text:
Sabo Kpade
Falz & Simi Turn Relationship Rumors Into Musical 'Chemistry' in Their Joint EP
Falz & Simi's joint EP, Chemistry, fanned rumours of them being lovers. Flat album title aside, their combined talents repays multiple listenings.
Simi and Falz' joint EP, Chemistry, was cleverly accompanied by staged wedding photo shoots which fanned rumours of them being lovers. Flat album title aside, their combined talents repays multiple listenings.
A typical Falz verse, if you haven't heard one by now, is an amalgam of Yoruba, Pidgin and English. It's fairly well written and solidly structured. Some of its charm comes from not just his wit, but also how he articulates it, incorporating phoney accents, Nigerian-isms and malapropism all done in jest. In this his most prominent forebear is Junior from Junior & Pretty.
"Chemistry" could easily have been hammy but for the earnest lyrics which pierce through speculations about their relationship: "everybody seems to think that we'll be good together/but they don't know if I'm your spec, oh/I don't need to know if I take your breath away." Simi wants to proceed with caution but also hope of there being genuine feelings beyond mere attraction.
I've been resistant to Simi's tiny voice for reasons that are now clearer to me. Her nice-girl-with-a-nice-voice persona is rather dull. But when she's a little caustic in her lyrics and uses more emphasis when deploying her voice, she immediately becomes way more interesting as a singer and as an individual.
That's said, you'd have to be without any redeeming qualities as a singer to fail on a song like "Shake Your Body," because the juju beat does half the job before a note is sung. The genre is a perennial favourite at owambe parties and usually accompanied by a dance that involves no more than a two step and wine—done better by grown folks with slower mobility and more grace.
Jester-Falz comes correct with just one verse and doesn't overstay his welcome. It's refreshing to hear a voice like Simi's applied to a beat that has been traditionally sung over by men, as is evident in the couplet that closes the song which also has a winning pull quote, "Dangote come and spray me money."
"Foreign" sounds very much like Falz' idea for a song which Simi gamely went along with. It ridicules a person who claims a level of wealth and refinement that is clearly beyond them. It's also a big part of Jester-Falz' comic routine and it's clear that he's mastered it.
The advent of trap has infused rap and R&B (and God knows what else) with more possibilities in vocals, sounds and marketing, than anyone I know envisaged. "Show You Pepper" is by now a hackneyed phrase loosely meaning to give someone a hard time. Sung or "trapped" over a slow, skeletal beat, Simi's voice reaches the level of brilliance Jhene Aiko, her vocal-twin, reached on her break out EP Sail Out.
It's this toughness with which Simi threatens a jilting lover that piques one's interest and not her pleasant, inoffensive singing. Neither is there any slouching from Falz who adds a little oomph to a stale phrase like "show you pepper" when he rhymes it with "they say I'm a player, I go show you Pele." Neat.
If afro-trap is now an accepted sub-sub-genre without an established figurehead, Falz is in there with a shout. There is less of Jester-Falz here and more of Serious-Falz who is dexterous at straddling a beat as he does on "Want To." He and Simi double up and trade bars on the second verse, a format that I'm yet to hear on any trap beat. Extra marks to Falz for the Salawa Abeni reference.
Anyone who rehashes afrobeat, as pioneered by Fela, must accept that it'll either be a good copy or a cheap alternative. Seun Kuti has dutifully inhabited afrobeat but not enough to separate his own sound from that which was passed on to him. Femi Kuti, the older scion, took a bolder step on "Bang Bang Bang" when he grafted electric guitar onto the rootstock of percussion that has defined afrobeat.
So rather than attempt yet another flash in the pan reinterpretation, Falz and Simi have borrowed a part of the framework—Tony Allen's drumming, call and response choruses—to make "Cinderella." This is where Simi's voice has an unexpected advantage. It works here chiefly because it isn't the rough male vocals we're used to hearing in afrobeat. If Fela's voice is a confident forward march, Simi's own slinks and there's value in that because it survives on alien territory, taking the root where it is least expected to do so.
The beat on "Enough" is spatial, Simi's singing is unadorned and the writing is uncluttered. The result is clarity. It is also the first time Jester-Falz' comes close to being an interloper on a project that, overall, plays to the strengths of both artists. The song is about taking a lover for just what he or she is, warts and all.
Most of Falz' material here is included in his repertoire as a comic-figure. He is a comedian but not an out and out stand-up comic. He's a rapper but isn't a professed MC. He's also the son of Femi Falana, a respected Senior Advocate of Nigeria and human rights activist, and no doubt comes from a certain level of privilege. For these reasons, consistently sending up other people's poor grammar and pretensions to wealth and positions that eludes them does smell of condescension. I doubt this is his intention, but it reeks of it all the same.
Sabo Kpade is an Associate Writer with Spread The Word. His short story Chibok was shortlisted for the London Short Story Prize 2015. His first play, Have Mercy on Liverpool Street was longlisted for the Alfred Fagon Award. He lives in London.
Interview: Simi Is Taking Risks - OkayAfrica ›
chemistry ep falz Simi
Sabelo Mkhabela
Interview: Ranks ATM Makes 'Substance Music'
South African hip-hop artist Ranks ATM on his latest EP 'Substance Music', working with Riky Rick and his crew African Trap Movement's new chapter.
Ranks ATM demands to be taken seriously. With every successive release, listeners are bound to pick up on both his personal and artistic growth. His latest EP, Substance Music, released towards the end of 2020, is an honest body of work that sees the artist divulge some aspects of his life while remaining playful and entertaining.
Young2unn, who produced a majority of the project, gave Ranks ATM beats that primarily consist of keys and strings cushioned by atmospheric pads and ethereal vocal samples panned for effect. The music is soulful enough for Ranks to tell his story and gritty enough to maintain his street aesthetic.
On Substance Music, the artist strikes the balance between playful banter and poignant expression of emotions. It's what makes his raps believable in general—he presents himself as a complete human who feels pain at times but also feels himself. Songs such as "Die For Me" and "How Could It Be" are laced with specific details that could have only been extracted from his life experiences, for instance, on the former, he raps, "You cheated on me with a gym freak, you did me dirty."

The likes of Emtee, Riky Rick, Saudi, Just G and Stilo Magolide are some of the guests that add colour and variety to Substance Music. As a result, every song on the EP sounds distinct and all the songs connect like a jigsaw puzzle to give a snapshot of Ranks ATM's life on and off the mic.

He's neither ashamed nor apologetic about his vices ("Chase The Fade", "Kodeine Babii") and is open to admit money was tough in the not-so-distant past. In "How Could It Be," the project's opening song, the rapper sincerely recalls the come-up and reveals his family, especially his mother, is his main reason for hustling. He does this over fitting production by seasoned producer Ruff (Emtee, Sjava, Amanda Black etc.), who also mixed and mastered Substance Music.

Substance Music is an addition to a catalog that's tracing the trajectory of the artist in real time. His debut EP, For The Skreets (2019), a collaboration between him and super producer Tweezy, built upon the momentum his street anthem "Asbheme" created—as the title suggests, it was a street-centric project that introduced Ranks ATM as a rapper who repped the streets. After all, he's a member of the pioneering collective ATM (African Trap Movement) of Sjava, Emtee, Saudi, Just G, Lolly, Sims, etc. (Read more about ATM here.)

In the interview below, Ranks ATM discusses Substance Music, the future of ATM, the importance of rapping in his language siSwati, telling honest stories, getting a co-sign from Riky Rick and more.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

  Ranks ATM - Different [Feat Emtee & Riky Rick](Official Audio)  youtu.be

What does "Substance Music" mean?

It means music that's driven by passion, or that's pushed or fueled by something behind it.

In this case, what is that something?

In my case, the substance is a lot of things. For example, the last song called "Oh Why'", the substance behind that is me being heartbroken and losing my girlfriend. That's what motivated me to make that song. That's the substance behind it, that's what fueled me into making that song. The substance is where I came from now, you know what I'm saying? Like how I said, I wish I can take my mother out for lunch and dinner, it's because we ain't never had that in a very long time, because my substance that drives me, the money was not there. The people did not really believe in me like that. So that's what pushes me to prove to myself, not anybody else, that I can take that negative substance and turn it into something positive.

Tell us about your relationship with Young2un, who produced most of the project. How did you get to work with him?

So, there's a guy called Stunna, he was part of ATM before moving to Ambitiouz. After we moved to Midrand and went to do Ambitiouz business, he opened a company called Jozi Empire. He signed Young2un as a producer under his company. So me going to his studio, passing by, checking what's going on, I bumped into Young2un. He was making the fire beats. I stayed pulling up on Young2un day in, day out. That's how my relationship with him started. He's willing, he's energetic, and he's passionate about it day in, day out. No days off. He has a whole lot of work out with other artists too, he probably has a whole project with Stilo. He has a whole project with Saudi. He has a whole lot of projects coming up.

How did "Different," your song with Riky Rick and Emtee, come about?

We were in this other studio in Braamfontein called Blueprint. We had come there for a session for Emtee, to record some songs for his [upcoming] project Logan. While we out there, they didn't really play lit beats, so I had Young2un beats on my phone. So I played Emtee some of the beats, like, I got some fire on my phone, we can at least record on these. So I put them on a computer, and then he chose the specific beat. He's like, "I already got the hook, let me do it." I laced a verse after him doing the hook. As I was about to record the second verse, I was sitting with the song, and in my head, I saw a picture of Riky.

Read: Meet the 3 New Members of the African Trap Movement (ATM)

So, at this other one show that I was headlining at, while I was performing on the stage, I saw him in the crowd going crazy, like, "Oh yeah, repeat that song. You're on fire, bro!" After that, he was like, "You can hit me up anytime, anything you want to do with me, we can get to it, as long as it makes sense." So, I sent him the song. I'm like, "Yo, bro, please hop on." He's like, "Trust me, I'm going to do that real quick." He recorded the verse a week or so later. He sent everything including the seps, everything at once so that I don't have to call and ask for them. So that's how it came about. He just said he has my back.

What does that co-sign coming from Riky mean to you?

Everything. It means everything. I like Riky Rick, I look up to him, he inspires me, and how he does things. So for him to approve me at that exact moment, it meant everything to me. It was everything.

How did Emtee, Saudi and Sjava's departure from Ambitiouz Entertainment affect ATM?

It did not. It did not affect it. It just made it better. Because when they were still at Ambitiouz, if Emtee had a gig, I couldn't be at that show because this man [owner of Ambitiouz Records] doesn't want to promote me because I refused to sign to him. But now we can make shows together. So, the company came in between us. At my launch, I had almost everybody from ATM. That had never ever happened before; an all-ATM show just everybody under one place, it had never happened before, because of the middle man.

As a collective, does ATM have any plans of releasing a project?

A whole project from all the old stars of ATM is coming. We cooking. We working, we forever working. We don't really sit down and say, "Now we're working on a certain project like this." We just make the songs together. And then the time comes when we have all the songs in one place, just like how we made 3 Way, we didn't sit down and say we're making Three Way. Every time I'm in the stu, I record a verse, this guy puts a chorus, that one puts a verse, then I get to the studio, the song is done. I know people who have recorded and they left a space of a verse for me, like I'm going to do that. So that's how we work. Every time somebody is in studio, they leave something, so that when the next person comes they can put something in.

You rap in siSwati. Why do you think it has taken South Africa this long to have a big Swati rapper?

Man, the best Swati rapper ever passed away, that's why it's taken them so long. Swati King Kong. He was king. That's the rapper I've looked up to, that's the guy I want to be when I grow up, I want to be SK, I want to be that guy. He passed away in 2014, if not 2015. He's actually the glue also of this whole ATM thing, because he started this thing with Ruff. So, it was the two of them that put all of us on. So everybody else is here because of those two people. Unfortunately, he passed on before we became something.

So you're sort of carrying the torch?

Yeah. That's the guy I want to be. I'm trying to be that guy, so wherever he is, he can be proud of me. It's sad to know that if I can be at my peak, and really be the best in this thing, I can never hear, "I'm proud of you" from him. So, that's why we haven't had the best Swati rapper in South Africa, because all the Swati people, when they come from Nelspruit or wherever, and they get here, they customise themselves into being Zulu, Xhosa, or whatever. They blend in.

And why did you choose not to do that specifically?

Because I'm not Zulu. I'm not Xhosa, or whatever. I'm Swati, bro. That's me. I'm not trying to fit in. And I know it's hard for people to accept something they don't understand. That's why also I feel like it's taken me this long. Nobody knows how long it's going to take them to stomach something and relate to it, but we're getting there, I guess. Their perception is different now. Everything is different.

Stream Substance Music by Ranks ATM on Apple Music and Spotify.

Follow Ranks ATM on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Joeboy Shares Visuals for New Track 'Lonely'
Joeboy has dropped the music video for his latest track 'Lonely'. The endearing track features on his upcoming debut album 'Somewhere Between Beauty & Magic'.


CHENNAI: The first IACC-Sanmar Indo-US Business Co-operation Award is being presented to Flowserve Corporation, USA, for its role in "sharing technology at a time when Indian industry needed it most".
The annual award, instituted by the Indo-American Chamber of commerce and the sanmar Group, recognizes the efforts of a company or individual to promote Indo-US relations through business or economic activity. According to an IACC press release, Flowserve's relationship with India spans four decades.
The global leader in fluid motion and control products, which has manufacturing facilities in Bangalore and Coimbatore, has helped to lay the foundation for India's global competitiveness in the engineering field.
The 2006 award will be presented to Flowserve president and chief executive Lewis Kling by US Consul General David T. Hopper in Chennai on April 11.


text:
Q: error when getting value from list in html? we are creating one jQuery mobile app in that app, I have to bind the webservice data in to list in HTML and when I click the first items in the list, it redirect to second page which I created in same page seperated with div tag and display the relavent information which i selected from the list. In addition to that i stored the web service result in an array.

<meta charset="utf-8" />
<title>Test</title>

<link rel="stylesheet" href="jquery.mobile-1.0a3.min.css" />

Header

                Selected one

                Selected two

                Selected three

                Selected four

                Selected five

                Selected six

Footer

Header

    Welcome to Div two

Footer

A: There is no attribute called "seachlist"...
You assigned the same id to several elements...this will cause problems...
If you are trying to get the text of the a tag, then change #detailpage to .detailpage and then use something like this:

Advantage:  No "onclick" in your code...this is called unobtrustive javascript and it's way cooler than mucking up your html with javascript stuff.
Even better, to pass a value, instead of worrying about the link content, assign whatever value you want to the item's ID and fetch that.
Enjoy.
Jquery Refs:
.ready : http://api.jquery.com/ready/
.bind : http://api.jquery.com/bind/
.text : http://api.jquery.com/text/
UPDATE:  Id you want to update some div on the page with the text we retrieved it's simple:

http://api.jquery.com/append/
Append will add text indefinitely, to the end of the element.
Or if you want to update a specific part of the page 2 div, you would need to add a class to it like .content and then you could do this:

.html will fill the element with what you pass it.
http://api.jquery.com/html/
If you wanted to wrap the content in a paragraph tag or something before sending it along:
$('div#pagetwo.content').html('
' + thetext + '
');

A: Try this one I'm sure you get result:

                    Selected one

 $('#searchlist li a').bind("click",function()
      {

          var selectedId = $(this).attr("id");
          alert("your selected ID is "+ selectedId);

      });

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Who is eligible to purchase the Penn State SHIP?
Most full and part-time graduate and undergraduate Penn State students are eligible to purchase the Penn State SHIP, even if coverage is not required.
Graduate Students enrolled in four or more credit hours. (Including Graduate Assistants and Graduate Fellows).
Please note: a change in student registration status that no longer meets the criteria listed above may result in termination of student health insurance benefits.
Who is NOT eligible to purchase the Penn State SHIP?
Am I eligible for the Penn State SHIP if I am a World Campus student?
World Campus students are not eligible to purchase the Penn State SHIP.
How do I enroll in the Penn State SHIP?
Graduate Assistants/Graduate Fellows/Graduate Trainees are eligible for subsidized premiums for medical, dental, and vision insurance. New Graduate Assistants/Graduate Fellows/Graduate Trainees are automatically enrolled in the Penn State Student Health Insurance plan. Students can change their coverage, add eligible dependents, or update benefit elections in Workday.
If you choose to waive medical, dental, or vision coverage, you must also complete a benefit event action through Workday.
Why have health insurance rates seen an increase nationally over the last several years?
Health insurance rates have seen a steady incline nationally over the past decade. This is due in part government policy changes as well as lifestyle changes among the population.
Health care costs have skyrocketed and those costs are passed along to the end consumer—this includes everything from diagnostic tests and procedures to hospital stays and prescription medications. In addition, chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and heart disease are on the rise in the U.S. They are expensive and difficult to treat.
All of these factors combined drive the cost of health insurance within the United States.
Why are undergraduate student and graduate student health insurance rates different?
The undergraduate student population is higher than the graduate student population at Penn State. In a group health insurance plan, the cost of the associated health risks of a few people are spread over an entire group; the more people in the group, the lower the cost to the individual.
How do I pay the insurance premium?
For undergraduate students and graduate students without an assistantship or fellowship, your insurance premium will be paid directly to United Healthcare Student Resources at the time of enrollment and can be paid by credit card or electronic check. Graduate assistants and graduate will have their percentage of the insurance premium deducted from their paycheck.
Where can I find information on the benefits for the Penn State SHIP?
SHIP policy details are available on the First Student website.
I am losing medical insurance. Can I get enrolled in the Penn State SHIP?
Yes, loss of coverage is considered a qualified life event. You will need to provide the Certificate of Credible Coverage or a letter from the insurance company that states that your medical insurance is being terminated and the date of the termination. This letter needs to be received by the Student Health Insurance office within 31 days of the termination date. The letter can be emailed to uhs-insurance@psu.edu or faxed to 814-863-1390. The Student Health Insurance office will then provide you with a prorated enrollment form to be completed and returned for processing.
Please log in to Workday and complete a new "Benefit Event." You will be able to upload your Certificate of Credible Coverage directly to the Workday system.
When/how do I get my insurance card?
Medical ID cards are available online at www.firststudent.com. To print your card login and select "My Account."
I did not receive my dental or vision insurance ID card. What should I do?
Dental and vision ID cards are mailed to the address listed in Workday. Please login to review your personal information to ensure this address is correct.
Can I add dependents to the Penn State SHIP?
Yes, read the eligible dependent policy on the UHS website then visit the First Student website. Select your College or University to get started.
New Graduate Assistants/Graduate Fellows/Graduate Trainees must enroll their dependents through Workday. It is important to note that dependent coverage will remain the same for returning Graduate Assistants/Graduate Fellows/Graduate Trainees each year if they do not elect changes in Workday.
Am I still covered by the Penn State SHIP if I am not enrolled in classes during the summer?
Yes, as long as you are actively attending classes for the first 31 days of a coverage period your coverage will continue through the end of the academic year, typically mid-August, if enrolled in the annual or spring/summer policy. Confirm your exact coverage dates on your policy.
If I need to take a medical leave of absence from Penn State can I keep my health insurance plan?
If you withdraw from school within the first 31 days of a coverage period you will not be covered under the policy and the full premium will be refunded less claims paid. After 31 days of a coverage period, your coverage will continue through the end of your coverage period.
Does my insurance coverage end on the day I graduate?
No, your coverage will continue through the end of your coverage period. Fall coverage terminates December 31, 2018, annual and spring/summer coverage terminates at the end of the academic year, typically mid-August.
Where can I find a list of the preferred providers for the insurance plans?
Medical Go to the First Student website. Select your College or University to get started.
Dental (Graduate Assistants/Graduate Fellows only) - For in-network Centre County providers please see the student health insurance website.
For in-network providers outside Centre County please see United Concordia's website for information on the Advantage Network.
Vision (Graduate Assistants/Graduate Fellows only) - For in-network providers please see the Highmark Blue Shield website- Click on Find a Doctor or Rx. Click on Find an Eye Care Provider.
How can I learn if a particular test/procedure is covered under the Penn State SHIP?
The Penn State Student Health Insurance office can attempt to answer general benefit questions based on the current insurance plan policy, however, specific benefits questions should be referred to United Healthcare Student Resources.
My claim was denied for no referral from Penn State University Health Services. Can I get a retroactive referral from UHS?
University Park students and their covered spouse must obtain a referral from University Health Services before receiving any medical care outside of the Student Health Center. Referrals are needed for each diagnosis/condition, and a new referral must be obtained each academic/policy year. If the covered student or their covered spouse does not obtain a referral from UHS, no benefits will be payable. After a claim denial, you can contact one of the referral desks at University Health Services to inquire if there is any exception to the requirement that the referral is written prior to medical care outside of the Student Health Center. In general, referrals are not written retroactively.
Will University Health Services accept my private health insurance?
University Health Services will collect your private insurance information and attempt to determine if your policy is active. University Health Services will submit a claim to MOST private insurance plans on your behalf for services rendered at the Student Health Center. Any amount that is not covered by your insurance may be billed to you or your Bursar account after the claim has been processed.
University Health Services does NOT check your insurance plan benefits.
If you would like to know whether or not your insurance plan will pay for your University Health Services visits, your insurance company is the most reliable source to help you.
Your insurance plan can give you information related to co-pays, deductible, and plan limitations. Even if University Health Services is considered in-network/participating, you may still have charges related to your co-pay, deductible, or benefit package.
I am uninsured at the campus I attend. Why should I consider purchasing the Penn State SHIP?
Many students arrive at Penn State uninsured or underinsured and are not covered to receive health care services. Health care services can be very costly and unexpected expenses can be disruptive to a student's academic progress. The Penn State SHIP provides students with high-coverage health insurance at a competitive price and is recognized widely at all Penn State campus locations and within the United States.
The Penn State SHIP offers a vast community of in-network providers at all campus locations, and additionally, throughout the entire United States.
The Penn State SHIP is a platinum-level health insurance plan with a low deductible and a capped out-of-pocket maximum. The Penn State SHIP is designed specifically for Penn State students and selected with the help of Penn State students.
Why doesn't Penn State provide a list of comparable insurances that are accepted for a waiver?
The University has gone through a competitive process to continue to offer quality health care benefits at a competitive price. Students have been part of the process for making decisions about health insurance for many years. The Student Insurance Advisory Board/Council (SIAB/C), which includes representatives from the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA), the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA), the Commonwealth Campus Student Government (CCSG), and representatives from other international student organizations were invited to take part in the selection of a new health insurance carrier. These groups also provide input to University Health Services and its Student Health Insurance Office regarding the Penn State SHIP, including the selection of insurer, plan design, and mechanisms to manage costs. As the University has vetted the providers for the students, the plan that the University has contracted with is the only plan that is promoted and encouraged.
When a large group of people (both sick and healthy) pay an established amount of money for some protection against future health costs their money is put together in one fund, called an insurance pool. When members of the fund get sick or injured and incur medical costs, money is taken from this insurance pool to pay for part or all of their costs. People in the United States are financially responsible for their own medical or health care needs.
Penn State requires all international undergraduate and graduate students, and any accompanying dependents to have health insurance coverage. They must either purchase the Penn State Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) or submit proof of coverage that meets a specific set of requirements.
Why does Penn State require international students to have health insurance?
Health care can be very costly and the United States does not have a national health care plan. Without health insurance, health services could be restricted.
What requirements does my insurance coverage need to meet in order to waive the Penn State Student Health Insurance Plan?
Please see our health insurance requirements for all international students.
What information do I need to waive the Penn State Student Health Insurance Plan?
To waive insurance you will need to be enrolled in a comparable insurance plan that meets the waiver requirements. You will need a copy of your active insurance ID card and your insurance policy brochure. Your insurance effective dates must be for the academic year or if later from your arrival date in the United States per arrival stamp on Passport/VISA thru the end of the academic year.
Will the Student Health Insurance office review my outside insurance benefits policy to see if it meets the waiver standards?
Waiver applications will be reviewed through the First Student website.
What is the website to enroll dependents or waive benefits for the Graduate Assistants/Graduate Fellows/Graduate Trainees?
Graduate Assistants/Graduate Fellows/Graduate Trainees can enroll dependents or waive benefits through Workday.
Please visit our eligible dependents page for more information.
I am a Graduate Assistant/Graduate Fellow/Graduate Trainee who wishes to enroll in SHIP. I understand that enrollment is automatic. Do I need to do anything else?
Please visit the Workday website to acknowledge your student status and to ensure that your enrollment is processed.
How do I update my address in the payroll system?
Graduate assistant and graduate fellow address updates must be recorded in Workday.
International Graduate assistants/fellows Your address must also be updated through your department.
What impacts the costs of the Student Health Insurance Plan?
Many factors impact the costs of health insurance for students. The Penn State SHIP covers all students, which includes graduate students as well as undergraduate, medical and law students, and certain categories of visiting scholars.
The primary determinants of health insurance costs are the medical costs of students paid by the plan. A platinum plan must pay out between 88 percent - 92 percent of the premium it collects as medical benefits. Additional costs associated with the plan include taxes and fees that insurers must pay to support medical and health services research, charges for administration and marketing of the plan, and risk charges associated with the size of the group being insured. In addition, since insurers in the United States are private companies, there are costs associated with the profits that the company earns to enable distribution to shareholders, research and development, and similar future expenses to be paid from retained earnings.
There are several ways that students and their families impact the overall costs. As health care consumers, the choices individuals make drive overall costs. If the group of students collectively make choices that lead to the insurer paying out more than 92 percent of the premium, the insurer is going to increase the premium in future years. Student choices about whether to use an in-network provider or out-of-network provider, whether to get good primary care or delay care in ways that might later require expensive emergency treatment, whether to get a flu shot, or whether to have a discussion with their doctor about the most cost-effective ways to address a health issue, all factor into the current and future health plan costs.
Another significant factor that impacts that cost of health insurance is the number of students that enroll in the plan. When a large number of students enroll in the plan, the statistical predictability of their overall health care costs becomes more reliable. When enrollments decline, insurers will increase the risk charge to prevent a situation where they collect too little premium to pay for the medical costs. So, a smaller group of students enrolled in a plan drives up the cost of health insurance for all students.
Does Penn State cover the costs of health insurance for graduate students?
Penn State subsidizes health insurance (medical, dental and vision) for graduate assistants and full-time graduate fellows and graduate trainees.
The University contributes 80 percent of the annual medical premium for graduate assistants, fellows and trainees, and 75 percent -76 percent for dependent coverage.
Who at Penn State makes decisions about the University's Student Health Insurance Plan? Are graduate students part of this process?
Students have been part of the process for making decisions about health insurance for many years. While insurers make the decision to contract with the University, graduate students serve as representatives on two groups, the Student Insurance Advisory Board (SIAB) and the Student Insurance Administrative Council (SIAC). SIAB and SIAC, including its student representatives, work with UHS and its Student Health Insurance Office regarding the SHIP at Penn State, including the selection of insurer, plan design, and mechanisms to manage costs.


text:
Colt 1st Generation Frontier Six-Shooter SAA Convertible, Blue & Case Colored 5 ½" Single Action Army Revolver & Box, MFD 1923 C&R
arrow_back Return To All Sold Itemsarrow_back Return To Sold Colts
SOLD FOR:$6,500
LSB#: 160317JM14
Make: Colt
Model: 1st Generation Frontier Six Shooter
Serial Number: 346316
Year of Manufacture: 1923 (http://proofhouse.com/colt/index.html)
Caliber: .44-40 WCF & .44 Special (in convertible cylinder)
Action Type: 6-Shot, Single Action, Side-Gate Loaded Fluted Cylinder Revolver
Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked "COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER .44-40", the top is marked "COLT'S PT. F.A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD, CT. U.S.A.". The left side of the frame is marked "PAT SEPT. 19 1871 / JULY 2, 72 JAN, 1975", with the rampant Colt logo, the underside is marked "346316", found again on the right side of the fore and back straps. The rear of the frame, under the hammer, is marked "2". The back of the frame and rear face of the loading gate are marked "992". The left side of the trigger guard bow is marked "8" and "VP" in triangle. The front of both cylinders are marked "H", the rear of both cylinders are marked "16". The inside of both grip panels are hand carved with the serial number.
Barrel Length: 5 ½"
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a quarter-round blade, fixed to the barrel. The rear sight is a square notch, sitting before a "U" channel on top of the frame.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are black hard rubber stocks with the rampant Colt logo in oval on the upper portions. The left panel has a ding that resulted in a small chip loss at the rim of the butt, there are scuffs on the bottom portion and a few compressed checkers. The right panel has a few light compressions and a scratch on the bottom smooth portion. The grips rate in about Fine overall condition.
Type of Finish: Blued Grip Frame & Barrel, Case Colored Frame & Hammer, Fire Blued Trigger
Finish Originality: Factory Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 80% of its metal finish. The ejector rod housing, flanks of the barrel and trigger guard have wear consistent with holster use, with thin scratch marks present. The underside of the trigger guard, extending to the flanks, exhibit wear from normal handling. The fore and back straps of the grip frame shows handling wear, in some cases down to bare metal, which has resulted in a shift to brown patina. The underside of the barrel has marks from the cylinder pin. The front of the fire blued trigger has wear to bare metal. The case coloring has retained vivid diversity of color and is only slightly worn in normal areas of operation. The .44-40 WCF cylinder has a thin drag line, through the finish, with leading edge wear consistent with holster use, retaining about 85% of its original finish. The .44 Special cylinder retains about 90% of its finish, with a less pronounced drag line and lighter edge wear, with some scattered handling marks. The screw heads are bow-tied but for the grip screw, which has a sharp slot. The markings are crisp. Overall, this handgun rates in about Fine condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The lockup with both cylinders is solid, with only a small amount of side to side play, with no measurable back play in lockup of all 6 chambers. The hammer cocks back with a very strong spring and the trigger pull is crisp. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: Included is a modern reproduction Colt box; the end label reads "5 ½ Colt's Army S.A. Revolver. / Rubber Blue / .44-40", with replica inner stickers. The box matches the original design quite well and shows only a few scattered storage marks, rating in about Excellent condition. A sheet of brown paper is included in Excellent condition. The revolver comes with a .44-40 WCF and .44 Special cylinder, both are marked "16", which is correct to the serial number of the pistol. The .44-40 cylinder has about 85% of its finish remaining, the .44 Special about 90%, both produce exceptional lockup and are free of major damages (the cylinders are described further above in Overall Condition).
Our Assessment: This Colt Frontier Six Shooter was made in 1923 and retains spectacular case coloring and deep blued items. The bore is bright with sharp rifling and no erosion, the mechanics still function with rigid precision and the revolver comes with a .44-40 WCF and .44 Special cylinder, both sharing the ending "16" digit of the pistol's serial number. Both cylinders retain a high amount of finish and produce solid full lockup in each chamber. The revolver and cylinders have some wear consistent with holster use, the fore and back straps of the grip frame, trigger and trigger guard have handling wear as photographed. Included is a modern reproduction of a factory Colt cardboard box, with a sheet of brown paper to wrap the extra cylinder. This is a beautiful revolver that will make any new owner happy. Please see our pictures and good luck.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Alexandra Daddario Bio, Age, Affairs & Movies
Actresses, Entertainment 13,096 Views
Alexandra Daddario (American Actress)
Alexandra Daddario Biography
Alexandra Daddario is an American actress & model. She is known for playing Annabeth Chase in the Percy Jackson film series, Summer Quinn in Baywatch and Blake Gaines in San Andreas. Alexandra Daddario made her television debut by playing role of victimized teen Laurie Lewis in the ABC daytime soap opera All My Children at the age of 16. She played her first major role in fantasy adventure Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lighting Thief 2010 film as Annabeth Chase. Alexandra Daddario became the real star in the Hollywood sense of the world after playing the role Athena's daughter in the fantasy film (Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lighting Thief 2010.
Age, Full Name, Nickname, Family Info
Alexandra Daddario was born on 16 March 1986 at New York City, New York, U.S. Her current age (as in 2018) is 32 years. Her height is 1.78 m. Her nickname is Alex. Full name of Alexandra Daddario is Alexandra Anna Daddario. She studied at Brearley School and the Professional Children's School and Marymount Manhattan College. Her father is Richard C. Daddario and mother is Christina Daddario. She has a sister Catharine Daddario and brother Matthew Daddario.
Alexandra Daddario Affairs
The first time Alexandra Daddario has a love affair with actor Jason Fuchs. The love affair continued three years (2006 to 2009) and ended with a very hard breakup.
Alexandra Daddario fan's assumed she was having an affair with a partner on the "Percy Jackson" Logan Lerman, But Alexandra Daddario said that they are just very good friends and not romantically involved. She is still unmarried.
Alexandra Daddario Instagram & Other
Twitter Account Link: Twitter Account
Facebook Page Link: Facebook Page
Alexandra Daddario Instagram: Instagram Profile
Alexandra Daddario Movies
The Squad and the Whale 2005
The Hottest State 2006
The Babysitters 2007
The Attic 2007
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lighting Thief 2010
Bereavement 2010
Hall Pass 2010
Texas Chainsaw 3D 2013
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters 2013
Burying the Ex 2014
San Andreas 2015
The Choice 2016
Baywatch 2017
The House 2017
The Layover 2017
Name Alexandra Daddario
Full Name Alexandra Anna Daddario
Profession Actress
Date of Birth 16 March 1986
Age 32 years (as in 2018)
Birth Place New York City, New York, U.S
Eye Color Greyish
Hair Color Dark Brown
Zodiac Sign Pisces
Home Town New York
School Brearley School and the Professional Children's School
College Marymount Manhattan College
Qualifications Graduation
Film Debut 2005
Father Richard C. Daddario
Mother Christina Daddario
Sister Catharine Daddario
Brother Matthew Daddario
Boyfriends / Affairs
Boyfriends Jason Fuchs
Marital Status Unmarried
Tags American Actresses Hollywood Actresses
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text:
Forsiden > NOAH > NOAHs vision 13. jul 2008
NOAHs vision
Do we want a world where might is right? Unfortunately, that's the kind of world we have today. Human beings exploit other animals because they aren't able to defend themselves against us. Human beings use their power for all it's worth, and other animals are reduced to goods on a conveyor belt and means to the end of satisfying the desires of human beings.
A world without violence against our fellow creatures
But who would really answer yes to the question of whether they want animals to be killed for food production, or to suffer for the sake of research? Who would claim that death and suffering are goals in themselves? Many say that they dislike the fact that animals "have to" die or be hurt, and that they wish it didn't "have to" be that way.
We don't need to accept a world where violence against living creatures is an everyday occurrence. NOAH's vision is that animals will not be kept in cramped cages and pens where they barely have enough room to turn around, but rather that they will have the freedom to live their lives according to their natural desires. Our vision is that animals will not be subjected to painful experiments or be trained through violence to obey human beings, but rather that they will have the opportunity to lead lives of freedom in their natural environments. Our vision is that animals will not be killed for the benefit of human beings, but that their lives will be seen as having intrinsic value for the animals themselves.
NOAH's vision is of a world where animals are treated as living creatures of equal worth.
A world without battery chicken farms and slaughterhouses. Without animal research laboratories producing genetically modified animals. Without circus elephants chained up and fur farms with row upon row of cages. Without traditions such as bullfighting and shooting wild animals for sport and recreation. Without veterinarians routinely taking the lives of "pets" that someone's got bored of. Without cows chained to stalls and horses that are slaughtered because they don't run fast enough. A world without abuse.
Isn't that really the kind of world you'd like to see too? Wouldn't you like to be able to rejoice in the fact that animals are free and living in their natural environment without being threatened by human beings? Wouldn't you like to experience animals' co-existence with human beings as a voluntary partnership, without us dominating or using them?
A vision that can become reality
This is a vision. But it's also an achievable reality. It's our choice to participate in the exploitation or not. We can create a different reality to the one our fellow creatures suffer under today.
The reality is that people eat animals. People hurt animals. Animals are killed for clothes. Animals are killed for make-up. Animals are killed for entertainment. That's the reality.
But how realistic is our "reality"? Meat consumption causes environmental destruction, serious lifestyle-related illnesses and food shortages in other parts of the world. Animal research is more of a protection for companies that don't want to take responsibility for harm caused by their products than it is a protection for people's lives and health. Entertainment which harms animals has no defence other than our own ignorance and indifference. Our "reality" cannot survive if we want a world based on reason, long-sightedness and the knowledge we have about animals and the environment.
A world for all beings
So how distant is our vision of a world where animals can live good lives in freedom? It's no more distant than we ourselves let it be. If we believe that a world where animals are our slaves is the most realistic, we ourselves are contributing to holding back progress. But if we think that the way people think about animals can be changed, we are contributing to making things different. If we expect people to be able to respect animals, we influence other people in ways that make it easier for them to do just that. If we choose to act out such a view in our everyday lives, we create an alternative example that people can follow. If we talk about animals as valuable living creatures, we make these kinds of ideas more and more normal.
Visions exist to be realised. NOAH invites you to play your part in creating the kind of world that most of us, in our heart of hearts, want to see – a world where animals can live free, natural lives.
Kommentar: NOAHs fremtid i våre hender!
NOAH har egne strykemerker til russetiden!
NOAH blir grasrotmottaker!


The Rebel Sweetheart.: For the Love of Vintage.
For serious collectors and antique enthusiasts, the Victorian Casino Auction is an event they surely wouldn't miss. Since the 1970s, Victorian Casino Antiques has become the standard in antique auction - not just in Las Vegas, but in the whole United States of America as well.
Being the benchmark in the industry, Victorian Casino Antiques makes sure that their auctioned antiques are of top quality. They have even earned the bragging right as 'the auctioneer that has sold the most coin-operated devices across America'.
Their upcoming 4-day auction, for instance, will feature an impressive array of collectibles. Slot machines, coin-operated machines, arcades, jukeboxes, figural cookie jars, to a private collection of over a thousand toys - there's sure to be something for every collector.
I personally am drawn to the Bubble Blowing Popeye (made in the 1930s!) and the Vintage Peanuts Gang Figural Bobble Heads (handmade in Korea, circa 1950's!) found in their auction catalog. If given the opportunity, I will hop on a plane to Vegas and attend the auction myself!
Lucy, Snoopy, Charlie Brown (1950).
Although auctions are held just twice or thrice a year, the Victorian Casino Antiques Gallery welcomes visitors and collectors who would like to take a peek at the consignments. The VCA Gallery, located at 4520 Arville St. #1, Las Vegas, Nevada, is open from Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm, by appointment.
I love finding photo graphs of old vintage toys online. Makes me wish some of them were still around.
This are great collections of antiques. The Snoopy and Popeye figurine would really look good at home.
ooh would really love to check this out! i am currently on the hunt for vintage home accents.
Such a good collection.very nice.
lovely collections! would love to scour the jukebox if ever haha that would be amazing!
Vintage stuff is definitely worth the price.
I love vintage stuff- from toys to furniture, and even clothes!
I bet they will have some of my childhood faves at auction! I myself am "vintage".


I like my beer cold, conversation challenging, and work fulfilling. Aún aprendo. Buckeye. Current: Co-Founder & CEO, Holloway. Past: Co-Founder, Mattermark.
Novelist, theatre producer, teacher, geeky type person & trans type person.


text:
NYC mayor warns 'Jewish community' as thousands at funeral of rabbi virus victim
Bill de Blasio slammed for generalizing in announcement of 'zero tolerance' of social distancing breaches; ultra-Orthodox congregation sorry for huge crowd at Chaim Mertz's funeral
By TOI staff	29 April 2020, 9:40 amUpdated at 11:15 am 11 Edit
Thousands gather for the funeral of Rabbi Chaim Mertz, a COVID-19 victim, in Brooklyn on April 28, 2020, breaching social-distancing restrictions (Youtube screenshot)
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has come under fire for appearing to warn all the city's Jews of a crackdown after a funeral for a rabbi in Williamsburg drew thousands of mourners who didn't observe social distancing rules.
Many accused the Democrat mayor of the US city worst-hit by the pandemic of generalizing against the Jewish community for the actions of a few in a predominantly ultra-Orthodox Brooklyn neighborhood, as anti-Semitic incidents have spiked in the area over the past months.
However, the congregation that held the funeral said it believed de Blasio's remark "wasn't ill-intentioned," and it apologized over the incident.
The rabbi, Chaim Mertz, died of COVID-19.
De Blasio oversaw the dispersal of the large, tightly packed funeral and lashed out at the mourners who had gathered in defiance of social distancing rules. A police spokesman said Wednesday that the crowd was dispersed without arrests.
The spread of the coronavirus has hit ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities in the New York area especially hard, and some members of those communities have resisted social distancing.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio wears a mask while honoring healthcare workers at Brooklyn's Kings County Hospital Center at a ceremony during the coronavirus pandemic, April 24, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
At the same time, there have been warnings of rising anti-Jewish sentiment amid the pandemic, with some accusing Jews of being behind the virus or of profiting from it.
Police response pic.twitter.com/KcVZYV9C2s
— Reuven Blau (@ReuvenBlau) April 29, 2020
In a series of tweets on Tuesday evening, de Blasio announced a "zero tolerance" policy, while singling out the entire Jewish community of the city with the most Jews in the world.
Something absolutely unacceptable happened in Williamsburg tonite: a large funeral gathering in the middle of this pandemic. When I heard, I went there myself to ensure the crowd was dispersed. And what I saw WILL NOT be tolerated so long as we are fighting the Coronavirus
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) April 29, 2020
"My message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed. I have instructed the NYPD to proceed immediately to summons or even arrest those who gather in large groups. This is about stopping this disease and saving lives. Period," he tweeted.
We have lost so many these last two months + I understand the instinct to gather to mourn. But large gatherings will only lead to more deaths + more families in mourning. We will not allow this. I have instructed the NYPD to have one standard for this whole city: zero tolerance.
The series of posts drew fury online from public and political officials, both Democrat and Republican, with Anti-Defamation League head Jonathan Greenblatt calling the generalization "outrageous."
Hey @NYCMayor, there are 1mil+ Jewish people in #NYC. The few who don't social distance should be called out — but generalizing against the whole population is outrageous especially when so many are scapegoating Jews. This erodes the very unity our city needs now more than ever. https://t.co/jcYO9QQred
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) April 29, 2020
"Would DeBlasio have sent this identical tweet with the word 'Jewish' replaced by any other religious minority? If not, why not? Laws should be enforced neutrally w/o targeting religious faith," tweeted Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
Lis Smith, who was an adviser for Democrat Pete Buttigieg's failed presidential bid, slammed de Blasio's "criminal incompetence."
Many other officials chimed in with strongly worded condemnations of the mayor.
NYC has been a refuge for Jews fleeing persecution and death for decades and more.
How on earth does the mayor of NYC single them out for persecution in the middle of a pandemic?
Words do not exist to describe the criminal incompetence at City Hall. https://t.co/1bc2IoBcJt
— Lis Smith (@Lis_Smith) April 29, 2020
This is an antisemitic statement. Delete it w/ an apology @NYCMayor …further, your authoritarian tactics are anti-American as well and I can't imagine the NYPD targeting Jews that are gathering.
We need to pay attention to what is happening to our nation because of fear https://t.co/FLoelp8WYE
— Sara A. Carter (@SaraCarterDC) April 29, 2020
It is NEVER ok for an American elected official to single out the Jewish community like this. That de Blasio is the mayor of the most Jewish city in the country makes this that much worse. https://t.co/9AcmAQFkBb
— Seffi Kogen (@seffikogen) April 29, 2020
Poignant to be celebrating Yom Ha'Atzmaut on the day Bill de Blasio announces he has ordered the NYPD to crack down on Jews in public.
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) April 29, 2020
I can't imagine de Blasio saying this about any other community. It's pretty amazing. And for the record, MANY of the leaders of the Jewish community have taken strong stands on social distancing. https://t.co/aqlL7Yr8Xs
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) April 29, 2020
Dangerous choice of words, Mayor — accusing the entire Jewish community of the misbehavior of a minority. Would you dare to say this about any other group in this city? https://t.co/dpqDP2tDoA
— Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt (@avitalrachel) April 29, 2020
What's amazing about this is he could have done this in a way that every Jew on your timeline would be cheering him. But nah, after last year's anti-Semitism spike in NYC, he does it like this. https://t.co/BjGSvoFzkn
— Karol Markowicz (@karol) April 29, 2020
https://twitter.com/josh_hammer/status/1255337133348401153
Some 1.1 million of the city's population of 8.6 million residents are Jewish.
The Tola'as Yaakov congregation, whose rabbi Chaim Mertz died of the coronavirus, issued a statement saying the original intention was to have many people attend the funeral, but with all social distancing regulations kept and enforced.
"Unfortunately, this didn't pan out, and NYPD had to disperse the crowds," the congregation's secretary Jacob Mertz said in the statement. "We shall note that everyone followed the police officers' orders and the vast majority had masks. Yet, the confusion and chaos led to scenes of large crowds."
Regarding de Blasio's comments, the statement said they were understandable. "As said, we thought that the procession will be in accordance with the rules, and we apologize that it turned out otherwise. It also hurts that this led to singling out the Jewish community, and for that we apologize to all Jewish people."
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio marches in the 2017 Celebrate Israel Parade in New York City, June 4, 2017. (James Keivom/NY Daily News via Getty Images/via JTA)
"We know that the mayor's reaction came from his concern to the health of safety of our community and the entire city, and it wasn't ill-intentioned. We share that concern. Health and live takes precedence to anything else, and we shall all follow those rules," it said.
However, others noted the crowds that gathered earlier Tuesday to watch a flyover by the Navy's Blue Angels and the Air Force's Thunderbirds to honor health-care workers.
"Only bigots have a problem when a few 100 Hasidim do what thousands of people in the same city have done the same day (not social distance)." the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council tweeted.
Many US states have begun lifting coronavirus lockdown orders, but New York — America's economic engine and coronavirus epicenter — is in no hurry, with hospitalization rates still high.
New York is the worst-hit US state, with more than 17,300 COVID-19 deaths out of almost 292,000 confirmed infections. Almost 56,000 people have died across the country.
New York City is likely to be one of the last areas of the country to reopen. A poll out Monday showed residents overwhelmingly backed the shutdown.
De Blasio said Monday that at least 40 miles of streets would close to traffic to give the city's residents more space to exercise outdoors, in a further sign that the end is far from in sight.
Agencies contributed to this report.
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Inside the chicanery of scammers ...


text:
Home /EXPERTS' OPINION/Say Hello to an Emerging Breed of Independent, Resilient Women Entrepreneurs
Say Hello to an Emerging Breed of Independent, Resilient Women Entrepreneurs
Shipra Neeraj, Associate V Partner, QNET Entrepreneur
Shipra Neeraj was raised in a typical middle-class family in a small town in Uttar Pradesh, where her parents were particularly driven toward her education. She is now one of the most successful entrepreneurs who inspires us with her charismatic style and eloquence after experiencing many rejections, a range of conflicting emotions, and her commitment to achieving success. She serves as a role model for countless female entrepreneurs and her experience reaffirms the idea that anyone can succeed with QNET if they have the necessary willpower and outlook.
Gender conversations are increasingly becoming a norm across the world, driving people to rethink about how different industries and organisations can make room for more women to grow and succeed. Direct Selling is among the leading industries to walk the talk by creating increasing opportunities for women to turn into entrepreneurs and thrive. In fact, according to the annual survey 2020-21 of the Indian Direct Selling Association, the number of active direct sellers grew to 7.9 million, with 47% of them being women.
So, what are the key advantages Direct Selling has to offer for women who aspire to start their own business? It's an absence of significant barriers like lack of capital, time, and upskilling. It's the reason why more women are making the decision to turn direct sales into an opportunity for success that does not compromise on work-life balance, familial values, or personal growth. In 2021, a staggering 74.4% of direct selling representatives were women. Whether a woman dreams of building a multimillion-dollar business or simply wants to earn enough extra income to send her daughter to dance lessons, direct selling opens the door for her.
Let's go behind-the-scenes to understand the other aspects that make Direct Selling popular – and lucrative – for women entrepreneurs.
A distribution model that thrives on independence
A study by SBI and YouGov in early 2022 found that being financially independent ranks among the top three priorities of women in India. Patriarchal concepts, unpaid labour, safety and earning power are everyday concerns of most of these women.
When a women venture into business, they're already carrying millennia of oppression within them. However, when they walk through the doors of Direct Selling, they can leave that baggage behind; because it's an avenue where entrepreneurial-minded people build a business of their own with low start-up and overhead costs, fueled by passion, profits and a desire to sell great products and services. Direct Selling is an ecosystem of entrepreneurs who support each other on their growth journey. The women get to work with legitimate direct selling companies that sell everything – from household goods, beauty tools and supplements, to various other consumer products.
Being more socially active, women can also engage with their vast network of friends and neighbours to demonstrate and sell products. By allowing them to leverage their existing social and entrepreneurial skills, Direct Selling not only gives them the confidence in their ability to sell, but also gradually and carefully helps them break away from the many limiting beliefs that hold them back from experiencing financial freedom.
Low capital investments = greater possibility of building a thriving business
Challenges in funding – like smaller loan amounts for women entrepreneurs and a falsehood that phones, banks, and services are too smart for women – limit how much women can invest in their business and stunts their potential. Direct selling provides women with the products and materials needed to start earning money immediately, with minimal costs. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, the low entry cost of direct selling empowers women in impoverished regions to lead the world with the highest entrepreneurial activity rates. When compared to retail investments, direct selling costs represent a fraction of the costs of renting store space and purchasing inventory to start the store.
Freedom to decide their schedule and priorities
The struggle to balance personal/familial commitments and running a business is real and only become more serious with the pandemic, especially for women who are also mothers.
Direct Selling sits on the other side of this spectrum. Even though it requires the same commitment and effort as other business models, the industry enables women to determine their own schedules. They can fit her work around her other commitments. The added convenience of technology and e-commerce provides them with flexibility and independence to build the business at their own pace.
When it comes to resilience too, both, direct selling and women have this one characteristic to rely on. The Direct Selling model adapts quickly and efficiently to changes in market conditions – even the pandemic – while providing consumers with the products they want. During the peak of COVID-19, a new generation of direct sellers was able to harness mobile technology and e-commerce to discover new opportunities in this time-tested distribution model.
As many industries have struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic, direct selling set record sales in 2020 of US$76 billion in Asia alone, according to the 2021 WFDSA report. Countries such as India and Kazakhstan demonstrated some of the highest year-on-year growth in the region. The global direct sales industry was worth more than US$180 billion. And – no surprises here – women are generating an overwhelming portion of this wealth.
Steering their own ship with the right skills and education
Direct selling does not require specialised skills to get started. However, many direct selling companies provide their independent representatives with training, mentoring and education to develop the skills and knowledge needed to run successful businesses and grow personally as well.
Digital India's alignment with technology is shaping the industry's new norm. Besides using technology for marketing and distribution, companies are increasingly investing in online training and development tools, which are creating transparent self-sustaining business models in entrepreneurship, with better governance.
Women in Direct Selling – force to reckon with
Today, direct selling companies across the world have built a reputation for shattering glass ceilings and putting the spotlight on nurturing and empowering women leaders across the globe. Multinational giants are actively investing in digital-based direct selling platforms, tapping into their largest demographic, and transforming it into a pipeline of women entrepreneurs in the present and well into the future.
In my opinion, it's the result of the hard work that generations of women before us have put in. Stay-at-home mothers and enterprising young women have broken gender stereotypes to build the multi-billion industry that we know today. Even though I've been in the industry for more than 11 years, witnessing women from all walks of life has never ceased to inspire me. They demonstrate passion, tenacity, and drive, and emerge feeling empowered when their entrepreneurial journey brings them success." By empowering women entrepreneurs, direct selling is also building a stronger global economy for all. And when women are economically empowered, they drive growth, reduce income inequality, and contribute to building a more inclusive, robust economy for everyone.
Empower one, and you free the world
A famous saying goes that 'Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.' Direct Selling and women are connected the same way. The industry teaches women to become independent, earn their own income and manage their own time in a way that allows them to grow into successful entrepreneurs. And when you teach one woman in a household to rise above her current situation, you empower the future of her future generations.
How Mapping Technology Can Transform The Global Urban Landscape
Why Leveraging Data in the Digital Age is Crucial to Business Success


text:
using System;

namespace DokanNet.Native
{
    ///
    /// Identifies the object-related security information being set or queried.
    /// This security information includes:
    /// <list type="bullet">
    ///  <item>The owner of an object.</item>
    ///  <item>The primary group of an object.</item>
    ///  <item>The discretionary access control list(DACL) of an object.</item>
    ///  <item>The system access control list(SACL) of an object.</item>
    /// </list>
    ///
    /// <remarks>Structure taken from pinvoke.net </remarks>
    /// \see SECURITY_INFORMATION (MSDN)
    [Flags]
    internal enum SECURITY_INFORMATION : uint
    {
        ///
        /// The owner identifier of the object is being referenced.
        ///
        OWNER_SECURITY_INFORMATION = 0x00000001,

        ///
        /// The primary group identifier of the object is being referenced.
        ///
        GROUP_SECURITY_INFORMATION = 0x00000002,

        ///
        /// The DACL of the object is being referenced.
        ///
        DACL_SECURITY_INFORMATION = 0x00000004,

        ///
        /// The SACL of the object is being referenced.
        ///
        SACL_SECURITY_INFORMATION = 0x00000008,

        ///
        /// The SACL inherits ACEs from the parent object.
        ///
        /// <remarks>Dokan may not be passing Label ?? 0x00000010</remarks>
        UNPROTECTED_SACL_SECURITY_INFORMATION = 0x10000000,

        ///
        /// The DACL inherits ACEs from the parent object.
        ///
        UNPROTECTED_DACL_SECURITY_INFORMATION = 0x20000000,

        ///
        /// The SACL cannot inherit ACEs.
        ///
        PROTECTED_SACL_SECURITY_INFORMATION = 0x40000000,

        ///
        /// The DACL cannot inherit access control entries (ACEs).
        ///
        PROTECTED_DACL_SECURITY_INFORMATION = 0x80000000
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Because I started MMN as a hobby, then started to move in to a business context slowly over the years, it's been hard to seperate my personal things from work things, and this is certainly obvious in my email inbox.
Honestly, I'm starting to lose track of my own things between the automatic notifications from all the systems, business emails, personal emails and everything else.
So I'm starting the process of removing domains from the business G Suite account on to a personal email server.
And this means all the domains I've got personally, which are shockingly a lot, are now in to this account.
Over this week, I'll be sending out an email to people I keep in touch with my personal address and of course start the labourious task of moving everything out one by one.
If you want to email me in the interim, it's now via this form.


The website is currently undergoing a structural revision, including subscription and content management. All the functions of the website are disabled (even if they appear to be working). We hope to migrate to the new system soon.


text:
If You Invested $5,000 in Vaxart in the March Market Crash, This Is How Much You'd Have Today
By Taylor Carmichael – Sep 15, 2020 at 8:20AM
NASDAQ: VXRT
Vaxart
Shares of the vaccine developer have shot up as it pursues a preventative COVID-19 treatment.
Tiny Vaxart (VXRT -3.15%) was just a penny stock back in January. Few people had heard of the company. You could buy a share for only 34 cents. And then COVID-19 hit, followed by stay-at-home orders, economic shut-downs, and the current recession. The public health crisis sent the entire stock market crashing, with a few exceptions. Vaxart, a vaccine developer, was one of those few.
When Vaxart announced that it was pursuing an oral vaccine for COVID-19, the micro-cap went through the roof. In six weeks, Vaxart's stock price ran up to $3.45 a share on March 9. That's a nice 10-bagger for micro-cap investors in just a little over two months. And then the stock dropped 68% over the next week, falling all the way to $1.08 on March 16. This was just the beginning of Vaxart's roller coaster ride. Let's investigate how much you'd have today if you bought shares of Vaxart in the dark days of March.
Investing in biotech micro-caps is incredibly risky
A micro-cap stock is generally defined as a company valued between $50 million and $300 million. Their share price volatility is a large risk factor for investors. In the case of Vaxart, the company is an especially dangerous pick, because it's not just a micro-cap, it's a biotech stock without any drugs on the market. Vaxart currently has drugs in the pipeline that may be viable treatment candidates for norovirus, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human papillomavirus (HPV), and COVID-19. Although none of these candidates have yet advanced to a phase 2 clinical trial, investors are hopeful that they can go the distance, and have subsequently driven up Vaxart's shares.
In particular, investor excitement about the company's COVID-19 vaccine candidate caused an early 10-bagger in 2020. But what caused the stock to drop 68% from March 9 to March 16? The former micro-cap suffered no company-specific bad news that would cause its stock to lose two-thirds of its value in a week. This sharp decline demonstrates how a micro-cap company's share price can be manipulated by market traders, without regard to any news from the company.
A couple of days after the stock hit $1.08 on March 16, Vaxart announced that it had signed a manufacturing agreement with mid-cap Emergent Biosolutions (EBS -3.42%) to manufacture its vaccine for COVID-19, if and when its candidate is approved. Emergent has the capacity to manufacture hundreds of millions of doses of the treatment on an annual basis. After the news hit the market, Vaxart's stock shot up 162% in 48 hours.
Vaxart's COVID-19 candidate is unique
Vaxart's vaccine candidate is unique for one particular reason. Instead of being administered via injection like most vaccines, Vaxart's treatment candidate is an oral tablet. In terms of ease of use and popularity (not to mention distribution issues), you can't beat a pill format. The fact that Vaxart has one of the few oral tablet candidates out there is why this stock has soared more than most.
The federal government has also bought in to Vaxart's COVID-19 program -- literally. Vaxart received funding from Operation Warp Speed (OWS) to initiate a non-human primate challenge study of the oral candidate in June.
On Sept. 14, the company received an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin phase 1 clinical testing in healthy adults aged 18 to 55 years old. The study's primary objective will be to examine the safety and reactogenicity -- the subset of adverse reactions caused by certain properties of the treatment -- from two-doses of the oral vaccine.
Owning Vaxart shares is an emotional roller coaster ride
Let's suppose that after that awful 68% drop in March, you bought $5,000 worth of Vaxart's stock on March 16. Now you would own 4,629 shares of the company. Buckle your seat belts.
In April your share price would hit $4.00. You've tripled your investment in a month. And I hope you didn't sell, because by July, the stock quadrupled again to $17 a share. Your $5,000 investment was now worth $78,693. A week later, the stock would drop to $14 a share. In another week, Vaxart's price would fall under $10.
Right now, at $7.75 per share, Vaxart is still a small company with an $850 million market cap. Your $5,000 investment on March 16 would now be worth $35,874. While the stock is more than 50% off its highs for the year, that's still a fantastic return.
VXRT data by YCharts
Vaxart comes with no guarantees
Because Vaxart is still a highly speculative pick, investors may decide to take on less risk by buying several different COVID-19 vaccine companies in a basket approach. One way to play the mad dash for a COVID-19 vaccine is to buy shares in all the companies that OWS is investing in. That list would include a mix of pharma and biotech companies such as Moderna, AstraZeneca, Novavax, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi, Inovio, Pfizer, and Vaxart.
While a basket approach would likely include some vaccine candidates that are rejected by the FDA, it would reduce risk because you would also own the vaccines that are eventually approved. Even the federal government is relying on a basket approach to make sure that as many people can be vaccinated as possible in a short period of time. When it comes to betting on the most likely candidate, it might not be a bad idea for investors to follow the government's lead -- and the money.
Taylor Carmichael owns shares of Novavax. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Emergent BioSolutions. The Motley Fool recommends Johnson & Johnson. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
VXRT
$1.07 (-3.15%) $0.04
BioNTech Se
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Washed clothing donations accepted daily, please drop off in front office.
Please contact Sarah Miller – Srmiller820@gmail.com with any questions.
Used uniform price list: $5 a shirt, $15 for skirts & sweaters, $5 for shorts & long pants. All funds generated from sales of used uniforms go into a uniform fund to provide students in need with one brand new uniform set. Please note that all sales are final – no refunds. Exchanges for purchased items may made when possible.
We also accept SHOE DONATIONS for the Used Uniform Program. Uniform clothing and shoe donations are always welcome. We are always in need of all skirt sizes and youth extra large and adult-sized polo's for boys and girls. Please drop off your laundered, used uniforms and shoes in good condition at the school office and place them in the donation bin.


text:
using System;

using Xamarin.Forms;

namespace Pasasoft.Crm.Views
{
    public partial class ContactView : ContentView
    {
        public ContactView()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }
    }
}


text:
A Brief History of the Impact of American Politics on Space Exploration
dsigned001 - O.R.C. hunter
That space is a political frontier is something of a sore subject for a lot of us. Many of us who love science aren't thrilled with the idea of tying it to the political process, and so we tend to plug our ears anytime anyone tells us that our projects are political.
But, as they say, those who can't fight with swords can still die by them, and the political process is no different. And for something like space exploration, it's probably more true than for many other forms of scientific inquiry.
That our space endeavors were tied to the Soviets, and that the Moon shot was incited by JFK's brilliant rhetoric are well known by space aficionados (and even, I would argue, the general public). But many of the other political machinations that formed the current arena of space are much less well known.
The Apollo program is one such example. Its cancellation on the surface seems simple: we made it, and the Soviets didn't, so we thereby "won" the Space Race and didn't need to continue the program. However the pivot was much more intentional, and much more banal than that. While it's true that the rationale was detente with the Soviets over the Space Race, the reason why we were seeking a detente in that area was largely because we had escalated other areas. Namely, we had moved from a support role in Vietnam to a full combat role by the time we landed on the Moon. By the time Nixon rolled in to town, the civil rights movement had made mincemeat of the American trust in government (not helped by the FBI's role in fomenting conflict within the various movements), and the hippie movement was in full swing undermining the rest.
Add to this that Nixon was a politician first, second, third, etc. and a visionary not at all. Many of the U.S. societal woes can be traced to Nixon's ruinous domestic policies.
And so Apollo, along with all of the US manned planetary exploration budget, got the axe in favor of a program to spy on the Russians (which you and I know as the Space Shuttle). Now, it's well known that the Shuttle was used to do other things too. But the ability to launch spy satellites with manned crews to deploy them was something that scared the Russians.
And so Apollo was scrapped in favor of Skylab and the Shuttle. Not because we couldn't afford both, but because they were things that could be sold as "progress" to the American people, while allowing for the slashing of NASA's manned budget.
This leads to the other part that isn't well understood by the general public. The cancellation of Apollo wasn't just the scrapping of the Saturn V and it's future derivatives. It was the scrapping of all development on manned rockets that weren't the Space Shuttle. NERVA, the Saturn I (which is what they used to ferry astronauts to Skylab). All frozen. It wasn't just a cutting of manned spaceflight. It was a gutting. If our enemies had wanted to prevent us from ever sending human being beyond orbit again, they couldn't have done a much better job than we did to ourselves.
Thank Nixon that we're not cruising around space with nuclear thermal rockets.
The point of this is not to say that space shouldn't be political, or to say that the Planetary Society needs to spend billions on propaganda (sorry, "Public Relations"), but rather to encourage the scientific community to examine its own motives for various projects.
Fast forward to today. Elon Musk has announced his vision for a Mars transport vehicle. NASA's got a handful of rovers and such rolling around on the surface. Meanwhile, NASA hasn't sent a mission to Venus in almost thirty years. Why?
The standard response is that Venus is a "hellscape" and that Mars is "more promising." But is that actually what the data tells us, or is that just something that has woven its way into our collective American consciousness?
PR hype brought Matt Damon lots of money
For that answer, I'm going to draw on another non-space example: Antarctica. The US and the Soviets both built research stations deep on the Antactic continent. The US made their station on the geographic south pole. One would expect the Soviets to be close by, not ceding anything to the Americans, but their station is 800 miles away. That's not even within a day's drive on highways, let alone across the frozen wasteland that is Antarctica. So why did they choose something so far off?
The answer illustrates beautifully why diversity of perspective is something that can be extremely valuable to science. While it's not very near the South Pole, the Russian site is significant. Why? Because it, not the South Pole, is the coldest place on Earth. Because even though the South Pole has a very high elevation (9000ft), the Russian site is 200ft higher (11000ft). Just for reference, even in a normal context, 11000ft is enough to induce altitude sickness. Add to this that it is also one of the driest places on Earth, and bar none the coldest, it makes the site much less pleasant (which, in Antarctic terms, is saying something).
I didn't say it was pretty...
The point is, this kind of disparity of thought continued through the eighties as the Russians were having financial troubles. They didn't have to "sell" their projects to the people in the same way that the US did. State media could project most anything as exciting and successful.
And so, after a few unsuccessful attempts at Mars, and a few successful ones at Venus, the two powers diverged in their planetary aspirations. The US took the one with the more romantic history (think of all the books that were published with Martians before we ever landed a single probe there), while the Russians took the one that was cheaper.
In the time since then, the Soviet Union collapsed and the data that had been shared stopped coming. By then we had had so much success on Mars that there was no reason to give consideration to anything else.
The reason you don't like Venus is political and historical, not scientific.
But for the non-Americans, Venus is a much more obvious choice. With budgets that make NASAs look absolutely Titanic, cost is a much larger consideration. Moreover, the atmospheric research on Venus is much more scientifically relevant than Martian geology. And finally, neither JAXA nor the ESA has the romantic history that NASA and the American people do with Mars.
I would argue that this is to their credit. The American obsession with Mars has made us myopic to the possibilities of Venus, and led to NASA funding everything but Venus missions to keep the American public from getting distracted from their main goal: Mars.
This is in part problematic because the technology readiness level for manned Mars missions is very low. Venus, OTOH can be done with nothing more than a glorified Apollo mission. The time scales are much smaller (even though the delta V is similar), which makes the shielding and provisions requirements much more reasonable. It also means the turnaround and cost per mission is much more palatable. A two year manned Mars mission is pretty long to keep the public's interest. Nine months, OTOH, is much more reasonable. It's much easier to keep people's attention for one season of a show than two and a half or three, and as we've seen, the ROI on public interest is very much an important part of American space exploration.
So, in summary, I'd like to see an ideological pivot to Venus (though not away from Mars), bringing the closest planet to us back into the fold. The reason it wasn't there in the first place is not scientific, but historical and political, as evidenced by the interest of those with different histories and politics in it. And even though Mars is like FTL: forever ingrained in the American imagination, it's also like FTL in another way: a pipe dream. Even if we melted the Martian ice caps, and imported a "real" atmosphere for it, Mars will never be another Earth. Its distance from the Sun, its
mass (~1/9th Earth's) and consequent 1/3 Earth gravity, and its lack of active geology mean that no matter what we do, Mars will always be second-rate. If for no other reason, this makes Venus worth a second look.
Recent from dsigned001 - O.R.C. hunter
Rewatching Fury Road, I realized that Furiosa's War Rig is a Tatra
Smoking my first successful attempt at a cigar... It's good.
Showerthought: Tatra should get back into building passenger vehicles as ultra-luxury armored cars.


text:
Game of Thrones cast says farewell on this week's EW cover: 'I will miss this so much'
James Hibberd
By James Hibberd May 22, 2019 at 12:00 PM EDT
Beyond-the-Wall
Show MoreAbout Game of Thrones
The cast of Game of Thrones says farewell to the HBO blockbuster in Entertainment Weekly's new issue going behind the scenes of the final season's end game.
The issue dives deep into the tragic downfall of Daenerys Targaryen with Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington, along with chats with Isaac Hempstead Wright about playing the new king of Westeros and Sophie Turner on becoming the Queen in the North. There are also 14 new photos from behind the scenes and the show itself.
"I will miss this so much," says GoT star Peter Dinklage. "But it's time to move on. A lot of shows stay on television for too long. You got to make room for the new thing. And no decision should ever be made just because something is making a lot of money. [Showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss] are smart enough, and HBO is smart enough, to not just go, 'Well, everybody's getting rich let's keep going' — that's the worst thing you can do with something creative like this. I know it's difficult to make that decision. This is the greatest role I've ever had."
The younger cast members are ready to move on too, especially after spending most of their lives playing just one role. Like Jon Snow going beyond The Wall to start a new life with the Wildlings, Harington is ready for something new.
"The goal of acting is to gain some recognition and fame — that's not what I'm looking for anymore," Harington says. "This gives me the freedom to try things I want to do. I keep nicking beers from David and Dan's fridge. I left them a note saying, 'I owe you two beers and one career,' and that's how I feel."
"This show is my life," Clarke says. "Any doors that are open now, this show opened them. Any major life choice I've made have been a reaction to this show."
And speaking of trying new things, this is also EW's Summer TV Preview, to help you figure out what will be your next new favorite show. We have profiles of HBO's new drama Euphoria, Succession season 2, Netflix's Stranger Things season 3 and Black Mirror season 5, Hulu's Handmaids Tale season 3, and the Veronica Mars reboot, along with two dozen others.
EWK1564_958743784899859454
Credit: Marc Hom for EW
EWK1564_21762782182891291209
Credit: Helen Sloan/HBO
For more on the Game of Thrones series finale, pick up the new Summer TV Preview issue of Entertainment Weekly — buy your choice of Daenerys or the Starks now, or find the issue on stands Friday. Don't forget to subscribe for more exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW.
Read EW's complete coverage of Game of Thrones' final season
See all of EW's epic Game of Thrones covers through the years
Game of Thrones just set its final ratings record
Episode Recaps
S8 E3 Recap
Game of Thrones recap of Winterfell battle: A dark, epic bloodbath
By James Hibberd
Game of Thrones Season8 Ep1 Recap
Game of Thrones season 8 premiere recap: Jon finds out
Macall-B.-Polay---HBO-(Photo-3)
Game of Thrones finale recap: 'The Dragon and the Wolf'
Helen-Sloan---HBO-(Photo-6)
Game of Thrones recap: 'Beyond the Wall'
Courtesy-of-HBO-(Photo-1)
Game of Thrones recap: 'Eastwatch'
HBO-(Photo-3)
Game of Thrones recap: 'The Spoils of War'
Macall B. Polay - HBO (Photo 1)
Game of Thrones recap: 'The Queen's Justice'
Game of Thrones recap: 'Stormborn'
Game of Thrones premiere recap: 'Dragonstone'
Margaery Tyrell, Game of Thrones (2012-2016)
S6 E10 Recap
Game of Thrones season 6 finale recap: The Winds of Winter
Game of Thrones recap: Battle of the Bastards
Game of Thrones recap: No One
Game of Thrones premiere recap: The Red Woman
Game of Thrones recap: The Broken Man
Game of Thrones recap: Blood of My Blood
Kristian Nairn as Hodor
Game of Thrones recap: The Door
Game of Thrones recap: Book of the Stranger
Game of Thrones recap: Oathbreaker
Game of Thrones recap: Home
Game of Thrones season 5 finale recap: 'Mother's Mercy'
'Game of Thrones' recap: 'The Dance of Dragons'
'Game of Thrones' recap: 'Hardhome'
Game of Thrones recap: Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken
HBO's epic fantasy drama based on George R.R. Martin's novel series A Song of Ice and Fire.
stream service


The study was published online April 2 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
"Patients who suffer serious post-operative complications after surgery for esophageal cancer need very close, long-term monitoring so that any problems that arise can be identified and targeted quickly," said study research team member Maryam Derogar, a doctoral student at the department of molecular medicine and surgery, in a journal news release.
The operation for esophageal cancer, which involves the abdomen, chest and throat, is performed on one-quarter to one-third of patients with the disease. Of these surgical patients, about one-third survive for at least five years after surgery.
The researchers followed 141 patients who had surgery for esophageal cancer in Sweden over four years. In the five years after surgery, about one-third experienced at least one complication, such as severe infection or chronic breathing problems.
The patients were also asked to rate their quality of life. One in six patients had a quality of life well below the national average.
The researchers found those who had a serious complication from their surgery experienced more breathlessness, fatigue, insomnia, heartburn and eating problems than those who did not have complications, and that those symptoms persisted for years.


text:
Q: Selecting best Android layout I am new to Android, and wish to do a layout as below:

*

*A Logo on top.

*Following with a Rectangle with Rounded corners

*Within that Rectangle, I will have two EditText box for User ID and Password, plus one Login button

*Below the Rectangle with Rounded corners (outside) I have a Html Link to Terms & Conditions

I have tried various ways of layout out

*

*Using only layout. Different kinds of layouts. All seems to be very difficult to achieve what I need

*Using Layout + Background. The background is not really a background, but is more like a template, it will affect your layout, and is very difficult to control where you wants your control located.

*Using onDraw. Flexible but worried that it might have problem with different screen sizes.

So, someone please enlight which is the best way to achieve what I need?

A: No one can really tell you what is best, it depends on exactly what you want but I would suggest using a RelatvieLayout as they are typically the easiest and most efficient to use once you work with them a little, in my opinion. You can read Here to see how to do the rectangle. You basically will use shape drawable and adjust the radius of the corners.
As far as the logo on top, if it will be reused in other Activitys then you can put it in its own layout and use the include tag in your layouts to reuse the logo layout
If you are worried about different screen sizes then read the Docs and find what works for you.
Just start on it and adjust as you go. Don't be afraid to screw up and redo some of it. Hopefully this is enough information to get you started
Using a RelativeLayout will give you more flexibility and allow you to use less Layouts such as nested LinearLayouts and Layouts with only one child which can improve performance

A: this is how it should be done:
start with linear layout with vertical orientation :
<linearLayourt xmlns=............
android:orientation="vertical"
.....other stuffs goes here
......
.....
<LinearLayout ......this is the child linearlayout
.....other stuffs goes here like width and height
<ImageView ...this is where you are gonna put your logo in
/>
</LinearLayout> ....close your child linear layout
<RelativeLayout ...
.........other stuffs here
<EditText ....1st edit text
...you position your boxes here
/>
<EditText ....2nd edit text
...you position your boxes here
/>
</RelativeLayout>
<TextView
....
...
...put yout hyperlink for this text
/>
</LinearLayout> ...this is the parent linear layout

A: For your case of creating a Log in screen it's not really matter as it is a relatively easy screen to design. I personally like to use XML to design my layouts and never seen it done using the onDraw method.
My suggestion to you as @codeMagic said is to learn how to use and manipulated RelativeLayouts,as those will prevent you from creating cascaded layouts that are really not recommended and take long time to load.
When I started to program for Android I found LinearLayout to be the easiest to understand and use but using it would bring me to many LinearLayouts inside of a LinearLayouts on complex screen designz, later with the use of RelativeLayout I realized that in most cases one RelativeLayout can replace many cascaded Linear ones.
in your case you could do some thing like that:
 <RelativeLayout
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent" >

      <ImageView
        android:id="@+id/imageView1"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
        android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
        android:src="@drawable/drop_down_icon" />

   <EditText
        android:id="@+id/editText1"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
        android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
        android:layout_below="@+id/imageView1" >

    </EditText>

    <EditText
        android:id="@+id/editText2"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
        android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
        android:layout_below="@+id/editText1" />

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/button1"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_below="@+id/editText2"
        android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
        android:text="Button" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textView1"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_below="@+id/button1"
        android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
        android:text="TextView" />

</RelativeLayout>

All what left is to add the desired padings and margins.


If there is one sector that has transformed immensely in the last few years, it is the digital payments industry. It has brought in efficiencies and provided a multiplatform approach to sectors like banking, utility, benefit and subsidy transfers, retail etc.
The abundance of payment methods is not just a sudden occurrence after demonetization. Some have been there for a few years while some saw a growth spurt after 2016.
If there is one sector that has transformed immensely in the last few years, it is the digital payments industry. It has brought in efficiencies and provided a multiplatform approach to sectors like banking, utility, benefit and subsidy transfers, retail etc. The aim has been to make the payment experience smooth and simple, while making businesses more efficient and less dependent on cash. The means through which one can pay has also grown from physical cards and cheques to QR codes, UPI (Unified Payments Interface) and contactless payments.
The abundance of payment methods is not just a sudden occurrence after demonetization. Some have been there for a few years while some saw a growth spurt after 2016. It does not ring the death knell for more "traditional" methods like cards either. Credit and debit cards have been around for decades and continue to be heavily used for cashless payment. Even in developed, mature markets like Europe, different methods like cards, NFC (near field communication), QR codes and e-wallets continue to coexist and serve different customer needs and segments. In India too, new modes like wallets, UPI and the like have merely expanded the digital payments pie.
The digital payment scenario in India today may look a bit confusing and overwhelming with so much going on. But take a step back and you realize that it is only the instrument type and form factor that make up a payment. Payment instruments are essentially of two types — debit and credit. Debit instruments allow one to spend from an amount already stored in an account or prepaid instrument while credit instruments provide a facility to spend through borrowing from an institution on certain conditions for repayment. These are manifested in the forms of card payments, internet banking, mobile wallets, prepaid cards, UPI, QR codes etc. The payment then happens through devices like mobile phones, computers or POS terminals.
India is fairly equipped in terms of infrastructure to handle voluminous transactions that happen through digital channels every day. After demonetization, payment service providers have built capacities, so much so that we are safely future proofed to handle millions of transactions and peak volumes. Acceptance infrastructure of POS terminals and QR codes continue to grow and enable digital payments everywhere. As payment systems evolve and grow, the scope for electronic payments is bound to grow in tandem, as a result of which consumers will move from small ticket retail payments to making large ticket purchases through cards and other digital payment mechanisms.