We imagine that every celebrity has their own go-to glam squad consisting of a makeup artist, hairstylist, and everything else in between, that will make them look incredible 24/7. Actually, we don't need to imagine this, as we know that many A-listers have an entourage that's always on hand to help beautify them whenever they need it.
Which is why we were surprised, shocked even, to discover that when Beyoncé needs to get her hair dyed she sometimes does it at home. Let's just say that again so it sinks in: Beyoncé dyes her own hair. Of course, she doesn't do that all the time and does have help in the form of her colourist Rita Hazan, who's known for creating that honey-blonde hue that we like to call Queen Bey hair.
Speaking about Bey doing her own colour, Hazan revealed in an interview why the star sometimes does it at home: "She's good at it because her mom had a salon when she was growing up, so she knows what she's doing. She'll play with it but she won't do anything crazy. If she needs to touch it up, she'll touch it up [herself]."
This gives us joy for two reasons: First, we love that everyone sometimes reaches for the home dye kit, even the A-list. Second, Beyoncé's hair colour might not be as hard to achieve as we thought… Keep scrolling for more tips on how Hazan creates Beyoncé's honey-blonde hue.
So what's the secret to getting the now-iconic hair colour? While many hairdressers and colourists swear by toners and glosses, Hazan doesn't. "My theory on colour is that you have to hit the colour the first time," the colourist revealed. So keep that in mind next time you're going for a new lighter hue.
Also, it's worth bearing in mind the advice she gives about going lighter, especially if you've already got darker brunette locks. Essentially, you have to take it slow and book multiple appointments so you go lighter each time.
Finally, if you're wondering what kind of images Beyoncé takes to Hazan for inspiration—she doesn't. According to Hazan, "she has to have her own look." Noted.
Thinking of a new look? Check out this gallery of 48 stunning hair colour ideas.


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Who doesn't love Peter Rabbit?
Over the weekend we'll be serving heart shaped biscuits and cakes in the Tea Room. And if you love the new CBeebies Peter & Lily as much as we do, then you can enjoy a special 10% discount on mini Peter & Lily soft toys!


text:
Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.
Next summer, we're going to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the coming together of Chardon Christian Church and 1st Congregational Church. It's a time when I hope we'll all be thinking what rôle we'll be playing in our church's future. And at the same time, it'll be hard not to think about the vision shared by the founders of Pilgrim Church.
And so, as we think about our own experience here on Chardon Square, let's try to imagine what it must've been like for the earliest Christians who didn't have much of a guidebook, and who had very little experience to guide them as they set out on the path of being a Christian in a world that either didn't know who they were or—if it did—was anxious to stamp them out before they were able to spread too far.
The gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and the epistles (or letters) of the New Testament provided a basic roadmap for the first-century church. One such letter was clearly intended to help Jewish Christians better understand and relate to their new faith, because the whole letter is in dialogue with what we now call the Old Testament— in ways that no other New Testament book is. As the late great preacher Fred Craddock put it, "The Christian faith grows out of and is sustained by the conversation between the church and its Bible." [1] This letter is perhaps the best example of this we see in the Bible itself, for it is the church speaking to and on behalf of the church using arguments that are upheld by the scriptures and in conversation with those same scriptures.
Most of the letter is deeply theological in nature, explaining who Christ is and how Christ fulfills both the law and the prophets, and also explaining the intricate relationship between what we do and what we believe. In fact, it's probably the most wonderful demonstration anywhere in the Bible of how the faith of the patriarchs and matriarchs was more important than what they actually did. Works came as a result of faith, and therefore, it has always been faith that has saved the faithful.
But today I read a passage from the final chapter of the Letter to the Hebrews that moves us (as so many Epistles eventually do) from the realm of the theological to the ethical… or, more simply put, from the clouds to where the rubber hits the road. The first verse of the passage is not just short and sweet, but deep and beautiful: Let mutual love continue. It's both an exhortation and an affirmation. You're already loving. Keep loving. The Apostle Paul might've said something very similar at this point.
If I could, though, I'd like to translate this verse using a Greek word that we're all familiar with. The actual first word of Hebrews 13 in the original language is also the name of the largest city in Pennsylvania. So it's possible to say in English, "Let philadelphia continue," since we all know (I think) that φιλαδελφία is actually a Greek word meaning brotherly (or sisterly) love, translated in the NRSV as mutual love—basically, love for people who are like unto ourselves.
But then the author of this letter moves from how we treat people like us—φιλαδελφια—to how we treat the people whom we consider to be outsiders. This Greek word isn't one we immediately recognize but it's easy to figure out. In our current political climate, we're probably increasingly aware of something called xenophobia, or the fear of foreigners or strangers. A -phobia, as we all know, is a fear. So that means that the xeno- part of the word must mean stranger.
But instead of fearing strangers, the author of Hebrews moves immediately from encouraging his or her readers to practice φιλαδελφια to encouraging them to practice φιλοξενια—not brotherly or sisterly, but strangerly love… or, as we are more likely to call it, hospitality. So we might say that Hebrews 13 tells us to continue our philadelphia, but not to forget about philoxenia—a little tale of two cities. It goes without saying that we should look within and help those who are like us. But to truly be the body of Christ, we must also look without and help those who aren't like us.
Hospitality is, in fact, a huge theme in the Bible, because people's survival back in the days it was written depended on the kindness of strangers. If I had to choose one very important thing that has been lost in the ensuing centuries, it is this one. In our time and in our culture, hospitality is more of a for-profit industry than a way of life. Whether we travel on business or for pleasure, we count on the hospitality industry to make us comfortable. Hospitality also comes into play when we encounter somebody on the streets in need of directions, say, to the Square; and we feel good about ourselves when we take time out of our busy schedule to point them in the right direction. Occasionally hospitality takes charge of our lives when we entertain friends from out of town for a few days in our homes. But for the most part—unless it's what we're paid to do—hospitality plays a relatively minor rôle in how we live.
But in the ancient world—especially in arid areas where water and food were scarce—if people couldn't count on strangers when they went from place to place, they simply wouldn't survive. They couldn't call ahead for reservations. They often couldn't afford inns—but even if they could, cities and towns were sometimes too distant to get to before nightfall.
But as important as hospitality was in general, Hebrews talks about it in a unique way—a way that is, in fact, very Hebrew. Never fail to practice strangerly love (or hospitality), for by doing that, some have hosted angels without knowing it. The Authorized Version put it especially beautifully: thereby some have entertained angels unawares. The writer could've been referring to some contemporary Christians he or she knew. But it's probably more likely that they were referring to an Old Testament story, such as the one found in Genesis 18 when three strangers appeared to Abraham and Sarah. The writer of Genesis clues us in in the very first verse that it's "the Lord" who came to them, though later interpretations have tended toward the view that the three men were messengers of the Lord. But through them, God promised Sarah and Abraham a child: Angels unawares. [5]
There's a certain kind of reality TV show that I'm thinking of right now. The premise is simple, but interesting: Somebody important goes undercover to discover what really goes on in a particular kind of business.
One example was a show called Undercover Boss. In this show, a high-ranking executive poses as a low-ranking employee in their own company in order to see what's really going on. At the end of each episode, the true identity of the employee is revealed. Some of the people they worked with are rewarded, while others are penalized—or even fired.
Another example is called Mystery Diners. In this one, a restaurant owner can't figure out why they're losing so much money, or why patrons won't come back, or some other problem. And so they call in the "mystery diners" who pretend to be new employees or customers or vendors. They're wired with secret cameras, and in this way the restaurant owner can find out stuff they wouldn't know otherwise—such as who's stealing from them, or who's treating the customers rudely, or who's abusing the employees.
The Bible's version of this kind of reality TV would be a show called Angels Unawares. The premise is that there's a heavenly messenger posing as a stranger in need of hospitality. How will the angel be treated by the faithful? When John Calvin talked about this passage, [2] he looked at it as history that seemed to be repeating itself in his own time. First he bemoaned the fact (just as I just did) that hospitality wasn't being observed in his day as it had been in days gone by. But then he highlighted the fact that these weren't necessarily nomads wandering from tent settlement to tiny village in the middle of the desert as in Abraham and Sarah's day, but were more likely "fugitives who [had] left their homes for the Name of Christ." [4]
Calvin had himself been just such a fugitive who had been forced to flee his native France because of his religious beliefs. And one of his principle functions in life was to minister to other refugees who were coming to Geneva because of their religious beliefs. These people weren't just Frenchmen and -women, but were also English and Scots and Hungarian and Dutch and German. We don't need to forgive Calvin for allowing his interpretation of the scriptures to be influenced by his own experience. Indeed, I think that's precisely what we should do when we read the Bible.
Jesus made it impossible not to, in fact. When we read Hebrews 13:2 telling us that we'd better be kind to strangers, for it might just be an undercover angel we've encountered, it sounds somewhat supernatural. But Jesus made it even more fantastic, and in so doing brought the whole thing back down to earth. Near the end of Matthew's gospel, Christ told the parable of the sheep and goats. It was a lot like one of those reality shows I mentioned earlier, except instead of a business executive separating those who were to be rewarded from those who were going to get fired, this parable is about the Son of Man separating the peoples "as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." The sheep, as you probably remember, were the ones who had come to the aid of the downtrodden, while the goats were those who had ignored them. In the end, both groups got what they wanted out of life: Those who had wanted to be close to their brothers and sisters got to be with God, while those who wanted to keep their distance got to be separated from God. [3]
How is this possible? you might ask. What does the one have to do with the other? It's possible because the Letter to the Hebrews is actually a bit of a downgrade from the Gospel According to Matthew, where "not mere angels are received, but Christ himself, when we receive the poor in his Name." [4]
We are created in the Image of God, and rejecting that Image—whether in friend or stranger—is a rejection of the One in whose Image that person was made. So far from the metaphysical nature of an angel coming to us in the guise of a person in need of either φιλαδελφια (brotherly/sisterly love) or φιλοξενια (strangerly love), it is both easier and theologically much more satisfying to look not upon the outward appearance, but at the Image at the other person's core. In so doing, we will see the very Incarnation of God.
Because Christ was one of us, we are one with Christ, "who enjoins us to do good to all without exception." [4] It's easy to object that there are many who deserve no such treatment. They've brought it upon themselves. They're where they shouldn't be. They don't have the proper documents. They're bad people. "But scripture [gives] a most excellent reason when it tells us that we are not to look to what people in themselves deserve, but to attend to the Image of God, which exists in all, and to which we owe all honor and love." [6]
In a climate of mistrust and xenophobia, let us, therefore, be a people of honor, a people of love, a people who do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers—not out of fear for the angel in them we cannot see, but because of love for the Christ in them we do see.
—©2019 Sam L. Greening, Jr.
Fred R. Craddock, The Letter to the Hebrews, The New Interpreter's Bible, Vol. XII (Nashville: Abingdon, 1998) p. 3.
Perhaps you think I quote Calvin too often, but have you ever considered that Calvin might simply have been predicting what Sam Greening was going to say on any particular topic.
John Calvin, Commentary on Hebrews 13:2.
Genesis 1:26-27.
John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion 3.7.6. It should be noted that in the next sentence Calvin states that "in those who are of the household of faith, the same rule is to be more carefully observed, inasmuch as that image is renewed and restored in them by the Spirit of Christ," thus emphasizing φιλαδελφια (Hebrews 13:1) over φιλοξενια (13:2).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Opius subcirculator — вид паразитических наездников рода Opius из семейства Braconidae (Opiinae). Россия (Ильменский заповедник, Средний Урал). Мелкие наездники (длина менее 3 мм). От близких видов отличается следующими признаками: брюшко сплюснутое с боков; голова чёрная, грудь и брюшко коричневатые , ноги жёлтые; промежуточный сегмент морщинистый. В усиках 29-32 членика. Паразитоиды. Предположительно, как и у других представителей своего рода, их хозяевами служат мухи семейства Agromyzidae. Вид был впервые описан в 1986 году российским энтомологом Владимиром Ивановичем Тобиасом (Санкт-Петербург, Россия). Включён в состав подрода Allotypus.

См. также
 Opius mischa
 Utetes tarasi

Примечания

Ссылки

Opius
Животные, описанные в 1986 году
Насекомые Евразии
Паразиты насекомых
Эндемики России

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: Migrating C# .Net encrypt/decrypt algorithm to Ruby I have to encrypt/decrypt data from a .Net based web service that is using the following code (based on Rijndael algorithm):
/**
 * Cifra una cadena texto con el algoritmo de Rijndael
 *
 * @param   plainMessage    mensaje plano (sin cifrar)
 * @param   p_strSpecialKey key especial
 * @return  string          texto cifrado en hexadecimal
 */
public static string AES_encryptString(String plainMessage, string p_strSpecialKey) {
  string strTxtEncrypt = "";

  // Crear una instancia del algoritmo de Rijndael
  try {
    Rijndael RijndaelAlg = Rijndael.Create();
    RijndaelAlg.KeySize = 128;
    RijndaelAlg.Mode = CipherMode.ECB;
    RijndaelAlg.Padding = PaddingMode.Zeros;

    byte[] Key = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(p_strSpecialKey);
    byte[] IV = RijndaelAlg.IV;

    int keySize = 32;
    Array.Resize(ref Key, keySize);

    // Establecer un flujo en memoria para el cifrado
    MemoryStream memoryStream = new MemoryStream();

    // Crear un flujo de cifrado basado en el flujo de los datos
    CryptoStream cryptoStream = new CryptoStream(memoryStream,
    RijndaelAlg.CreateEncryptor(Key, IV),
    CryptoStreamMode.Write);

    // Obtener la representación en bytes de la información a cifrar
    byte[] plainMessageBytes = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(plainMessage);

    // Cifrar los datos enviándolos al flujo de cifrado
    cryptoStream.Write(plainMessageBytes, 0, plainMessageBytes.Length);
    cryptoStream.FlushFinalBlock();

    // Obtener los datos datos cifrados como un arreglo de bytes
    byte[] cipherMessageBytes = memoryStream.ToArray();

    // Cerrar los flujos utilizados
    memoryStream.Close();
    cryptoStream.Close();

    strTxtEncrypt = ByteToHex(cipherMessageBytes);
  } catch (Exception ex) {
    AddToFile("Error al encriptar el valor: " + plainMessage + " con la clave especial: " + p_strSpecialKey + " " + ex.ToString());
  }

  return strTxtEncrypt;
}

/**
 * Descifra una cadena texto con el algoritmo de Rijndael
 *
 * @param   encryptedMessage    mensaje cifrado en hexadecimal
 * @param   p_strSpecialKey key especial
 * @return  string              texto descifrado (plano)
 */
public static string AES_decryptString(String encryptedMessage, string p_strSpecialKey) {
  string strDecrypt = "";

  // Crear una instancia del algoritmo de Rijndael
  try {
    Rijndael RijndaelAlg = Rijndael.Create();
    RijndaelAlg.KeySize = 128;
    RijndaelAlg.Mode = CipherMode.ECB;
    RijndaelAlg.Padding = PaddingMode.Zeros;

    byte[] Key = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(p_strSpecialKey);
    byte[] IV = RijndaelAlg.IV;

    int keySize = 32;
    Array.Resize(ref Key, keySize);

    // Obtener la representación en bytes del texto cifrado
    byte[] cipherTextBytes = HexToByteArray(encryptedMessage);

    // Crear un arreglo de bytes para almacenar los datos descifrados
    byte[] plainTextBytes = new byte[cipherTextBytes.Length];

    // Crear un flujo en memoria con la representación de bytes de la información cifrada
    MemoryStream memoryStream = new MemoryStream(cipherTextBytes);

    // Crear un flujo de descifrado basado en el flujo de los datos
    CryptoStream cryptoStream = new CryptoStream(memoryStream,
    RijndaelAlg.CreateDecryptor(Key, IV),
    CryptoStreamMode.Read);

    // Obtener los datos descifrados obteniéndolos del flujo de descifrado
    int decryptedByteCount = cryptoStream.Read(plainTextBytes, 0, plainTextBytes.Length);

    // Cerrar los flujos utilizados
    memoryStream.Close();
    cryptoStream.Close();

    // Retornar la representación de texto de los datos descifrados
    strDecrypt = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(plainTextBytes, 0, decryptedByteCount).Replace("\0", "");
  } catch (Exception ex) {
    AddToFile("Error al desencriptar el valor: " + encryptedMessage + " con la clave especial: " + p_strSpecialKey + " " + ex.ToString());
  }

  return strDecrypt;
}

I have investigated the way to do the same on Ruby and I found this answer (How to decode Rijndael in ruby (encoded in VB.net)) but it doesn't works for me. Also, I'm not sure of what value i have to use for the iv. The web service brings me a Token that i have to use as the key (100% sure about that), but, actually don't know what i'm missing up.
The code I'm using for encrypt is:
# /lib/crypt.rb
module Crypt
  ...
  def Crypt.encrypt(data, key, iv, cipher_type)
    aes = OpenSSL::Cipher::Cipher.new(cipher_type)
    aes.encrypt
    aes.key = key
    aes.iv = iv
    aes.update(data) + aes.final
  end
end

# ../ws.rb
...
token = "8c5d0e6b93cf5d38d7a076b2db35ee6d" #this is a one of the tokens i received
iv = token
Crypt.encrypt(a_serialized_json,token,iv,"AES-128-CBC")

The encrypted serialized json data that I have to send must be like a hexdigest string like this "f0997ddbb17b08913e00b6fb2541312c1cfdda85e555451a1832df076a5d4a5f7d81d8db92715eade144e9696dfbe9eea573baa8ea90cdbe5baadf32fdeb6db8c9ab6743f8eeeb508921999d7513fad3". But the method described on the link generates a encrypted string like this ""^w\x9A\x90B\xDC\f\x16\xB8\xBDt\xFBo\xD7r\x97"".
Any idea of what I'm doing wrong or what I'm missing?
UPDATE: I figured out that the string output I'm getting is a byte array, and i have to convert this byte array to an hex string. I'm using the following aproach (https://github.com/atomicobject/hex_string/blob/master/lib/hex_string.rb). But, still not sure if Cypher is properly configured to acts as the C# code.

A: Finally, I found a library that exactly match the C# code and is ruby-mcrypt (https://github.com/kingpong/ruby-mcrypt). And the encryption/decryption code i used is this:
require 'mcrypt'

module Crypt
  def Crypt.m_encrypt(data, key)
    crypto = Mcrypt.new(:rijndael_128, :ecb, key, nil, :zeros)
    encrypted_data = crypto.encrypt(data)
    encrypted_data
  end

  def Crypt.m_decrypt(data, key)
    crypto = Mcrypt.new(:rijndael_128, :ecb, key, nil, :zeros)
    crypto.decrypt(data)
  end
end

IMPORTANT: This C# Rjandael library doesn't uses the IV, for that reason i'm giving nil parameter as IV to Mcrypt.
This is only the encryption/decryption section, i'm also converting string to hexa format. Hope it can help somebody else!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Industry Day 2021
By btha_admin16th August 2021September 2nd, 2021Annual Event
Home > Annual Event > Industry Day 2021
BTHA Industry Day
Great Fosters Hotel
TW20 9UR
9.30am – 3pm
£50 – first ticket
£25 subsequent tickets // *subject to availability
Refreshment breaks including tea/coffee/soft drinks/pastries
Please note that members are initially limited to one ticket each and then, subject to availability, members who wish to bring colleagues and/or guests will be contacted with the offer of additional tickets.
Sir Trevor McDonald OBE
Sir Trevor McDonald OBE was born and educated in Trinidad in the West Indies where his career in the media began, first as a radio reporter, news presenter and sports journalist. On his first major assignment there, he was sent to London (1962) to report on talks at Malborough House which culminated in setting a date for Trinidad's Independence.
Sir Trevor came to London in August 1969 to work as a Producer in the BBC Overseas Regional Service at Bush House in the Aldwych. In 1973 he joined ITN as a General Reporter. His first major assignment was in Northern Ireland where he covered the Province's 'troubles' for more than a decade. He also reported from Dublin, Rome, Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg on negotiations about the terms of Britain's membership and earliest days of the then Common Market – now the EU.
Covering sport and politics Sir Trevor travelled to Argentina, Australia and the West Indies before becoming Diplomatic Correspondent and Presenter of Channel Four News in 1982. In that capacity he reported from every Continent, covering events and conducting interviews in Egypt, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, India, Pakistan, Japan, New Zealand, Mexico, South Africa, the Soviet Union and Hong Kong.
When not working abroad, Sir Trevor began his career as an ITN Presenter. He anchored every ITN News programme – from what used to be the News at One, the News at 5.40 and 6.30 to the flagship and award winning News At Ten. And not just from London, but from news locations around the world.
He became Diplomatic Editor in 1982 and in February 1990, after several visits to Southern Africa, went back to Johannesburg to report on Nelson Mandela's release and to do the first British Television interview with the ANC leader for ITN. In November of that same year, just before the start of the first Gulf War, he did the first and still the only British television interview with former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
In the ensuing years at ITN, Sir Trevor conducted the most important television interviews of his time: with Libyan President Colonel Gaddafi, with the former PLO leader Yasser Arafat, with President Bill Clinton, and Secretary of State Colin Powell along with a number of American Presidential candidates and Congressional leaders.
Sir Trevor became the first sole Presenter of News At Ten in 1992 and anchored the Late Evening News until December 2005. By then he had received more awards than any other news broadcaster in Britain.
Don Williams, Partner, Retail, KPMG
Don has over 30 years of experience of advising clients in the retail sector initially as an audit partner and National Head of Sectors at BDO. His clients are, predominantly, private (family) or private equity owned and focused on managed growth to maximise shareholder value.
Don joined KPMG in late 2014 and continues his focus on the retail sector with a view to building on the existing strength of the firm's retail franchise and leveraging existing experience and services that are currently employed effectively with other sectors. Although based In London, he is service line and geographically agnostic.
Specifically he seeks to help clients with some of the key opportunities and challenges that the sector faces : supply chain and operational efficiency, identification and effective penetration of international markets, the world of omni-channel, and the effective collection and analysis of data together with the systems and processes that are required to achieve this .. And helping businesses to pay for this investment and comply with the increasingly complex regulatory environment.
Outside of work : he is married (Gail) with 2 children (Ella, 23 and Angus, 21) and lives outside of Reading. He is a keen sportsman (golf, tennis and hockey) and represented GB and England at hockey between 1989-95 including the privilege of participating at 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Representative client experience includes:
Monsoon/Accessorize, ASOS, The White Company, Hobbs, Cath Kidston, Rubicon and Shoe Studio Group, Dreams, Boden, Crew Clothing, Notcutts, All Saints and River Island.
Event Agenda
Registration/Coffee 9.30 am
BTHA Chairman Introduction 10.15 am
Update from the Toy Trust Chairman, Graham Canning
Don Williams, Partner - Retail, KPMG
 10.45 am
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'An Improbable Life'
Sir Trevor McDonald
BTHA Chairman closing remarks 12.25 pm
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(and photographs for BTHA Council Members) 12.30pm
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Open and honest communication with children is a priority for BTHA members. We require members to sign our Code of Practice each year to ensure that they commit to responsible and ethical marketing to children and their families, as well as providing them with the best advice and tips on how to comply with the latest rules and regulations.
Ethical manufacturing is key to being a member of the BTHA. Our members are required to apply appropriate ethical standards in the factories used for the manufacture of toys.
As part of BTHA membership, we strive to keep members informed with the most up to date advice and guidance on industry related issues.
The Toy Industry Awards celebrate the very best in UK toy retail and product design. Organised by the BTHA with the Toy Retailers Association, the event takes place annually during Toy Fair in January.
Seen as the 'People's Oscars', BTHA Golden Teddy Awards are given to reward worthy individuals from all levels of the toy industry whose individual contribution and dedication over the years deserves public recognition.
The British Toy & Hobby Association Outstanding Contribution Award recognises individuals and/or organisations for their outstanding contribution to the UK toy industry.
Toy Trust Outstanding Contribution Awards are presented to people who go above and beyond the level most of us could dream to achieve in raising charitable funds for the Toy Trust and who complete great personal challenges.
The BTHA Lifetime Achievement Award is presented only in exceptional circumstances. It is awarded to individuals who have made a truly outstanding and significant contribution to the toy industry.
ITRA Awards
The ITRA World Congress takes place every three years in a different location at which the 'ITRA – BTHA Prize for outstanding toy research' is awarded to two recipients.
The BTHA exists to promote best practice and excellence in all aspects of product design, toy safety, ethical manufacturing, environmental issues and responsible marketing and by so doing protect and promote the interests of our members.
The British Toy & Hobby Association was established in 1944 to represent the interests of British toy manufacturers and to raise standards of practice in the industry. Read more on our history.
The Lion Mark was developed in 1988 to perform a function not covered by the CE Mark, namely, to act as a recognisable consumer symbol denoting safety and quality.
We strive to be a trade association that does outstanding work for our members. Our trophy cabinet captures some of our own awards for that work.
BTHA Members make an annual commitment to the BTHA's Code of Practice which covers ethical manufacturing, compliance with appropriate legislation as well as a commitment to reduce their environmental impact.
The BTHA is the official organisation representing manufacturers for Britain's £3.3 billion toy market. The Association promotes the highest standards of safety and quality in the manufacture of toys, games and playthings.
The BTHA has been engaged with Westminster and Whitehall throughout the Brexit process to represent members views, inform policy decisions on the toy industry's concerns, and translate information from government into guidance for members. This section includes information to help guide members through the Brexit process.
The BTHA is providing information and guidance for Members during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.


I recently found an article, it's an oldie but a goodie. I liked so much I thought I reproduce a part of it for you, my faithful followers. I get bored of tofu this and tofu that and sometimes I just want something toothsome and jerky like. This texture usually helps make my TLT's a little more BLT if you know what I mean. Tempeh while it's my newest taco go-to…it's still an odd vegan duck. Here are some ways to break it in a little, making it less weird and more yum. Give it a try.
Tempeh is so so versatile, it takes to just about any cooking method you throw its way. Here are a few methods, along with recipes, to get you started. But feel free to use some of your favorite marinades in place of these. All of the following recipes are for 8 ounces of tempeh and serve 2 to 4 people.
This marinade of basic pantry ingredients works well with any of the cuts of tempeh. Try sandwich slices or serve slabs over a salad or alongside mashed potatoes, gravy and greens.
Mix together ingredients and marinate tempeh for at least an hour or up to overnight.
Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Place tempeh slices on sheet in a single layer. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping once. Spoon extra marinade over tempeh a few times during baking.
This tempeh is excellent served with sauteed greens and mashed sweet potatoes. Use a cast iron grill for best results indoors.
Preheat a greased grill pan over medium-high heat. To grease it, brush lightly with olive oil or if you have a spray bottle of olive oil, that works, too.
Grill each side for 5 minutes, until dark grill marks appear. When the second side is almost done, spoon some of the marinade over the tempeh and let cook for 30 more seconds.
I'm kind of cheating here because when I serve this for dinner I call it "sauteed," but when I serve it for brunch I call it "scrambled." Either way, it's wonderful paired with roasted butternut squash. For this recipe, cubed tempeh is perfect.
Preheat a large, heavy bottomed pan (preferably cast iron) over medium heat. Saute in 2 tablespoons olive oil for about 7 minutes, stirring often, until lightly browned. Add red bell pepper, and red onion and drizzle in remaining tablespoon of oil. Saute for about 5 minutes, veggies should be softened but still have a bit of crunch.
Add garlic and thyme, saute for two minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Add swiss chard and saute just until wilted. Serve immediately.
These are perfect for topping pizza or serving over pasta. No need to steam the tempeh for this recipe.
In a saute pan, crumble the tempeh and add enough water to almost cover it. Over high heat, steam the tempeh until most of the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Drain the remaining water, add the rest of the ingredients and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Tempeh bacon is great alongside scrambled tofu and home fries, served over a salad or make a TLT with some vegan mayo – Veganaise grapeseed mayo is a favorite. Use tempeh strips for this.
In a wide shallow bowl, mix together all the marinade ingredients. Add the tempeh slices and marinade for about an hour.
Preheat a large heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat. Pan fry the tempeh in oil for about 7 to 10 minutes, flipping occasionally and adding more marinade as you cook. Tempeh is done when it is browned and crispy to your liking.
I just finished watching the most disgusting video (I didn't embed it it's so violent) regarding the treatment of pigs and piglets on a large factory farm in Pennsylvania, seriously don't watch it if you aren't ready to make a lifestyle change. Suddenly I don't miss bacon anymore. Which then made me again question why it is I'm NOT vegan. All I can come back to is cheese, which is lame because I can find a sub for that.
Today I decided it's time to embrace faux cheese and gradually veganize my kitchen, and make a bigger attempt at exempting animal products one at a time. Recently I stopped in at Saffrons-A Gluten Free Marketplace which is a local (to West Michigan) place and to my surprise ended up speaking with the owner for a while. In addition to the ENTIRE store being Gluten Free, he has a delightful array of vegan food products. I bought some Daiya which I've had before and liked as far as faux cheese goes; I also got some coconut milk, coconut milk ice cream (which frankly tastes better than regular ice cream to me), quinoa pasta, "chicken less" vegan cubes of lower sodium bouillon for soups (it's not soup season but it's hard to find this stuff in the winter), an egg replacement (to see how it tastes) and Vegenaise. The owner and I had a conversation about the varying Vegenaise types (he carries the hard-to-find Soy Free variety ), I settled on the reduced fat variety. He mentioned how excited he was to attend a food show recently, and had the opportunity to sample a new Follow Your Heart product: block cheese. We talked fake cheese for a while and I mentioned he should carry Teese, from Chicago Soy Dairy our neighbors to the West, it's amazing and used widely in even the most traditional deep dish pizza joints to help their vegan customers stay loyal. He noted the name brand and said he'd try to get some in soon. Talk about a delightful shopping experience. Not only did I get to meet the OWNER, but he is going to look into one of my suggestions for a product to carry in his store? Nice.
So what's the point Adrienne? Oh, yes…the point is today, I veganized my pancake recipe using coconut milk, earth balance, and ground flax seeds in place of cow milk, butter and eggs, and here it is for your animal-cruelty free enjoyment.
Whisk together the dry ingredients, make a well for the wet ones, and then incorporate them all to make a batter. Pour by 1/4 C onto a griddle you have preheated to 350-365 degrees. Flip when the pancakes rise and bubble let cook for about a minute more and then serve.
If you want to add fruit to your pancakes like I have done in the photo. After you pour the batter onto the hot pan, wait until it rises slightly to put a handful of fresh but dry (not DRIED, just not wet) fruit onto the cake. I have found this helps them cook through better than adding right after you drop the batter. Keeps them looking like pancakes and less like sloppy pancakes.
Replace Gluten AND Eggs? It's Worth A Try.
Warning: I'm not a *real* chef, AND I got a C+ in organic chemistry, B+ in inorganic chemistry. Proceed with caution.
Excess zucchini means science experiment time! I have lots of vegan friends and recently a handful of gluten free friends, so I decided to see if I could please both of them with a summertime staple: zucchini bread.
First, the research for a gluten free bread recipe was pretty easy, but…wait Xanthan Gum? What is that? I had an idea of what that did in gluten free baking but no idea where it came from or where even to get such a thing, certainly I wasn't going out for it. Thanks to Wikipedia I again know way more about an ingredient than I care to, thus, had to find a replacement which WAS NOT a chemical. It dawned on me that flax basically can be used as a sub for anything….so why not as a sub for xanthan gum. Turns out, lots of people think xanthan gum is icky like I do, and use flax as a sub, teaspoon for teaspoon. Now…in my vegan banana bread recipe, I also subbed flax and water for eggs, decided to try that in this one too. Science experiment complete. I crossed my fingers hoping it would taste okay and had SUPER results!
This bread came to work with me to our staff meeting and noshers said it was super moist, and slightly spicy. I particularly appreciated the crispy exterior and the chewy interior. Bonus is that it didn't need a spread of any kind, it stands on its own two feet.
Shred the zucchini, allow it to rest on paper towel to reduce moisture and chop the walnuts in a food processor or by smashing them in a plastic bag and set them aside.
Use a mixer to beat the flax/water mixture and add the sugar, oil and vanilla. Add the baking soda, cinnamon, salt and baking powder. Slowly pour in the flour and flax sprinkles (dry) until well mixed. Now if you have made bread before, you will know that the end consistency is not thick like cookie dough, but rather, thicker than cake batter, so to get from cookie dough to almost cake batter, slowly add hot water 1 teaspoon at a time until you have a workable quick bread viscosity. For me, that took 13 teaspoons.
Last, by hand, mix in the zucchini and walnuts. Pour in greased & floured loaf pan and bake at 350F degrees for 55-75 minutes. Let cool.


text:
Federal Criminal Defense Lawyers
When the FBI Comes Calling…
Southern District of Florida Securities and Investment Fraud Initiative Results in Charges Against 15 Individuals in 12 Separate Cases
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on June 4, 2012 released the following:
"To Date, 85 Defendants Have Been Charged as Part of the Initiative
Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; Eric I. Bustillo, Regional Director, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Southeast Region; and Linda Charity, Interim Commissioner, State of Florida's Office of Financial Regulation (OFR), announced the most recent results of the Southern District of Florida Securities and Investment Fraud Initiative (the Initiative), first announced in December 2010 and designed to combat securities and investment fraud and protect the interests of the investing public.
The Initiative was established to address the increase in securities and investment fraud schemes in the Southern District of Florida. In addition to the U.S. Attorney's Office, FBI, SEC, and OFR, other participating agencies in the Initiative include the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID), U.S. Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Southeast Region. These law enforcement and regulatory agencies have shared intelligence and combined their resources to combat securities and investment fraud, including Ponzi schemes, affinity fraud schemes, prime bank/high-yield investment scams, business opportunity fraud, promoter/micro-cap/"pump and dump" schemes, foreign exchange (FOREX) frauds, false bankruptcy petitions, and other schemes to defraud individual investors. Among the goals of the Initiative are to alert the public about the prevalence of these types of schemes, to educate the public on how to avoid falling prey to these schemes, and to highlight the law enforcement response to the problem.
The Southern District of Florida ranks second in the nation in securities and investment fraud investigations and prosecutions. Using the strike force model successfully developed in the health care and mortgage fraud areas, the Securities and Investment Fraud Initiative has yielded similar success. Since its inception in December 2010, the Initiative has resulted in charges against 85 defendants in the Southern District of Florida, resulting in more than $1.5 billion in restitution ordered. Today, we are announcing charges against 15 individuals in 12 separate cases.
U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer stated, "Our primary goal in creating the Securities and Investment Fraud Initiative was to protect investors from fraud and to restore the integrity of the securities market. Too often, we hear from victims who have lost their entire lives' savings or their retirement nest egg to one of these unscrupulous schemers. Today, we hope to educate the public about the need to be alert and to verify before trusting and investing. If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is."
"The fraud from these stock market manipulation schemes could have defrauded numerous innocent investors out of millions of dollars. Because the FBI and our partners were able to disrupt these schemes early on through our undercover operations, the investing public was protected," said John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Miami Field Office. "The law enforcement efforts announced today also serve to send a message that the FBI and its partners will continue to target those who would chip away at the trust and confidence in the securities markets."
Eric I. Bustillo, Director of the SEC's Miami Regional Office, said, "This Initiative is a testament to our allegiance to investors and our commitment to prosecute those who seek to defraud them. When we say we're determined to stamp out microcap fraud, that's not a slogan. That's a pledge."
"I commend the hard work of investigators from the Florida Office of Financial Regulation, as well as other state and federal regulatory and law enforcement agencies," said Linda Charity, Interim OFR Commissioner. "These partnerships are essential to effectively combat securities fraud and help protect Florida's investors."
Below is a summary of the cases being announced today. These cases involve a variety of frauds, including fraudulent Federal Reserve notes, illegal kickback schemes, market manipulation schemes, and more traditional Ponzi schemes.
Fraudulent Federal Reserve Notes:
U.S. vs. Cleland Ayison, 12-80056-CR-DIMITROULEAS
Ayison, 32, of Tampa, was arrested today on charges of possessing a fraudulent $500,000,000 Federal Reserve Note.
Illegal Kickback Schemes:
U.S. vs. Michael Cimino and Joseph Repko, 12-2733-MJ-GARBER
Cimino, 59, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the director and chairman of the board for Sure Trace Security Corporation (SSTY), and Repko, 63, of Hobe Sound, Florida, SSTY's chief financial officer and president, were arrested today on a criminal complaint charging them with conspiring to commit mail fraud by paying kickbacks to a pension fund fiduciary to induce the fiduciary to misappropriate money from a pension fund in order to buy restricted common stock at inflated prices. SSTY, a Utah corporation, was purportedly involved in the anti-counterfeiting technology business.
U.S. vs. Ryan Coblin, 11-80159-CR-RYSKAMP
Coblin, 41, of Boca Raton, was the president of Delivery Technology Solutions Inc., a domestic and international delivery company catering to corporations. Coblin was charged by information in September 2011 and pled guilty on March 8, 2012 to engaging in a scheme to pay kickbacks to a hedge fund fiduciary to induce the fiduciary to misappropriate money from a hedge fund in order to buy restricted common stock at inflated prices. Sentencing is scheduled for July 13, 2012.
Market Manipulation Schemes:
U.S. vs. Kevin Brennan, Donald Huggins, and Marc Seaver Page, 12-60064-CR-COHN
Today, charges were unsealed against defendants Brennan, 60, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the CEO of Optimized Transportation Management Inc. (OPTZ), a Delaware freight transportation company; Huggins, 64 of St. Petersburg, Florida, an investor in OPTZ; and Marc Seaver Page, 50, of Tiburon, California. The defendants are charged with engaging in a scheme to manipulate the publicly quoted share price and trading volume of OPTZ common stock.
U.S. vs. Douglas Hague, 12-60124-CR-WILLIAMS
Hague, 65, of Boca Raton, was the President of Clean Coal Technologies Inc., a corporation that purportedly converted low-grade coal to high-grade clean-burning coal. He was charged by information on June 1, 2012 with engaging in a scheme to pay kickbacks to a pension fund fiduciary to induce the fiduciary to misappropriate money from a pension fund in order to buy restricted common stock at inflated prices.
U.S. vs. Harold Steven Bonenberger, 12-60125-CR-COHN
Bonenberger, 56, of Carlsbad, California, was CEO of Angel Acquisition Corp. (AGEL), a Nevada corporation that purportedly managed assets. Bonenberger was charged by information on June 1, 2012 with engaging in a scheme to manipulate the publicly quoted share price and trading volume of AGEL common stock.
U.S. vs. Robert Cotton, 12-60126-CR-DIMITROULEAS
Cotton, 61 of Houston, Texas, was the President of Cotton and Western Mining Inc. (CWRN), a Nevada corporation that purportedly exported and mined iron minerals. Cotton was charged by information on June 1, 2012 with engaging in a scheme to manipulate the publicly quoted share price and trading volume of CWRN common stock.
U.S. vs. Matthew A. Connor, 12-2732-MJ-GARBER
Connor, 36, of Amherst, Virginia, a shareholder of and consultant for KCM Holdings Corporation (KCMH) was arrested today on a criminal complaint charging him with engaging in a scheme to manipulate the publicly quoted share price and trading volume of KCMH stock, in violation of the wire fraud statute. KCMH was purportedly in the business of providing strategic consulting services to clients.
U.S. vs. Scott Haire, 12-2734-MJ-GARBER
Haire, 42, of Coral Springs, President of Wound Management Technologies Inc. (WNDM), a Texas corporation that purportedly developed advanced wound care products. Haire was charged by criminal complaint with engaging in a scheme to manipulate the publicly quoted share price and trading volume of WNDM common stock. Haire is expected to surrender on June 6, 2012.
Ponzi Schemes:
U.S. vs. Juan Carlos Rodriguez, 12-20148-CR-DIMITROULEAS
Rodriguez, 49, of Miami, was indicted on March 6, 2012 for committing wire fraud in the execution of a Ponzi scheme. According to the indictment, Rodriguez was the sole officer and director of MDN Financial Group Inc., a Miami company that solicited approximately $5.2 million from investors with promises that the company would invest in stocks, bonds, and precious metals. Rodriguez would recruit colleagues and friends to invest in MDN Financial, promising them 20, 30, 40, and even 50 percent returns. In fact, Rodriguez did not invest the money he was given by investors. Instead, he used more than $1 million of the money to pay for personal expenses like credit card bills. A calendar call is scheduled for July 20, 2012.
U.S. vs. George Elia, 12-60077-CR-WILLIAMS
Elia, 68, formerly of Fort Lauderdale, is scheduled to be arraigned on June 6, 2012 on charges of operating a Ponzi scheme in which he recruited investors by making false claims about the potential returns on investments. Elia was the president of International Consultants & Investment Group LC., a corporation based in Broward County.
U.S. vs. Aner Menendez, 12-20389-CR-SCOLA
Menendez was arrested today on charges of mail and wire fraud. Menendez was the sole member and manager of De Forcade and recruited investors by claiming he was a skilled foreign currencies trader. Through a series of misrepresentations, he exploited social relationships to convince his victims to invest their savings with him. After receiving their money, Menendez made no investments for victims, instead spending their savings on himself and others.
In addition to the 12 criminal cases announced above, the SEC has filed nine separate civil injunctive actions against 12 individuals and eight microcap companies, charging them with violations of the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws and seeking, among other relief, permanent injunctions, disgorgement, and financial penalties. These defendants, including several CEOs and their companies and three penny stock promoters, are charged with securities fraud for their roles in various illicit kickback and market manipulation schemes.
Regarding the continued results of the Initiative, other members stated as follows:
IRS Special Agent in Charge José A. Gonzalez stated, "IRS-Criminal Investigation Division is pleased to lend our forensic financial expertise to uncover financial wrongdoings by those who commit investment fraud. Make no mistake, whether on Wall Street or Main Street, swindlers will be thoroughly investigated and swiftly brought to justice."
U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Henry Gutierrez stated, "The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to working with its law enforcement partners to stop investment fraud. We are particularly focused on fraud committed against often-targeted pension funds, in which victims have deposited their hard-earned money."
Cindy Liebes, Director of the Federal Trade Commission Southeast Region, stated, "The Federal Trade Commission is also working to stop investment fraud and has filed several actions. Most recently, the FTC has sued Sterling Precious Metals LLC, Matthew Meyer, Francis Ryan Zofay, and Kerry Marshall for operating an investment scheme that allegedly took in almost $10 million by targeting elderly consumers and conning them into buying precious metals on credit without clearly disclosing significant costs and risks. In March, the FTC brought a similar action against Anthony J. Columbo, Premier Precious Metals Inc., Rushmore Consulting Group Inc., and PPM Credit Inc."
Other Recent Cases Resulting from the Initiative
In addition to the cases announced above, the Initiative boasts a number of other recent cases, a few of which are highlighted below:
U.S. vs. Anthony Zito, 12-20030-CR-WILLIAMS
Zito, 64, of Naples, Florida, was charged in connection with a $7.5 million investment scheme. Zito owned and operated a firm named Gladius Investments (Gladius). Zito founded Gladius in 2004 and acted as the company's officer, director, and president. Gladius purported to invest in silver on the commodities market on behalf of investors who entrusted Gladius with their money. On June 8, 2010, for example, Gladius' internal database showed that the company had approximately 130 investors, that Gladius had invested in 1,271,500 ounces of silver on behalf of its investors, and that the total value of that silver was $19,708,250. In fact, however, Gladius' actual trading account statement showed that Gladius had no more than 50,000 ounces of silver investments that month and that the total value of the trading account was about $672,000. The investors in Gladius lost approximately $7.5 million as a result of Zito's fraud. On March 30, 2012, Zito was sentenced to five years in prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud in connection with the fraudulent investment scheme. In addition, Zito was ordered to pay $7.5 million in restitution to the victims of his crime. The court also ordered the forfeiture of half the value of Zito's house, as well as his cars and bank accounts.
U.S. vs. Douglas Newton, 11-60150-CR-COOKE
On May 9, 2012, Newton was convicted after trial of two counts of mail fraud, four counts of securities fraud, and one count of conspiring to commit securities fraud. Sentencing is scheduled for August 29, 2012. According to evidence presented during the trial, Newton operated Billy Martin's USA, a retail company that was delinquent with its lease payments at the Trump Plaza in New York City. In need of funding, Newton turned to a cooperating defendant who arranged a meeting with an undercover FBI agent. Newton attended a meeting in Broward County, Florida, where he agreed on video to bribe a pension fund manager to invest the pension fund investors' money in Real American Brands. In addition, to hide the illegal bribes, the defendant entered into a fraudulent consulting agreement and sent fictitious e-mails to the undercover FBI agent. Newton also claimed in the recorded meetings to have business relationships with Jeffrey Sebelia, the winner of the "Project Runway TV" contest, and country singer Carrie Underwood. In total, Newton paid $12,000 in bribes to the purported pension fund and received a total of $40,000 from the fund. The defendant used the money to pay for his golf club, home owner fees, and his utilities.
U.S. vs. Yan Skwara, 11-60294-CR-WILLIAMS
Skwara, 47, of San Diego, California, was the president of U.S. Farms, Inc., a Nevada corporation that promoted wellness-based products. Skwara pled guilty on April 20, 2012 to engaging in a scheme to pay kickbacks to a pension fund fiduciary to induce the fiduciary to misappropriate money from a pension fund in order to buy restricted common stock at inflated prices. Sentencing is scheduled for July 3, 2012.
U.S. vs. Gaston E. Cantens, 12-20005-CR-WILLIAMS
On April 4, 2012, Gaston E. Cantens, 73, of Miami, was sentenced to five years in prison for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud in connection with a fraud committed at Royal West Properties Inc. (Royal West). According to documents filed with the court and statements made during the sentencing hearing, Cantens was the president of Royal West Properties Inc. and recruited individuals to invest in Royal West by promising investors a fixed rate of return and that their investments would be guaranteed by properties or mortgages that acted as collateral. Cantens used his extensive ties to the South Florida community, including his ties to Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, to recruit investors to the fraud. Cantens told investors that their money were collateralized by individual properties but failed to inform them that the collateralized properties had previously been assigned to other investors. Cantens received moneys from investors based on these misrepresentations, and used the moneys for his personal benefit and to further the fraud scheme.
An indictment or information is merely an accusation and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty."
Federal Criminal Defense Attorneys Videos:
Federal Crimes – Be Careful
Federal Crimes – Be Proactive
Federal Crimes – Federal Indictment
Federal Crimes – Detention Hearing
Federal Mail Fraud Crimes
To find additional federal criminal news, please read Federal Criminal Defense Daily.
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FBI hasn't sought Carrier IQ data, chief says
(Photo: Washington Post)
Washington Post on December 15, 2011 released the following:
"By Hayley Tsukayama
The head of the FBI told a Senate panel Wednesday that the agency has not sought information directly from the cellphone tracker Carrier IQ.
Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, FBI director Robert Mueller said, "We have neither sought nor obtained any information from Carrier IQ in any of our investigations.
Responding to a question from Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), Mueller said that he did not believe that the bureau had sought any information on wireless companies' use of Carrier IQ software but that he had to get more details for the committee. He said it is possible that the bureau may get data that "in some way Carrier IQ may have been involved with."
Speculation that the FBI was using Carrier IQ data in investigations arose after Michael Morisy from MuckRock News reported that his Freedom of Information Act request to the FBI for files on Carrier IQ had been denied. In the letter, the FBI said that it was denying the request because the files were law enforcement records and "that there is a pending or prospective law enforcement proceeding relevant to these responsive records; and that release of the information contained in these responsive records could reasonably be expected to interfere with the enforcement proceedings."
At the hearing, Mueller said that the wording in the agency's FOIA response had been misunderstood to imply that the FBI was getting information from the firm. He referred to the phrase about a law enforcement proceeding as a "standard exemption" used in denying some FOIA requests.
In response to a Washington Post inquiry about whether there was such an investigation, FBI spokesman Paul Bresson declined to comment on whether the FBI was investigating Carrier IQ or using the software for surveillance purposes.
On Wednesday, federal officials confirmed to the The Post that the Federal Trade Commission is conducting an inquiry into Carrier IQ.
Carrier IQ spokesman Andrew Coward told The Post Wednesday that he was "not aware of an official investigation" by the FTC but that the company had set up meetings with regulators and lawmakers in Washington."
To find additional federal criminal news, please read Federal Crimes Watch Daily.
The author of this blog is Douglas McNabb. Please feel free to contact him directly at mcnabb@mcnabbassociates.com or at one of the offices listed above.
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Costa Rican Company and Executives Charged with Alleged $670 Million Fraud Scheme
The president and the auditor of a Costa Rican company selling reinsurance bonds to life settlement companies were arrested and charged, along with the company itself, in a seven-count indictment unsealed today for their alleged role in a $670 million fraud scheme involving victims throughout the United States and abroad.
An indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia charges Costa Rica-based Provident Capital Indemnity Ltd. (PCI), Minor Vargas Calvo, 59, and Jorge Castillo, 55, each with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, and three counts of wire fraud. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of more than $40 million from Vargas, Castillo and PCI. Vargas was arrested on January 18, 2011, at the John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Castillo was arrested January 19, 2011, in New Jersey.
According to the indictment, Vargas, a citizen and resident of Costa Rica, is the president and majority owner of PCI, an insurance and reinsurance company registered in the Commonwealth of Dominica and doing business in Costa Rica. Castillo, a resident of New Jersey, is the purported independent auditor for PCI. If convicted, Vargas and Castillo face up to 20 years in prison on each count.
Vargas and Castillo allegedly engaged in a scheme to defraud clients and investors by making misrepresentations about PCI's reinsurers, PCI's financial statements and PCI's Dun and Bradstreet rating, in connection with PCI's marketing and sale of "financial guarantee bonds" to companies that sold life settlements or securities backed by life settlements to investors. PCI's bonds were allegedly marketed as a way to eliminate one of the primary risks of investing in life settlements, namely the possibility that the individual insured by the underlying life insurance policy will live beyond his or her life expectancy.
The indictment alleges that from 2004 through 2010, PCI sold approximately $670 million of bonds to life settlement investment companies located in various countries, including the United States, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, and elsewhere. PCI's clients, in turn, sold investment offerings backed by PCI's bonds to thousands of investors around the world. Purchasers of PCI's bonds were allegedly required to pay up-front payments of 6 to 11 percent of the underlying settlement as "premium" payments to PCI before the company would issue the bonds.
Although a corporation is not a physical person, in the legal sense a corporation can be held criminally and civilly accountable for the actions of its employees, given the employees were acting in the scope of their employment and for the benefit of the corporation. This is possible through the legal doctrine of "respondeat superior."
In a parallel investigation, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced its filing of a parallel emergency enforcement action against PCI, Vargas, and Castillo. The press release issued by the SEC is available here.
In cases dealing with financial securities and business transactions, the U.S. federal government has the power to charge individuals and corporations with criminal and civil liability. The Department of Justice handles the criminal aspect of such charges, and other governmental agencies such as the SEC or the FTC will impose civil liability. Criminal charges result in possible imprisonment, fines and forfeiture, whereas civil charges typically result in financial damages.
Douglas McNabb and other members of the firm practice and write extensively on matters involving Federal Criminal Defense, Interpol Litigation, International Extradition and OFAC Litigation.
Leave a Comment »	| Federal Criminal Defense Attorneys - McNabb Associates	| Tagged: conspiracy, Costa Rican company, DOJ, Douglas McNabb, federal attorney, federal attorneys, federal criminal attorney, federal criminal attorneys, federal criminal defense attorney, federal criminal defense attorneys, federal criminal defense lawyer, federal criminal defense lawyers, federal criminal lawyer, federal criminal lawyers, federal lawyer, federal lawyers, forfeiture, fraudulent scheme, FTC, Jorge Castillo, mail fraud, McNabb Associates, Minor Vargas Calvo, PCI, Provident Capital Indemnity, scheme to defraud, sec, securities fraud, wire fraud	| Permalink
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Upstate workers shot cow repeatedly, treated animals inhumanely, handled meat unsafely, USDA says
Foster's Meats in Duncan cited for several violations, officials say
Updated: 7:49 AM EDT Mar 28, 2019
UNITE THE RIGHT RALLY. FIELDS IS SCHEDULED TO BE SENTENCED ON JULY 3. GEOFF: IN THE UPSTATE, A SLAUGHTERHOUSE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION, AFTER USDA OFFICIALS CITED THEM FOR TREATING ANIMALS INHUMANELY AN HANDLING MEAT UNSAFELY. FOSTER'S MEATS IS A SMALL MEAT PROCESSOR IN DUNCAN. THE USDA'S CITATIONS GO BACK TO 2017. A PETA SPOKESPERSON IS ASKIN
A small Upstate slaughterhouse has been cited again for violations of federal guidelines for animal slaughter, and in this case, also for food safety violations.Foster's Meats, in Duncan, received notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on March 12 that it will "withhold marks of inspection and suspend the assignment of federal inspection personnel" to the facility.Foster's Meats is a small meat processor that slaughters and processes cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, chickens and turkeys for owners.Foster's Meats was previously cited by the USDA in connection to a 2017 incident in which a hog was shot several times and its throat cut while it was conscious. (More on the story)The notice of suspension says the USDA documented four cases of inhumane treatment of animals at Fosters's Meats between December 2018 and March 1, 2019. The notice said workers shot a cow in the head five times on Feb. 8 before it was rendered unconscious. On March 1, workers tried to stun two cows and both remained upright after the first attempt, the report said.The USDA said workers failed to provide a pig in a holding pen with water on February 27.On March 8, an employee shot a cow in the head with a rifle. It "raised its head, took a step back and looked around the restraining pen," the report said. The worker shot the cow a second time with a pistol.The USDA said that federal guidelines require that animals must be rendered completely unconscious by a single shot.The USDA report also said that Foster's Meats failed to conduct sanitary dressing procedures, did not keep required records documenting procedures and cooler and freezer temperatures and did not follow guidelines for meat handling after slaughtering poultry.The USDA uses a management system called a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product. The report said Foster's Meats "repeated non-compliance associated with HACCP system design and execution is evidence of an inadequate food safety system."The USDA says Foster's Meat failed to "control the known biological food safety hazards that are occurring in the food safety system" and failed to meet requirements for humane handling.Until Foster's Meats provides the USDA with "adequate written assurances of corrective actions and prevention measures" there will be no federal inspector assigned to the facility and the products.Foster's Meats' Facebook page says it is a "USDA slaughter and processing facility," and its website says it is "Animal Welfare Approved."Colin Henstock, investigations specialist for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), says Foster's Meats has repeatedly violated the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, offenses punishable by up to one year in prison or fines of up to $1,000.Henstock, on behalf of PETA, sent a letter to U.S. District Attorney Sherri Lydon asking that her office "investigate and file appropriate criminal charges against Foster's Meats Inc. and its workers responsible for repeated violations."
SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. —
A small Upstate slaughterhouse has been cited again for violations of federal guidelines for animal slaughter, and in this case, also for food safety violations.
Foster's Meats, in Duncan, received notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on March 12 that it will "withhold marks of inspection and suspend the assignment of federal inspection personnel" to the facility.
Foster's Meats is a small meat processor that slaughters and processes cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, chickens and turkeys for owners.
Foster's Meats was previously cited by the USDA in connection to a 2017 incident in which a hog was shot several times and its throat cut while it was conscious. (More on the story)
The notice of suspension says the USDA documented four cases of inhumane treatment of animals at Fosters's Meats between December 2018 and March 1, 2019.
The notice said workers shot a cow in the head five times on Feb. 8 before it was rendered unconscious. On March 1, workers tried to stun two cows and both remained upright after the first attempt, the report said.
The USDA said workers failed to provide a pig in a holding pen with water on February 27.
On March 8, an employee shot a cow in the head with a rifle. It "raised its head, took a step back and looked around the restraining pen," the report said. The worker shot the cow a second time with a pistol.
The USDA said that federal guidelines require that animals must be rendered completely unconscious by a single shot.
The USDA report also said that Foster's Meats failed to conduct sanitary dressing procedures, did not keep required records documenting procedures and cooler and freezer temperatures and did not follow guidelines for meat handling after slaughtering poultry.
The USDA uses a management system called a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product.
The report said Foster's Meats "repeated non-compliance associated with HACCP system design and execution is evidence of an inadequate food safety system."
The USDA says Foster's Meat failed to "control the known biological food safety hazards that are occurring in the food safety system" and failed to meet requirements for humane handling.
Until Foster's Meats provides the USDA with "adequate written assurances of corrective actions and prevention measures" there will be no federal inspector assigned to the facility and the products.
Foster's Meats' Facebook page says it is a "USDA slaughter and processing facility," and its website says it is "Animal Welfare Approved."
Colin Henstock, investigations specialist for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), says Foster's Meats has repeatedly violated the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, offenses punishable by up to one year in prison or fines of up to $1,000.
Henstock, on behalf of PETA, sent a letter to U.S. District Attorney Sherri Lydon asking that her office "investigate and file appropriate criminal charges against Foster's Meats Inc. and its workers responsible for repeated violations."


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MAKING OF's
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Access the Best Articles about Architectural Visualization. Learn about all aspects of crafting images that tell stories.
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TSR 011: Six Degrees of Freedom (6DoF) and More with Lon Grohs from Chaos Group
TSR 010: Victor Bonafonte on Cooking Images in B&TB Kitchen, How to Grow as an Artist, As a Team and Having Fun!
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October 5, 2017 /in Corona Renderer, Unreal Engine, V-Ray Art, Business, Flash News, Hiring, Inspiration, Technology /by Ronen Bekerman
Big News in VR
We kick off this session with big news — Chaos Group just announced that they would be joining forces with Epic Games to make V-Ray for Unreal Engine. Lon says it's been on their radar for awhile, and now it's finally happening. The goal with this merger is to make the dream of seeing ArchViz projects in real-time a reality. Although a timeline isn't in place yet, they're working to create as many ways as possible to improve the AR and VR experience by building a bridge to the real-time engines their customers are using.
Six Degrees of Freedom
Lon also shares their plans to open up the doors to VR from three degrees to six degrees of freedom. Six degrees of freedom will give architects and their clients the ability to move around freely in their renderings. Lon calls this a "room scale" experience, and the most natural experience that you can have in a virtual space. He shares the technologies that will create the best VR experience, including Nozon and Lytro, and the differences between the two.
Artist or Client — Who's Using VR?
In my experience, VR is more user-friendly for the artist than it is for the client. When I asked Lon who should expect to have the most significant experience with these technologies, he told me it is for everyone. From the artists and their team to the client presentations, their goal is to create a technology that can easily be used throughout the entire project. Although still in the experimental phases of creating the six degrees of freedom in every VR experience, Lon and his partners at Chaos Group are definitely well on their way to figuring it all out.
We discuss the role that architectural education had in Lon's career, upcoming projects, new technologies, and some of Lon's biggest ideas yet. A whole lot is coming down the pipeline at Chaos Group, and you can hear all about inside this session of The SpectRoom with Lon Grohs.
Main Quotes
"VR is an architectural superpower." — Lon Grohs
"Showing a still image will always work." — Ronen Bekerman
"I want to see ray-traced AR in a meaningful, fast way." — Lon Grohs
"It's very easy to have too many ideas." — Lon Grohs
September 19, 2017 /in Photoshop Art, Business, Flash News, Hiring, Inspiration, Technology /by Ronen Bekerman
The Start of Beauty and the Bit
You can hear all about Victor's backstory on our interview from SOA Academy Day #6, found in The SpectRoom on session 002.
Today we're diving right into the details of Beauty and The Bit, starting with the work Victor did for his first client and transforming that into his own studio. He began as a one-man show working from home but quickly grew into more. Just one month after starting out, Victor was approached by three other companies. The snowball started rolling, and the work hasn't stopped since.
Refining the Work
Beauty and The Bit have grown by word of mouth because clients were happy with the projects they were producing. Victor shares the approach that he takes to creating successful images and the changes that he's made to the process along the way. He says he started out quite impatient, but as he's matured, his images have improved.
We talk about the division of labor in the studio, ways that he's kept the team from recreating the wheel, and why refining the work they do every day is the key to their success.
Growing Little by Little
Victor says he's satisfied with slow growth at Beauty and The Bit. He doesn't believe in shortcuts, and that is the perfect approach to creating a quality, unique, or even iconic project. Those types of high-quality projects have put a seal of recognition in their studio, and Victor is always willing to research the best way to approach each project to get it done to their standards.
We talk about the animals in the studio, the things they do to keep everyone oriented in the kitchen, and what applicants need to do to be considered at Beauty and The Bit.
It's all inside this session of The SpectRoom with Victor Bonafante.
"If you're not an animal, you're not at Beauty and the Bit." — Victor Bonafante
"The main goal is to refine our work day by day." — Victor Bonafante
"If you improve the way you do things, you will never run out of work." — Victor Bonafante
"If you grow based on a formula, you are screwed up." — Victor Bonafante
"Always question the way you work." — Ronan Bekerman
"I don't believe in shortcuts." — Victor Bonafante
"Your best rendering engine is your brain." — Victor Bonafante
TSR 009: Surfing the Waves of ArchViz with Pedro Fernandes from Arqui9 in London
September 13, 2017 /in 3dsmax, Corona Renderer, Photoshop, SketchUp, V-Ray Art, Business, Flash News, Hiring, Inspiration, Technology /by Ronen Bekerman
The Long Progression to Arqui9
Starting out at university, Pedro always had a passion for visually demonstrating the work he was doing. He really began cultivating his passion for 3D after internships in Lisbon and, and as his interest grew, so did his experimenting. He joined forces with three friends to create architecture, 3D, and design. As more information became available on the internet, he sourced as many tutorials as he possibly could, including many of the blog, which can be found here.
This started in 2008, when the economic downturn gave him the opportunity to depart from architecture and focus more on 3D design. After sending his portfolio all over, he started at Vyonyx in London and eventually formed his own company.
The Drive Behind the Work
After working for several companies in different countries, Pedro decided to work for himself, and he never looked back. He gets to do what he loves, working for clients he loves, and he considers himself among the luckiest people on earth.
He has always worked toward the goal of working with certain people, and that desire has driven him to keep working harder and better, even on the days when he wishes that he'd never started down this road.
Crafting Visuals at Arqui9
Pedro creates unique images that always catch my attention, and have been featured on the blog several times as "Best of the Week." On this session, we discuss how he has passed his unique vision on to his team, where he gets his inspiration, and how he incorporates the talents of each artist into the work that they do. He appreciates that his work isn't better or worse than anyone else's, and appreciates the differences in visuals. Recognizing this has helped him identify what he wants to accomplish with his work, and pushes him to achieve it.
You'll be inspired when you hear about this and more — including why London is the best place for ArchViz and the why behind Arqui9 Learn — in this session of The SpectRoom with Pedro Fernandes.
"Being able to show your ideas how you want to have always seduced me." — Pedro Fernandes
"We are some of the luckiest people on earth." — Pedro Fernandes
"You're going to have good days, bad days, and days when you wish you'd never done this." — Pedro Fernandes
"The magic is the artist instilling their own experience into the image." — Ronen Bekerman
"The 3D program may not seem like an essential thing, but it's very essential." — Pedro Fernandes
"I'm not gonna lie — good work gets you far." — Pedro Fernandes
TSR 008: Santiago Sanchez on Blazing His Trail, Approach to ArchVIZ with METEORA and Tapping Into His DNA by Teaching
September 5, 2017 /in AutoCAD, Corona Renderer, Forest Pack, Photoshop Art, Business, Flash News, Hiring, Inspiration, Technology /by Ronen Bekerman
The Industrial Designer
Santiago studied industrial design at university because he was looking for something related to design. The design degree concept was completely new in Ecuador at the time, and he was drawn to it. He knew that the creativity he had felt since childhood couldn't be applied as well in any other field as it would be in the design field.
After a bad experience with an employer, he decided to go on his own and turn his attention to architectural visualization, and once he saw Alex Roman's short film The Third & The Seventh there was no turning back.
The Journey to Improvement
Santiago may not call himself a perfectionist, but after opening his own office, he set his standards very high. When comparing his work to images that were being created around the world, he knew when his work wasn't good enough. That's when he decided to attend a Master Class at State of Art Academy in Italy.
He was present at the first International SOA Master Class, and calls the experience "absolutely great." It was there that he learned that approach and philosophy are the keys, and that everything else is just a tool.
Winning the Image of the Week was the 'Beginning of Everything'
After winning Image of the Week in July 2012 with "Vanilla Room", Santiago says everyone began to love his work, and his website exploded. The exposure he had on the forum was a complete turning point for him, and the momentum still hasn't stopped.
Today, his studio is as busy as ever, and Santiago is teaching even more than he is creating projects. He has created a post-production training and a Corona Renderer training, both of which are available online, and he shares his philosophy on the amount of work that he believes students should be doing in each.
All about the Making of METEORA
Santiago has been showcased on the blog three times, with the most popular images being METEORA. In our conversation, we dig deep into the process of making of these images, how Santiago did what he did, and what he learned along the way.
Discover all this and more, on this session of The SpectRoom with Santiago Sanchez.
Two more making-of's by Santiago are…
Making of Crystal Box Villa
Making of Iracema in the Dusk
"After I saw The Third & The Seventh, I decided this is what I want to do for the rest of my life." — Santiago Sanchez
"Approach and philosophy are the keys, everything else is just a tool." — Santiago Sanchez
"I feel that I have more freedom inside the artistic approach; inside the 3D." — Santiago Sanchez
"The faster you can develop a project, the better result you can get, everyone is going to be happier — you and your clients." — Santiago Sanchez
TSR 007: Luis Inciarte on His Journey to London, Things Learned at Hayes Davidson and Making Killer Images
August 31, 2017 /in 3dsmax, Corona Renderer, Maxwell Render, Mental Ray, Photoshop Art, Business, Flash News, Hiring, Inspiration, Technology /by Ronen Bekerman
The Investigator of Architecture
Even though he considers himself more of an investigator of architecture than a participant of architecture, Luis says he doesn't spend loads of time designing architecture. But he does recognize the emotion that architecture can inspire in people, and the way it can make them feel things based on the composition and lighting of the image, and such. He calls it psychology, I call it the driving factor for his ability to create such good art.
Making the International Leap
When Luis decided to move from Venezuela to London, he started researching some of the most inspiring 3d artists at that time in London, including Alex York and Iain Becks. He quickly discovered that they had one major thing in common — their time spent at Hayes Davidson.
As soon as Luis moved over to London, he applied at the industry leader, and not long after, he was hired on as a freelancer. It was there that he learned many of the essentials, from using architectural images as references, to the psychology behind the images.
All around, Hayes Davidson gave Luis the necessary education to get his skill set where it needed to be.
The Process of Creating A Killer Image
Luis approaches his work like an investigator.
Ask the right questions, figure out the target audience, and always let the project dictate the style of the image. He explains why early images don't need to look as stylized and complete as the final images, and it all has to do with getting the clients to see the the journey the images are taking.
Luis himself is comfortable with the entire process from early design stages to the high end marketing, and considers any image that makes people feel when they see it, a successful project.
Luis shares three essentials for getting clients on board, and it all starts with listening. Patience is essential — being really disciplined and honest with yourself about what it will take to get the results that you are looking for. And always keep an eye out for inspiration, because it may come in the most unexpected places. You'll want to hear the details of his creative process and more, so be sure to listen to this session of The SpectRoom, with Luis Inciarte.
"I'm a slightly impatient person." — Luis Inciarte
"It's a lot easier to get your message across when you have beautiful architecture to go with it." — Luis Inciarte
"As long as you get people to feel when they see your images, then you've succeeded." — Luis Inciarte
"Always keep an eye out for inspiration."— Luis Inciarte
"I want people who have a continual thirst for learning." — Luis Inciarte
TSR 006: From 3d modeling a Valtra Tractor to Visualizing Architecture by Rem Koolhaas and Isay Weinfeld with Jakub Cech
August 24, 2017 /in 3dsmax, Corona Renderer, V-Ray Art, Business, Flash News, Hiring, Inspiration, Technology /by Ronen Bekerman
In this session, we'll discuss how he started with CGI, Alex Roman, the phone call from Watson&Co. that made a big change and more.
Teenage Passion Turned ArchViz Career
Jakub's work on behance.net was noticed by a major American branding company when he was just 18 years old. He received a phone call from Watson&Co., created a rendering for them, and began working remotely for them. That was a turning point for the direction of his career, but he has always maintained the overarching goal of creating images that he likes.
As you can see, Jakub started with something far away from Architectural Visualization but very near home.
Jakub's 3d Start – The Valtra Tractor
Jakub's Approach for Crafting Visualizations
As someone who has only had three or four clients so far in his career, Jakub's approach to each client is understandably varied. The workflow starts with understanding the project and the type of people that are being targeted. He has discovered that understanding his client's perspective is essential to getting the best images created. He can spend up to eight months with a client in America, while a client in Slovakia may only require up to six weeks of non-stop work to produce the same images. While the approach may vary, the work that is done is always completed to his personal and unique standard of satisfaction.
"Ranch" for SeARCH Architects. Best of Week 08/2015
Working with a Branding Company
Even though he's never worked in an office with multiple CGI artists, working with a branding company like Watson&Co. gave Jakub a different view of the overall process, from fonts and color to lighting and branding. While there, he worked with designers, graphic designers, web designers and more, and he calls his time there "very intense." Interacting with multiple disciplines was very enriching for him, and helped to widen his point of view while crafting his images.
Park Grove by Rem Koolhaas, Miami. Image by Jakub Cech for Watson&Co.
All about Beautiful Computer Generated Images
In comparison to the time spent on commercial projects, Jakub is working more now than ever. His decision to take time off from work to focus on a project that he believed in was inspired in part by Alex Roman. In our conversation, he shares his comprehensive goal of always creating images that he likes, as well as his desires for future collaborations.
Beautiful Computer Generated Images I. – Giant Simplicity. Best of Week 11/2017
"I've always felt different a bit in terms of how I see things." — Jakub Čech
"My main goal was always to do a picture that I'm going to like." — Jakub Čech
"I like totally different elements in pictures than I think most people do." — Jakub Čech
"I always try to represent my own taste." — Jakub Čech
"I don't think still image is going to die … it's going to be there for ages." — Jakub Čech
First launched as a way for me to connect with fellow 3d artist worldwide, it quickly became the place to share and learn about architectural visualization. I'm Ronen Bekerman, Co-Founder of The Craft and crafting visuals is what I do on a daily basis. Here you can learn about ArchViz, share your process, showcase your work, find tools, challenge yourself and land the dream job you always wanted or the best 3d artists for your studio. Let's talk about it all!
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Q: A program is executed by the OS or the IDE ? ex:
A .c program after compilation is executed with Visual Studio 2013(F5). Is VS involved in executing the program? Is the .c program run within the memory acquired by the Visual Studio Program? Or will the OS allocate a different section of memory. If so,is VS out of the picture while executing!

A: A ".c" file is compiled to a PE executable file on Windows. These are the usual programs with the typical ".exe" file extension.
When you press F5 in Visual Studio, it launches this executable file by using the WinAPI (for example CreateProcess). These WinAPI calls go up to the OS which creates a new process with an own virtual address space. VS does not allocate memory for the executable.
VS will then attach as a debugger before starting the program. So it is not "out of the picture" while executing, because it still influences the program while it runs.


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