"This is responsibility of the Hanoi authority and myself included", Hanoi Mayor Nguyen Duc Chung said in response to voters' questions over the long delay of metro line projects in the city.
The Prime Minister has just asked the city authorities to submit a report to the Ministry of Transport (MoT) on adjusting investment on its two key metro line projects.
The Belgian Government's official development assistance (ODA) will help the central province of Ninh Thuan to enhance capacity in the management and operation of its irrigational system as part of efforts to respond to climate change under a project launched on March 8.
The Ministry of Transport (MoT) and the Australian Government inked on February, 9 to launch Aus4Transport, a new US$24-million program to support transport projects in Vietnam.
France would keep funding projects of sectors that see high demand in Vietnam, said in Vietnam-France high-level economic dialogue on January 24.
Payment and site clearance delay are major barriers to official development assistance (ODA)-funded projects in Vietnam, chief representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Vietnam Fujita Yasuo told at the yesterday's press conference in Hanoi.
Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung has visited South Korea to attend a celebration of the Korea Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF)'s 30th founding anniversary.
On National Day September 2nd, a 5.44km sea bridge, part of Tan Vu-Lach Huyen Highway in the northern port city of Hai Phong, was put into operation, becoming the longest sea bridge in Vietnam and one of the longest of its kind in Southeast Asia.
Vietnam welcomes technical support from the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) via official development assistance and preferential loans.
The Prime Minister has approved the "Investing in Vietnamese women" project with the capital sourced from the Australian Government's non-refundable ODA.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has agreed for the adjustments of an investment plan for the project "The Restructuring for a More Competitive Vietnam" which uses non-refundable official development assistance (ODA) from the Australian Government.
The Ministry of Finance said on October 25 that the Official Development Assistance (ODA) loans have significantly contributed to socio-economic development, however, in the coming time, ODA loans must be used more carefully as preferential loans from development partners are reducing considerably.
Speaking at a workshop on accelerating the implementation and disbursement of official development assistance (ODA) programmes and projects in Hanoi on October 18, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh highlighted the need to disburse more than 22 billion USD of ODA and concessional loans committed to Vietnam in the 2017-2020 period.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has given the instruction of proposal using official development assistance capital from the Republic of Korean Government's Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) for a railway project.
Switzerland pledges to continue providing development aid for Vietnam so that the country will address such challenges as climate change, water and food security, Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam Beatrice Maser Mallor said at a workshop held in Hanoi on September 30.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will continue to support Vietnam to develop infrastructure projects, JICA President Shinichi Kitaoka affirmed at a press conference in Hanoi on September 10 as part of his official visit to Vietnam.


text:
import type { AnimationOptions } from "kittik-animation-basic";

export type Direction =
  | "inDown"
  | "inLeft"
  | "inRight"
  | "inUp"
  | "outDown"
  | "outLeft"
  | "outRight"
  | "outUp";

export interface SlideOptions extends AnimationOptions {
  direction: Direction;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Kevin McCarthy is a long-serving representative and his essays are welcome. But he needs to be honest.
Diana Doll, Modesto
Award contract to best bid
Re "Our View: Modesto must not put money ahead of people" (Page 2B, April 17): The city is responsible to all Modesto residents. Modernizing city services benefits everyone.
The city is required to request proposals for bus bench services. This process produced two bidders. Creative Outdoor Advertising proposed more than requested, including new benches designed to discourage camping and vandalism while being easier to maintain. The bid was financially better than the bid from United Cerebral Palsy which did not include the additional items. Creative Outdoor Advertising provides the benefit of national experience.
The bidding process only works when you get bidders. Rejecting the most qualified and economical bidder perverts the competitive bidding policy and discourages potential bidders for future projects.
United Cerebral Palsy is a necessary part of our community. They, like any other organization, must evolve. This is their time for change, and they need some partners to help them transition to a new opportunity.
Instead of beating up on each other, let's recognize the need for change as an opportunity to work together and move everyone forward, including United Cerebral Palsy.
The city hasn't put money ahead of people. It has obtained a great bid for modernized city services for everyone.
Tim Ragsdale, Modesto
Modesto marathoner's record stood 19 years
Barbara Miller is a household name among Modesto runners, with a string of national records and best times. One of those records was in the women's 60-64 year-old age group at the Boston Marathon.
Joan Benoit Samuelson is one of the few marathon runners who just might be a household name around the world. She won the gold medal in the first women's Olympic marathon in 1984. She won the Boston Marathon 40 years ago, in 1979.
This year, on the 40th anniversary of that win, Benoit again ran at the Boston Marathon and broke the record for the women's 60-64 age group in a time of 3:04. The record that she broke was the one held by Barbara Miller of Modesto. Barbara's record stood for 19 years, an eon in the sports world. It took the likes of Joan Benoit to break it. As Barbara said, "If you ever wanted someone to break your marathon record, it would be Joan Benoit."
Congratulations to both Barbara Miller and Joan Benoit Samuelson.
Adrian Crane, Modesto
Where are you, Gavin?
Why would we want to tour a country whose citizens are leaving it by the thousands? Would (the governor's) time and money be better spent here helping California with its problems?
Edward Holt, Riverbank
Harder reaches out to Assyrians
As president of the Assyrian American Civic Club, I want to thank Congressman Josh Harder for hosting a town hall to hear the concerns of our community. Assyrian Americans here in the Central Valley appreciate Congressman Harder's commitment to listening to our needs and finding ways to ensure we get the same representation as our neighbors of all ethnicity.
Even though he's only been in office three months, Congressman Harder has already demonstrated his friendship to our community by making a speech commemorating the Assyrian New Year. It was a simple but important gesture.
Josh is also fighting to protect our access to health care and lowering prescription drug prices, working to bring jobs and opportunity to the Central Valley, and working to improve education. We are lucky to have him representing us in Washington.
Sam David, Turlock
Seek, and ye shall find
Re " Bible is just mythology" (Page 2B, April 14): This writer suggests that God in the Bible is "unhappy with his flawed creations" and suggests God is repugnant. I would ask the writer, or anyone who believes the Bible is a myth, to read the entire Bible. Jesus, the son of God, gives us all great opportunity to enjoy the fruits of this world with a dear and close friend to help guide us.
I would ask the writer of the letter to walk into any church and read her complaint to any person in that church. Questioning God is a good first step toward understanding him. My grandfather gave me a lesson when he said grace at every meal: God is great, God is good, God is most misunderstood. Seek answers to your questions and you shall find peace and a faith that will carry you through all the troubles of this life.
Damon Woods, Oakdale
Anti-vaxxers ignore good science
Re "The cost of BS is already high, and it keeps going up" (Page A9, April 12): As a pediatric physician's assistant, I talk with parents who refuse to vaccinate their children. When I ask why, most cannot tell me their reasons in any specific detail. When they can, their reasons are often erroneous or scientifically incorrect, often fueled by emotional, anecdotal experiences of friends whose children may have had adverse reactions to vaccines. Pressed to precisely describe these incidents, they cannot.
These parents are hoodwinked by BS proffered by charlatans, so-called "experts," and by their own difficulty in evaluating scientific evidence, to distinguish between what is factually true or false. While parsing truth is challenging, now that we have a profoundly ignorant, anti-science, prevaricating president, the problem seems worse than ever for understanding complex issues in our instant, often fake-news world driven by frenzied social media.
Daunting as it is, we and our children must become honest, compassionate critical thinkers, skilled evaluators of information and evidence, because "the cost of baloney is… getting higher all the time."
James Costello, Ceres
Stand against U.S. infiltrators
As a patriot of these United States of America, I take exception to the stupid people who not only voted Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota into office but brought her in from a country of religious fanatics bent on destroying those who don't believe as they do. Wake up, Americans. It's time to not only stand up for the U.S. of A. It's also time to defend it against inside terrorist sympathizers.
Joe Dooley, Modesto
How to submit your letter to the editor to The Modesto Bee
Letters to the editor | Monday, June 15, 2019: DA Fladager, Prop. 13 and licking ice cream
Carson case was malicious
Letters to the editor | Sunday, July 14, 2019: Rapinoe, Trump's parade, MJC food pantry and busing
Letters to the editor | Friday, July 12, 2019: Socialism, Medicare for all, gerrymandering
Letters to the editor | Wednesday, July 10, 2019: Fourth of July fireworks, anxious pets and lovely flags
Letters to the editor | Monday, July 8, 2019: Health care for all, especially immigrants, is a very bad idea
Letters to the editor | Sunday, July 7, 2019: Trees, dogs, police, Carson case and homeless
Letters to the editor | Friday, July 5, 2019: Census, Trump and North Korean DMZ visit

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition 2014
The Royal Academy Summer exhibition is always a joy because there are so many exhibits (this year 1,262) and so many artists (200?) that you are not having to focus on some eminent artist's life and career (eg Matisse or Malevich) but are liberated to stroll around and look at what you fancy in any order you fancy and to like or dislike whatever you fancy.
That said, this year's selection seemed less interesting than the last few years', maybe because I'm becoming familiar with the same old faces (or styles), maybe because contemporary art really is surprisingly limited in scope and invention. For me a couple of themes emerged:
At some period in the past (18th, 19th centuries?) Art was responsible for making iconic images. Admittedly, most people's everyday lives were dominated, image-wise, by the kind of folk art shown in the current Tate Britain exhibition. But 'high art' routinely created great and iconic images which were copied, parodied, set the tone.
By contrast, many of the best images in this exhibition were copies of artefacts in the real world which owe their greatness to the original designers. Examples include the striking painting of a Lego figure by Belinda Jane Channer (£4,000), a painting of a raptor made striking by Jurassic Park, Martin Craig-Smith's characteristic outlines of a violin, a spotlight, a takeaway coffee cup, David Mach's pin sculpture of a Snow Leopard or playing card collage of a dollar bill – The paper it's printed on – which both owe their power to the beauty of the object and which prompt only momentary impressment at the ingenuity of the media before you blink and forget them.
My point being that, an aspect of contemporary art is its overshadowedness by the dense jungle of images and artefacts we see, consume and interact with all day every day.
Installation view of Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2014 © Benedict Johnson
Pride of place in the entrance vestibule was given to Cake Man (above, centre), a life-size mannikin made of Dutch wax, African printed cotton, globe head, steel baseplate, leather, gold, polyester and plaster by Yinka Shonibare RA and costing £162,000
I saw a lot of the same thing: Anthony Green's cutout Beryl-Cook-like paintings of domestic settings, often with a naked lady, often with the artist's comically intrusive eye present; Norman Ackroyd's wonderful watercolours of the Shetland scenery; a big black painting that reminded me of Rothko, lots of slant-eyed naive art that reminded me of Picasso, lots of nudes – always nude women – photos where contemporary people act out classical paintings, satirical versions of Edwardian children's illustration except the figures are taking drugs or giving the viewer the finger, big splurge paintings, colourful ones incorporating stylished images or photos from pop culture, a cloak made from wine bottle labels, foot-tall statuettes of human-satyr figures with big penises, small prints of a robin and kingfisher etc.
Paula Rego, Prince Pig's Courtship
Lithograph, 95 x 70 x 4 cm
© Paula Rego. Courtesy Marlborough Fine Art, London
My overall impression was how very, very hard it is to establish a voice, to do something new, to make yourself heard above the jungle hubbub of thousands and thousands of other artists all working old themes and ideas and styles and media.
In the surrealists and especially in Jasper Johns, when I discovered him at school, I was immensely excited at the use of text in paintings, random phrases from packing boxes or flags etc seemed to me to lift painting out of its classical limitations and make its interaction with the actual world I live in seem limitless. However, even this has become dull. Incorporating text in an artwork has gone from explosively subversive to stiflingly, Victorianly preachy.
Thus works which told us 'We work in the dark', 'Waste not the remains o the day', all schools should be art schools', 'More poetry is needed', 'A splash of red paint is needed', along with two big whiteboards onto which were painted, respectively, a radio 4 interview by Eddie Mair with David Nott, a doctor who served in Bosnia (on the left in the first photo, above) (price £100,000), and an open letter to Michael Gove pleading for more art education in schools (on the right in the photo below) by Bob and Roberta Smith (£36,000). What seemed to me 'subversive' and exciting in the 1970s has become a series of committee meeting memos and action points.
There's always an architecture room which I think of as the Room of Shame. In my humble opinion architecture has completely failed the people of Britain, creating inhuman and soul-destroying blocks of flats and windswept shopping precincts the length and breadth of the land, like the horrible town centres I recently visited of Ashford and King's Lynn. This room always strikes me as darkly satirical because it is full of fantastical science-fiction fantasies of outlandish buildings, a handful of which will be built by international superstar architects like Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid, while each year hundreds of thousands of little brick boxes are created in soul-less estates and plastic cul de sacs in the Thames Gateway or outside ruined horrible cities.
It is for this reason that I very much liked the big (5 foot square?) photo by Jooney Woodward of Rhoose Point, a new estate on the Welsh coast, a characterless alien set of plain suburban brick houses plonked down next to the coast with no thought for context or setting, with one desolated-looking kid walking through its dead drives. That is the architecture which is created year in, year out to make Britain the dull and boring country it is.
In this room I quite like the hoopy metal sculptures. a hanging sculpture of numerous profiles of human faces which you can't make out against the wood doorframe, and the two photographs to the right of the central door, which are views of the same rural scene in spring and winter. But too much of the rest seemed undistinguished and samey.
Two pieces made me laugh out loud: Martin Creed's work number 398 which is a shaped fluorescent tube. As far as I know American minimalists were displaying fluorescent tubes in the 1960s, so this is an antique idea, but he had shaped it to read ASSHOLES and the bluntness and simplicity made me laugh. And in the same room was a microphone with a hairbrush instead of a microphone. A quick simple chuckle but hardly going to set the world on fire.
Ceal Floyer, Solo (Edition of 3 plus 2 artist's proofs), 2006
Microphone stand, hairbrush, 150 x 50 x 50 cm
Photo © Nick Ash. Courtesy by the Artist and Esther Schipper
large oil paintings by Maurice Cockrill – Green Triangles, Falling Water
The Shoreless Flower (photo) by Guler Ates (£1,400) a full size person completely hidden under a monochrome silk throw in a historic house, as exhibited at Marcelle Joseph projects
Michael Craig-Martin's characteristic outline-of-well-designed-artefact paintings eg Spotlight (£1,440)
Norman Ackroyd's wonderful etchings of seascapes in Shetland, off Ireland eg Sun and mist, Downpatrick Head, County Mayo (£1,100)
Anaphora, an etching by Eleanor Havsteen-Franklin (£580)
Photos by Cadelasverdes who seem to be a Spanish collective with their own Facebook profile
the usual handful of drawings of nudes by Tracey Emin which have sold wildly
a humorous sculpture, The Singer Sewer by Tim Lewis (£4,500)
comic ink and crayon drawings by Glenn Baxter
Top of the lake by Donna McLean (£4,000) with its Close Encounters of the Third Kind ambience
From A Garden by Lesley Hick (£90)
two sweet watercolours of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman by their co-star in the BBC TV series Sherlock, Una Stubbs
Car Park No.7 by Jock McFadyen (£6,000)
Winter hedge by Boyd and Evans ((£6,500)
Cascade (£2,800) and Trickle (£350) by Stevey Scullion
Dark light by Kenneth Draper
Two nuns by Ron Arad (£100,000)
Are you ready for lunch? by William Bowyer (£6,000) which for me typifies a type of no-nonsense, no drama English figurative painting
Fertility figures by Tim Shaw
Sensing Thought, a light installation by James Turrell, an exhibition of whose I have reviewed
Approximate Precision – Scourers 4 by Peter Abrahams (£3,200) a nicely composed photo of something which have been a key part of my life for decades
Guardian preview
BBC review
Telegraph review
by Simon on August 14, 2014 • Permalink
Posted in Architecture, Art, Exhibition
Tagged art, exhibition, Royal Academy, Royal Academy of Arts, Summer Exhibition 2014
Posted by Simon on August 14, 2014
https://astrofella.wordpress.com/2014/08/14/royal-academy-summer-exhibition-2014/
Malevich: Revolutionary of Russian art @ Tate Modern
Dennis Hopper – The Last Album @ Royal Academy


So we woke up today, kind of refreshed from a great night's sleep. We ate pancakes, but instead of going straight into breakfast, I went kneeboarding. I think it is the last time we do watersports. Coming back I ate the leftover food and we went to get ready for San Souci to come over to our boat and hang out. It was fun! It's always nice to see other people and hear stories of what goes on their boat. After they left we set sail to Road Town. Apparently, it's the biggest town or city in the BVI. So we got our phones and set off for this big town. We met up with San Souci and walked aimlessly around looking for someplace to eat. We went to the store and waited for Jake to pick us up. We saw this funny sea turtle at the end of our boat ride and we finally got back to the boat and gave our phones back and sailed back to where we started and ate dinner, squeezed, and now we are going to over sailing for the people that want to sail and to do the test.


Match SD Compostela vs Paiosaco results and Live score on footlive.com. SD Compostela - Paiosaco match for Spain: Tercera Division, Group 1 starts on 17/02/2019 at 16:00 UTC/GMT. With footlive.com you can follow SD Compostela results and Paiosaco results. Live results, Goal Scorers , Half Time result, Full-Time result, 2nd Half result, h2h, head to head, line ups, goals, red cards, yellow cards, statistics, betting, follow the game with foot live.


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Colour Yellow Productions' Good Luck Jerry wins big!
Good Luck Jerry won hearts all through 2022 and now that it is awards season, the movie is winning all the awards too! An Aanand L Rai production and Siddharth Sen directorial, the movie made waves for being the first of its kind female led black comedy. With a crisp storyline and Janhvi Kapoor's mind blowing performance, the movie became an instant hit. So it is no wonder that come award season, the movie is bagging them all.
Winning the award for Most Popular OTT film for Good Luck Jerry at Indian Television Awards, Producer Aanand L Rai said, " Making Good Luck Jerry with Siddharth was a very different experience. The storyline was unique and we had a very particular vision for it. It also had a lot of high risk high reward variables in it."
Director Siddharth Sen added,"I feel extremely happy to see how loved this movie is. Of Course Good Luck Jerry holds a special place in my heart, it was a brilliant movie making experience for me. But to see it being this appreciated is something else entirely."
Good Luck Jerry was released in July of this year with Janhvi Kapoor as the lead. The movie came from the slate of Colour Yellow Production that had given us hits like Shubh Mangal Zyaada savadhan, Atrangi Re, Tanu weds Manu and many more. Good Luck Jerry also followed the same fate and was highly praised and loved when it came out.
Jhand Ba From Good Luck Jerry Out Tomorrow:https://newsonfloor.com/article/detail/jhand-ba-from-good-luck-jerry-out-tomorrow-1040.htm


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Howardena Pindell: What Remains To Be Seen
On View At The Rose Art Museum Through May 19, 2019
Howardena Pindell has a complicated relationship with Boston. Before earning her MFA at Yale in 1967, she attended Boston University as an undergraduate art student. Initially, she was the only black student in the art department. And Boston was a racist, segregated city.
America, Know Thyself
Though We Would like to Believe Otherwise, This Is Who We Are
Between April 19 and May 31, 2018, one-thousand, nine-hundred and ninety-five children were taken away from their families by U.S. Border Patrol. Most of these children were placed in juvenile immigration shelters while their parents were labeled criminals, charged with a federal misdemeanor immigration violation, and sent to jail. All because they were seeking a better life in America, the land of opportunity.
Reflections On: White Houses
A Colorless Portrayal of Two Vibrant and Influential Women
"In bed, we were beauties. We were goddesses. We were the little girls we'd never been:
loved, saucy, delighted, delightful."
~ Amy Bloom, White Houses
Amy Bloom's historical novel, White Houses, proclaims itself to be an intimate look at the relationship between Lorena "Hick" Hickok and Eleanor Roosevelt. The story takes place over a weekend in April 1945, shortly after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt and just months before the end of World War II. In the novel, Eleanor has summoned her former lover to her Greenwich Village apartment after an eight-year separation. The two women quickly fall into a comfortable routine as Hick reminisces about their love affair.
Reflections On: Love, Hate & Other Filters
"I don't know how to live the life I want and still be a good daughter."
~ Samira Ahmed, Love, Hate & Other Filters
Books have always been an important part of my life. When I have questions that I can't answer, I turn to books. When I feel like the world is spinning out of control, I turn to books. Books are my constant companions and a source of both comfort and wisdom. I have always been able to pick up a book and see myself reflected in the characters. I took that privilege for granted.
Reflections On: A Catalog of Birds
"Don't just disappear on us."
~ Laura Harrington, A Catalog of Birds
I was born in the mid-1970s, in the shadow of the Vietnam War. I was too young to have any first-hand memories of the war, but not too young to eavesdrop on hushed conversations. I quickly learned the Vietnam War was a topic that was not suitable for young ears. That, of course, made it irresistible.
Reflections On: Behold the Dreamers
"In America today, having documents is not enough. Look at how many people with papers are struggling. Look at how even some Americans are suffering. They were born in this country."
~ Imbolo Mbue, Behold the Dreamers
Imbolo Mbue's debut novel, Behold the Dreamers, sifts through all we have swept under the rug of the American dream. A New York Times bestseller and winner of multiple awards, including the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and the Blue Metropolis Words to Change Award, the novel explores themes of race, class, power and privilege from the perspectives of two very different families.
Reflections On: Escape Home
"At some point with family history one has to stop moving backward, researching and reminiscing, and let time go on its forward roll again."
~ Charles Paterson, Escape Home
When my paternal grandmother passed away in 2004, many of my family's records, old photographs and letters were passed along to me. I've always been interested in history and genealogy, and so I became the family archivist. If you are fascinated by the stories you uncover as you delve into your family history, you will enjoy Escape Home: Rebuilding a Life After the Anschluss.
Hungarian Goulash: Paprika-Infused Comfort
I grew up on my mother's family farm in Guilford, Connecticut. I have fond memories of rushing to the breakfast table to pour the cream off the top of the milk and into my cheerios. Most of what we ate came from what we grew or raised or what we bought from the neighboring dairy farm. We typically sold the best cuts of meat, so our freezer was full of tongue, liver, horse meat and other bits-and-pieces that you'd probably rather not think about. My father's family was from Brooklyn, and my great-uncle served in the OSS with Julia Child. My grandmother loved foods with butter, sherry and spices she brought home from her travels. Is it any wonder food made such an impression on me?
Reflections On: Lily and the Octopus
"She was twelve and a half in actual years, which is eighty-seven in dog years ."
~ Steven Rowley, Lily and the Octopus
Reading Steven Rowley's debut novel, Lily and the Octopus, was an emotional experience. I started out a skeptic, then fell in love with the story of Lily, a twelve-year-old dachshund, and her neurotic and endearing human, Ted, before rolling my eyes and, finally, dissolving into tears and forcing my cat to endure an extra long snuggle.
Reflections On: Interpreter of Maladies
"It was only then, raising my water glass in his name, that I knew what it meant to miss someone who was so many miles and hours away, just as he had missed his wife and daughters for so many months."
~ Jhumpa Lahiri, Interpreter of Maladies
Published in 1999, Interpreter of Maladies is a collection of nine short stories by Jhumpa Lahiri. Winner of both the PEN/Hemingway Award and the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, I picked up a copy several years ago. It promptly took up residence on the pile of books by my bed and stayed there. Had friends not recommended it as part of my endeavor to read and write a review of thirty books in 2018, it would probably still be on the pile of good intentions.
Erica Holthausen grew up on a small family farm in New England. As a child, she could often be found in the branches of an old maple tree absorbed in a book. Not much has changed. Today she sits in her grandfather's old chair reading, writes in one of her many half-started journals, and browses the shelves at her favorite local independent bookseller. She lives in Newburyport, Massachusetts, with her cat, The Artful Dodger, and is currently working on several personal essays and her first novel.
The Scribbler's Journal
Newburyport, MA 01950
erica@thescribblersjournal.com


text:
Flipkart internal teams to build innovative solutions
Jun, 15, 2018 - 741 View
It all began during a casual chat in the office canteen between the then chief technology officer Amod Malviya and Utkarsh B, who is currently vice-president and principal architect at Flipkart, almost a decade ago.
Those days Flipkart was just finding its feet in the yet to be proven e-commerce space in the country. Though Hack Day as a concept was somewhat popular among IT companies, the seed was not yet sown in other non-technology firms, especially in e-commerce. But, Flipkart decided to host its first Hack Day back in 2010-11.
A decade later as the e-commerce giant holds its ninth Hack Day this year, it has gathered an array of innovative ideas through these events over the years, and has even taken 20 of those to their logical conclusion by building solutions for improving business processes.
"Those days, we had 60-70 employees. When we first launched the Hack Day, all participated. Even Binny (Bansal) and Sachin (Bansal) also joined in and wrote codes," said Utkarsh. The intent behind organising the Hack Day is to flare up the imagination of employees to help them think out-of- the box.
"You can be innovative in your thinking during a Hack Day. It helps to unlock your energy as there will be no pressure. Even e-commerce is a kind of box mindset. So, we encourage guys to think beyond," Utkarsh added.
Giving an example of the kind of problem statements which the e-tailer is working on, Utkarsh said the replacement of old cellphones or detecting resellers who buy from Flipkart's platforms in bulk and sell it on a margin in the open market, were huge challenges.
"How do I assess the actual condition of your cellphone (before replacing it with a new one)? So currently we are working on an app, which will scan the condition of your mobile phone. It will help us to understand the camera condition or the battery life since the app will do the diagnostics," Utkarsh added.
If it sees the light of day, the new app will be a sub app, which will be voluntary for users, but can be useful for both the seller and the buyer as the current technologies only allow both to quote a price for the old phone based on the model and IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number.
Besides, its engineers are also working on a breakthrough technology to help detect a reseller from a genuine buyer.
"Fraud detection is another area we are working on. We are also looking to pinpoint the exact geo-location of the customer based on past purchases and the kind of items he/she buys among others," Utkarsh said.
"There are multiple signals through which we can identify a reseller, like we get data from the delivery guy who has gone and delivered the goods. So we can tap those kinds of data and with the use of a systematic algorithm, identify the reseller."
This year, Flipkart expects 60-70% of its 2,000-odd engineering team, including subsidiaries, to be part of the Hack Day.
"Hack Day is an event where people from one functional team reach out to other teams and come up with a logical solution in 24 hours.
We see search engineers reaching out to the supply team or data scientists, which creates a cross collaboration and also help deliver the best results," Utkarsh said.
Source: Business Standard


Ramen noodles won't be winning any healthy food awards, but you can incorporate them into an overall diet of healthy eating. These Japanese-style noodles, sold in colorful packages in supermarkets everywhere, can become a bit more beneficial with some creativity and common sense. One major common-sense move is leaving out the flavor packet that usually comes with the noodles.
A single 43 g serving of Nissan Top Ramen Noodles contains 188 calories, with 61 of those calories coming from fat, a beef-flavored Top Ramen nutritional label says. In addition to the 7 g of fat, each serving gives you 4 g of protein and 27 g of carbohydrates, 1 g each from sugars and dietary fiber. Add the flavor packet and you're adding at least 861 mg of sodium, depending on the flavor. This comes out to 36 percent of the daily recommended sodium intake, 9 percent of the recommended carbohydrate intake, 4 percent of the fiber, 10 percent of the total fat and 17 percent of the saturated fat. Other brands and flavors vary slightly.
A major mark against ramen noodles is the sodium, notes Women Fitness, which put the noodles on its "Top 10 Foods Worst to Consume" list. The noodles' flavor packets contain anywhere from the beef's 861 mg of sodium to 3,000 mg in some other flavors. The recommended daily dose of sodium, as per the Dietary Reference Intake, should be no more than 1,440 mg. Another mark against the noodles is they are basically rolled dough that is deep-fried and lack any significant nutritional value.
In addition to high amounts of sodium, the flavor packet contains monosodium glutamate, or MSG. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gives MSG the nod as an ingredient that is "generally recognized as safe," the Mayo Clinic notes, but people have sent the FDA reports of some MSG side effects. These include headaches, numbness or tingling, chest pain, sweating and flushing, weakness and nausea. No scientific studies back up these claims, but the Mayo Clinic says researchers acknowledge some people may have adverse reactions to the ingredient.
A plus for a ramen noodle diet is the variety of recipes for which the noodles can be a basis. Main dishes, lunches, snacks and soups are recipe categories offered from Nissan, one noodle manufacturer. Choices include ramen noodle pizza, noodle strudel, instant tempura noodles and a south-of-the-border soup. Crushed ramen noodles top a salad listed at Epicurious. Ramen-licious, a site dedicated to touting the greatness of the noodles, offers ramen noodle snack mix, a ramen mayonnaise salad and two recipes including another instant food, Spam.
If healthy eating is not a main concern, ramen noodles do have oodles of benefits. They are cheap, with the 43 g package costing less than 50 cents in 2010. They cook in about three minutes. You can enhance the health benefits of ramen noodles if you leave out the flavor packet and mix them instead with healthy ingredients like vegetables, grilled chicken, shrimp or other seafood.


Ever had trouble administering a vaccine, feeding a tablet or ringing a pigeon?
It can be tricky at times, especially with only one person.
These pigeon holders are a relatively new concept but have already been adopted by fanciers all over the world.
With the pigeon in place close the top to secure. You now have both hands free.


Matilda, my 4 year old granddaughter, was watching her Mummy opening the post and asked why she didn't get any letters. Helen, not wanting to disappoint her by saying that people hardly write letters any more, told her that perhaps it was because people didn't realise that she could read, and that if she wrote some letters she might get some back.
I was assigned the pleasurable task of taking her shopping for a letter writing kit. I was surprised when she turned down the pretty notelet sets with matching envelopes, instead insisting on a plain writing pad and envelopes. She was also allowed a book of blue stamps.
She then apparently thoroughly enjoyed writing lots of letters, of which I was one of the lucky recipients – she had even signed it off as from 'pen pal'. How cute! What's happened to pen pals? Wouldn't it be lovely if we could get our children to have pen pals like we used to, especially ones from different countries.
The first to reply was from her Aunty Charlotte, who was also so excited to receive a letter that wasn't a bill, that she drove straight to the post office to send her reply! Matilda's excitement was through the roof when she realised she had a letter through the post. I hope she gets many more, she certainly will from me.


text:
U.S. Embassy in Baghdad attacked after US air attack on militia….
December 31, 2019 By jamesb
This is a reaction to the American airstrike's …
The protests have to be backed by Iran , which has a increased presence in Iraq due the Trump policy of trying to leave the country…
The attack was in response to an American contractor's death….
24 Iranian backed militiamen in Iraq where killed by the American actions.…
Hundreds of angry supporters of an Iranian-backed militia shouting "Death to America" broke into the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Tuesday, trapping diplomats inside in response to U.S. airstrikes that killed or wounded scores of militia fighters.
The protesters breached the vast embassy compound's outer security but did not reach the main chancery building.
Iraqi security forces later intervened, erecting a steel barrier at the smashed gate into the compound's reception area and forcing the protesters to leave. However, protesters remained outside the gates, taunting the guards inside with chants denouncing America, attempting to tear down razor wire atop the compound's walls and tossing molotov cocktails over them.
After darkness fell, some of the protesters stormed and burned the embassy's second reception gate, as others set up tents for the night beside the embassy gates. They vowed to stay until all U.S. troops and diplomats leave Iraq.
They did not, however, enter the sprawling embassy compound, where diplomats and embassy staff sought refuge in a reinforced safe room.
President Trump responded angrily Tuesday to the protesters' actions, charging that Iran was behind a deadly militia attack that led to the airstrikes and blaming Tehran for the embassy siege.
"Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many," Trump tweeted from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. "We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!"
He added later in a separate tweet: "To those many millions of people in Iraq who want freedom and who don't want to be dominated and controlled by Iran, this is your time!"
Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said the Pentagon has taken "appropriate force-protection actions to ensure the safety of American citizens, military personnel and diplomats" in Iraq "and to ensure our right of self-defense." He added in a statement: "We are sending additional forces to support our personnel at the Embassy."….
image….U.S. troops watch from inside the U.S. Embassy as Iraqi protesters surround the building in Baghdad on Tuesday. (Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images)
Filed Under: Government, Military, Politics Tagged With: Iran, Iranian back militia's, Iraq, Iraqi protests, US airstrikes
"The protests have to be backed by Iran , which has a increased presence in Iraq due the Obama/Trump policy of trying to leave the country…"
Fixed it for you.
But (and here I know CG will disagree with me) Obama signed the JCPOA with Iran and five other powers, while Trump tore it up with no coherent substitute policy. "Maximum Pressure" works about as well with Iran as it does with North Korea.
It should never have been signed and then once it was done, the damage had already occurred. Tearing it up also really accomplishes nothing except pointing out what a bad idea it was in the first place to pretend Iran could be trusted.
Right now, the Embassy in Iraq must be secured and defended.
Donald Trump has NO cohesive Foreign Policy because he REALLY doesn't give a shit…
His whole focus WAS making money…
THAT?
Is gone…
On Iran?
As just said?
Barack Obama did the agreement?
So even if it WAS working?
Trump could NOT stand it….
And worst?
EVERBODY else signed off on it…
So ?
Along with Bibi he tears the agreement up!….
Iran get spiteful ….
Sanctions, no deal and Trump talking tough REALLY doesn't work anymore with other countries …
Soooooo?
While the American military wants to NOT give up the Middle East…
Donald Trump DON'T care…
Iran is NOW gonna push….
The American military and Trump are stuck in the middle …
What I wonder (even though the current, duly-elected President of this Republic seems to be more comfortable with post-Stalinist dictators in Moscow, Peking and Pyongyang) are the chances of ever again getting Russia and China to agree again on a multilateral six-power agreement with Iran or North Korea?
And the consensus seems to be that Iran was sticking with its agreement while North Korea's rulers (basically for existential reasons) was cheating.
Remember when Israel, the neo-conservatives, the super-hawks, GW Bush's Vulcans, Screwball and Ahmed Chalabi all insisted that Iraq controlled Weapons of Mass Destruction, when in fact none could be found there after Operation Iraqi Freedom?
The net result was turning Iraq into a satellite protectorate of Iran, while allowing anti-Shia discrimination to allow the growth of al-Qaeda and ISIS.
* Big gain for America's power and Israel's security. *
Sorry, not Screwball, but Curveball.
Foreign Affairs is NOT for amateurs….
Next President is gonna have to put things back together,,,
Update on Trump vs Iran in Iraq….
….The developments in Baghdad came on the eve of the new year, when Trump is seeking reelection on a platform that boasts of strong international leadership and a commitment that the United States will not be a global policeman for age-old conflicts.
"They're fighting for 1,000 years, they're fighting for centuries. I want to bring our soldiers back home," Trump said in October, as he announced that U.S. forces had killed Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. "I had absolutely nothing to do with going into Iraq, and I was totally against it."
Trump has long viewed U.S. involvement in the Middle East as a political loser that leads only to the loss of money and lives, according to a Trump adviser who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the president's views.
"I can tell you 100 percent that the president has no desire to get into some kind of new conflict in the Middle East during 2020," the person said.
Speaking to reporters at Mar-a-Lago shortly before New Year's Eve festivities there, Trump backed off his aggressive tone against Iran that he had leveled on Twitter earlier Tuesday.
"Do I want to? No," he said when asked whether he would go to war against Iran. "I like peace. And Iran should want peace more than anybody. So I don't see that happening."…
jamesb on Number of Capitol protest/assault cases rises to 275…Trump Allies Helped Plan Rally That Ignited Riot "…


HTF MI released a new market study on Global 3D Printing Services Market with 100+ market data Tables, Pie Chat, Graphs & Figures spread through Pages and easy to understand detailed analysis. At present, the market is developing its presence. The Research report presents a complete assessment of the Market and contains a future trend, current growth factors, attentive opinions, facts, and industry validated market data. The research study provides estimates for Global 3D Printing Services Forecast till 2025*. Some are the key players taken under coverage for this study are 3D Systems, Arcam, ExOne, Materialise, Stratasys, Rising customization across various industries, For a full, detailed list, view our report, High cost of industrial 3D printers and operating industrial 3D printers, For a full, detailed list, view our report, Growing use of 3D printing in education sector & For a full, detailed list, view our report.
#Summary: HTF's analysts forecast the global 3D printing services market to grow at a CAGR of 26.42% during the period 2018-2022.
Following are list of players that are currently profiled in the the report "3D Systems, Arcam, ExOne, Materialise, Stratasys, Rising customization across various industries, For a full, detailed list, view our report, High cost of industrial 3D printers and operating industrial 3D printers, For a full, detailed list, view our report, Growing use of 3D printing in education sector & For a full, detailed list, view our report"
To comprehend Global 3D Printing Services market dynamics in the world mainly, the worldwide 3D Printing Services market is analyzed across major global regions. HTF MI also provides customized specific regional and country-level reports for the following areas.
The key players are highly focusing innovation in production technologies to improve efficiency and shelf life. The best long-term growth opportunities for this sector can be captured by ensuring ongoing process improvements and financial flexibility to invest in the optimal strategies. Company profile section of players such as 3D Systems, Arcam, ExOne, Materialise, Stratasys, Rising customization across various industries, For a full, detailed list, view our report, High cost of industrial 3D printers and operating industrial 3D printers, For a full, detailed list, view our report, Growing use of 3D printing in education sector & For a full, detailed list, view our report includes its basic information like legal name, website, headquarters, its market position, historical background and top 5 closest competitors by Market capitalization / revenue along with contact information. Each player/ manufacturer revenue figures, growth rate and gross profit margin is provided in easy to understand tabular format for past 5 years and a separate section on recent development like mergers, acquisition or any new product/service launch etc.