How to care for an increasingly large ageing population is a question that faces every city. But those that answer it – as the city of Toyama has – by inviting seniors to live and interact in their centres are discovering far-reaching benefits.
Takeoka lives in Toyama, an attractive city of 420,000 on the Sea of Japan. In a country that is now working on the assumption that 30 per cent of its population will be over 65 by 2025, Toyama – where 28 per cent are already seniors – is leading the march towards gerontocracy. Instead of giving in to a demographic inevitability, Toyama is confronting the dual challenges of ageing and depopulation head on. Over the course of the past 15 years, Toyama, which was sprawling and car-dependent, has been reinvented as a compact city. It now revolves around a cheap and accessible new public transport system designed to keep the elderly active and bring people of all ages into the centre.
Toyama – which was linked to the bullet train network for the first time in spring 2015 – now has a quiet new light-rail transit system with lower floors, barrier-free platforms and discounts for elderly passengers travelling from the suburbs. Mori and his team have worked hard to make the centre more appealing using everything from flower baskets to a smart new museum and public library designed by architect Kengo Kuma. Seniors who visit city facilities with their grandchildren are offered free entry.
The point is to make the city centre a vibrant place to live and work. There are financial incentives for anyone who moves into it: subsidies of up to ¥500,000 (€4,300) to citizens who buy a house and up to ¥10,000 (€85) a month for renters.
Another pillar of Mori's compact city policy is to look after the growing population of elderly people and keep them as active and healthy as possible so that they won't need expensive medical care. A showpiece of the approach is the Kadokawa Independent Living Centre, a preventative health centre for seniors. On any given day of the week, dozens of active older people are joining in with group fitness classes in the pool or hot spa area (there is a natural hot spring 1,200 metres directly below). There is a steam room, sauna, studio and senior-friendly weights room; a doctor is on hand to monitor blood pressure and bone density.
"There was nothing like this in Japan," says manager Kyoko Hamatani. "Our aim is for older people to stay at the same level of fitness or even improve. If they are stuck at home, their ability to walk decreases and they're more likely to fall. This centre is about physical fitness but it also has a huge impact on mental health too: by coming here, people get out and meet friends." Now 250 people come to the centre, which opened in 2011, every day. Four buses offer door-to-door transport for those who can't make it on their own. It has already paid dividends: health tests on regular users show that their physical abilities have been enhanced.
Toyama has produced another innovative facility in the form of Kono Yubi Tomare: a daycare centre where young and old, able-bodied and disabled are looked after together. Kayoko Souman, the nurse who started the enterprise in 1993, said it was a struggle to gain acceptance at first but today there are 1,400 such centres around Japan. On a sunny autumn afternoon the staff and their charges sing "Happy Birthday" to 84-year-old Tomie Tamamura. She is presented with a homemade card and cake is shared around.
"We can't do anything about ageing but we can do more to keep older people healthy and cheerful," says Masashi Mori. "We'd like more seniors to move into the centre but if they don't, we still want them to be able to get out and about on public transport and stay active." Eiichi Takeoka's mini cars, which are made at Takeoka's workshop in Toyama, offer retirees an alternative mode of transport. With their low speed and super-light FRP bodies, they are designed for the elderly driver who only needs to make short trips.
Toyama's radical approach to the issue of ageing has drawn interest from cities around Japan and beyond. It was designated a "Future City" by the Japanese government in 2011 and was picked for the UN's "Sustainable Energy for All" initiative.
"Ageing is not just an issue for Japan and East Asia, it's facing countries all over the world," says Mori. In May the mayor visited Lisbon and heard from his counterpart there about the problems facing older people in his city. The issue might be more acute in Japan but the rest of the world is catching up.
In the richest nations about one in four people are over 60 – and the percentage is rising every year. The UN's most recent World Population Ageing report warns that the figure for Japan is already one in three. Over the next 15 years the fastest growth in the elderly population will be in Latin America and the Caribbean, with a projected 71 per cent increase in the over-sixties, followed by Asia (66 per cent) and Africa (64 per cent).
According to the World Health Organisation (who), the number of people aged 60 or older will outnumber children under five by 2020; by 2050 there will be two billion people over 60 (up from 900 million in 2015). Western countries have had years to adapt to the new longevity; Brazil, China and India will only have 20 years to make the same level of adjustment. By 2050, China is projected to have 90.4 million over-eighties, the world's largest population of this most elderly group (and quadruple the number in 2013).
With statistics like these it's no wonder that countries are racing to get their policies for seniors in order. Causes and solutions might be specific to each region but it is clear that ageing is going to affect every corner of the globe. Governments in Asia are being increasingly proactive. Hong Kong – whose seniors are among the world's longest living – has had an Elderly Commission since 1997 that advises the government on policies for its older population. Singapore is hurling s$3bn (€2bn) at the issue. Earlier this year the government announced its "Action Plan for Successful Ageing": more than 70 initiatives for the elderly that range from installing slower traffic lights and therapeutic gardens to a National Silver Academy for 30,000 mature students.
Many cities are working to tackle an outdated urban model that resulted in unchecked sprawl and roads choked with traffic. This move towards compactness and energy efficiency – which is happening everywhere from Portland to Freiburg – would benefit all sectors of society: the elderly, the young and the growing number of people living on their own. Policies that aid the elderly, such as easy access to services and better public transport, are likely to be good for others too.
In the past, governments have tended to look at the elderly as a fiscal welfare problem; these days the approach is more holistic and the goal is a healthy, integrated (and valued) population of elderly people who might still be working, volunteering, teaching and studying. In the Helsinki neighbourhood of Lauttasaari the city has piloted a project to develop care services by talking to older residents and taking into account their lifestyles and wellbeing. The German city of Köln has come up with programmes that tackle the isolation of older people by encouraging multigenerational housing, community networks and the establishment of small shops in the city centre.
The maturation of the world's population can't be halted but healthy old age is an achievable goal. The Max Planck Institute for the Biology of Ageing in Köln, founded in 2008, focuses its research on the causes and processes of ageing, its scientists scrutinising the reasons for longevity and finding ways to ameliorate age-related diseases. It turns out that lab research into the lifespan of worms and flies has human applications and the institute works with local clinicians and pharmaceutical companies to find real solutions to provide a better quality of life.
Dr Jane Barratt, secretary general of the Toronto-based International Federation on Ageing, says that older people have an increasingly important role to play. "With the whole world ageing we're asking them to stay in the workforce. The world is changing its view on the elderly; they are not a burden to society. As long as they are healthy they can contribute both mentally and physically. They can work themselves or look after their grandchildren, allowing their children to work more.
Mori, who is toying with a fifth run at office in April, has many more plans, including safeguarding the city's network of 79 local community centres and and pushing ahead with infrastructure investment to connect the bullet train, local train, tram and city-loop lines to make the city accessible without a car.
As the elderly population increases, so will the need for a diverse range of specialised accommodation.
Bermondsey, London: Architecture firm Witherford Watson Mann designed a contemporary almshouse to provide independent accommodation for 90 residents. Spread over five floors, the building will counteract loneliness by featuring plenty of windows, street access, a central garden courtyard and shared facilities including a hair salon.
Graz: This care home by Dietger Wissounig Architekten shows the value of human scale. Buildings are divided into areas that house 15 residents and one carer in each to create a warm atmosphere; each cluster has its own shared living area. Sunlight, openness and greenery are key ingredients.
Lisbon: Security is an important feature at Alcabideche Social Complex, a retirement home development where architecture firm Guedes Cruz built a group of 52 cube units with white translucent roofs; if a tenant sounds the alarm, the roof will glow red.
Located within the thrum of the city, our residential development promotes a social lifestyle for the silver set.
Well lit: Our five-storey building is flooded with natural light thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows.
Courtyard: The ground floor is alive with interaction. Here our friendly resident cat and dog mingle with inhabitants who shoot the breeze on high-backed chairs in a leafy courtyard.
Social Kitchen: The kitchen area makes for a focal point for residents to eat and cook together. Here they host culinary classes for the neighbourhood where old family recipes and traditional dishes are passed on to a younger audience.
Café and Deli: In the kitchen's adjoining public café and deli (where room-service orders are delivered via an electric pulley system) residents can earn a bit of pocket money dishing up a menu they've helped to inspire.
Transitions: A handsome ThyssenKrupp lift leads to the rooftop farm. Moving between storeys is well planned, with shock-absorbing cork-floored stairs for fitness and safety.
Upper floors: Inside, smart private living spaces span the upper floors. There are also rooms reserved for family visitors on each floor.
Rooftop: Here planters allow gardening across various heights, meaning the space is alive with flora and fauna year round. There's room on the sunny roof for brisk jogs and morning tai chi.


Sworders' specialist 20th Century design sales, held three times a year, have quickly become an established part of the UK auction calendar. The sale comprises of three distinct sections: arts and crafts, art deco and modern design and furniture.
"Two later pieces and based on his early designs. These date from the 1970's, are produced from light oak and fit well into modern homes and interiors. These are good examples of the British Arts and Crafts tradition continuing from the 1920s through to the present day".
"This shows us why Danish design is so great - through its simplicity and functionality. Hallmarked in London 1963 – Hans Hansen was well known for his jewellery as well as his flatware designs. I would love to use these every day".
"A great piece of functional design, apparently removed from the Royal retiring room at the Odeon cinema in Leicester Square – one could own the bar that served to their Royal Highnesses!".
Our 20th Century Decorative Art and Design sale is open for viewing today until 5pm, Sunday 28 January 10am - 1pm, Monday 29 January 9am - 5pm and the morning of the sale from 9am.


"What goes around comes around." You might have heard this more than often, but do you believe it? Is it really true that we have to suffer the causes that we have created in this birth? Well, it is said that Bhagwat Geeta, a holy book (in fact a life manual) in which Krishna has given His teachings,, has all the answers related to sufferings of mankind and karma. According to this holy book, every action of ours has an effect or consequence, and we have to suffer or enjoy the consequences of the same without fail. Also, Bhagwat Geeta has stated that no action of any man goes unnoticed and despite the superiority, the after effect will not get pacified. If we relate this to science, even the Newton's third law states the same.
If we take a closer look, Karma is of four types. To know more about them, read further to get enlightened of the same!
This is the result of actions that have been gathered in this and all other previous lives. These are part of those kriyaman karmas that have not borne fruits as yet. It is more or less like arrows in quiver as the good karma do not cancel the effect of bad one. However, they stay side by side and help us lead a life which is not monotonous at all.
This type of karma is like an arrow that has already left the bow and is about to reach the destination. It can also relate to the words that have been spoken and cannot be taken back at any cost.
These are the karmad that we do in the present. Of these that bear fruits there are two types of fruits- one in the form of circumstances (favourable and adverse) and second type of fruit is the impressions in our inner self.
The very first thing that can be done is stop creating bad karmas. However, we cannot get rid of all the karma that we have created as our life is continuing at its pace and knowingly or unknowingly you'll be creating karma which might affect your fate further.
Furthermore, akarmas should be done in abundance so that the effect of the previous karmas can be destroyed. To conclude, we would like to enlighten you that you cannot escape the karma that you have created and hence keep a check on your deeds without fail.
bhagavad gitakarmakarma according to bhagsvsd gita?
What are the benefits of reading Bhagavad Gita?
Krishna gives assurance that He will save us from the effects of all sinful reactions: Aham Tvam Sarva Papebhyo Mokshayishyami….
How do I lead my life according to the Bhagavad Gita in the current world?
What is Karma Yoga according to Bhagavad Gita?
How to Treat your enemies, according to the Bhagavad Gita?


Lighting info: One SB-600 into 109cm silver umbrella camera right. Natural light through window to camera left.
I shot this recently using SB-600 and silver umbrella on stand to the right of Jeanette. The main light is therefore the flash and the fill is natural light coming from the window she is looking out. It was a great test of my umbrella and the shot turned out very much like I wanted it to on the first try.
It is easy to start wanting more gadgets but in reality you do not need so many different things in order to get going with proper lighting. And the key is to keep experimenting because that is how you learn what happens and how you can go at it.
I was surprised how well the texture and bit of shadow came out of the white walls that is the background for this shot.
I want to redo this again but this time use the flash as a fill rather than the main light, getting the main light from the window, perhaps in the evening when the light temperature is a little lower and the light is more redshifted than in the broad daylight.
The background here is just the white wall behind Jeanette and I think it turned out great even though the lens gave a sligt vignetting here.
Ja, det är faktiskt så! Jag blåste på en del med blixten och det gjorde att huvudljuset kom från paraplyt.
Sedan är det ju ett ganska litet fönster men jaq gillade verkligen resultatet.


Self released and digitally distributed by DistroKid, "ESCAPADES" explores a whole new side of the songwriter and performer, JM Lansdowne, most notable in the tattooed Americana Country scene. It's been said that Lansdowne is notorious for his home-style recordings and has been known to book tours just as an excuse to see close friends.
We don't lose much of the gravel in his voice on ESCAPADES, but we are tuned in to what may sound like what's being played in JM Lansdowne's living room.
ESCAPADES consists on 3 highly addicting songs that could stand the test of time in anyone's playlist. Whether you're a fan of The Police, The Clash, or The Slackers — There is at least one song on this release that is bound to be a personal favorite.
Tapping into an eccentric, yet almost vintage vibe on "Light in the Harbor," passing a torch to the listener and delivering a message of hope — the electricity that flows through and leaves you on the edge of your seat on "RSG" — the inner city anthem, "Motorcycle Queen," a timeless song that very well could be an opener or closer at every show from here on out.
'Escapades' uncovers the darkness and turns a light on.


They are awful, the moments you need a translator, urgently. For a business, also for an individual, to have an opportunity to do business with somebody or some company located on the other side of the world and not being able to communicate instantly because of the language, it sounds awful. I have no doubt that the majority of people can communicate, some easier, some with some difficulties, in English, based on their knowledge of English. But when it comes to sharing documents such as contracts, certificates, instructions, manuals, descriptions, well, that's more difficult.
If you didn't take care in advance, maybe because you didn't spot or imagine that opportunity would arise, getting a good translator to save you is quite difficult. Why? It's simple: the good translators are always busy. And when you hire them, you most of the times have to wait; or to pay more to get in front of others on the jobs list.
Long story short: I have a friend, Sandeep Maheshwari, born in Moga, a city in the state of Punjab, in India. Born and grown in Moga until he was 17, moved and lived in London since then. Today he's 34 so half of his life he lived in India, half of his life in the UK. As you can imagine, a native speaker of Punjabi language, an excellent speaker of English language. What's amazing about his skills is he speaks English with no accent, British or Indian, that's fantastic. This helped him work with several big organizations doing business with that part of India.
If you need English to Punjabi translation or Punjabi to English translation, I recommend Sandeep with all my heart. I had some opportunities to join and spend some time with his group of friends lately and they also appreciated his abilities to speak and to translate perfectly from English to Punjabi and vice versa. So he can help. To contact him, visit his business card here.
The idea is the business world moves so fast today. And the companies constantly race against each other. If you don't move fast, somebody else might do it and win the contract. And when you're stuck because of some translations, that hurts. It's not related to one language only, it's not about English to Punjabi translations or translating from Punjabi to English. This is the topic of this article because Sandeep is my friend and I want to help him get more clients. But it's a general problem business and also individuals, students mostly, face from time to time.
When it comes to translations, you simply can't rely on automatic services such as Google Translate or some other converters. Human translation is essential. When you want to have over a document to a business partner, that document, its translation must be perfect. And while artificial intelligence might once be able to replace translators, my personal opinion is that's only a goal, a dream, I think machines won't be able to replace human translators. Artificial translations lack the finesse a human translator is able to apply to the required translation. When computers will be able to replicate that finesse, the translator job will disappear, for sure.
Until then you should take profit of the skills of a professional human translator to work on your documents. When it comes to translating from English to Punjabi or from Punjabi to English, Sandeep is a master. High quality and most important, reliable.
His clients were extremely pleased with his work and some kept coming back to him when needed more translations from English to Punjabi and vice versa. For he has clients from both the English language speaking countries United Kingdom, United States, Canada and from India.
It's understandable since a very good translation offers a business the ability to communicate correctly and efficiently and the means to pursue its goals in a specific region, country or around the world. With a good translation, there is no language barrier. Everybody knows English so speaking is not a problem. A fine translation solves the documents issue. So sky's the limit in doing business.
Contact him, test him if you feel like (this one I don't know how you can do it since you might need English to Punjabi or Punjabi to English translation because you don't know the other language; well, maybe when you know the other language but prefer to give the translations to a specialist; or when you're not so confident in your abilities but you can still check the quality of the translation). Anyway, what I know for sure, you won't be disappointed.


Bathroom are usually very limited in space, especially for older houses. These creative bathroom storage ideas or organization tips might go a long way to better utilize the tiny space. They do not only get your bathroom better organized, but also recycle those otherwise wasted material.
One aspect I like about these particular bathroom storage ideas is that they are so nicely made and match with the style of the bathroom so well. I would love to have such towel holder or toilet paper roll holder in my bathroom. Would you?
Watch the video for more bathroom storage ideas.
One Response to "Bathroom Storage Ideas"


It's been a while since I wrote about my optical bay HDD caddy experiment, but the results are finally in. I've been running my laptop for over a month now with a Kingston V100 SSDnow in the primary storage bay and the original hard drive in a NewmodeUS optical bay caddy, and have been quite pleased with the results. My computer boots up quickly, applications launch instantly, and there's plenty of space to store big files for when I need them. There are a few downsides though, which I'll go into more detail about shortly. Is it worth your while to make this upgrade? Read on to find out!
QotW: If a password is compromised, are any similar ones?
If a password is compromised, is a "similar" password also compromised?
Suppose a user uses a secure password at site A and a different but similar secure password at site B. Maybe something like mySecure12#PasswordA on site A and mySecure12#PasswordB on site B (feel free to use a different definition of "similarity" if it makes sense). Suppose then that the password for site A is somehow compromised…maybe a malicious employee of site A or a security leak. Does this mean that site B's password has effectively been compromised as well, or is there no such thing as "password similarity" in this context? Does it make any difference whether the compromise on site A was a plain-text leak or a hashed version?
If there is one thing that almost anyone will need to do sometime in their life with any operating system is upload a file. Whether it be an funny picture they want to show a friend, or a draft of a report they want to have someone proofread. On Mac OS X, there are two small programs out there that make this task very simple. They are CloudApp and Droplr. Both are menubar apps, and both are for the same thing: uploading files to the web. Like any other piece of software, these programs have their strengths and weaknesses, all (or most) of which I will cover in this post.
This is the eighth episode of the Ask Different Podcast, a podcast about Apple and related technologies created by members of the Ask Different community.
We begin by bringing you some podcast news: We have created an ad for the podcast (Lion-themed!) and posted it in the Community Promotions Ads meta post. In order for the ad to show up on the Ask Different homepage, we need you to vote for it! If you like the show, please take a look at the meta post and give our ad an upvote.
The Stack Exchange Shop is now open. You can buy hoodies, shirts, beer steins, and more bearing the Stack Exchange, Stack Overflow, Super User, and Server Fault logos. We hope to see some Ask Different merchandise soon.
Also in Stack Exchange news: A new button! Not one that you can buy; one that you can click. All Stack Exchange sites now have, right along with Facebook and Twitter buttons, a button to share a question to your LinkedIn stream.
Continuing on the subject of social network integration, we discuss the sinister side of Facebook's sharing buttons. This leads us to compare other tracking services, like Google Analytics, to Facebook's. and to an overall comparison of Facebook's and Google's security track records. And for those who don't like being tracked across the Web, we recommend Ghostery, a free browser extension to notify you of such tracking, and optionally block it. Disconnect is another option for Chrome users.
We discuss the increasing importance of a having a good password on your Apple account. As Apple begins tying more and more to this account, especially with the introduction of iCloud, it is more important than ever to have a secure password on your Apple account. We then discuss the limitations of entering strong passwords on mobile devices, and things Apple could do to make it easier to be more secure.
Moving back to Facebook, we discuss the recently-discovered Project Spartan. With it, Facebook will be attempting to challenge Apple's App Store with their own. Except that the Facebook app and its apps are used in Safari on your iOS device. Can Facebook's HTML5 app store and apps take down Apple's App Store?
Google offers a service called Google Sync that provides push GMail, calendar, and contacts synchronization for mobile devices through the Exchange protocol. The service has been recently updated with support for searching mail on the server, accepting/declining calendar events, and sending mail from multiple addresses.
We share the surprise news that Apple is now selling unlocked iPhone 4 handsets. We discuss the target market that would pay the high price, and whether future unlocked iPhones might offer the ability to switch between AT&T and Verizon.
Kyle lays out his gadget history, and tells the story of his experience with a string of fragile iPhone 4's. Jason and Nathan chime in with their own experiences about Apple hardware (including previous-gen iPhones), and we compare other brands' durability to Apple's.
Our question of the week is Why do I have to drag my new apps into the Applications folder?, asked by Drew on June 4th. We talk about the way Mac OS X handles applications as a single package, and how this approach is better than the approaches Windows and Linux take, especially for non-administrative users. We also touch on whether a non-administrator can install apps from the Mac App Store.
Our app of the week is Divvy, Jason's and Nathan's favorite window manager. We talk about what Divvy and similar apps are useful for, and discuss Mac OS X's built-in window management capabilities. Divvy is available on the Mac App Store.
This episode was recorded on Sunday, June 19th. You can subscribe to this podcast via RSS or iTunes. If you have any feedback or questions you'd like for us to answer on air, leave a comment on this post or e-mail us at podcast@askdifferent.net.
QoTW: How should I choose Hardware?
Anyone active on Super User has encountered the infamous shopping requests before, and you can't really blame them for trying: They don't know what they need, and here's a website about computers where people understand all the latest gadgetry, standards, and most importantly, the endless acronyms.
But we're missing the most crucial part: We don't understand their needs.
After spending an hour or two working with several others in the Super User chatroom to help a user make heads or tails of how to translate his needs into hardware, it became clear that for all the questions about how to understand and judge performance vs. needs for individual components of a computer, they were extremely spread out over the site, which made them as a whole hard to find, especially if you didn't know what you were looking for.
How do I find out if a given graphics card is powerful enough for a certain game or application?
What "gotchas" do I need to be on the lookout for?
All of this information should still apply regardless of whether you are buying a pre-configured system or building your own from scratch. Configuring a system online at a retailer such as Dell, Apple, or HP still has a pretty wide range of systems and configurations, so making heads or tails of the options provided there is still necessary – you're trading wide selection for the comfort of knowing that all the parts should work well together and letting someone else assemble and configure it.
QoTW: How does a Computer restart itself?
This may be a really stupid question, but how can a computer restart itself? After it's off, how does it tell itself to come back on again? What kind of software is it that can do this?
Battle of the Package Managers!
In order to update the software, you had to download the source for every program that was out of date, and then compile and install it again.
Package managers were created to solve these problems. With them, you can run a command to install, uninstall, search for, or update packages. Many Linux and UNIX-like operating systems have package managers built in. For instance, Ubuntu has aptitude and FreeBSD has the ports system. Mac OS X, however, does not have any built in package manager. This lack of a built in package manager has prompted people to create their own. There are two popular package mangers for OS X, Homebrew and MacPorts, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. In this post, I will put each of those package mangers to the test, and let you decide which you think is better.


text:
package org.kaaproject.kaa.server.transports.http.transport.commands;

import io.netty.handler.codec.http.HttpRequest;
import io.netty.handler.codec.http.HttpResponse;

import org.kaaproject.kaa.common.endpoint.CommonEPConstans;
import org.kaaproject.kaa.server.common.server.KaaCommandProcessor;
import org.kaaproject.kaa.server.common.server.KaaCommandProcessorFactory;

/*
 * Copyright 2014 CyberVision, Inc.
 *
 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 * You may obtain a copy of the License at
 *
 *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 * limitations under the License.
 */
public class SyncCommandFactory implements KaaCommandProcessorFactory<HttpRequest, HttpResponse>{

    @Override
    public String getCommandName() {
        return CommonEPConstans.SYNC_COMMAND;
    }

    @Override
    public KaaCommandProcessor<HttpRequest, HttpResponse> createCommandProcessor() {
        return setupCommand(new SyncCommand());
    }

    protected SyncCommand setupCommand(SyncCommand command) {
        return command;
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


What's a truly great armchair without an ottoman? For the ultimate in lounging luxury, you'll find our collection of Outdoor Ottomans fits the bill. We've curated a range of styles and designs to fit any outdoor decor. While the Gios Ottoman lends itself to a no-nonsense aesthetic, the Ashbury Round Ottoman is all about decorative elegance. You'll find many customization options in finish, color and fabrics to fit your needs. Many of our outdoor ottomans are created to pair with our outdoor armchair designs. Put your feet up in style with any of our fine outdoor ottomans.


2017-06-07 13:46:13 0 [Warning] Using unique option prefix key_buffer instead of key_buffer_size is deprecated and will be removed in a future release. Please use the full name instead.
2017-06-07 13:46:13 0 [Warning] TIMESTAMP with implicit DEFAULT value is deprecated. Please use --explicit_defaults_for_timestamp server option (see documentation for more details).
2017-06-07 13:46:13 26920 [Note] Plugin 'FEDERATED' is disabled.
2017-06-07 13:46:13 26920 [ERROR] InnoDB: Could not open or create the system tablespace. If you tried to add new data files to the system tablespace, and it failed here, you should now edit innodb_data_file_path in my.cnf back to what it was, and remove the new ibdata files InnoDB created in this failed attempt. InnoDB only wrote those files full of zeros, but did not yet use them in any way. But be careful: do not remove old data files which contain your precious data!
2017-06-07 13:46:13 26920 [ERROR] Plugin 'InnoDB' init function returned error.
2017-06-07 13:46:13 26920 [ERROR] Plugin 'InnoDB' registration as a STORAGE ENGINE failed.


When it comes to saving, there's no such thing as "too early" or "too late". As long as you get that opportunity to save, take advantage of it. If you're fortunate enough to receive a tax refund this year, put your refund check into your savings account. This will not just allow you to cover your living expenses in case of emergencies, such as when you don't have a gig or you accidentally get injured while performing, but it will also help you to keep some money for future use, such as for your children's tuition fees or for your home's improvement.
If you have high-interest credit card debts or loans, consider using your tax refund to pay them off. Remember that most debts and loans accumulate interest charges if not on a daily, at least on a monthly basis. And if you don't pay them right away, that amount can build up, which result in you owing more than you can afford to pay. Depending on the rate of interest of your loan, you can save anywhere from 10-30 percent a year in interest if you pay your debt without delay. So if you receive a tax refund, one of the best ways to use it is to pay off any debt.
When you have extra cash, it can really be tempting to buy something expensive, such as a flat-screen television or a high-end Smartphone. But before you think about purchasing such gadget, assess first if there are much more important things to spend your money on. Since you're a musician, you may want to consider first buying a new guitar rather than a television; or a new drum set rather than a Smartphone. That new instrument can be used to improve your skill and win more gigs.
If you're like most musicians, you probably don't have a regular paycheck coming in, so saving is really a must. If you already have a retirement saving plan, consider adding your tax refund into it to strengthen your financial position. If you don't have yet retirement savings, consider opening an account and start investing.


text:
Q: how to send multiple parameters using MultipartUploadRequest I'm trying to send multiple parameters using MultipartUploadRequest (upload service) to PHP and store them in a database. Here's the MultipartUploadRequest usage:
new MultipartUploadRequest(this, uploadId, Constants.UPLOAD_URL)
                .addFileToUpload(path, "image") //Adding file
                .addParameter("name", name) //Adding text parameters to the request
                .addParameter("bossname", bossname)
                .addParameter("field", field)

How should I get these parameters in PHP? This is the PHP part that does not work:
if($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD']=='POST'){

    //checking the required parameters from the request
    if(isset($_POST['name']) and isset($_FILES['image']['name'])){

        //connecting to the database
        $con = mysqli_connect(HOST,USER,PASS,DB) or die('Unable to Connect...');

        //getting name from the request
        $name = $_POST['name'];
        $bossname = $_POST['bossname'];
        $field= $_POST['field'];

When I send only name, there is no problem—I have the image in server and name and url in my database.
But when I send more parameters like bossname or field, I get the image in my server but nothing is in the database.

A: thanks everybody I find my problem ,I had to write isset for every post
if(isset($_POST['name']) and isset($_FILES['image']['name'] and isset($_POST['bossname']) and isset($_POST['field']))...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The USB interface: Just plug it into the ARCHOS 101 Neon micro USB port, then connect the USB cable.
Use the Micro SD, SD card reader: import photos directly from your camera's SD card. Connect it to your ARCHOS 101 Neon, then insert your digital camera's SD card into the slot.


In an environment where asset markets lack the depth of opportunity, opinion has become shrill, sustainable advances more elusive, investment potholes ever deeper.
Currency attribution has begun to loom large in portfolios. This can be perceived in a number of guises: dollar strength, euro weakness, EM weakness, yen stability. Like beans on a drum, there is so much activity that it is not easy to discern the prime mover. In this regard we think it is the proximate change (euro rates falling) rather than the prospective change (US short term rates rising) that is acting as prime mover. Viewed this way round, the landscape is more defined – for the time being – by euro weakness than dollar strength.
If so, this can been cited as a convenient reason why dollar strength has not yet tipped EMs into crisis. Bond values are down but they are down on account of changing currency rates, not yet amplified by rising rates. Looking through the range of large EM debt funds, mid month returns were beginning to stretch down to double digit losses. They have since recovered to much more modest drawdowns.
Does Fed Governor Janet Yellen peruse the listings of EM debt managers as a matter of course? We think not, but the very hint of a reference to the value of the dollar has been enough to draw air from the dollar rally.
It is tempting to see global asset allocations through the filter of the dollar. There is something in it for most committed participants, not least those that argue that dollar strength leads to EM recession, consequently leading to global recession. The gloomy ones add a marinade of deflation to that dish and conjure up the asset crunch that QE was meant to avert.
Some of these moves look frenetic. In the world of macro investors, currency divergence has acted like a deep draft of water to a thirsty band of nomads. Their commitment to the dollar is avaricious. So much so that we speculate that every macro hedge and every quant fund in the world has flocked to this water hole.
The question therefore becomes more behavioural than anything else. It is never comfortable to invest in such an imbalanced market, prone to reversals. Quant fund interest is pendant on further rises in the value of the dollar and is based on what is termed single factor modelling, the factor in question being price. They are, metaphorically, "Mexican policemen" – a reference to exigent enquiry and speed to the draw.
The proximate reason for the hiatus in the dollar's rise was a release of updated, tempered forecasts on growth and inflation from the Federal Reserve. This information was freighted via an updated dot plot chart. Plotting dots sounds like a plausible activity for a morning's play at a Montessori school.
Whilst we can rue the fact that investment markets remain in the thrall of entirely mortal and human forecasters who have no special claim on data, we must accept it. It is a matter of regret that wise counsellors such as James B. Bullard of the St. Louis Fed, who urges his employer to get on with normalisation, represents the minority view.
What makes this observation threatening to wealth is the pedestrian but unavoidable fact that financial assets are quite expensive. Berkshire Hathaway is 50 years old and this birthday caused a further torrent of hagiography to spill forth. Whilst the Sage is held up to be a value investor par excellence, his current actions have deviated a long way from Benjamin Graham's guiding light. Heinz plus Kraft is a neat bit of corp fin for sure, but it isn't value as we know it, captain.
To conclude, the challenge, as we see it, is not to guess the future actions of the authorities but to invest sensibly in a world where opportunity is clearly lessened. This, for our investors, means a flexible commitment to equity markets, a portion allocated to strategies that prosper when all else is being beaten up, a primarily defensive position on currencies and a healthy dose of cash.


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Roseville Big Band
Song List for the Carleton College
2014 Mid-Winter Ball, February 8, 2014
in the Great Hall in Severance Hall on campus
Led by Glen Newton
WCS=West Coast Swing; ECS=East Coast Swing; SFT=Slow Fox Trot.
Songs in red are available on the Roseville Big Band Concert in the Park (+8) CD and cassette tape.
Pictures from the dance: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.666773570035301.1073741836.367344843311510
Set 1: 9:23-10:30 (We were scheduled to start at 9:30 but started early since we were ready.) Set 2: 10:45-11:45 Set 3: 12:03-1:00 (Sunship asked if we could give them time to do one more song during the break.)
Let it Snow (ECS)
Something's Gotta Give (ECS)
String of Pearls (ECS)
All of Me (ECS)
Blue Skirt Waltz
Don't Get Around Much Anymore (Keith vocal) (WCS)
Beer Barrel Polka
I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm (WCS)
Sleigh Ride - LaBarbera arr. (ECS)
When You Wish Upon a Star (SFT)
Woodchopper's Ball (ECS)
Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive (ECS)
Dance to the Big Band Swing (ECS)
Glory of Love (WCS)
Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland (WCS) (moved from set 2)
I Get a Kick Out of You (Wolpe arr. - female vocal) (ECS)
Satin Doll (ECS)
Latin Fantasy (beguine & samba w. guest percussionists)
'S Wonderful (ECS)
Willow Weep for Me (Keith vocal) (SFT)
Waltz for Debbie
You've Got a Friend in Me (WCS)
Bei Mir Bist du Schoen [in C Minor] (WCS)
In the Mood - Tyzik arr. (ECS)
Skylark (SFT)
(It Seems to Me I've) Heard that Song Before (WCS)
Teach Me Tonight (WCS)
Pennsylvania 6-5000 - in Book I (WCS)
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter (ECS)
Sleepy Time Gal (WCS)
You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You (ECS)
Easy to Love (ECS)
In a Mellow Tone (WCS)
Moon River (waltz)
Cha Cha Cha for Judy (w. guest percussionists)
Liechtensteiner Polka
Lady is a Tramp (ECS)
Blue Skies (ECS)
Longer (SFT)
In the Mood (from the book) (added because we needed an extra song)
Show Me the Way to Go Home (WCS)
Roseville Big Band performers for this dance (left to right):
Saxes: Glen Peterson (tenor), Bill Frank (alto and flute), Kay Foster (alto and soprano), Dan Desmonds (tenor), and Bill Pearson (baritone)
Trumpets/Flugelhorns: Dave Kalinoff, Mark Syman, Mark Lee, and Bob Nielsen
Trombones: Rich Eyman, Keith Miner, George Henly, and Tom Huelsmann (bass)
Rhythm: Ann Booth (piano), Jason Swalley (guitar), Mike Wobig (bass), Dave Tuenge (drums), Glen Newton (vibraphone), and Karen Dunn (Latin percussion)
Salsa del Soul played below us, and we could hear the thump of the bass coming through the heating system and the floor. Student DJs performed in the Great Space. SUNSHiP, a Carleton student R&B/soul/jazz combo, played in the Great Hall during the band's breaks.
Songs to have ready in case they are requested:
Of course, all the songs in our book are available on request, but the ones below are categorized for those dancers who want a style but don't know specific titles.
Beguines/Rhumbas: Bossa Novas: Cha-Chas: Mambos:
Days of Wine and Roses (beguine)
Frenesi (Latin/Swing)
Latin Fantasy (Beguine and Samba)
Moon Over Naples
Perfidia (Latin/Swing)
Tonight (it could be played as a rhumba, too)
For All We Know
Girl from Impanema
I'll Never Smile Again/Dream
Moonlight in Vermont
Summer Samba (yes, it's a bossa nova)
Watch What Happens
Cha Cha Cha for Judy
Hot Cha Cha Cha
Kiss of Fire Cha Cha
Mambo Jambo
Mambo #5
El Sol Tambien se Pone
Sambas: Tangos: Meringues: Other Latin:
Caravan (arr. by Sweeney)
Temprana es la Noche
Blue Tango
Kiss of Fire Tango
Funky Cha Cha (Latin Funk)
La Bamba (Latin Rock)
My Funny Valentine (Latin/Swing)
Sanduga
Tequila (Latin Rock)
Other Latin:
Carnival Del Soul (Latin Funk)
Days of Wine and Roses
Don't Know Why
Waltzes: Polkas: Slow Fox Trot: Medium Fox Trot:
Fascination (missing which tenor part?)
(The) Last Waltz
Let Me Call You Sweetheart
Love Makes the World Go 'Round
Melody of Love (Do we have the bass part?)
(A) Rose is a Rose
Three Times a Lady
Julida Polka
Polka Medley
Prom Polka
Ghost of a Chance
Nearness of You (The)
When I Fall in Love
I Won't Last a Day Without You
Stranger in Paradise
West Coast Swing: West Coast Swing: East Coast Swing: East Coast Swing:
Birth of the Blues
Don't Get Around Much Anymore
Glory of Love
Hard-Hearted Hannah
Harlem Nocturne
I Can't Give You Anything But Love
I Can't Stop Loving You
Pennsylvania 6-5000
Satin Doll
Show Me the Way to Go Home
Sunny Side of the Street
Tuxedo Junction (W. Johnson, arr.)
Wrong, Wrong Side of the Street (to the tune of "Sunny Side of the Street")
You're the Boss
Your Cheatin' Heart
As Long As I'm Singing
Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen
Big Noise from Winnetka
Chattanooga Choo Choo
Dance to the Big Band Swing
Fascinating Rhythm
Flip, Flop, and Fly
Jump, Jive, and Wail
Lady is a Tramp
Little Brown Jug
Midnight in Moscow
On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe
One O'Clock Jump
Opus One
(It's Only a) Paper Moon
Pick Yourself Up
Rock Around the Clock
Sleigh Ride (arr. LaBarbara)
Sing, Sing, Sing
Somebody Loves Me
String of Pearls
Switch in Time
Woodchopper's Ball
You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You
Rock:
She Works Hard for the Money

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Following the re-release of their debut album The Day's War, summer spots at several festivals including the main stage at Reading and Leeds, and several months in the studio, Cambridge rockers Lonely The Brave returned to Southampton gig spot Talking Heads midway through their November tour.
They returned to a larger crowd than their last appearance a year ago, yet their recent experience hasn't changed the way they perform, which you might see as a good thing.
Lead singer David Jakes has a really powerful voice, with a true depth to his tone, and he never gets showy on any of the songs, preferring to the stick to his natural octaves.
But while the other four members of the band played their instruments facing the crowd, all of them demonstrating their skill and their joy at being onstage, Jakes faced into the stage, often shuffling further toward the back.
It makes him a fascinating performer to watch given how little performance he's indulging in, and given the seemingly more traditional rock and roll presence of his bandmates, he feels distinct. The one point at which he turned more towards his rather sizeable audience was during the closing song 'The Blue, The Green', a great track that gradually built the energy and emotion.
Jakes' shunning of the spotlight put the impetus on his bandmates to pick up the slack, and whilst they're all great in their distinct parts, with guitarist Ross Smithwick doing great back-up vocals, it's Mark Trotter, also guitar and vocals, who stood out on stage, and off, as during encore track 'Black Saucers' he dropped into the crowd, lost in them as he thrashed out on the strings. He and Jake were right next to each other on stage but their approaches and presence couldn't have been further apart, making them equally fascinating to watch.
The band moved through their setlist in an entirely straight forward fashion, and despite some technical difficulties in the first half they were upfront and completely down-to-earth, as if they've been in a relationship with the Southampton crowd for years, not minutes.
They got their most well known songs like 'Backroads' out of the way early on, giving their new songs room to breathe and impress.
One unnamed track has an absolutely captivating riff on lead guitar that goes throughout, whilst 'Dust & Bones' could be a future album's highlight.
Neither the new songs or their show overall were radical departures, but when their first album is as good as it is, and they have the passionate fanbase they do, they don't need to be.


I thought it would be helpful to put together a toolbox for you to reference as you set-up and grow your online business. These are the tools I have used in my business in one way or another and have benefited from. Having the right tools saves time, money and can increase sales.
I recommend bookmarking this page so you can refer back to it as I will continue to add to it as I try out new tools and resources. I hope this helps!
Goalscape is a great tool that can either be used online as a web application (Goalscape Connect) or installed directly onto your PC or Mac (Goalscape). It is a visual way to split down a goal (or project, stage, work package) into sub-goals. You can then modify the importance of those sub-goals, priority, resource, dates and overall contribution to the parent goal. You then track progress and all the progress across all the sub-goals is then rolled up so you can see progress against the overall project.
I use it for project planning, website designing, planning my gardening – EVERYTHING!
Take a look here to download a free trial.
If you use mind mapping to help get your ideas out of your head, onto paper, and then relate them to each other, brain storm and basically get your ideas clear, you'll love MindMeister. It is both a web application (so you can use it directly in your web browser from any machine) and a mobile app. I like the ease of use and the quality of mindmaps produced, along with the options for exporting them into other software.
Like with Goalscape, I use MindMeister daily for just about everything. I have a lot of ideas in my head, and this really helps organise them.
Take a look here to use it for free.
To see what Google thinks of how mobile phone / tablet friendly your website is simply follow this link and input the address of your website.
Google has now officially announced that it will penalise websites, as far as returning it in search results, if it is NOT mobile responsive. So it is important to know where you stand and understand the potential impact on your website visitors.
Web Design Directory – A list of website designers in Merseyside.
Web Designers – Directory of UK website designers.


Home staging, a good real estate agent and social media are both recommended as sell my home fast marketing ideas.
National housing statistics show that the average time homes have spent on the market is close to 100 days. If you can't wait three months to sell your home, you may need professional 'sell my home fast' marketing ideas.
Before you start marketing though, you need to get your home in top shape. You can get great tips on curb appeal and improving your home's value from a real estate agent who specializes in listing properties for quick sale. If you are not working with an agent, a home stager can also provide ways to get your home and property looking its finest.
Most experts will tell you enhancing your home's curb appeal is a top marketing idea. You can draw buyers to your residence by presenting it as move-in ready, rather than a real estate project.
Taking the time to ensure your exterior is well maintained will increase the likelihood of a fast purchase because you'll draw more buyers to the property. Spending time on the exterior of your home while ignoring the interior is a wasted effort. Inside, your home needs to be inviting, clutter-free and clean. Additionally, you should repair little things that could give the buyer a poor first impression. Something as simple as a broken door handle could make picky homebuyers wary about the rest of your house.
It's okay for your home to appear lived in, as long as it is clutter free. Remove items stacked on cabinets and tables, clear out corners, organize closets and keep your dishes washed. Remember, homebuyers who are viewing your home will be looking in every cabinet and closet, so you won't have the luxury of a junk room. Plus, you buyers often show up on very short notice. Additionally, try to remove as many personal items as possible so the potential buyer can easily imagine his or her belongings in the home.
This guide will help you determine your home's value and find comparable home listings, which may give you more ideas for showcasing your property and the features that make it stand out.
Preparing your home for showing only helps land a sale if you have people coming to look. Even if you have a real estate agent, you need to complement the agent's marketing plan with your own. Experts recommend using social media and word-of-mouth advertising as good 'sell my home fast' marketing ideas.
Tell your Google+ circles, Facebook friends and Twitter followers that you are selling your home. Include photos or create a video of your family showing off the best side of your home, yard and neighborhood and post it to YouTube. You can link this video to any listing in order to provide a personal touch. This strategy is used by agents who sell multi-million dollar homes in Hawaii.
Consider hanging colorful flyers in neighborhood coffee shops, grocery stores and library boards - anywhere that people tend to check ad boards for local services. Often, real estate agents put flyers in a box on your sale sign, but after a week the box sits empty. Make it your responsibility to keep flyers in the box, unless you don't live in the home anymore.
The number of homes for sale in any area can make it difficult for buyers to find your listing. Make sure any listing you or your realtor create stands out. Include plenty of pictures and accurate, compelling information. To talk with real estate agents about marketing ideas for quick sales, go to RealtyNow for listing agents in your area.


Explore our home water solutions and discover all the benefits of better water, like shinier silverware on your table and whiter whites in your laundry.
With a Culligan Water Filtration System, your people can enjoy clear, odour-free water everywhere from the kitchen sink to the bathtub to the garden hose spigot.
When your water is nearly particle-free, there's nothing else to taste except delicious water. Everything else made with water tastes better too, like pasta, rice and piping hot coffee.
Schedule a FREE in-home water test and we can tell you within 10 minutes. We'll discuss all options, including custom solutions for your toughest water problems.


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Grounded in the school's mission to prepare students for a life of meaningful contribution, the St. George's Institute for Citizenship offers dynamic academic lessons and real-world learning opportunities to juniors and seniors who are selected to participate in this prestigious program. Through supplemental coursework and off-campus experiences, students grapple with what it means to be an engaged citizen both now and in the future, focusing on the regional, national, global, and environmental interplay.
Launched in 2010 and made possible, in part, by a $50,000 grant from the E.E. Ford Foundation, the Institute for Citizenship spurs students to consider and address some of the most challenging questions facing our local, national and global communities. The Institute is led by a director who oversees the program and teaches the classes. Students who are selected participate in an intensive, two-year long course covering civic engagement, current events, and entrepreneurship. Students in the Institute set the vision for the year, committing to an area of service and determining what global issues and current events to follow closely.
The Institute's sponsor then arranges opportunities for students to tangibly interact with the issues at hand, including service and educational trips to our nation's largest cities, Skype conversations with students around the globe, and discussions with global business leaders. Through the Institute, our students are challenged to connect with the world around them in a way that is not always easy but is essential. These students then sponsor conversations with our school community at large, prompting each St. George's student to consider the world and life beyond our walls.
A practicum of work, internship, or service in the summer between the junior and senior year is strongly recommended, and students in the program are asked to focus their Senior Independent Study project, a graduation requirement at St. George's, on some aspect of regional, national, global, or environmental citizenship.


text:
Support Stand Up!
Episode for February 23, 2021
296 Climate Scientist Dr Michael Mann and Talk Radio expert and scholar Dr Brian Rosenwald
Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. I have one sponsor which is an awesome nonprofit GiveWell.org/StandUp
Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 820 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous souls
33:00 Dr Michael Mann is Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science at Penn State, with joint appointments in the Department of Geosciences and the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute He is also director of the Penn State Earth System Science Center
Dr. Mann received his undergraduate degrees in Physics and Applied Math from the University of California at Berkeley, an M.S. degree in Physics from Yale University, and a Ph.D. in Geology & Geophysics from Yale University. His research involves the use of theoretical models and observational data to better understand Earth's climate system.
Dr. Mann is author of more than 200 peer-reviewed and edited publications, numerous op-eds and commentaries, and five books including Dire Predictions: Understanding Climate Change, The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars: Dispatches from the Front Lines, The Madhouse Effect: How Climate Change Denial is Threatening our Planet, Destroying Our Politics, and Driving Us Crazy and The Tantrum that Saved the World. We spoke about his new book The New Climate War: The Fight to Take Back Our Planet.
Dr BRIAN ROSENWALD is the author of Talk Radio's America: How an Industry Took Over a Political Party That Took Over the United States, editor of the Washington Post blog Made by History, and scholar-in-residence at the University of Pennsylvania.
From Brian's Website :
I am a scholar in residence at the Partnership for Effective Public Administration and Leadership Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania, an instructor at Penn, and author of Talk Radio's America: How an Industry Took Over a Political Party That Took Over the United States. I serve as the Editor-In-Chief of Made By History, a Washington Post history section, and as a political analyst for NBC10 Philadelphia. Previously, I did the research for the Slate podcast Whistlestop.
I work at the intersection of 4 disciplines— history, political science, media studies, and communications. My scholarly interests include Congress, the media, public policy, and the Supreme Court. I also have significant interests in the substance of public policy and in helping scholars to reach a wider audience with their work. I am a passionate and devoted teacher with substantial teaching experience across multiple disciplines. I love to experiment in the classroom with innovative methods and course elements.
Please consider a paid subscription to this daily podcast. Everyday I will interview expert guests,usually 2 or more on a wide range of issues. I will continue to be transparent about my life, issues and vulnerabilities in hopes we can relate, connect and grow together. If you want to add something to the show email me StandUpwithPete@gmail.com Join the Stand Up Community
Stand Up is also brought to you this month by GiveWell.org
GiveWell is a nonprofit dedicated to finding outstanding giving opportunities and publishing the full details of our analysis to help donors decide where to give.
GiveWell.org/Standup
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Copyright © 2020-2023 Pete Dominick | Branding and Website by Halo Media


Ray Quinney & Nebeker hires qualified lateral attorneys to work in specific departments or practice areas within the firm. To apply for a lateral attorney position, please submit your resume, law school transcript and cover letter via U.S. mail, fax or email (kblackburn@rqn.com) to Kimberly A. Blackburn, Recruiting & Professional Development Manager.
Paralegal and Staff candidates should apply via U.S. mail, fax or email (kjolles@rqn.com) to Katie Jolles, Human Resources & Benefits Manager.


Has your site ever experienced a drop in Google rankings, and you had no idea why?
Search engine marketing consultant, Dr. Marie Haynes specializes in Google algorithm updates and Google's recently released, Quality Rater's Guidelines. She's been featured on the Moz blog, she writes on Search Engine Watch, and this week she shares her industry expertise on the Sure Oak Podcast.
For anyone who's worried about the impact of Google algorithm changes or who has experienced a drop, Marie offers insight into Google's 160-page Quality Guidelines, the three most important factors, how to future-proof your site and more.
Google has clear guidelines for website quality. And only in the last couple of years has the public had access to the 160-page book.
Google provides these guidelines to contractors who rate websites for their quality. There are an estimated 10,000 contractors who complete a careful review of websites through an interface.
Many people confuse the role of these raters, thinking that the rater's assessment impacts website ranking directly. However, these ratings actually feed into Google's algorithm and machine learning. The raters improve the algorithm's ability to identify quality in websites and rank them appropriately.
So, what does Google consider to be high quality?
"We've noticed a lot of attention being paid to is EAT," explains Marie.
EAT stands for Experience, Authoritativeness and Trust. Sites with these qualities rank higher. Marie noticed Google's implementation of EAT in February 2017.
While important for all sites, it's especially important in "your money or your life" sites where people seek information for a financial or medical decision.
a financial advisor who's been practicing what they're writing about for years.
Google will put more emphasis on the site from the financial expert.
If you are not the expert in your industry, you should bring one (or more!) on-board.
The client engaged with physicians to review their articles to increase their site EAT. Sure enough, their site ranking increased again.
Every day, Google's algorithm has 3 or 4 updates.
There are no longer specific updates from Google, but every once in a while there is a major shift.
The core quality changes are changing the way Google assesses quality on your website. Though not specified, EAT is a significant feature.
Marie highlights that link updates have really changed. Previously, unnatural links pointing to your site could penalize your site. Now, Google simply ignores these links.
In the past, SEOs could take a mediocre website with the right links and with tweaked on-page features, they could probably make it rank pretty well.
Marie has a clear warning: "These new algorithms, in my opinion, are making it so that the fake stuff doesn't rank well anymore" It's harder and harder to get around Google's algorithm.
To be successful, Marie states, "It all comes down to absolutely creating the best website." Content that will help your customers in real life should inform your SEO content strategy.
EAT: Use experience, be authentic, and build trust. Google's algorithm is searching for these qualities.
Focus more on producing a high-quality website than trying to find quick algorithm wins.
Major Google algorithm updates cover either core quality or links.
Show Google that you or your staff are experts. On-site staff info and off-site reputation help prove EAT.
If you've had a Google drop, ask someone external to compare your site and your competitor's who is ranking higher.
Don't put too much emphasis on disavowing unnatural links. Google's algorithm is likely ignoring them anyway.


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British Ambassador to France: Early signs of brighter days
Every month the British Ambassador to France, Ed Llewellyn, shares an insight into his role. Here, read his column for March 2021
By Ed Llewellyn
In last month's column, I included some photos I took of Paris in the snow, and I hope you will indulge me another I took of the city, once again in a cold snap.
The days are growing longer, if not necessarily warmer, reminding us that it has been almost a year since our lives in France, the UK, and around the world were changed by the pandemic.
To help prevent the spread of new variants of the Covid virus, both the UK and France have introduced new restrictions and are keeping measures under constant review. To keep up to date with the latest travel advice, visit Foreign Travel Advice for France.
Due to the duration of the pandemic, we have now celebrated almost every holiday in the calendar in a novel way, usually online.
Most recently, the Embassy ran a virtual Burns Night. Although I missed the chance to host a dinner and ceilidh in person, I was still able to don my kilt in honour of the Scottish side of my family.
I enjoyed hearing Scottish musicians play and my colleagues recite the odes to the haggis and more. Please enjoy the clips on our social media channels.
I am looking forward to beginning March with my colleagues from the Welsh government and celebrating St David's Day. This may include a short lesson in how to pronounce my surname properly!
March will also mark International Women's Day on the 8th. We will host a webinar exploring the links between gender equality and protecting the environment. Anne-Marie Trevelyan, International Champion for COP26, will open the discussion and invite a range of other influential women, both British and French, to share their perspectives. We welcome you to register and join in, through updates on our social media.
The Prime Minister will be hosting an important virtual meeting of his fellow G7 leaders in February.
This will be part of a sequence of meetings in the run-up to the annual G7 summit in June, which the UK will be hosting in Cornwall.
In this initial meeting, which will also be President Biden's first major multilateral engagement, the Prime Minister will lead a discussion on how the world can build back better from coronavirus.
I was delighted to hear 100,000 British citizens have already applied for a residency permit under the Withdrawal Agreement in France. On the other side of the Channel, more than five million EU citizens have applied for Settled Status in the UK. I would encourage anyone who is eligible and has not yet done so to start the process as soon as possible.
I know there have been some delays in the processing of applications, but reinforced prefectures continue to work as fast as they can.
I would like to conclude with another photo, of the first flowers poking their heads above ground in the Residence garden: a reminder of brighter times ahead, and the importance of finding colour in these sometimes gloomy days.
Brexit updates for Britons in France in March 2021
British Ambassador to France: Covid and climate high hopes
Ed Llewellyn
citizenship / nationality / nation
Underpaid, undervalued, overworked: French judges are at crisis point
It can pay (a lot) to have twins in France
Simon Heffer: Zemmour would be no threat if Macron makes second round


In an age of information overload especially in the digital media, how can government agencies, private companies and even ordinary individuals protect data privacy and personal information?
The biggest case yet that landed on the lap of NPC, which was constituted only last year, was the so-called "Comeleak," or the notorious 2016 hacking of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) website, which leaked 55 million distinct and sensitive voter information.
"The sheer magnitude of the data involved really put us in a tester. By sheer volume alone, this practically involves everyone, not only Filipinos here but also abroad. This is the biggest breach of sensitive personal data on a database held by a government body," Liboro told INQUIRER.net in an interview. The NPC ruled that Comelec Chair Andres Bautista committed gross negligence under the data privacy act and presented evidence to aid in his criminal prosecution.
Personal informational controllers and processors are required to appoint or designate a data protection officer or compliance officer, who will be accountable for compliance with applicable rules and regulations, relating to data protection and privacy.
"You've got to realize the nature of the processes that you do, the attendant risks, and the threats. Identify vulnerabilities so we can institute proper organizational and technical security measures," Liboro said.
The program or security manual serves to align everyone in the organization in the same direction to facilitate compliance with the data privacy act and to mitigate the impact of a data breach.
The measures laid out in your privacy and data protection policies should not remain theoretical. They should be continuously assessed, reviewed and revised as necessary, while training must be regularly conducted.
Upon the discovery of personal data breach or reasonable suspicion thereof, it is important to conduct an initial assessment of the breach, to mitigate its impact and to notify both the affected data subjects and the NPC within 72 hours of discovery.
Liboro said the NPC is anticipating cybercrimes and cases of such nature to escalate especially amid technological innovation but noted that matters of data privacy protection and preparedness should not be left in the hands of IT experts and geeks alone.
"It's general awareness that data is valuable and it must be secured. These are very practical recommendations na hindi naman kailangang gastusan ng milyun-milyon (which won't cost millions). You can actually jumpstart your privacy program with these simple steps," he said.
"We as a citizenry must develop this culture of privacy and security which we can incorporate into our daily lives. Sometimes, measures which we call data hygiene could actually lower or mitigate this risk—from as simple as developing a strong password, using a two-factor authentication, and getting to know all these modus, etcetera," he added.


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NY Times CEO, Publisher Team Up to Criticize Trump
by Don Irvine on June 25, 2019
After President Donald Trump accused the New York Times of a "virtual act of treason" for publishing a story revealing that the U.S. was stepping up cyber attacks against Russia's power grid, CEO Mark Thompson and Publisher Arthur Sulzberger fired back at the president, calling his remarks "dangerous."
Trump used his favorite medium Twitter to attack the Times.
Do you believe that the Failing New York Times just did a story stating that the United States is substantially increasing Cyber Attacks on Russia. This is a virtual act of Treason by a once great paper so desperate for a story, any story, even if bad for our Country…..
Thompson commented on the president's remarks at the CNBC Evolve forum Wednesday in New York.
"The president is entirely entitled to not like everything he reads in The New York Times, I get that," said Thompson, who has been president and CEO of The New York Times Company since 2012. "He has every right to say he doesn't like the way we cover him or cover anything else. So this is not saying we shouldn't be criticized."
"But actually isolating journalists, as a group, not just the Times, but the whole industry, is a really frankly hostile, stupid but also dangerous thing to do," Thompson said.
Thompson's boss–Publisher Arthur Sulzberger echoed his statements in an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday.
First it was "the failing New York Times." Then "fake news." Then "enemy of the people." President Trump's escalating attacks on the New York Times have paralleled his broader barrage on American media. He's gone from misrepresenting our business, to assaulting our integrity, to demonizing our journalists with a phrase that's been used by generations of demagogues.
Now the president has escalated his attacks even further, accusing the Times of a crime so grave it is punishable by death.
Sulzberger went on to say that "this new attack crosses a dangerous line in the president's campaign against a free and independent press," and that he feared that president would put his threats into action against the press while drawing a line between Trump's remarks and the increasing attacks against journalists worldwide.
The Times has been one of the president's top targets in the media and Sulzberger wanted the public to know that the paper is committed to good journalism even if the president doesn't agree.
Over 167 years, through 33 presidential administrations, the Times has sought to serve America and its citizens by seeking the truth and helping people understand the world. There is nothing we take more seriously than doing this work fairly and accurately, even when we are under attack. Mr. Trump's campaign against journalists should concern every patriotic American. A free, fair and independent press is essential to our country's strength and vitality and to every freedom that makes it great.
Thompson and Sulzberger are right that Trump was wrong to have accused the Times of treason, but they both glossed over the bias and inaccuracy the newspaper has been guilty of in covering the Trump administration as well as conservatives and Republicans in general for decades.
Don Irvine
Don Irvine is CEO of Accuracy in Media. He is active on Facebook and Twitter. You can follow him @donirvine to read his latest thoughts.	View the complete archives from Don Irvine.