving right along to the next sentence after the previous one I quoted:
The best games come out of a mutual respect between the creator and the player… the creator must trust in the curiousity and abilities of their players. Continuously interrupting play to steer players with direct text message and other obvious hints not only infantalises them but it also reveals the creator's insecurity in their ability to design games…The "joy of discovery" is one of the fundamental joys of play itself. p. 86-87
Indifference can be a virtue – but don't take it too far
Spelunky takes a kind of extreme stance on the question how much help a design should provide for onboarding:
Unfortunately, Spelunky's core ideas defy explanation to new players, because the game's indifference to them is so much of its appeal. p. 102
As Sir Humphrey Appleby of Yes Minister would say that – is a "courageous" decision. (And one that their Microsoft XBox producer tried to work with them to mitigate.)
It's likely that this stance creates more casualties amongst the new user corps than a more gradual onramp. But it's also possible that those who persist end up being more committed.
I'd be interested to know the functions through which initial eventually successful effort is related to long term commitment. As a psychologist, I could make up a number of different answers to this – but I'd prefer to ask the question and explain the answer after I know what it is.
Choose the committed and the committed will choose you
The way Yu explains his design choices, it sounds as though he was pretty happy for the game to select for the type of users who valued the type of experience he wanted to provide for them:
With Spelunky, I was only willing to go so far to offer new players a hand. Beyond that point, I felt like it would hurt the experience for players who were more eager for challenge. And when you have to choose between those two groups, it's not a hard choice at all. p. 108
There is for sure a tension between providing assistance and pleasing those players who want challenge. But it seems to me there are few different escape routes:
- making the path to skill acquisition a real and organic part of the designed experience – rather than something that's jury rigged afterwards with some nasty annoying pop ups
- Yu does give a big nod to the excellence of onboarding in Super Mario – the challenge is in how to generalise this to other games
- adjusting the challenge level dynamically, so that players are faced with a degree of challenge that is likely to be more satisfying for them
- This moves the goal posts from finding a 'good enough' setting for everyone, to finding 'good enough' personalisation – which is always going to be not good enough for some
- This is clearly tricky for PvP games, but can be useful in initial PvE stages
- making 'failure' more enjoyable, by providing a degree of reward – such as exciting visual effects – for behaviour that approximates the behaviour you want to encourage, even if it isn't 'winning'
- as discussed, near misses can – under some conditions – deliver almost the same thrill as a wins
- changing the intent of the interaction to be less about winning and more about other aspects of the experience
- this is partly about genre, but even within genres in which winning is important, it is about making the game experience non-binary -the most important aspect is not necessarily about win or loss
First impressions matter
Yu realises – with hindsight – that they didn't make it clear enough to prospective players what the game experience was supposed to be about, and they should have made the screen shot and demo promos more enticing and informative:
Spelunky's screenshots, while packed with details, look mostly like a lot of rocks and dirt, while the interesting aspects of its randomization are hard to get across in even a few play sessions, let alone a non-interactive trailer.
Of course, beneath Spelunky's unassuming surface are hidden big secrets and shiny treasures. p. 158
Tough one, this. How to communicate a mystery and keep it mysterious? I think the strongest moral to be mined from this story is that creating draft marketing approaches should be a part of every product proposal.
Difficulty is important – but the best progression is non-linear and rhythmic
I usually wonder about why designs have the difficulty progressions that they do. Yu gives his thoughts on it here:
The more I play and create games, the less convinced I am that the difficulty of games should be thought of in terms of a linear or exponential ramp upwards where, as the player gets stronger, you need to make the opposition increase proportionally in strength….[there is] something futile and perhaps nihilistic about endlessly cranking a single knob that goes from easy to hard. Rather I believe it makes more sense to think about difficulty in terms of the game's overall pacing. Difficulty should ebb and flow, and make room for other aspects of play. p. 178
If you draw a comparison to pacing and tension in narrative, it is easy to see that establishing a rhythm – and, at times, violating it- is potentially a very strong design trope that resonates with how we experience meaning. I haven't heard anyone express this as clearly as Yu has.
The deeper lesson
What is the deeper lesson revealed by these gems? The stories Yu tells are interesting because of the the motivations he reveals for making the design choices he makes. He has a great eye for analysing and articulating what makes a design tick, and you get the sense that his heart is in the right place, always. To me, what is striking about Yu's approach is his attention, at all times, to viewing the design of the game through the lens of the player's possible experience of it. That is the real eggplant that is hidden in plain sight.


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Release iOS 5.1 jailbreak ASAP and burn 5 exploits
Ever since Apple released the iOS 5.1 update in the early part of March the jailbreak community have been hard working on a solution to providing users who like to jailbreak their iOS devices, and at the time Pod2g revealed work was already underway, and hopefully we will see the release of the iOS 5.1 jailbreak ASAP.
The status of the iOS 5.1 jailbreak has just received a major update as iDownloadBlog are reporting that Pod2g took to his Tweeter account to say he had "a productive weekend", and has now found "2 big vulnerabilities. 1 kernel land and 1 root land."
This news comes only five days after he had posted a poll on his own website, asking if jailbreakers if he and other hackers should continue to work on an iOS 5.1 jailbreak, or instead wait until Apple begins seeding iOS 6.
At the time of writing users still have a day left to leave their opinions, but it seems the outcome has been already decided, as out of 142707 votes 89,126 or 62 percent of voters feel that hackers should continue their work on iOS 5.1. This compares to 50,336 or 35 percent of voters who believe the jailbreak community should wait until iOS 6.
The problem is though that releasing an iOS 5.1 jailbreak for what is considered just a minor upgrade from 5.0.1 will mean that the exploits will be patched for iOS 6 that is thought to be making an appearance at next month's WWDC 2012 event.
Once these exploits have been fixed there are no guarantees that hackers will be able to find more in the new operating system, but there is a chance that Apple won't find and plug the exploits in iOS 6 anyway even if a iOS 5.1 jailbreak is released or not.
While there is still no date for any iOS 5.1 jailbreak being released, it does sound like the jailbreaking community is making good progress with it, and it seems they will continue that work. Do you think the jailbreaking team should wait until iOS 6?


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Made by Dia's Village co-op in Chom Thong, Northern Thailand, this Flower of Life print bag is 11.5 inches tall x 14.5 inches wide x 6.5" inches deep. Perfect for travel, it has two zippered pockets on the outside, one zippered compartment on the inside. Pom pom key ring included! Straps are 24 inches long.
Meet the Artisans
|Global Groove is a fair trade organization working with women by supporting and developing artisan co-ops in Thailand and Nepal. The Fair Trade industry is expanding and we are proud to be a part of a sustainable movement that is changing lives. We design, develop, produce and source fairly traded lifestyle products with a commitment to the sustainability of production and the cultural heritage of the groups that we work with. We inhale its people, its landscapes, its colors, its flavors, its very scent, and we exhale to create inspirational products symbolic of our traveling experiences. Global Groove encourages travel because the knowledge, acceptance and understanding of different ways, people and ideas is the very colorful road to a respectful, safer, kinder world.
This Colorful Hmong Hilltribe embroidery is 11.5 inches tall x 14.5 inches wide x 6.5 inches deep. Featuring a Zipped main pocket with inside zipped... View full product details
Sleek and chic this fine tailored clutch was hand made in traditional embroidered fabric by the Hmong Ethnic Minority Group in the hills of Northern... View full product details
The zippered wallet is hand made of traditional embroidered fabric and includes zipped center change pocket, sections for bills and receipts and a multitude of... View full product details
Featuring the Flower of Life pattern this cosmetic bag measures 8 x 6 inches. Plastic-coated lining. Meet the Artisans Global Groove is a fair trade... View full product details