Once your website traffic starts growing shared hosting won't work perfectly for you and you need some dedicated or private server to manage the increased traffic and so the performance of the site.
Usually, people think that VPS and Dedicated servers are very costly and so they don't usually switch to it and loose the valuable traffic and sales. So today I am going to introduce you a company, HostSailor which is known for their affordable VPS and dedicated hosting. Not only affordable pricing but reliable services and performance as well.
But before moving ahead, let's talk about VPS and do you need a VPS hosting?
What is VPS and do you really need it?
VPS is the acronym of Virtual private server and it runs its own copy of an operating system. So you can install almost all the software that this particular OS can support.
A VPS hosting environment depicts dedicated server in a shared environment and so technically speaking, a VPS is both shared and dedicated hosting.
So, if your site is having a medium level of traffic that means you started the site couple of years ago and it is growing constantly but not at the top, you can switch to VPS.
• Customization- with a VPS you will have your own OS and so you can install any software that the OS support like Apache, PHP, and MySQL. And you can customize these anytime you want.
• Control- Many times after installing any applications, you may have to restart your server and as you have a dedicated OS and you can restart it anytime you many want. Technically you share the VPS with other VPS user but it won't affect others.
• Dedicated Resources- with VPS you will have dedicated the amount of RAM available to you and it will be fully yours unlike the shared where it will be shared by many and if someone else is using most part of it there are chances that you may receive an error on your site.
These were some of the best features of VPS from many others. Now let's talk whether you really need it or not?
• Is your site traffic increasing day by day?
• Are you generating more sales?
• Do you need full control over the site?
• Need extra security and customization?
If your answers are YES, you need a VPS hosting.
HostSailor is a Dubai UAE based company providing service all across the world and has their data centers in various countries to serve people better.
One the best thing apart from the affordable VPS and dedicated hosting for which HostSailor is recommended is the support. No matter it's the business or non-business hour for them, you can expect instant response and resolution from them.
HostSailor doesn't only provide VPS and dedicated servers but also Domain registration and different kind of SSL certificates. Even you can sign up for reseller program if you are a small hosting seller or a web developer and want to offer a complete solution to your client.
Below are some of the major features of HostSailor which make them ahead of other VPS sellers.
Although it is UAE originated company but has their data centers in Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Bucharest (Romania) which help them to serve their customer in a better way.
Data centers affect a lot when it comes to site performance and if you are a user from the location where data center exist, you will feel it.
The Netherlands data center uses private data centers that are powered by a dark fiber ring throughout Amsterdam. This ring pops at Globalswitch, Telecity 2, and Telecity 5. From there, the data centers are securely connected to our HostSailor.com servers.
The Romania center uses private data centers that are powered by a dark fiber ring throughout Bucharest. This ring pops at NXDATA1 COLO3, NXDATA 1 COLO4, NXDATA2, M247 DC1 and DC2. From there, the data centers are securely connected to our HostSailor.com servers.
HostSailor provides much attention to customer satisfaction. You will get personal attention if you are a HostSailor customer.
You will feel the difference in site speed, performance, and quality after using their services. Also, in the case of any failover, they redirect the traffic and other resources through some backup servers and so you'll not feel any downtime. The service provider has around 300 to 400 GB internet capacity which is enough to handle any traffic and issues easily.
They provide world class support to their clients. No matter what kind of issues you are facing, be sure to get a quick resolution.
You can get in touch with them anytime through all modes of communications.
With these many features and affordable pricing structure, if you are still not satisfied with their service at any point of time you can ask for money back. They provide 14 days money back guarantee and you won't be asked any questions.
• Users will get gig connections to every VPS connections.
• The VPS server connections you will get are enabled with IPV4 and IPV6.
• The hardware is enabled with RAID 10 for optimum disk performance.
Here are the products of HostSailor which helps you to be online more conveniently.
• OpenVZ Linux (SSD/HDD)– This plan starts from $1.99 against every month and having a data center at both the locations.
• Xen Linux (HDD)– This plan starts from $3.99 against every month and data center in Netherland.
• KVM Linux (HDD)– In this plan, you will be charged $3.99 for every month and having a data center at both the locations.
• KVM Windows (HDD)– In this plan, you will be charged $6.99 per month and data center in Netherland.
I am sure you won't find such cheap VPS hosting anywhere else.
The price of dedicated servers depends on the location and the company of the servers. For Romania server, the price starts at $69.99 per month.
You can register any domain extension from HostSailor no matter whether it is a TLD or country specific domains. Domains are starting from $6.19 per month.
SSL certificates show a level of transparency and impacts a lot to users. If you are having a site which possesses the payment process in any way, you must use SSLs as per your need. HostSailor provides all kinds of SSLs at very affordable price.
This was all about HostSailor VPS Hosting Review. No doubt there are one of the best VPS hosting providers and that too at very affordable rate. You can start with VPS as low as $1.99 per month which is even less than the shared hosting which usually comes at $4 per month.
So if your site needs a VPS hosting, think about switching to HostSailor VPS Hosting and you will not regret again.
Do you use VPS hosting? What is your experience?


Everyone remembers the headlines from early September declaring that Equifax had been hacked, resulting in 143 million Americans (and, we just learned, 100,000 Canadians) having their sensitive information exposed. You'd think that news would have spurred us all into action — but turns out, we're not doing much of anything about it, according to a recent poll by research firm SSRS.
It's not because we're not scared of the fallout: 66% of those surveyed said they were very or somewhat concerned that their private details — which include names, addresses, and Social Security and driver's license numbers — could have been compromised. Yet only 19% have actually taken any steps to protect themselves.
36% placed a fraud alert on their credit. Putting a fraud alert in place means that companies need to verify your identity before they can issue you a line of credit. You can place a fraud alert with any of the big three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion), and they'll be required to notify the other two. The alert will stay on your credit report for 90 days, after which you can renew it.
21% placed a credit freeze. A credit freeze means nobody can access your credit report unless you "unfreeze" it temporarily with a PIN. Freezing and unfreezing your credit report, however, could require paying a small fee, depending on where you live.
20% purchased another credit-monitoring service. Other popular credit-monitoring services include LifeLock, EZ Shield and Identity Guard. These types of companies will help monitor your credit report and notify you of any suspicious activity, and may even help fix the problem if your identity is stolen.
If you haven't done any of the above — or even eyeballed your credit report and financial accounts for activity that seems out of the ordinary — it's not too late to take action.


And you thought there was no good news these days.
In recent years the average bra size has expanded from 34B to 36D. Lingerie retailers, dietitians and doctors reveal why – and explain how bra designers are staying ahead of the curve via Why are British women's breasts getting bigger? | Life and style | The Observer.


One of the best events I attend last year is the craft beer, food truck, and live music festival called Beericana. Located in Sugg Farm Park in Holly Springs it is unique to the festivals focusing on beer in the area. One of the unique feelings of this event is that is feels more like a fall festival. While the setup is still to be determined, last year had a triangular setup with food trucks on one side, breweries on the other, and the live bands performing on the other side. This brought a great flow as once you setup your spot in front of the band, you could easily move between the beer and food.
The event is organized by 919 Beer, which is a local craft beer enthusiast group. Their goal to educate and engage people into the local craft beer movement. Based on the listing of breweries attending, North Carolina is very active in the craft beer scene with all major geographical areas represented in the state. There are also representations from as far as California and Florida.
Also highlighted are the local food trucks (the part where I get real excited) that also engage with the local breweries. Some of the food trucks embrace their symbiotic relationship with the local breweries by highlighting them in their menu.
In addition to getting great tickets to Beericana, those who buy now get an opportunity for a private behind the scenes Funkatorium tour, tasting, and sour mixing session with Walt Dickinson of Wicked Weed Brewing in Asheville! How can one win tickets?
If you buy VIP tickets from July 11th to July 17th, you are entered into a drawing for one pair of tickets.
If you buy VIP tickets from July 11th to July 24th, you are entered into a drawing for one pair of tickets.
If you buy VIP tickets from July 11th to July 31st, you are entered into a drawing for one pair of tickets.
Each drawing will have one unique winner (one person cannot win more than pair).
For those who buy with General Admission or VIP the first 3 weeks will enter for a Grand Prize drawing. This prize includes one pair of tickets, two nights stay in downtown Asheville, dinner at Wicked Weed, and a tour of all South Slop breweries with Adam and Wayne of 919 Beer (date to be determined). For official rules and details, visit Beericana.
In addition to unlimited pours, bottled water is located around the event.
Last year, VIP was a smaller group and entered one hour before the general admission start time. This year VIP tickets are capped at 700 this year (25% of last years attendance). In addition, most breweries will have special VIP sixtels tapped at noon for VIP time.
Last year I was a VIP ticket holder and I found this was the best opportunity to taste. Combined with the added prize drawing, I would recommend VIP tickets.
Because this was a first time event last year, this was a surprise successful event last year. After the event, a friend expressed regret not attending. Don't be that friend and buy your tickets now. Hope to see you there.


What is Guesty's upgraded Airbnb integration?
Guesty has 2 different ways to integrate directly to Airbnb: the standard and the upgraded integrations.
The upgraded integration was built to have improved stability and data consistency between Guesty and Airbnb.
While both integrations sync content, calendar, reservations and messages, the upgraded integration provides a more seamless experience, as data is constantly pushed and pulled in real time.
With the upgraded integration, Guesty and Airbnb become a 2-way street.
You can easily move inventory by importing or publishing your listings, from and to Airbnb.
Managing your listings will only be possible through Guesty's software, while the listings dashboard in Airbnb will be blocked. This helps us to prevent discrepancies between the 2 platforms, since everything is done from Guesty- your one-stop-shop!
At the moment, the new integration doesn't allow you to manage reviews, but it's in the works! In the meantime, it is still available on Airbnb's website.
We are also working on the ability to send special offers directly from Guesty!
The upgraded Airbnb integration does not support iCal connection.
How do I tell which integration do I have?
How do I get upgraded?
We are working on a seamless process, and are expecting to start upgrading existing clients starting Q3 2019.
If you are qualified and would like to be upgraded, apply for the new integration and we will reach out to you once we start upgrading existing accounts.
Which Airbnb Integration Do I Have?


REVIEW: LOVE TAPS is a landmark story in the category of sports themed romance. The story revolves around boxing. Not only does author, Aja, effectively utilize a boxing gym as the primary setting for this well-developed story, but she also features a heroine who is a boxer. How cool is that! Francine "Frankie" Waters grew up in her father's gym and aspires to be a boxer much to, her dad, Frank Waters', opposition. Boxing is so intertwined in her DNA that her desire is to become another Laila Ali. In addition to this, Frankie is in love with a number one heavy-weight contender, Jackson Knight. He is Frankie's friend, her lover, and her secret trainer. This couple gives new meaning to the term stablemate.
I like this story for several reasons. First, it is a story about second chances. Even though Frankie and Jackson are clearly a great match, their love journey gets sidetracked by a life-changing decision that derails Frankie's dreams. It is how they overcome the complicated issues that becomes the heart and soul of this story. Second, I like this story because it gives the reader a ringside seat in experiencing the sights, smells, and sounds of a boxing gym. Kudos to Aja for her meticulous research that comes through in the descriptions of what happens on a daily basis in the life of a boxer at Frank's gym. Last, but certainly not least, LOVE TAPS is a story that details a romance between two athletes who desire the best for each other but have to figure out how to make that happen in the aftermath of tragedy and time.
The chemistry between Frankie and Jackson is evident from the opening pages of the story that draw the reader in and never let go. The HEA is gratifying and assuring that the fight for their love was worth it. Although LOVE TAPS can be read as a stand-alone, there is a slight connection to the first book of the series, LOVE'S REQUIRED. That connection is through the characters, Logan (Angel) and Cami, the protagonists, who make an appearance in this story.
I thoroughly enjoyed LOVE TAPS, and I believe you will too. The story, while definitely a romance, is also a capsule look at the art of boxing. Aja successfully combines them to give her readers an entertaining and engaging story. I recommend LOVE TAPS for your reading pleasure.


MIS is a surgical center with the most technologically advanced and minimally invasive techniques.
Minimally Invasive Surgery of Hawaii is a state-of-the-art ambulatory surgery center fully licensed by the Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) and accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). At Minimally Invasive Surgery of Hawaii, you and your family will experience our welcoming environment, excellence in orthopedic and musculoskeletal care in a patient-centered, service-oriented environment. Every team member is committed to providing safe, high-quality, low cost healthcare that is personalized for each patient. This means our exceptional care is given in combination with compassion and concern for your personal situation.
The team of professionals at MIS provides different specialties and makes a commitment to work harmoniously and deliver consistent high-quality care in a safe and friendly environment.


Details:Get the Mardi Gras Party started with Mardi Gras Beads. Pearlized colors accent these round plastic beads. Add a sparkling touch to any dress up costume or Mardi Gras Event. Looking for unique and fun wearables for Mardi Gras? We have a wide selection of costume accessories to make your Mardi Gras celebration a hit! Find the bling you need to make your Mardi Gras or Carnival costume a hit!. Discount pricing offer only from CarnivalSource.com.


LEGAZPI CITY (Bicol Standard) – A radio broadcaster was gunned down earlier today (July 20) at Alternate Road, P6, Penafrancia, Daraga town.
The victim, Joey Llana y Manata, 38 years old, was on his way to work at 4:45 am when the suspect shot him using caliber 9 mm and 45 firearms.
He was hit two times on the body and five times on the head.
Llana was a blocktimer at radio station DWZR Zoom Radio. He was known for his hard-hitting commentaries.
Recently, he would announce on air that he had been receiving threats.
He was declared dead at 6:05 a.m. by the Emergency Management Staff, the regional police said.
Investigation is still ongoing as of this writing.
Albay Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster Chair Tito Ordinario this morning condemned the incident. He also reminded broadcasters to be careful.


text:
Q: Trying to insert numeric info in database I'm trying to insert a number in a field of my sql database. The table is:
Create table IF NOT EXISTS LJugador(
Fecha date,
vm int,
totalpuntos int,
nom_jugador varchar(80),
FOREIGN KEY (nom_jugador) REFERENCES Jugadores(nombre),
PRIMARY KEY(Fecha, nom_jugador)
)engine=innodb;

The PHP code for insert:
$ljuga_in = "INSERT INTO ljugador VALUE( now(), '{$jugadores[$m][2]}','{$jugadores[$m][3]}', '{$jugadores[$m][1]}' )";

when I do echo of $ljuga_in to see if it is being inserted correctly, I get:
INSERT INTO ljugador VALUE( now(), '4.130.000','92', 'Osman' );

You can see the number is being inserted correctly, but when I make a select query to see the information, VM has 4130 - the last three zeros are not there.
The field is int, but I have tried with numeric and double or float and nothing is working.

A: Try using DECIMAL(n, p) where n is the overall number of digits and p the number of digits after the comma, so e.g. for DECIMAL(10, 2) the maximum that can be represented would be 99.999.999,99

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Home › BL 5.5 Medium Artillery Howitzer Lapel Pin
BL 5.5 Medium Artillery Howitzer Lapel Pin
Wear this BL 5.5 Howitzer Pin with pride at any time of the year.
2 x Rear metal butterfly pin fasteners.
Worldwide postage will be added at checkout for your country destination. Using the current Royal Mail Standard Delivery Tariffs. Tracked & Signed options are available
The BL 5.5 inch Gun was a British artillery gun introduced during the middle of the Second World War to equip medium batteries.
In January 1939 a specification was issued for a gun to replace the 6 inch 26 cwt howitzers in use with most medium batteries. The first units were equipped in UK in the summer of 1941 and in North Africa a year later, 20 guns equipped British and Free French batteries at El Alamein. Subsequently, it also equipped Canadian, Australian, South African, Polish and Indian regiments, and after the war, it was also used by New Zealand. In the Second World War the normal organisation was a regiment of 16 guns organised into two batteries.
The 5.5 was retained in service after the war. It was used by the Royal Artillery on operations in Korea, South Arabia and Borneo. It was probably used by the Indian Army in wars against Pakistan, and was used by the Pakistan Army against India in the mountains of Kashmir during the Kargil War of 1999.
The South African Defence Force used it extensively in the early stages of the South African Border War, including Operation Savannah, calling it the G2. Approximately 72 are still held in reserve by the South African Army.[2]
In British post-war service it also replaced the BL 4.5 inch Medium Field Gun. When 6-gun batteries were introduced in the late 1950s, medium regiments had 18 guns and the third battery in each field regiment was equipped with 5.5 inch guns instead of 25 pounder guns. It remained in UK service with Territorial Army regiments until 1980 and in Australian service until replaced by M198 in about 1984.
The UK replacement for 5.5 inch was the FH-70 155 mm towed howitzer, in service as the L121. The last 5.5 rounds were fired in the UK in 1995.
In use, the 5.5 was generally towed by the AEC Matador artillery tractor. From the 1950s in British service, the 5.5 was typically towed by an AEC Militant Mk 1 6x6 truck and subsequently the FV 1103 Leyland Martian 6x6 Medium Artillery Tractor .
All 5.5 guns were manufactured in the UK.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The US Constitution is the oldest written national constitution still in use today. For over 200 years it has stood at the center of American political life and been celebrated by people from all walks of life and across the political spectrum. But it has also been the subject of vast disagreements, beginning almost the moment it was signed in Philadelphia in 1787 and continuing to this day. The Constitution Project seeks to make this central document, and the ideas and struggles that shaped it, accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds. The series explores the conflicts that have not only formed the Constitution but have influenced how we understand and interpret it. This documentary explores Magna Carta, one of the most important documents in the history of democracy and the inspiration for the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. It marked its 800th anniversary in 2015.


Michael Bhaskar is the Co-Founder of digital publisher Canelo, author of the books The Content Machine and Curation, and also Writer-in-Residence at Google's DeepMind with the Ethics and Society team.
In this episode, we talk about how Canelo tries to do things differently - not just the obvious "being digital" stuff but also using marginal gains to produce a large overall result, and how the economics work differently for small publishers, enabling them to work effectively with "mid-list" authors that big publishers might reject as unprofitable. Plus, the need to make time for your creative projects, being willing to work hard to get results, and how mistakes are inevitable and often painful, but how you can learn from everything.


For Momina Mustehsan, there is such a thing as a second chance at a first impression.
The Stony Brook 40 Under Forty honoree, who graduated with a dual major in biomedical engineering and applied mathematics, burst onto the music scene in her native Pakistan two years ago on the country's popular Coke Studio program.
As one of several performances on the show, which pairs established and emerging artists for live studio-recorded performances, Mustehsan teamed with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan to perform "Afreen Afreen," which had been a hit for Khan's uncle, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The performance became the fastest Pakistani-origin video ever to reach 100 million views on YouTube, and has been viewed more than 212 million times as of November 2018.
Momina Mustehsan attends 40 Under Forty celebration.
Now, after taking a break from music to focus on activism — largely centered around her studies at Stony Brook and encouraging more girls and young women to pursue the sciences — Mustehsan is launching her music career in earnest. Her debut single, "Aaya Na Tu" — a duet with Indian singer Arjun Kanungo — was released on June 19, and has been viewed more than 46 million times since its release.
Even as she pushes ahead with her musical career, though — including three performances on the 11th season of Coke Studio Pakistan –– Mustehsan continues to make activism a major part of her life. In May, she opened up to fans about the universality of mental health challenges in a widely publicized post for her 1.7 million Instagram followers. Her Twitter bio — "BBC 100 Women 2017, SBU 40 Under 40, Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2018" — reflects her priorities, along with the place Stony Brook continues to hold in her heart.
Let's start with your new song: where does this fit in with where you are right now as an artist?
This was actually my first single. I hadn't put out singles before this; I had featured on Coke Studio, but none of it was a proper music video or a single.
I wanted to wait. My musical journey started in college, but then, I never wanted to turn it into a career, and after Coke Studio, there was a lot of focus on how I looked instead of the skill that I was trying to showcase on that show, which was singing. That made me really uncomfortable — I wanted to be known as a person first, and not just an entertainer. Up until now, I have been working really hard to be recognized as somebody who's not just a musician, but as somebody who has an opinion, has a personality, has a brain and who is trying to make a difference, so that I'm taken seriously because of all the other things I do, even as an engineer. I deliver guest lectures at different schools, talking to them, sharing my research, even projects that I worked on at Stony Brook.
For people to take me seriously, I have to establish my credibility in other fields. I'm very grateful that the BBC recognized me, and more recently Forbes and Stony Brook as well.
They introduced me to Arjun, who's Indian, and we worked on the song together, and then we all flew to Bangkok to shoot the music video for the song. I can't really go to India, and he couldn't really come to Pakistan, and there are a lot of people involved in the project.
How does that come together, anyway? An Indian singer and a Pakistani singer recording a duet seems kind of unlikely.
I've never looked at India as a different market or a different set of people, because I believe that we have so much in common. Urdu and Hindi are different, but essentially, they're like Ukrainian and Russian; you understand it. We look similar, we eat almost the same food, we were the same country and we're neighbors. There are political differences, but I think in terms of people-to-people sentiment, we just take each other as people.
Being an artist, you have to be very responsible and careful, knowing that you're somebody who people listen to or look up to. You have to set the right example, so for me to collaborate with an Indian artist, I think that was my way of saying we're the same people, and where there's creativity, it can bridge any gap. Being a creative person, I think it is our job to bridge those gaps that have been created by political situations. Music transcends boundaries and borders, so that's one way of promoting peace in the region: by collaborating with each other.
So you went to Thailand to shoot the video, and you play a character in the video. What was that like for you, as opposed to singing on camera with a band on Coke Studio?
The camera has always made me very awkward. I wanted to study, because you shouldn't venture into any field without having the right equipment or skill set. I decided to go to film school first and learn a thing or two, because I do have to face the camera a lot.
When I went to shoot this music video, I was fortunate to have a great team that set the vibe right, made me feel comfortable and made it OK to make mistakes. When you know that everyone around is encouraging you and cheering you on, I think that really helps. All you need is a little push, and everything else falls into place.
Initially, I was a little concerned about playing the character, but I worked with the team, and we had a lot of back-and-forth. We worked on the storyboard and changed a few things, because I'm pretty conservative in the way that I dress and what I'm doing on screen.
I tried to depict my real emotion, because with anything I do, especially when it comes to creative expression, I like being really honest with it. I really like trying to relate to it and actually being in that situation, because when it comes to music, you are trying to reach out to people's emotions. You can't touch other people's emotions until and unless you are feeling the same thing. They won't be able to feel it unless you're feeling it, so you have to actually be that character, be in that moment and mean whatever you're depicting. That's what I tried to do.
You talk about it being a single, and we're in a place with music right now where singles don't have to be attached to a larger album, because a lot of times, that's not how people are listening to music anyway.
Social media is a blessing and also a challenge. With music, you need to give audiences enough time to digest your work, because there's so much readily available to them, and all they need to do is scroll away. For you to put out an album that comprises at least six or seven songs, I think that's a waste of your creative expression. A lot of times, people might overlook your other work, because you're giving them way too much at one time. That's why I think people are coming out more with singles than albums.
Also, before, people were consuming music in a way that was physical. You had tapes and CDs and all of that stuff. Now, you don't have that. You download individual tracks. Back in the day, it made more sense to give people more of you, because they're not going to buy a record with just one song on it. You had to give them a larger collection to listen to. Now, it's smarter to release singles.
You mentioned taking a break from music between Coke Studio and releasing this song, and some of that goes back to what your Twitter bio had been: "Engineer. Mathematician. Social Activist. Musician." What exactly had you been working on between Coke Studio and this?
Between Coke Studio and this, my engineering work has kind of taken a backseat for now, because I'm so involved with other projects related to social activism. I think that is the thing that is needed the most in Pakistan right now. You don't have many young people who are in the public eye or have an impactful platform. Knowing that, I think you have to prioritize your time. I feel that right now, what's needed the most in that region is somebody who can shed light on topics of importance.
I'm working on a program called "iCity" for girls in Pakistan, with the government. What we're doing is setting up these institutes all over Pakistan to equip girls with programming and coding skills. These women, who might not be allowed to leave their houses otherwise, are given the skill set so that they can stay in their houses if they can't get out, but still want to be contributing members of society. The internet has made the world such a small place, and you can be in the comfort of your house and achieve anything. The sky is not the limit.
I go and I talk to these girls, because I've also studied programming, and we have these interactive sessions and they speak about why they love what they love, what they want to do, and it's an inclusive thing. We tell all these girls that they don't need to be defined by any labels. They can be programmers, and they can also be great musicians and they can also be great cooks if they want to be. They can be great homemakers; they can be whatever they want to be. They don't need to be restricted by any label at all, and they don't need to be restricted to one field.
In general, I speak about empowering women, health care, education and mental health. I like using my own examples to raise awareness about mental health, because everyone goes through something at some point in their lives, and I feel that social media has made it harder for people. Anyone going through anything goes on social media and sees people living a perfect life, even though nobody is living a perfect life. Nobody wants to highlight the imperfections.
It was hard. It was really, really hard, but I felt like it was my responsibility and my duty to share that. A lot of people think that being famous is the solution to everything, or the number of likes or followers you get makes things better. But it means nothing at the end of the day, when you yourself are not okay, when you wake up in the morning and you feel like nothing in your life is in your control. Millions of followers don't help you with that at all. What helps you is yourself, and I try to talk about it, that the change lies within yourself. You might look at my stuff and think, "What a life," but even though I have things that you might want, you may have things that I might want. This is how life is, this is how humans are and it's completely OK.
A lot of my friends reached out and told me that they didn't think it was a good idea for me to make myself so vulnerable, but I told them that I can't claim to be somebody who's a social activist or wants to make a difference and not be vulnerable. It doesn't make sense. Either you're all in or you're all out. Be dedicated to whatever cause you've picked, be it social work or music or anything else.
Any of my music projects, I put a lot of time and effort into it, even at times when I don't really have to. A lot of times in the music industry, the way that it works is that someone says, "Here's a track. Sing it, and we'll take care of everything else." That doesn't satisfy me. I like being part of the whole process, so that I know that it is a part of me that I'm putting out. With any project in life — an engineering project, a doctor performing surgery on a patient — you have to really be dedicated to your craft.
We talked a bit about your old Twitter bio; let's look at the new one: "BBC 100 Women 2017, SBU 40 Under 40, Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2018." To see Stony Brook's 40 Under Forty in between these honors from the BBC and Forbes, I imagine that says a lot about what Stony Brook means to you.
Stony Brook means everything to me. I have things up in my home from my dorm at Stony Brook, because that was really the only time I was in one place for long. That's essentially where I grew up. All of my professors and my experiences at Stony Brook shaped the person I am today. Stony Brook helped me find my voice.
I actually started off as a biology major. When I looked at all the things that Stony Brook had to offer, that's when I stumbled on biomedical engineering, and it's a major that not a lot of schools offered at that point. Also, the diversified education curriculum played such a key role in who I am today. Because of that, I had to take classes in philosophy, economics, theater, Hindu mythology, European history, all of these things, and I think it made me a more well-rounded person, more aware of my surroundings and more of a global citizen. In all of my travels, I think my Stony Brook education really helped me, because it gave me a snapshot of the world, and the diverse student body at Stony Brook made me more sensitive to other cultures and exposed me to how different people approach different things in life. Because I got to live with people of so many different ethnicities, I learned a great deal, and it made me more sensitive, respectful and appreciative of other cultures. Stony Brook wasn't just an educational experience; it was an experience that shaped me into the person I am today, academically, socially and every other way.
When you look back on that experience, what are some of your favorite memories from Stony Brook?
There was a research proposal I had to write for a microfluidics class for [director of the undergraduate program in biomedical engineering] Molly Frame. I really admired her and learned a lot from her. She wanted us to write a grant for proposed research in microfluidics. I thought about it, and I worked with my other professor for bioimaging, and I thought about designing this study of cancer metastasis using green fluorescent proteins and quantum dots, to study if a primary tumor does essentially form a second tumor, and if it does, how long does it take. How do cancer cells travel through the lymph channel, and what else is there in the fluid profile? It challenged me to think about all these things.
I presented this research proposal at a medical school in Pakistan. I shared it with the students so that if they wanted to further the research, they could take my paper and I would give them the funding to go ahead with it.
I also loved the study abroad I went on in Italy. When I got there, I didn't know anyone from the program. I met all of them there, and I became such good friends with them. We actually hung out last week in Brooklyn.
Stony Brook also taught me how to manage my own time. I learned how to do laundry at Stony Brook. I learned how to be an adult. When you start college, you're a kid, and I had always been a protected kid, and then suddenly I was at Stony Brook, and I think it gave me the perfect in environment to have freedom but still be protected.
I also founded the Pakistani Student Association, and I would make sure that PSA took part in all of the multicultural nights on campus, so that we could shed light on how Pakistan is, so that people on campus could have a better understanding of the country and what is similar between Pakistan and the U.S. I love cooking, so I would bring in a lot of Pakistani food and Pakistani snacks, and I also gave a presentation on Pakistan as a country. I quizzed people about what they thought. They were surprised to learn that the official language is English, and that we have more women in government than the U.S. and that we've twice elected a female head of state.
The perception of Pakistan is that we're a country that does not believe in female empowerment. That is not true. We do believe in female empowerment, and we do value our women, but it's just that with every society, it's a journey. Empowering women is global need, not just restricted to one country. Nobody has it all figured out, and it's OK to not have it all figured out. It's generations that come after one another that shape the cultural narratives.
So interesting to read about an inspiring alumna. Thanks for this article!


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NORTH KOREA ORDERS STRICT LOCKDOWN WITH FIRST OFFICIAL COVID CASES
Tharindu Perera May 13, 2022 NORTH KOREA ORDERS STRICT LOCKDOWN WITH FIRST OFFICIAL COVID CASES2022-05-13T13:10:48+00:00 ONLINE EXCLUSIVES
BBC: 12 May 2022
North Korea has ordered a strict national lockdown after confirming its first official Covid infections.
State media have reported an Omicron outbreak in the capital, Pyongyang, but did not state the number of cases.
North Korea has rejected any kind of vaccine programme, even when offered a supply by other countries.
Instead, it controlled Covid by sealing its borders – and had never recorded a case, despite experts believing the virus has long been present.
Outsiders say the nation's 25 million population is vulnerable due to the lack of a Covid-19 vaccine programme, even rejecting offers from the international community to supply millions of AstraZeneca and Chinese-made Sinovac jabs last year.
There have also been concerns about North Korea's impoverished healthcare system.
KCNA said leader Kim Jong-un had vowed to eradicate the outbreak, which it called a "severe national emergency" that had breached the country's "quarantine front".
At the meeting outlining the new Covid rules, Mr Kim was seen wearing a face mask on television for what is believed to be the first time. He soon removed it, while other officials present kept theirs on.
North Korea's strategy of sealing its foreign borders – one of the first countries to do so, in January 2020 – has also stopped essential supplies from entering the country, leading to food shortages and a faltering economy.
On Thursday, KCNA said Mr Kim had ordered "maximum emergency" virus controls, which appeared to include orders for localised lockdowns and gathering restrictions in workplaces.
The North Korean news outlet added that the first case of the Omicron variant had been reportedly detected in the capital four days ago.
Residents in some areas of Pyongyang had been subjected to lockdown for at least two days before the latest announcement, according to NK News, a Seoul-based monitoring site.
South Korea's government said it has renewed its offer of humanitarian assistance to the North in response to the news of the outbreak. Pyongyang has yet to respond.
For more than two years, North Korea has, rather dubiously, claimed not to have a single case of Covid-19. So why admit to it now?
Most likely it is because this outbreak is too serious and too difficult to hide.
North Korea has been consistent in its public commitment to fighting the virus. This is how it has justified closing its borders for so long. Now that Omicron has entered the country, the challenge is to limit its spread.
With no vaccines, poor healthcare and a limited capacity to test people, North Korea's options are very limited right now.
Authorities have clearly decided they have no choice but to put the country into lockdown. In order to do this, they simply have to tell people and the rest of the world.
It does not necessarily mean they will be any more willing to accept outside help.
Presentational grey line
Analysts initially said Pyongyang's disclosure of the Covid cases at this time was significant and could hamper the state's nuclear ambitions, which have been on show this year.
But hours after the Covid announcement on Thursday, North Korea fired three short-range ballistic missiles about 360km (224 miles) towards the Sea of Japan, South Korea's military said.
North Korea has claimed to have conducted more than a dozen banned missile tests, including one of an intercontinental ballistic missile, a weapon it hadn't tested in more than four years.
Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, told AFP that North Korea might shelve plans for a nuclear test to focus on battling the outbreak, though if public fears escalated, Mr Kim may go ahead with a test "to divert this fear to another place".
But Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University, said that North Koreans "may be less interested in nuclear or missile tests when the urgent threat involves coronavirus rather than a foreign military".
He added that he believed Pyongyang would "likely double down" on its lockdowns, given that it was entering a "period of uncertainty in managing its domestic challenges and international isolation".
Despite North Korea's claims that it had "shining success" in keeping out Covid, there have been signs throughout the pandemic of the virus' potential presence in the country. There were several unconfirmed reports of Covid cases previously.
In June last year, state media reported that Mr Kim had punished officials over a "grave incident" related to Covid, but did not specify details.
Then in September, the state held a military parade featuring lines of soldiers wearing hazmat suits and masks, which some analysts saw as a sign that a special force was created to help prevent the spread of Covid.
North Korea shares land borders with South Korea and China, which have battled outbreaks. China is now struggling to contain an Omicron wave with lockdowns in its biggest cities.
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Last summer, I had an apostolic experience at Saenal Study Center For Neighborhood Children in Bucheon. It was my second opportunity since I entered the Society. There are about 25 children and most of them come from poor families. Most of their parents are factory workers. Some children have only one parent, so they need to be taken care of by some adults during the day.
Before I met them, I had questions like 'What can I do for them?', 'What will they need from me?' And I worried about what contribution I could make for them. But three weeks later, I realized that all that I could do was be with them. I could not do anything for them but Jesus worked through me. Every morning, when the study center opened, children arrived immediately. Then, the children and I played a board game called "Halli Galli". This game needed quick reflexes. It was hard for me because my hand movement was much slower than the children's. So I usually lost the game. The more often I lost the game, the more often the children suggested to me that we play the game. Whenever I lost a game, they seemed to gain confidence in their own ability. I was not ashamed of my disability. Many of the children seemed to delight in my disability and I felt so happy for them.
During this time, I read a book called Near the Dead Sea for my spiritual reading. That book showed me about Jesus who is always with us. He always stayed with the poor, suffering people. He empathized with their pain deeply. At that time, I heard the voice in my heart "Go and do likewise. (Luke 11, 35)" I thought I had to do something special for the children. But I realized that it was a time for me to stay with these poor children like Jesus did, and to share joy with them through my weakness.


To Dog With Love: Teach Your Dog "Hide Your Eyes"
Teach Your Dog "Hide Your Eyes"
The goal is to have Rocco put his paws on the ottoman and hide his eyes!
We're starting the last week of K9 Kamp, and we hope you all have had as good a time as we've had finding new twists on the game of "Doggie Hide and Seek."
The last two weeks we played "Find It" and "Go Hide" and this week we are working on "Hide Your Eyes."
Once Rocco has this trick perfected, he can hide his eyes while I hide something for him to find! It's yet even another twist on Doggie Hide and Seek!
front paws are on the book!
Teach Hide Your Eyes (or some folks like to call it Say Your Prayers) in two steps.
Step #1: First teach paws up. I started teaching Rocco to do this on a phone book.
I shaped the behavior by rewarding him every time he touched the phone book with his front paws. In no time, I could send him to the phone book and he'd place his paws there!
Rocco performs paws up on the ottoman!
You can train this on any object that your pup can easily reach with his paws.
Next, I taught Rocco "paws up" by encouraging him to place his paws up on everything from the side of a sofa or ottoman to placing his paws on my arm.
To start, I lured him with a treat to get his paws in position.
Step #2: Once we had "paws up" we could start training "hide your eyes."
Rocco shows how he hides his eyes on my arm!
I started training it on my arm, and used a treat between his paws to help lure his head down. Rocco's legs are pretty short, so this was a bit of a challenge at first!
Then we started transferring the behavior to the side of the ottoman.
Rocco hides his eyes on the ottoman!
Tip: Treat low, between your pup's legs to keep his head down.
We just starting training the trick on the ottoman this week, so we'll continue to perfect it until Rocco can hold the position longer.
Remember, next week is the final week of K9 Kamp. We'll gather round the Kampfire to see how you all have been playing Doggie Hide and Seek at our February 21 Blog Hop!
We'd love to hear what you've been working on and if you've taught your dog any version of Hide Your Eyes! Please let us know in the comments below.
And, from now through February 21, FitDog Friday will co-locate with K9 Kamp. So we'd love for you to link up all your FitDog AND K9 Kamp posts here! And, don't forget to enter our K9 Kamp giveaway! You'll find it in our FitDog Friday post from last week.
Hide your eyes is brilliant. What a clever team you make. Happy Valentine's Day to you and may you and your family have a fabulous day.
Thank you Molly. Happy Valentine's Day to you and your family!
Oh I've never tried that. My Human uses a sit stay or down stay with me facing away from where she is hiding something. Rocco looks so cute doing his trick!
I think you'd be good at it Hawk. You should give it a try!
Thank you! It's a fun trick to have and portable when you perform it on your arm!
Very cute trick! :) Going to add this to my trick to do list!
It's a great trick for a rainy (or snowy) day!
This is adorable! We're definitely going to practice this since we have ANOTHER snow day today!
It's a good indoor activity for sure. Stay warm!
Your training him for the movies aren't you? Well done Rocco.
Movies would be good! I think the Roc would like that!
Love this trick! And I mus comment on Roccos hair ties...SO CUTE! Happy Valentines Day you two!
Ha! He's got preppy pink and green in today. I feel I must defend his boyhood sometimes! Thanks for reading!
How cute is that trick! Love it. We learn hop from when we are little on. For most that would mean jump but for us it means to put our front feet up on something but we never thought of hide.
Oh that's cool! You're halfway to Hide Your Eyes!
We've got "paws up" - I'm going to start working on this one - so cute!
I first thought you meant "shame" where they paw at their nose. Mr. N knows this one, it makes people laugh. We use the term "pray" though.
We may need to teach the paw at your nose trick next! I've seen folks use "pray" too!
Fantastic! Definitely trying this out with Kate this weekend!
I love it! I've been wanting to teach Bella this trick but couldn't figure out how to move from the first step to the next. I still need to figure out how to get her to sit after she puts her paws up (or I'll need a 6 foot ladder to do hide your eyes) but thank you for getting us started on the eyes part!


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OFFICIAL: Juventus Complete Federico Bernardeschi Signing
By Kunal | July 24, 2017 | 0
Reuters / Matthew Childs
Juventus have officially completed the signing of Federico Bernardeschi from Fiorentina, the Turin-based outfit has confirmed.
The Italy international joins the Serie A Champions on a five-year deal after having successfully undergone his medical at Juve's medical centre on Monday morning, for a transfer fee believed to be in the region of €40 million.
Following the winger's performances last season, including a goal tally of 11, Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho was also interested in signing Bernardeschi as a possible alternative to his primary target Ivan Perisic, as per Football Italia.
However, the Old Lady outfit has now secured the 23-year-old's services, and he is expected to link up with his new teammates in the United States ahead of International Champions Cup meetings with Paris Saint-Germain and Roma.
Sky Sports: Manchester United Close To Agreeing Ivan Perisic Fee
Fiorentina coach Stefano Pioli spoke about the wideman's move to Turin before the official confirmation, by telling the reporters: "He's made up his mind. I've only spoken to him once on the telephone and I can't waste my energy thinking about what could have been. We just have to think about the future."
With a move from Fiorentina to their bitter rivals Juventus, Bernardeschi has now followed the footsteps of the legendary Roberto Baggio, and he will now hope to emulate a similar sort of career with the Serie A giants.
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From Sleep
"… it is a piece that is meant to be listened to at night… "
From a 7″ single, a 12″ EP, a vinyl LP to a compact disc, the physical format has always limited the maximum length of an album. But with the internet broadband availability, this has stopped being a limiting factor: compositions can be as long as the composer wants them to be. If you forget about a "download version" and instead focus on streaming audio, there is no limit in length at all: check longplayer.org for instance, a web stream of one-thousand-year long composition – and a nice one to listen to, as well! This does not mean that there were no long-form compositions before the internet: around 1985 John Cage (who else?) wrote As SLow aS Possible (ASLSP) for organ – its performance in Halberstadt, Germany, "started in 2001 and is scheduled to have a duration of 639 years, ending in 2640".
Long-form compositions are a challenge to a composer, because they have to deal with the audience's relatively short attention span – not many people will be able to focus and keep their concentration for four hours or even more. For this reason, it is no surprise that several long-form experiments are found in the realm of ambient music, and are often written to be played during sleep. Some examples include Robert Rich's sleep projects Somnium and Perpetual, Stephan Mathieu's Nachststücke and Marsen Jules' 24 hour version of The Endless Change of Colour. And let's not forget about Leif Inge's 24 hours stretched version of Beethoven's Ninth ("9Beet Stretch")!
Enter Max Richter, who recently surprised the musical world with his latest project called SLEEP, an 8 hour (+ 24 minutes) composition, intended to help you sleep. It is not a drone piece, but a set of 31 'variations' meant to be played in a continuous sequence. It is not a purely electronic piece either (although there is a significant role for synth and electronics). The main themes are performed by a real-life orchestra, the American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME), featuring the beautiful soprano voice of Grace Davidson and Max Richter himself playing piano, organ, synth and electronics. Different sleep phases are represented with their own variations. The thematic parts, performed in various settings by the ensemble, representing the moments of lighter sleep, while phases of deep sleep are guided by less distinct synth drones and abstract soundscapes.
The project's purpose is not to be a full-fledged dramatic symphony with extreme dynamics. That would only keep you awake. The basic themes sound deceptively simple and are often repeated in (slightly) different variations – resulting in a soothing effect, a vaguely familiar feeling. But don't underestimate the difficulty of playing relatively 'simple' themes like this – especially in a live setting!
Somehow, in Europe, over the last century, as complexity and inaccessibility became equated with intelligence and the avant-garde, we lost something along the way. Modernism gave us so many stunning works, but we also lost our lullabies.
To be honest, I have tried but could not sleep to it very well. Partly because I'm a light sleeper, but also because there are certain aspects of the work that demands attention – it is not completely 'ignorable'. So I prefer playing this composition in the daytime. It has the exact length of a working day and proves to be a great accompaniment for a full days work, at home, alone. I found out that the piece does not become boring or irritating for a single moment – and in fact, that was a big surprise for me because I expected it to be almost impossible to listen to a work like this uninterrupted, while awake. The repeating themes effectively work their way into your subconscious. And, after the piece is ended and switched off, they won't easily leave your mind.
Due to its length, SLEEP can only be downloaded as a digital album. Unfortunately, Deutsche Grammophon has decided to offer it through iTunes only. A strange choice, since it should've been offered cross-platform of course, preferably with the choice of a lossless version too. Many have asked that question so who knows what will happen in the near future. Not everyone will have the patience to sit through a composition of this length. And for those that want a physical copy, there is also a one-hour edition, From Sleep, released on vinyl and CD. This is a kind of a morsel from the larger work, containing different and shorter versions of the full-scale variations.
Words by Peter van Cooten of Ambient Blog
Additional editorial by HC
Julien Marchal – Insight
Christine Ott – Chimères (pour ondes Martenot)
Daniel Avery & Alessandro Cortini, Arovane, and Ida Toninato
Sound Bytes : Lucy Claire, Oskar Schuster, Julien Marchal, Peter Gregson & Michael Price
Paddy Mulcahy, Emmanuel Witzthum, and Muriël Bostdorp
Olga Wojciechowska, Pepo Galán, and Robin Saville
Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Lambert, Manos Milonakis and Niklas Paschburg
Fabrizio Paterlini – Now (self)


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Feature Slots – Slots with a perspective!
March 19, 2022 by NkMkDJh5
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A new approach to protecting gig workers
Published On : 25 October, 2019 12:36 pm
BERKELEY – In the United States and other advanced industrial economies, a growing number of workers no longer work for a single employer on a traditional contract. Instead, they earn income through a variety of "non-standard" working arrangements, including work mediated by digital platforms, or so-called gig work.
The distinction between an employee and a gig worker is not inconsequential. Under current laws, employees have rights and access to significant protections and benefits not provided to gig workers. A critical question now confronting policymakers is whether gig workers should be classified as independent contractors or as employees of the platform companies with which they have employment contracts and for whose customers they provide services.
California, a US state with more than two million independent contractors, has attempted to resolve this question with a new law, California Assembly Bill 5, which codifies the legal criteria for determining how to categorize workers. Applying the three-part "ABC test" that many states already use to determine whether a worker is eligible for unemployment insurance, AB5 makes it considerably harder for businesses to classify their workers as independent contractors rather than employees.
To win political support for AB5's passage, lawmakers exempted many types of independent contractors – such as doctors, dentists, and real estate agents – on the grounds that they set their own compensation rates, communicate directly with their customers, and earn at least twice the minimum wage. But AB5 does cover the more than 400,000 workers who drive for platform companies like the ride-sharing services Uber and Lyft and the food-delivery firm DoorDash.
Enforcement of AB5 means that these companies will have to start providing their drivers with benefits like minimum wages, overtime pay, sick leave, unemployment insurance, and employer contributions to Medicare and Social Security. Moreover, companies employing gig workers may have to bargain with unions, which their workers will now have the right to form. National unions, such as the Transport Workers and the Teamsters, and newer groups, like Rideshare Drivers United, are already reaching out to organize such workers.
As California Governor Gavin Newsom noted, AB5 is an important step toward delivering economic security to workers. Yet, as both the law's supporters and opponents also recognize, the changes could increase labor costs significantly – by an estimated 20-30%. This is the last thing that platform companies and their investors want.
Not surprisingly, Uber and Lyft tried to stop AB5, offering to implement a wage floor, create a benefit fund, and allow workers to form organizations to defend their interests, in exchange for continuing to classify them as independent contractors. California lawmakers, however, rejected the companies' proposals, which fell short of the benefits and protections that employees enjoy under state and federal law. Similar proposals have been rejected in New York, New Jersey, and Washington.
But platform companies will not give up so easily. In response to AB5, Uber's chief legal officer, Tony West, released a statement declaring, "We continue to believe that drivers are properly classified as independent," because they are "outside the usual course of Uber's business." That is a bizarre and outrageous claim for a company whose business model is based on giving rides and making deliveries. Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash have pledged $90 million to a 2020 California ballot initiative that would essentially exempt them from AB5.
Platform companies are also pursuing another route to evade AB5. California allows a ballot initiative's proponents to withdraw it if they believe that the problems it aims to solve have otherwise been addressed. So Uber and Lyft are developing an updated plan that would set higher pay standards, provide more benefits, and create a driver feedback mechanism.
The success of this approach is far from guaranteed, and not just in California. Several states – including New York, Illinois, Oregon, and Washington – are considering legislation resembling AB5, and many Democratic presidential candidates have hailed AB5's passage, signaling that they would support its application nationally.
President Donald Trump's administration, however, opposes extending traditional employment protections to gig workers. The Trump-appointed National Labor Relations Board recently ruled that gig workers are independent contractors with no right to unionize. Amid heated debates on Big Tech's market power, AB5 and similar legislation can be expected to spur major legal and political battles in 2020.
Meanwhile, assuming AB5 is enforced, employers will retain the authority to determine how to distribute the increased labor costs among their stakeholders – shareholders, workers, and customers. The decisions of individual companies will be shaped by both their traditional market power and their monopsony power – that is, their power in the labor markets where they hire workers.
Newsom himself has acknowledged that AB5 is only a first step. The next is to "create pathways for more workers to form a union, collectively bargain to earn more, and have a stronger voice at work – all while preserving flexibility and innovation." To that end, he has pledged to "convene leaders from the legislature, the labor movement, and the business community."
Such discussions should recognize the potential of portable benefits systems. By allowing (or requiring) multiple employers to make pro-rated contributions to security accounts attached to the individual, rather than the job, such systems enable workers to combine benefits from the various companies that purchase their labor. Because all businesses would have to make contributions for all of their workers, a portable benefits system would level the playing field among firms, while discouraging them from misclassifying workers.
The portable benefits concept already has some political momentum in the US. Early this year – some three years after former US President Barack Obama endorsed the idea – US Senator Mark Warner introduced the Portable Benefits for Independent Workers Pilot Program Act, which would establish a $20 million fund to support experimentation in this area.
As Newsom put it, the hollowing out of the American middle class has been 40 years in the making. Rather than allowing technology to accelerate this trend, governments at all levels should be strengthening worker protections. In a fast-changing labor market, there is no time to waste.
Laura Tyson, a former chair of the US President's Council of Economic Advisers, is a professor at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, a senior adviser at the Rock Creek Group, and a senior external adviser to the McKinsey Global Institute.
By Laura Tyson
BERKELEY – Even before the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the United States and other developed economies,
If demonetization leapfrogged fintech, COVID induced lockdown and physical distancing induced long closure of campuses
WASHINGTON, DC – The insurgency that overran the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, just
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Rotaractors, Rotarians, family and friends attended the ceremony at the club's regular meeting venue, Full of Beans, and witnessed President Fiona Moseley of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Central, sponsor club of Rotaract Blue, install the 2011 – 2012 directors and officers.
Immediate Past President Sheraim Mascal highlighted Rotaract Blue's many achievements over the past year, including 51 service projects, the induction of 10 new Rotaractors, over $7,000 in donations to various community organisations, and international award recognitions from Rotary International and Rotaract District 7020.
Immediate Past President Sheraim Mascal, Past President Tricia Cacho and Treasurer, past Club Service Director and Rotaractor of the Year for District 7020, Heather Roffey were recognised for outstanding efforts and dedication to the club by each being presented with a Paul Harris Fellow from Rotarians of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Central and the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman.
President Marzeta outlined her goals for the year including member development and membership growth as well as the board's plans for the year. The projects will focus on Rotaract Blue's main platforms, specifically, HIV/AIDS Prevention and Awareness, the Open Arms Program, Professional and Vocational Development, and International Service in addition to environmental and general community service efforts. This year, Rotaract Blue's International Service will primarily contribute to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a public-private partnership led by national governments and spearheaded by Rotary International, the World Health Organization, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the United Nations Children's Fund.
The 2011 – 2012 Rotaract Blue Board of Directors and Officers are: President Marzeta Bodden, Vice President Jacqueline Golding-McDonald, Immediate Past President Sheraim Mascal, Professional Development Director Dannel Rahamut, Community Service Director Tundé McDonald, International Service Director Trudy-Ann Baines, Club Service Director Alison Maxwell, Open Arms Program Chair Yvette Cacho, Secretary Vanessa Williams, Treasurer Heather Roffey, Sergeant at Arms Thomas Dillon and Webmaster Wade Chase.


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During the 2015–16 season AZ competed in the Eredivisie for the 18th consecutive season the KNVB Beker and the Europa League after qualifying for the 3rd qualification round due to finishing 3rd the previous season.

Background
European football returned after a one-year hiatus. John van den Brom finished third last season with Marco van Basten his assistant. Several key players moved elsewhere including captain Nemanja Gudelj and fan favourite Simon Poulsen.

Several youth players were promoted to the first team the same year the club won the Rinus Michels award for best youth academy and youth development programme in the Netherlands, beating Feyenoord who won this award each of the five preceding years.

Transfers

Arrivals

 The following players moved to AZ.

Departures

 The following players moved from AZ.

Loans
 The following players moved to new clubs whilst under contract at AZ.

Pre-season friendlies
The first training session for the new season began on 28 June. Friendlies were arranged with smaller teams in the Netherlands as well as two additional friendlies against foreign teams touring the Netherlands. A training camp was also arranged the week before competitive football in the Europa League by 30 July.

Statistics

Europa League
AZ qualified for the 3rd qualification round of the Europa League after finishing the league in 3rd position in the previous season. Due to previous runs in the competition, the club had a high coefficient and was seeded for the draw meaning a favourable draw against weaker opposition was likely. The first game was scheduled for 30 July with the return leg on 6 August.

Statistics

Eredivisie

Statistics

League table

KNVB Beker

Statistics

Squad Performance

International Appearances

The following first team players either played or were involved for their respective national teams during the season:

Toulon Tournament
Three players were involved in this invitational tournament for youth teams throughout the world and all played for the Netherlands under 21s or Jong Oranje. The Netherlands team failed to progress from the group stages after two wins and two draws; France and The United States of America progressed from group A.

Gold Cup
Aron Jóhannsson is the only internationalist from the CONCACAF association eligible to play in this tournament.

EURO 2016 Qualification

Friendlies

UEFA Ranking
After the 2014-15 season where AZ did not compete in European competitions the club fell 8 places to 44th.

This places the club in third place overall in domestic terms: Ajax (26) lead PSV (30) following AZ (44), FC Twente (45) and Feyenoord (95).

References

AZ Alkmaar seasons
AZ Alkmaar

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Over 70 local businesses gathered at SSE's Slieve Kirk Wind Park in Co. Derry~Londonderry today for the second Minister on the Move event in the 2016 series. The event coincided with Global Wind Day, the worldwide event held annually on the 15 June to celebrate wind energy.
Guests had the opportunity to speak with the new Minister for Infrastructure Chris Hazzard and hear about the benefits of wind power for the local economy, before being brought on a guided tour of Slieve Kirk Wind Park.
Minister on the Move is an initiative by Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber) in partnership with SSE Airtricity. The events bring Ministers and industry stakeholders together at the premises of a host business, allowing attendees to learn about the successes and challenges facing a variety of sectors and any local issues of note. The events also provide an open forum for delegates to share their views with Assembly Ministers.
"Renewable energy depresses the wholesale price of electricity, makes significant contributions to the local economy and supports employment in Northern Ireland. Today's Minister on the Move event gives us an excellent platform from which to showcase the very real and evident economic contribution that renewable energy has delivered here.


Northern Spirit Resources Inc. ("Northern Spirit" or the "Corporation") (TSX VENTURE:NS) is pleased to announce the completion of its previously announced rights offering to shareholders of Northern Spirit (the "Rights Offering"). Under the Rights Offering, holders of common shares of Northern Spirit ("Common Shares") subscribed for and purchased an aggregate of 10,201,249 Common Shares at a price of $0.03375 per Common Share, resulting in gross proceeds to the Corporation of approximately $0.34 million. The proceeds of the Rights Offering will be used by the Corporation for capital expenditures and for general corporate purposes.
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The reader is advised that some of the information contained herein may constitute forward looking statements within the meaning assigned by National Instrument 51-102 and other relevant securities legislation. It includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the use of proceeds of the Rights Offering. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "potential", or other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "should" or "could" occur.
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text:
Rapper Kevin Gates gets 6 months in jail for kicking female fan
Posted: 11:18 PM, Oct 26, 2016
By: Mina Abgoon
Rachel Murray

AUSTIN, TX - MARCH 18: Rapper Kevin Gates performs onstage during the PANDORA Discovery Den SXSW on March 18, 2016 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Pandora)

Rapper Kevin Gates has been found guilty in a 2015 incident in which he brutally kicked a fan during a gig at a club, TMZ reports.
It happened in Lakeland, Florida, in September 2015.
Gates kicked the female fan after she reached her hand from the crowd and tugged on the musician's shorts.
That's when he delivered the ruthless kick to 19-year-old Miranda Dixon, according to the NY Daily News – an incident captured on video (see it below).
Dixon claims Gates kicked her so hard that she fell backward and blacked out, later complaining of stomach pains as a result of the incident.
Gates has been sentenced to 180 days in a Polk County jail and one year probation. He was immediately taken into custody following the verdict.


Jan Bauer, asked me to photograph her daughter, Ariella's, Bat Mitzvah celebration details before all the guests arrived to devour the goodies. She also wanted a collection of images to populate the final album representing Ariella's Bat Mitzvah. The Bat Mitzvah celebration took place in Maggiano's Restaurant at the Grove. Natalie Sofer of Natalie Sofer Weddings and Events created a setting appropriately by fulfilling the wishes of both Ariella and Jan, but also by creating a feast for the eyes for all of the guests. Natalie took the pressure off of Jan by taking charge of the event, as she does for her wedding events, so that Jan could be a guest at her daughter's Bat Mitzvah. There was a fabulous candy bar, Dylan's Candy Bar, where chocolate and sweet things made even the salt lover salivate. The flowers that strewn the room were brought in by Angira Patel of Beverly Hills Flower Gallery. The guests were entertained with a photobooth and by DJ, Bryan Chesters of Let's Party LA, provided by Slater Entertainment.


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Chapter 18:Sword Spirit Come into Body
That was a crisis!
There was an almost instinctive intuition about dangerous in Luo Kun's mind. Although Wu Chi just stepped into the world of celestial being, at this moment, this method gave him a very dangerous feeling that he should not delay entering and face the method directly.
Between life and death, Wu Chi pushed out all the potential in his body. The power of this method had far exceeded his own strength, and even showed a blob of the mind of The Shadow.
If Luo Kun had time to prepare, even if Wu Chi tried his best, it would not threaten him at all. But now they were contending this fleeting opportunity so that he did not want to waste his time to deal with him.
In Luo Kun's eyes, killing was on fire. He did not step back or even draw his sword. He raised his hand with his finger as the sword, ignored Wu Chi's attack, and suddenly pointed to Wu Chi's eyebrow.
Even though Luo Kun had overestimated Wu Chi, he still underestimated Wu Chi's resilience after this method.
Wu Chi did not use his sword to pierce Luo Kun's vital part. The gap of strength was too big. Even if he could hurt Luo Kun, it still couldn't play a decisive role. All he had to do was to stop Luo Kun's methods.
The blade of the sword turned steeply, Wu Chi changed the method in an almost impossible way and accurately pointed to Luo Kun's finger.
The sword in his hand instantly crumbled, as if it was not a fight between iron and flesh at all, but a glass hit a hard stone.
A finger smashed the sword. And the tendency of this method was resisted slightly, which was hit off the line, eventually it fell on Wu Chi's clavicle.
With a click, Wu Chi's clavicle broke and a mouthful of blood gushed from Wu Chi's mouth, the whole person suddenly became feeble.
There was a flicker of ruthlessness in Wu Chi's eyes. Instead of resisting the power of this finger, Wu Chi flew into the prohibition by the impulse of this finger.
It was a long story, but in fact, it was just the time of two short breaths!
However, for Wu Chi and Zhou Boyan, the time of two breaths was enough.
The time for the prohibition opening was only three breaths, and Wu Chi flied in almost at the moment of the time of last breath, counting the time when Boyan first entered.
Wu Chi was hurt seriously by that finger. Luo Kun ran to the prohibition, as he prepared to step in, his heart suddenly raised a wave of deadly crisis, and the Tian Shan token in his arms was warning him with a burst of hot air.
Between life and death, Luo Kun had no hesitation, the foot had already stepped in suddenly took back.
At the moment he almost took his foot back, there was no sign that the gap of the prohibition disappeared!
The cold sweat suddenly soaked Luo Kun's vest, if he acted not quickly, he might die there.
He escaped with bare life, which made him have a remnant of the lucky, but it was soon replaced by anger!
He failed!
He were teased so abruptly. He had been shooting wild goose all the time, but now he was pecked by a little bird, how could he stand it?
Bang!!!
The ground was cracked by Luo Kun's feet, and it left a nearly ten meters long cracks.
"Block the Sword Storing Pavilion, not a fly to be let out!"
Wu Chi naturally did not care how angry Luo Kun was, in fact, he only hated himself too weak to kill Luo Kun! He fell on the ground and vomited a mouthful blood again. Seeing Luo Kun was eventually stopped at the door, the anger in his heart finally dissipated a lot.
"Are you all right?"
Zhou Boyan held Wu Chi anxiously, the tears on her face uncontrollably dripped on Wu Chi's clothes.
For her, this short time, it really was the transition from hell to heaven!
"I am still alive." Even though there was blood flowing out of his mouth, Wu Chi was still smiling.
She took out a variety of healing elixir which like free candy, then put them into Wu Chi's mouth. Her body was trembling and she felt inexplicably fearful!
My father was not here, but also ruined Sword shadow villa, now in front of the people, was the only people close to her, she even dared not imagine what would happen if Wu chi died.
"I'm sorry, it was my fault, I am so sorry." She said.
"Don't cry!" Lying in Zhou Boyan's arms, Wu Chi laughed and said, "Hey, my little girl, I'm not dead yet. Don't curse me, or I'll die by your crying."
Could this bastard be more annoying?
After a brief loss of consciousness, Zhou Boyan finally calmed down!
Wu Chi was seriously injured. He just with one breath to hold.Once the release of this breath , he might die at any time.
Luo Kun's strength was too strong to compete with Wu Chi at all. To block him for the time of two breaths, Wu Chi gambled with his life! It was no exaggeration to say that Wu Chi traded his life for the time of the two breaths.
Although Wu Chi could still joke with her , in fact, the situation had already been so bad that it was no exaggeration to say that he might even die at any time.
"Don't talk like that, you won't die!"
Outside the prohibition.
"Brother Luo, what should we do now?"
Deng Mao became ashamed and he was a little anxious. They wasted so much energy, but in the end they let a damn boy stir up the situation and made such a big mess.
"Wait!" With a sullen face, Luo Kun murmured, "That boy was hurt by one finger from mine, and the sword spirit entered his body, so he could last up to half a day. He's dead! Now we must find ways to defeat Zhou Boyan's psychological defense as soon as possible and force her out."
"How is it possible?" Deng Mao shook his head and said, "We were so cruel to persecute, but she still refused to give in. Now she has hidden in the prohibition. Even if she dies in there, it was impossible to compromise."
"That's not necessarily true!" With a blob of radiance in his eyes, Luo Kun said, "This boy has sacrificed so much for her. If I say they have no feelings to each other, do you believe it?"
"This boy is in danger. She can't save him by her ability! Taking this as a breakthrough, we may be able to force her to give in!"
"Good idea! I'll talk to her now!" At the moment, Deng Mao was nodding his head heavily.
"No hurry!" Luo Kun stopped Deng Mao with waving his hands, and he said slowly: "We can wait, when she is desperate, it is most likely to force her to follow our order."
The sun was setting!
Wu Chi didn't know how much medicine for healing he had taken, but it still had no effect. Zhou Boyan could only watch Wu Chi's breath became more and more weak.
In fact, the physical injury was not a big problem, but the sword spirit followed with that finger into his body was like a maggot for eroding bone, constantly eroding Wu Chi's internal organs, destroying the body's vitality! Such power couldn't be dispelled by elixir, not to mention by the power of Wu Chi and Zhou Boyan.
Wu Chi had no strength to joke, but he was still smiling, as if he had not noticed his injury at all.
"Miss Zhou!"
Suddenly, outside the sword pavilion, Luo Kun's voice slowly sounded.
"Sword spirit enters the body, I'm afraid he can't hold that, right?"
In an instant, Zhou Boyan's eyes showed a blob of deep hatred, but she still did not reply.
Luo Kun did not care whether Zhou Boyan answers or not.
"Now, don't you understand? You can't keep The Shadow in any case. Instead of procrastinating, you could hand it in." Luo Kun said.
"I don't have to bully you either! As long as you open the prohibition, I can give you a decent way to die, while guaranteeing to save him and let him go. He went on to say.
"Miss Zhou, you'd better think it over. Time waits for no one! I can wait, but I'm afraid that boy, your good friend, he can't wait." He added.
There was no more entanglement, Luo Kun just said a few words, and then went silent again.
But these words were undoubtedly a huge impact for Zhou Boyan, and the suffering in her heart could hardly be described in words.
She was not afraid of death! But she couldn't watch Wu Chi die!
What's more, Wu Chi was trying to save her so that he got into this position. How could she persuade herself to watch him die even if there were many reasons.
At this moment, her perseverance was shaken.
There was no doubt that Luo Kun's dirty tricks hit the vital part of Zhou Boyan perfectly.
But he never thought that Wu Chi was still awake at that moment.
According to his speculation, Wu Chi was eroded by the sword spirit, he must had fainted even though it was not dead at this moment. Only when Zhou Boyan was in a desperate situation and struggling, she might most likely to succumb!
Unfortunately, he still looked down on Wu Chi!
If there was no the stuff about reverse derive the mind of sword to deduce The Shadow's swordsmanship, even if Wu Chi stepped into the world of celestial being, it would not be able to persist for so long under the erosion of sword spirit. However, Wu Chi had always helped Zhou Boyan deduce the mind of sword, especially after seeing The Shadow last time, he had a lot of insight into the mind of The Shadow. Naturally, a trace of the mind of sword had been formed!
This trace of the mind of sword would not help him on fight, but it would undoubtedly play a great buffer role in facing the erosion of sword spirit. Although it was impossible to expel Luo Kun's sword spirit, it would not completely lose the ability to resist.
In fact, although it was difficult, Wu Chi had been struggling, trying to defuse the sword spirit in his body.
With a slight pull at the corners of his lips and an ugly smile, Wu Chi whispered, "Little girl, you want to hand me over, right?"
"I can't defuse the sword spirit in your body. If you go on like this, you will die."
"Hand me over and let me watch you die, or even be humiliated by them again?" There was no excuse, Wu Chi just asked calmly.
With a sigh, Wu Chi whispered, "Maybe I really can't last long! But, little girl, don't forget why I came back. Don't let my efforts go to waste."
With a slight tremor in her heart, Zhou Boyan looked at Wu Chi in silence for a long time, and finally nodded slowly, "I will accompany you, no matter life or death!"
"Help me up, I want to see The Shadow again. I promised to help you reverse derive the mind of sword!"
Weeping silently in her heart, Zhou Boyan did not stop Wu Chi.
Life and death were so insignificant, at the worst they could be buried together in the Sword Storing Pavilion. What regret would there be if they could finish the last journey together?
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