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Evaluating and Comparing the Ottawa Treaty and the NAP 504

Last updated on: December 18, 2020 TO: Lt. Gen. Nguyen Duc Hai National Defense Strategy Institute — Vietnam Ministry of Defence FROM: Ms Vu Minh Anh Consultant, Universitas Gadjah Mada RE: Evaluating and Comparing the Ottawa Treaty and NAP 504 Dear Lt. Gen. Nguyen Duc Hai, Regarding the problems of landmines in Vietnam, it is the responsibility of solving war legacies that should necessarily be considered. According to VNMAC (2020), widely known as Viet Nam National Mine Action Center, approximately 800,000 tons of unexploded ordnance, including mines, are scattered around all 63 provinces of the country, resulting in hundreds of thousands of victims, most of whom are “breadwinners in the families, ethnic minorities, and children”. During the 2013–2018 period, the number of accidents was more than 1,800 with roughly half of them unable to survive. The negative influences on citizens’ lives and natural resources are undoubted. Therefore, to reduce the burden for the community and the country, clearance, disarmament and related activities are of significant importance. The question of to sign or not to sign the Ottawa Treaty? is now urgent because of the very special and susceptible time we are experiencing, especially when the country is being noticed after its passed proposal at the United Nations General Assembly. With this, I will assess both benefits and limitations of the topic in terms of national resources, security concerns and immediate priorities to explain why it is not yet a proper time to sign. Besides, I will evaluate and compare the Convention with the NAP 504 — which I believe is a more beneficial plan for the country to confront the issue of war legacies. The Ottawa Treaty (officially the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction) was drafted on 18 September 1997 and come into force on 1 March 1999. It has been agreed so far by 164 States Parties. These countries together have reached significant achievements, including to sufficiently affect the use of human-against landmines in both signed and non-signed states, reduce the landmine casualties and strengthen the associations among states, as well as between governmental and non-governmental institutions at a global level (English, 2013). Vietnam, despite not being a signatory, implemented the National Action Program for the settlement of post-war bomb and mine consequences (the Program 504) since 2010 to mitigate and recover from the aftermath consequences wholly and comprehensively, by utilizing both domestic and foreign forces. It aims to tackle the problems of resettlement, social and economic reintegration, mine victim support and awareness-raising in impacted areas within Vietnam’s territory. Taking a look at both plans might be beneficial, as their targets are relevant, and in the long-term period, Vietnam may need to ask for the help from international communities, in which the Ottawa Convention is a part of and possess the possibility to assist. If we agree on the Treaty, concerns about equipment and techniques for removal can be lessened. Within the Convention Text, countries which accepted have “the right to seek and receive assistance […] from other States Parties” to address relevant issues such recovery, social safety, human care and acknowledgement projects, to name but a few, paving the way for better mine clearance efficiency. Our approval to sign also exposes the goodwill to disarmament in world politics, as well as formally connects with other 164 states and many non-governmental organizations. To a larger or lesser extent, this action might implicitly represent the idea of Viet Nam towards peace and global cooperation. However, suggested gains come at the cost of solemn obligation, which in some ways is challenging to execute. It is worth noting in the Convention Text that the State Party is responsible for destroying every anti-personnel mine inside its territory within ten years, up to twenty years if its capacity is limited. With the contaminated areas by unexploded ordnance predicted at 6.1 million hectares, occupied 18,71% national land overall VNMAC (2020), the required period and allowance for full destruction is estimated as more than a hundred years and billion dollars (Phan, 2020). Even with the help of international communities and time-extension, the mission is far beyond the country's capability, if not saying unattainable. Moreover, the context of the Ottawa Treaty is not fully aligning with Viet Nam's position and interests, especially security concerns. Sr. Col. Phan Duc Tuan, Vice-Commander of Engineering Command (2012)(as cited in The Monitor, 2019) stated the fact that landmines are "a form of defence" for the country. Not only do they appropriate its strategy when shielding the borders, but it is also suitable for the military treasury. As Viet Nam has already endorsed in several international treaties regarding disarmament of severe weapons, such as nuclear or biological ones, and accomplish its duties (The Vietnam Mission to the United Nations, World Trade Organisation and other international organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, n.d.), it has the rights to utilize other kinds to maintain national security and protect its people. With the current eco-socio situation, especially with the pandemic, it is not recommended to officially sign the Ottawa Treaty, as this would be a burden on our economic and social development, and a threat to our national security. However, endorsing the Treaty and re-evaluate the joining once every five years may be beneficial. My recommendation is to continue solving war legacies at a national level by sticking with the NAP 504 while prioritizing health and economy recovery towards the New Normal Era. The 504 Program, despite being less intense, would be more effective and suitable for national interests, as its implications are based on our status and demands. It would be even more recommended to annually review and update our current program for the post-2025 period. VNMAC should act as an enabler who provides information and consult in contaminated areas marking. Additionally, the country might need to conduct yearly projects for the settlement of post-war bomb and mine consequences, taking care and raising awareness of people about preventing and reacting to them. Business and international support also play a pivotal role in attaining social and economic reintegration. Thus, it is crucial to officially state Viet Nam's intention towards global peace and security via leaders' discourses and documents. Those plans should commit to not selling or using anti-personnel landmines with any purpose rather than defence—however, the country's rights to utilize and produce need to be emphasized. We are undergoing a vulnerable time due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Hence, it might be wiser to take slower but more ensured actions. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Vu Minh Anh Universitas Gadjah Mada vu.minh.anh@mail.ugm.ac.id References: Convention on the prohibition of the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines and on their destruction. (1997). International Review of the Red Cross, 37(320), 563–578. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0020860400076889 English, J. (2013). The Ottawa Convention on Anti-Personnel Landmines. In Oxford Handbooks Online. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199588862.013.0045 Phan, H. (2020, April 5). Hậu quả bom mìn sau chiến tranh vẫn rất nặng nề. Báo Công an Nhân Dân Điện Tử. http://cand.com.vn/doi-song/Hau-qua-bom-min-sau-chien-tranh-van-rat-nang-ne-589155/ The Monitor. (2019, December 18). Mine Ban Policy | Reports | Monitor. Www.the-Monitor.org. http://www.the-monitor.org/en-gb/reports/2019/vietnam/mine-ban-policy.aspx The Vietnam Mission to the United Nations, World Trade Organisation and other international organisations in Geneva , Switzerland. (n.d.). Error. Vnmission-Geneva.Mofa.Gov.Vn. Retrieved December 9, 2020, from https://vnmission-geneva.mofa.gov.vn/vi-vn/bilateralrelationship/The%20agreements%20signed/Trang/Vi VNMAC. (2020, May 1). Statistics of UXO contamination in Vietnam. Vnmac.Gov.Vn. http://vnmac.gov.vn/en/tin-tuc/statistics-of-uxo-contamination-in-vietnam.t-61.html

https://medium.com/@miavz.s97/evaluating-and-comparing-the-ottawa-treaty-and-the-nap-504-dd0dd0a172be

['Vu Minh Anh']

2021-10-16 03:24:08.241000+00:00

['International Relations', 'Policy Memo', 'Vietnam', 'Politics', 'Ottawa Treaty']

5 Writing Tips from J.D. Salinger Every Writer Should Pay Attention To

Do things because you want to “But don’t get the idea that I don’t like it, and I’m just writing for the glory or money in it. I’m not, and if I had to write that way, I’d rather be a bum. I write because I want to, and the way I want to and because I like it. And I like the life I lead because I am an author. I tried a regular job once, stuck to it for a year, and then I was sure I wanted to write. I hate routine.” I can’t imagine a successful writer who doesn’t love to write. You need to have that passion in you to write day and night, to create marvelous characters everyone can resonate with, to come up with witty dialogues and smooth transitions. You have to love writing to turn up and write every day and not only see it as a boring chore to make money. But most of the time writing regularly requires more than love and passion. You have to find your inner motivation, except for external rewards like money and praise. Ask yourself why you write at all. What do you enjoy writing about the most and what do you think this world needs, is there a problem you want to solve and shed light on. Don’t write about something only because it’s trendy and what you think will bring the most money and praise. Or if you want to write about such topics, bring your own wit and way to the issue so it stands out and contributes in an extraordinary way. Lastly, here is the advice he gave to Joyce Maynard on this matter: “What I want for you, kid, is to write about what you truly love, and nothing, but nothing, less than that. Not beauty pageants and high school proms, or television personalities or movie stars, or interviews with daughters of Republican presidents or Democratic presidents or even the presidents themselves. Or, if you do those things, what I want is for you to find a way to do them with nothing less than originality and tenderness and love.”

https://writingcooperative.com/5-writing-tips-from-j-d-salinger-every-writer-should-pay-attention-to-5ea2ff311876

['Sude Hammal']

2020-12-18 08:25:51.180000+00:00

['Fiction', 'Writers On Writing', 'Writing', 'Books', 'Novel']

Michael Flynn Retweets Video Calling for Martial Law and a Coup of the United States Government

Politics Michael Flynn Retweets Video Calling for Martial Law and a Coup of the United States Government Do the Republicans really want to enact a coup? Or are they just trolling? Weeks after Donald Trump lost the election, he still finds himself embattled in a war to try to steal it from the rightful victor that the voters elected, Democratic challenger and now President-Elect Joe Biden. As Trump slowly watches his chances at stealing a second term, he and his allies are becoming increasingly desperate to try anything, even openly courting hostile and undemocratic takeovers of government. With Georgia Governor Brian Kemp refusing Trump’s latest desperate attempt to overturn the election results after a surprise upset in typically deeply red Georgia, Trump is at a loss for avenues that he could employ to cheat the election, swinging things into his favor. Trump asked the Republican governor to “overrule” the election results that swung the state for Biden, and, as of today, Kemp has officially refused. Almost all of his court cases have been exhausted with his latest Supreme Court loss in Pennsylvania. And now, his loyal supporter and Attorney General is saying publicly that no election fraud took place, an angle Trump used over and over again as he beat the drum claiming he was cheated out of a victory that was rightfully his. Trump’s doing what all autocrats do, kicking and screaming and trying to force his way back into power. And his most loyal supporters, those in his inner circle, like the disgraced former general and former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, are becoming increasingly frustrated with the way the election turned out, going so far as to retweet calls that the results be overturned, that the election be nullified, and that martial law be implemented in the United States. Flynn openly called for the Constitution of the United States to be suspended and for martial law to be implemented when he retweeted calls by an Ohio organization for that very thing. We the People Convention created the video that openly calls for martial law to be installed and dictatorial powers enacted, claiming to be following in the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln. The President of We the People Convention released a statement claiming, without a shred of evidence, that there was, “massive, planned, illegal election fraud conducted by corrupt Democrat/Socialist Party operatives across our nation to steal our vote.” The President’s legal team has already argued the absurd, that the dead former leader of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, was working with an international cabal of far-left saboteurs in a plot to steal the election, and thus the Presidency was rightfully won by Donald Trump. Are the Republicans secretly (or not so secretly) trying to pull off a coup? At this point, you’d be justified if you suspected as much. I wouldn’t put it past them. Hiding behind plausible deniability while saying the quiet thing out loud seems to be their specialty. But then again, they could just be trolling. Time will tell which one it is but one thing’s for certain, I’m quite uncomfortable with people being this flippant about the fate of our Republic.

https://joemduncan.medium.com/michael-flynn-retweets-video-calling-for-martial-law-and-a-coup-of-the-united-states-government-5f4983e7d6c1

['Joe Duncan']

2020-12-02 21:15:18.546000+00:00

['Donald Trump', 'Election 2020', 'Politics', 'News', 'United States']

There is a 100% chance of dying on Mars. Why Elon Musk’s plans are suicide for astronauts?

The Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences revealed the radiation dose astronauts are going to receive during the long months of flight. Photo: Shutterstock The historical event — actually the gratest or at least one of the greatest in the history of humanity — is going to take place in 2024, according to Elon Musk. And the billionaire doesn’t rule out that one day he will go to Mars himself and doesn’t mind even dying on the fourth planet. “Just not on the impact,” he said. According to the measuring instruments installed on board the Curiosity Rover, in one sol (which is 39 minutes longer than Earth’s day) on the surface of the planet, you can get 0.21 millisieverts of radiation. This is about 50 times more than we get on Earth. But this is not the main problem. What will it be like for the astronauts and perhaps for Elon Musk to get to the coveted new world? And this will actually take at least six months, or even nine. Employees of “uranium mines‘‘ are allowed to receive 20 millisieverts a year, says Vyacheslav Shurshakov, head of the laboratory of methods and means of radiation safety during space flight in the Institute of Biomedical Problems of Russian Academy of Sciences . And astronauts, according to him, get 220 a year. For the entire career, both are allowed to gain no more than 1000 millisieverts. “If you count 20 a year, you can happily say that you can work in a uranium mine for 50 years,” explains Shurshakov. “And in space, we divide that by 220 and get four years and a half. That is, formally, you can stay on space stations for a total of four and a little years. No one has ever flown so much before. There are several record-breaking people who have spent more than 800 days in space”. But the orbital station is still located in the area of the Earth’s magnetic field. Now let’s try to fly away. The IBP RAS scientist stated that the radiation will be three times higher than on the ISS. The generally accepted estimated duration of a round trip to Mars is 500 days, which is a year and four months. “If you approach the question formally, it turns out that on the way to Mars and back just the same 1000 millisieverts are collected. This means that you can fly to Mars and back, strictly speaking, once in a lifetime,” says Shurshakov. And what if we stay on Mars to build a colony? Then the scientist’s estimations lead us to the following: we have already landed with five hundred millisieverts in our bodies, and every year (again, based on Curiosity measurements) 76 millisieverts will be added to our bank. After six and a half years, we don’t have to go back to Earth. “If you start from the “see Mars and die“ approach, then this is one thing, but if you count on caravans of rockets that will rush us forward from star to star, then it is a little bit different”, assures the scientist. In addition, the conquerors of Mars should be aware of the existence of solar proton events — powerful radiation flashes that occur on average every eleven years and are currently impossible to predict. This can happen both in nine years or in seven. And there are also outbreaks that increase radiation by all 500 times. This happens, however, once in a thousand years, but it can happen at any time. What will then happen to the astronauts? If people are caught in flight by the same proton event, it is quite possible to expect the so-called acute radiation effect with all the corresponding symptoms, the scientist believes. A person suddenly begins to vomit, he loses consciousness, he has a disorder of thinking, coordination of movements is disrupted. “In addition, radiation leads to premature body aging,” warns Shurshakov. “A person does not just have severe diseases that shorten life (cancer and others), but simply one’s blood circulation and hematopoiesis deteriorates, the Central nervous system works worse, memory deteriorates and so forth. So, as scientists have calculated, 1000 millisieverts is equivalent to a reduction in human life expectancy by about three years”. How could you protect yourself from radiation in space? 1. Shelter The idea is to have some kind of room aboard the ship with thick walls where we could hide from the flow of ionized particles. According to Shurshakov, the proton event lasts about one to three days long. All the walls on the ship can’t be made that thick. It‘s too expensive, too massive. But you can make some small compartment where the astronaut can sit out the required number of days. 2. A part of the Earth This is about installing a device on the ship that will play the role of a miniature version of our planet, thus, creating a magnetic field similar to the Earth‘s. It will deflect the particles and thus protect astronauts. 3. Antiradiation cure There are pills that can reduce the harm of ionizing radiation. They are intended for radiation accident liquidators and, according to Shurshakov, are not used in space. But science does not stand still, and probably in the coming years, radiation medications will appear in the first-aid kits of astronauts. So far, none of this is in the arsenal of cosmonautics. But a few years ago, Russian scientists found a relatively simple way to strengthen protection for astronauts — so to speak, from improvised means. “Once my colleague at the Institute, who supplies personal hygiene products to the ISS, gave me a napkin to hold in my hand,” Shurshakov recalls. “I was surprised: it was sealed in a plastic bag and quite heavy. And I asked: “Is there water inside?“ She said: “Yes, water with some shampoo added”. And physicists know that water is a good protector from space radiation.” As a result, they decided to create a so-called protection curtain. You can see it in the photo below: gray “mattresses“ along the wall are stuffed with those napkins. Water and polyethylene increased protection from radiation by five times. A “protection curtain” aboard the International Space Station. Photo: The Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences All the estimations stated above leave us with serious concerns that currently a manned flight to Mars for astronauts seems to be actually almost equal to suicide, and the future Martian city looks like a city of unfortunate people smited with radiation sickness. There is no doubt that humans will land on Mars, but now we seem to be too defenceless in the face of severe solar winds and galactic rays.

https://medium.com/@littlegirlblue1985_27516/there-is-a-100-chance-of-dying-on-mars-why-elon-musks-plans-are-suicide-for-astronauts-be37d652bdb8

['Adele Romanenkova']

2020-12-08 06:53:13.547000+00:00

['Space', 'Mars', 'Radiation', 'Space Travel', 'Elon Musk']

Sia and I Were Conned Into Adulterous Relationships

When the truth doesn’t fit into a narrative Photo by Cristian Newman on Unsplash [Possible trigger warning below, sexual trauma mentioned] One of the worst things you can do to your reputation as a woman is to sleep with or be in a relationship with a married man. It’s not nearly as bad when the married man cheats on his wife, nor is there much accountability for single men who sleep with married women. Nevertheless women are expected to be responsible for men’s morality. In my case and (as I understand it) Sia’s case, we weren’t afforded the information necessary to guide the moral choices of the men we were involved with (though that shouldn’t be a requirement anyway). Shia LaBeouf was married between 2016 and 2018. While that’s not a long period of time, it is plenty long enough to commit adultery. For those who’ve made the choice to knowingly cheat or help someone cheat on their spouse, there’s a certain sense of wrongness that settles in your gut. It’s a bit different when you thought you were with a perfectly single person and you found out that in fact, you were the other woman. I have never heard the phrase “the other man” or any of the connotations that come along with the opposite term. When looking at comments about Sia admitting to the betrayal she experienced there is not surprisingly, a lot of vitriol. Which I’m assuming I might get as well, outing myself. I’ve never admitted to more than 3 people who are the closest to me that I’m in a relationship with a married man. I’m not a homewrecker, because the man I was with did not have a home with his wife In my case, while it was still either a betrayal or an extreme lack of personal responsibility, it still weighs on my moral standing. I know that the impetus in American culture is to default to blaming women for the ways other people react to them. This man decided to lie to Sia about his relationship status, and based on that lie she proceeded. This was not consensual. There was no consent (excuse me for raising my voice, I’m feeling triggered)! At this point in the history of our brief social media-driven, woke culture, we should, as a collective, have an understanding of what consent is, shouldn’t we? This was her fault though, apparently for not knowing. Or of course, she knew, because all women are psychic about everything. Even in the case of a man who has admitted to hurting the people closest to him, is largely hated, and has been for years, the woman gets her fair share of the blame. I know from experience that being lied to in that way feels similar to rape. It’s a complete violation. I know because I’ve also been raped (not by the same man, of course). And when bravely (might I add) sharing, I’ve been told I could have said no, or not went into the room alone with the previously mentioned rapist, or any other number of perfect actions I should have taken. Because as a woman, I’m supposed to act perfectly at all times. In my case of accidental adultery, I left the relationship when I found out he was married. I talked to him and his family about it and none of them knew he was still married, nor did he seem to know. I know for a fact he had no relationship with his (legal) wife for years, as a matter of fact, no contact, except for her stating periodically that she’d filed for divorce and that it would be final soon. According to him, he believed this and thought he was divorced. I also talked to her and read all his emails and Facebook messages (that he didn’t have the sense to delete) and it’s clear that they absolutely are only married on paper. In my case, there’s a fine line between married and divorced. He had quite a few financial and personal struggles that prevented him from getting divorced on his own, once he realized he was still married (again, if that’s true). For a long time, while we were separated I berated him about this terrible fact and I didn’t believe that he hadn’t intentionally lied to me. In my case, although sometimes I’m still skeptical, the evidence points towards him actually being ignorant enough to not know that he was still married. being lied to in that way, feels similar to rape. It’s a complete violation. I still feel conned sometimes. Although I chose to talk to, listen to and work things out in my relationship, I wonder what my life would’ve been if I’d known my boyfriend’s legal marital status before we got involved. I know I wouldn’t have been with him for at least a year after his divorce was finalized, that was a rule of mine. I’ve realized though that all the rules we have for ourselves and others are based on fantasy, even if it’s a moral fantasy. Real life is often vague or blurry, with incomplete and run-on sentences. I’d love to act like I can stand on the dot, on the periodt, but truthfully I’m riding on ellipses every day. I’ve learned to see this as reality, because my story can’t be judged until I’m dead. I really feel terrible for Sia, who not only experienced a high profile betrayal, she’s also experiencing the toxic comments on social media about her brave statement. I believe she did this to support FKA Twigs who did an extremely brave thing this week in suing Shia for the abuse he committed against her. Life is obviously not black and white, but celebrities, are either condemned or put on a pedestal for having human experiences. I only wish there was more solidarity when it comes to women’s stories of betrayal and violation. I only wish women weren’t shamed, blamed, and held accountable for transgressions towards them by men. I only wish we, as a culture could look at individual situations, individually, rather than hopping onto the same bandwagons we’ve been corralled into following for decades, if not centuries now. People should be judged based on the full extent of their situations, not headlines, not stereotypes, not clichés. I’m not a homewrecker, because the man I was with did not have a home (or an anything) with his wife. Sia isn’t playing a victim because she made a bad decision (as many comment sections suggest) because she didn’t make an informed decision at all. She was conned. That doesn’t fit nicely into anyone’s narrative. It doesn’t fit into any boxes. But it’s true. If the truth isn’t safe to tell, what is safe in this world at all?

https://medium.com/@nori-ji/sia-and-i-were-conned-into-adulterous-relationships-a4afd5264a4b

['Nori Ji']

2020-12-15 06:46:16.785000+00:00

['News', 'Consent', 'Relationships', 'Celebrity', 'This Happened To Me']

Being Intentional with the Body

The story began in Spring 2019. One of our friends from CCF, who we both knew to be a very passionate individual, suddenly stopped coming to CCF that term. We noticed it throughout the four months, but it wasn’t until we were reaching the end of exams that we decided to reach out to them. Two weeks later, we finally got the chance to sit down and chat. We learned that our friend was struggling with some of their beliefs. To us, that was fair, we all go through those periods of challenge. However, our friend also talked about their struggle with loneliness and how little, if anyone, reached out to ask how they were throughout the entire term. That. Was. Brutal. We could have easily sent this person a message to check up on them, but we didn’t. We assumed that they were able to hold their own, and if they needed help, they would’ve asked. In hindsight, that mindset was just us being selfish and lazy, not wanting to expend our energies on others. Hence, we were convicted to be more intentional this term, and hopefully for the rest of our lives. This blog post takes a look at what it means to be intentional with our brothers and sisters, why Christians should be intentional, and what steps we have taken so far in trying to be more intentional. Jeffrey — What does being intentional mean? When we say something is being done intentionally, we are saying that it is done with purpose. Thus, when we are intentional in our relationships, we are not being passive or disengaged with the other person, but rather we are being committed and involved. In the context of Christian relationships, being intentional translates to sustaining and developing a relationship that may have an impact on the eternal well-being of both yours and the other’s soul. It sounds scary, but in reality, it is very rewarding. If you think like me, you might be wondering whether there’s a proper methodology as to how to be intentional. However, after some discussion with Emma, we concluded that our focus should not be on some whack how-to-build-intentional-Christian-relationships procedure, but it should focus on the heart. As such, we can look to Jesus as our perfect role-model, an example of what our hearts should be with one another. Jesus is the Son of God, who came in flesh, to lead a ministry that would point people to God’s glory. Jesus led a relational ministry. By that I mean, God was in no way obligated to come down to Earth in the flesh, but he still did. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. — Philippians 2:5–7 From there, Jesus actively interacted and loved those around him. He healed the sick, forgave the sinners, prayed for those around him, and ultimately died for all our sins. He did all this out of obedience to the Father, and in hope that we will one day stay with him in heaven forever. He demonstrated compassion, humility, selflessness, and many other godly characteristics which should also be found in ourselves when being intentional with each other. Some examples of what this might look like includes reaching out to those who you haven’t seen in a long time, putting others’ needs before your own, and actively asking how you can pray for each other. Therefore, for Christians, being intentional with our brothers and sisters means to proactively build and maintain our relationships in a way that reflects Christ, and who He is. Relationships that will be carried forth into eternity. Emma — Why should we be intentional? Despite knowing what it means to be intentional, we must also focus on why we need to be intentional. There’s more to it than just trying to avoid more feelsbad moments such as the one from our original story. We can see from this from the following scripture: And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. — Hebrews 10:24–25 Love I could easily slap that passage here and just tell you to be intentional because the Bible says so. But then people will just view it as something they “have” to do, which usually isn’t good enough to sustain us and easily takes the joy out of it. We know our salvation isn’t work-based — so just like serving and obeying the rest of God’s commands, we aren’t intentional merely out of obligation and duty, but out of love. We love God first and foremost, which translates into our love for God’s people, and the desire to pour and invest in one another. Living out your faith For context, these verses belong to a set of exhortations starting from verse 19, which are in response to the truth of Christ’s person and His work on the cross. It is by Jesus’ blood that we have confidence in a restored relationship with God — a new life in Him! So as a follow up to the first point, being intentional is not only one way of demonstrating love for your fellow brothers and sisters, but it sets us apart as Jesus’ disciples, confirming the hope we believe in for the world to see. “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” — John 13:35 Urgency And now let’s face it. We don’t know when Jesus will return, or if tomorrow is even guaranteed. Recognizing this, the Bible doesn’t tell us to spend the rest of our limited time focusing on ourselves, but all the more on others. We should especially be taking advantage of our time here in university where all our peers are conveniently gathered in one place before we have other commitments and it becomes more difficult to keep in touch. Not to say it’s impossible to be intentional after graduation, but God has led you and placed you here with a purpose — why waste the opportunity? So we are intentional to show we love one another, to testify the assurance of our faith, and to steward our time wisely. And for me, being intentional is an act of humility, to practice sacrificing time for myself on others instead, which really, is learning to become more Christ-like. Next Steps So how have we, as Christians, been applying these convictions and truths to better serve our brothers and sisters? Emma The first step for me was honestly facing the excuses: “I have too much going on, I need to study, etc.” I’ve been that person who became too busy or so focused on school that I ended up hurting those important to me. So this term, I got real with myself by saying no to certain extra-curricular activities that I knew would be too demanding. And when working throughout the week, I’m still meeting deadlines, but this time it’s in order to make time for people — by starting with an “x” amount of time I want to spend messaging or hanging out with people first, and then leaving the residual time for assignments, not the other way around. As an introvert, I find it quite difficult to take initiative sometimes — so what better opportunity to overcome that by having a group of people assigned to you? By serving as an SG leader this term, I wanted to put myself in a position where I’m expected to be intentional with my group, to challenge myself and have others keep me accountable (because let’s be real if I’m the only one accountable for myself, I’m doomed to fail). Being an SG leader isn’t the only option out there, but I felt it was one way of finding a regular time and consistent group of people to pour into (and it’s kinda organized for you lol). Fall 2019 SG 9 Most importantly, no matter how solid my action plans are, it’s ultimately the power of God alone that can transform my life. Consistently praying for God to change my heart, humble myself, and open my eyes to see the needs of those around me, would be my most confident step. Although I am weak, I know my God is faithful and all-powerful to work through me (and my failures) for His Kingdom! Jeffrey For me, the first step was upping my prayer life to include those around me and not just myself. I once spoke to some upper years to get an idea of what their first and second years were like. They told me about how at that time, a lot of their upper years were very intentional in asking them how their walk with God was. They would go up to the frosh, ask them how they were doing, and follow it up with, “how can I pray for you?” Hearing that, I was moved, but also kinda saddened. Of the 2 years that I’ve been here in CCF, there have only been a handful amount of times where a brother or sister would ask how they could pray for me. So I decided that I wanted to be that person who cares, not only for the physical well-being but also for the spiritual well-being of my family. I’ve started asking people what they can use some prayer for, and I write down these requests on a sticky note that is stuck on my wall at home. This also means that conversations with my brothers and sisters must be more intentional, to go deeper and engage in fellowship. My personal goal is to collect these needs and struggles and pray for people every-day, first thing in the morning along with my devotionals. I’m far from having a perfect prayer life (or being a morning person), but I do think it’s a step towards supporting the needs of the body. I hope that one day we can all be intentional with each other in CCF, and be in constant intercession for one another. Our conclusion We are the body of Christ. Corinthians 12:25–26 commands us to take care of one another. When one part suffers, everyone suffers. When one part is honoured, then we all rejoice! Our lives are no longer fragmented and meant to serve ourselves. Rather, we are united by and for Christ, to serve a family. By being intentional with one another, we strengthen the body by supporting its different parts, and as Stitch puts it, by leaving no one behind. So we challenge you to reflect upon your own life and Christ’s life. Be real with where you stand. Has your heart hardened to the needs of those around you? If this moment is your last, would you be satisfied with where your time went? Is there someone God has placed on your heart that you need to respond to? And as each of us pursue a life abounding in Christ-like love, not only is the body nurtured, but equipped — to overflow with God’s radical love and change the world around us.

https://medium.com/uwccf/being-intentional-with-the-body-f30b8f70cf2c

['Jeffrey Liu']

2019-10-09 00:51:46.470000+00:00

['Christianity', 'Intentionality']

I Bought My Dog A Bunch Of Puzzles

There is almost nothing more destructive than a bored dog. Dogs need more than brisk walks and belly rubs. They also need mental stimulation. Ginger spends a lot of time in my room due to an unfortunate event that took place this past Christmas. It’s in the best interest of all of us to keep the dogs separated for the most part when they’re inside. It broke my heart to see Ginger laying on my bed bored out of her mind. Every time she whined at my door, I wanted nothing more than to let her go see her doggy friends upstairs. I went to Google and YouTube to try to figure out how I could keep her from dying of boredom in my small bedroom when she’s not running around the yard outside. Due to the Michigan winter, which people keep calling “mild”, the dogs can’t spend all day outside anymore. I stumbled upon something called “interactive dog toys.” I never thought of dogs having their own puzzle toys. I knew there were countless baby, kid, and even adult puzzles — but it never crossed my mind that dogs could also enjoy puzzles. Dogs are really smart. Some are definitely smarter than others, but they’re more than just cuddle bugs. Actually, a lot of dogs will turn into an anxious mess if they don’t have some sort of “job” to do. This is why a lot of dogs find their own “jobs” around the house like becoming a living, breathing doorbell to alert everyone when someone is approaching the house. Herding dogs are known to end up herding unusual things like people and cars in the driveway. Some take it upon themselves to become landscapers, digging up various holes in countless yards all over the world. I ordered my sweet pup puzzle toys and a bunch of various treats. At first, she didn’t like the idea of having to work hard for her treats. She gave up and refused to look at them. In the beginning, I had to fill the secret compartments in front of her and talk her through it. We tackled each compartment one by one together. As time went on, she started attacking the puzzles without me having to coach her along. Once she realized she gets way more treats by completing the puzzles, she got excited. By day three, she couldn’t wait for me to put the treat-filled toy in front of her. It’s important to note that supervision is highly recommended with these puzzle toys. A lot of them aren’t the kind of toys you sit down and leave the dog alone with like you would a frozen, treat-filled kong. They’re meant for you and the dog to enjoy together. They can also be used as a training tool if you’d like. However, there are some puzzles that you can leave your dog alone with. You just have to know which one you’re buying. I also bought Ginger a ball that I can stuff treats in, and if I was leaving her alone in a bigger room it would be a hit. Another important thing to think about when buying puzzle toys is once they get it figured out, it won’t take them that long to get all the treats the next time. Ginger’s had her puzzles for a couple weeks now and it only takes her a couple minutes. If you’re wanting something that lasts way longer, maybe a treat ball or something along the lines of that would be better for you. I love watching her attack the puzzles. It only takes me a minute or two to stuff the treats in and then as soon as I sit it in front of her, she starts opening the compartments. I think it’s been a good way for us to bond. I definitely plan on getting her more puzzle toys in the future to keep her mentally stimulated. As I finish typing this article, she is busy playing with the level 3 puzzle on my bedroom floor. She opens the sliding compartments with her nose. There are little pieces that fit in the circular holes that she picks up with her teeth if she can’t knock them over with her nose. There’s one compartment where she has to push this little knob until the compartment slides out. Then there’s one more where she has to pull a string with her teeth, but she hasn’t figured that one out yet. Instead she picks the whole toy up and tilts it to get that compartment to slide out. As soon as she’s done, she plops down and looks at me as if to say “Refill it, dad.” So, I refill it.

https://medium.com/brian-the-man-behind-the-pen/i-bought-my-dog-a-bunch-of-puzzles-993efa232fa2

[]

2020-02-27 13:43:48.496000+00:00

['Pets', 'Dogs', 'Love', 'Family', 'This Happened To Me']

How to Impress With Your First Impression

How to Impress With Your First Impression Be “you-centric” Photo by Hồ Ngọc Hải on Unsplash “You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.” My soccer coach first presented this phrase to our team when we were 16-years old. He delivered an inspiring speech about how college coaches were going to start coming to our games, and we had to put on our best performance each time they came, because we never knew who would be watching. We may have opportunities to impress these coaches again, but we would not have a second chance at making a first impression. As my search for playing college soccer heightened, after playing in front of coaches, the next step was to meet them in person. Coaches would invite you to their university for the day, and you would have what is considered an unofficial visit to their campus. Before my first visit, I remembered having a meeting with my own coach, in which he further explained the importance of this first impression. But this time, he went into detail about how to make this first impression flawless. First impressions in relationships are quite important. People make snap judgments about your appearance, your body language, your posture, your tone, and of course your words. Whether it’s meeting new colleagues for the first time, going on a first date, meeting your significant others’ friends and family or meeting a college coach, it’s crucial to understand what goes into making a positive first impression. The following are some tips my coach shared with me that I always remember when I meet people.

https://medium.com/real-1-0/how-to-impress-with-your-first-impression-2fe5e8360cb6

['Jordan Gross']

2020-11-14 15:01:57.715000+00:00

['Motivation', 'Communication', 'Life Lessons', 'Relationships', 'Inspiration']

How to Turn Your Memoir into a Short Story

I wrote my first short story in 2004 when I wrote about the impact my mother’s death had on me. It was a memoir short story. A short story is exactly what it sounds like — a short story. It can be fiction shorts or nonfiction shorts. Publications will specify types of shorts they will accept. In nonfiction, the difference is the memoir short story is told in story form like a fictional story, not essay format, despite being based on real life. When told this way it creates an immersive experience for the reader that keeps them turning the page. The story takes the reader on a journey, allowing them to experience the journey as well as deepen the emotional connection with the story and author. The reader lives it with the storyteller. Word counts for short stories range from 500 to 20,000 words. The most common lengths are 500, 1000, 3000, 5000, 7000 to 10,000 words. You should always read the submission guidelines of any publication where you want to submit your story. You can fictionalize your memoir to protect people involved, at which time it becomes a fictionalized story based upon a true story. A memoir short story I wrote about the loss of my mother: Story format in memoir can be seen in novels and movies. You see this memoir or biographical type of story format often in movies based on books, such as Where The Red Fern Grows, based loosely on the childhood of Woodrow Wilson Rawls, and A River Runs Through It, based on the 1976 semi-autobiographical novel by Norman Maclean. Granted, these are novel-length stories; however, the fictional format was followed to convey a deeper experience of the story, which translates well visually and produces award-winning movies. The author starts in the narrator’s voice, which is non-intrusive in the character journey for the reader. The voice of the narrator only appears briefly in the beginning and at the end of the story. Give us a sense of time and place. Fiction techniques such as deep point of view and show-don’t-tell help you to create an engaging experience for your reader. Carry us to the place you lived using landmarks that are markers of the time. If you lived in the eighties, they still had attendant and self-serve gas stations; in the fifties, soda still came in glass bottles. The body styles of vehicles are ways to communicate the era, as well. These time markers set a scene and give the reader atmosphere and place without a lot of telling. The year or decade your memoir happens in shapes it through the trendy fashion and styles, slang words, patterns of speech, and the surrounding landscape using key specifics for the time. Show us, don’t tell us. If your character feels rushed show us by letting us see them scurry around, running late, experiencing frustration in action, and through the consequences that result from being late. Show us through body language, interactions, and dialogue. According to Janice Hardy in her book Understanding Show, Don’t Tell, you should use words that demonstrate the physical action such as I reached over, I picked up the cup. In deep point of view, certain types of verbs put distance between you and your reader. Alice Gaines in Mastering Deep Point of View says there are three kinds of verbs that do that: perceiving verbs, thinking verbs, emoting verbs. These are verbs that tell: perceiving: to know, to wonder; emoting: to see, to feel, saw, notice; thinking: to wish, to feel. Use description to bring a scene alive and give it character. We learn a lot in this first paragraph of a fictional story, Anne of Green Gables, about the character Mrs. Rachel Lynde through description. ~First paragraph of Anne of Green Gables from the Project Gutenberg website. CHAPTER I. Mrs. Rachel Lynde is Surprised MRS. Rachel Lynde lived just where the Avonlea main road dipped down into a little hollow, fringed with alders and ladies’ eardrops and traversed by a brook that had its source away back in the woods of the old Cuthbert place; it was reputed to be an intricate, headlong brook in its earlier course through those woods, with dark secrets of pool and cascade; but by the time it reached Lynde’s Hollow it was a quiet, well-conducted little stream, for not even a brook could run past Mrs. Rachel Lynde’s door without due regard for decency and decorum; it probably was conscious that Mrs. Rachel was sitting at her window, keeping a sharp eye on everything that passed, from brooks and children up, and that if she noticed anything odd or out of place she would never rest until she had ferreted out the whys and wherefores thereof. More on Show, Don’t Tell: There are many story craft books that teach techniques that can help you immerse your reader in your personal story whether it is fiction or creative nonfiction. Other recommended reading for deep point of view: Below are a collection of memoir short shorts or biographies, in story format, which are engaging reads, plus a couple of good memoir novels: As I said above, reading is the best way to learn these immersive techniques, which can help you learn to show, rather than tell, your memoir in short story form.

https://medium.com/ninja-writers/how-to-turn-your-memoir-into-a-short-story-1cdb9b26d1d2

['Juneta Key']

2020-10-24 22:52:25.286000+00:00

['Memoir', 'Writing Tips', 'Short Story', 'Fiction', 'Writing']

Oh My God, We’re All Gonna Die

It’s 2008. In a pediatrician’s examination room, waiting our turn, my 3-year-old son suddenly collapses into a wailing ball of tears and snot; a frantic, gooey mass I am trying my best to ungoop before the doctor comes in. He’s not afraid of the doctor, actually. What he’s afraid of, because he’s my child, is death. Those of us who have decided to pass our genetic material on to a new, separate being bound to survive well beyond us, live in a state of perpetual deferred gratification. Schrodinger’s Parents, I call us. While we watch, the futures of these ambulatory lumps of flesh and neurons flicker before our eyes. Their adult selves are simultaneously overflowing with success and riven with failure. They are both ripe old octogenarians and tragic members of the Forever 27 club. The dearth of data about whether our efforts are doing anything whatsoever to promote a happy, healthy future is nothing short of excruciating. This situation is exacerbated if, like me, one is committed to breaking with the past, as regards childrearing. Those of us who seek to change the world logically see the next generation as a key component in that transformation. But that also means that we’ve thrown out all the roadmaps, so when we find ourselves in the middle of the deep, dark woods, it’s impossible to know whether this uncharted territory is the path to greater freedom of thought or simply the nature trail to the grizzly cave. Case in point: His parents’ decision not to explicitly endorse the existence of heaven. I maintain that we here on earth put off far too many important decisions about our planet’s future because we are forever seeing it as a temporary stop on our way to the big pearly portcullis in the sky. What’s more, disagreements about the specific nature of the afterlife possess an inordinate hold on our cultural and political dialogue, making the business of coexistence way harder than it has to be. This all sounds well and good in theory. That is, until your 3-year-old son asks you what will happen to him after he dies. If your answer is…well, nothing…then you really can’t be surprised when he breaks down into a screaming fit of existential toddler angst right there in the goddamned doctor’s office. “I don’t wanna die! I DON’T WANNA DIE!!!!!!!” he shrieks, and right then, I know what it is like to be the worst person in the world. What kind of monster tells his child that death is the end, that after your few allotted years on the planet, your consciousness returns to the nothingness from whence it sprang? What kid is ready for that? I certainly wasn’t, not at 3, and frankly, not really even at 30. It had not helped that he’d recently seen his great-grandmother laid up in a nursing home bed, gaunt and weak, tubes extending from all over her body. 93 years, and this was how it ended. He’s a smart kid. He put the pieces together. We did the whole thing of matter transference, how his molecules had once been a supernova, a comet, a tree, a cuddly panda, et cetera, and would go on to be so many other cool things after they stopped being him. Predictably, this soothed his anguish not one whit. “But what will happen to ME?” he wanted to know, and of course we all know what he meant. At that moment, when it all came crashing into the forefront of his mind, my overactive imagination constructed a bleak picture of his future. Nihilistic, defeatist, resigned to the grinding pointlessness of existence until the sweet release of death freed him from this cage of bones. Idiot, I cursed at myself. What have you done? Eleven years later, I still don’t know what precisely it is that I am doing. None of us do, really. But on a visit to the doctor when he was ten, I had a quick flashback to that horrific day in 2008 when I was certain I had failed my only child. I was reminded of this not because he was having another fit, but because he was laughing. How can a child whose parents deny him the peaceful certainty of heaven ever laugh? What, in this meat-bound existence, is there to laugh about? I mean, oh my god, we’re all gonna die, aren’t we? “I think the parts of me that used to be Japanese want some noodles,” he told me. “Just those parts?” I asked, amused. “Yeah, because the parts that used to be monkeys want a banana,” he replied, giggling. Idiot, I told myself, shaking my head. He’s stronger than you. In the absence of an easy out, his young mind had to do the heavy philosophical lifting that most of us don’t get around to until the teen years, or adulthood, or never. He’s over it already. Holy mother of goat cheese, it is just possible that I didn’t ruin his life. Obviously, I still don’t know for sure. Locked irrevocably inside the big box of the unknowable, I cannot reliably see the end result of my parenting, nor of any choice that I make. The best we can do remains the best we can do. If we’re all gonna die, we need to accept that truth gracefully, and carry on.

https://medium.com/thinky-thoughts-almanac/oh-my-god-were-all-gonna-die-8a9c13c4b946

['Matthew Broyles']

2020-02-14 17:33:46.265000+00:00

['Mortality', 'Death', 'Philosophy', 'Agnosticism', 'Parenting']

Kun Faya Kun lyrics | A.R. Rahman, Javed Ali

Kun Faya Kun-A.R. Rahman, Javed Ali, Mohit Chauhan lyrics Kun Faya Kun is the new song released by T-Series on youtube. The song is Sing by A.R. Rahman, Javed Ali, Mohit Chauhan and Music is given by A.R. Rahman Where Lyrics is Written by Irshaad Kamil. The Song released on Dec 5, 2011. Hindi Lyrics :- या निज़मुद्दीन औलिया, या निज़ामुद्दिन सलका कदम बढ़ा ले हदों को मिटा ले आजा खाली पल में पी का घर तेरा तेरे बिन खाली आजा खालीपन में रंगरेज़ा… कुन फायाकुन कुन फायाकुन फायाकुन फायाकुन फायाकुन फायाकुन जब कहीं पे कुछ नहीं, भी नहीं था वही था, वही था वही था, वही था वो जो मुझमें समाया वो जो तुझमें समाया मौला वही-वही माया कुन फायाकुन… रंगरेज़ा रंग मेरा तन मेरा मन ले ले रंगाई चाहे तक चाहे मन सजरा सवेरा मेरे तन बरसे कजरा अँधेरा तेरी जलती लौ कतरा मिला जो तेरे दर बरसे ओ मौला… कुन फायाकुन… . . For Full Lyrics Visit at https://www.lyricsofficial.com. English Lyrics :- Ya Nizamuddin Auliya, Ya Nizamuddin Salqa Kadam Badhaa Le, Hadon Ko Mitaa Le, Aaja Khaalipan Mein Pee Ka Ghar Tera, Tere Bin Khaali Aaja, Khalipan Mein Tere Bin Khaali Aaja, Khalipan Mein Oooooo… Oooooo… Oooooo… Oooooo… Oooooo… Rangreza Rangreza Rangrezaa… Ho… Rang-Rezaaaa… Kun Faya Kun Kun Faya Kun Faya Kun, Faya Kun, Faya Kun, Faya Kun Kun Faya Kun Kun Faya Kun Faya Kun, Faya Kun, Faya Kun, Faya Kun Jab Kahin Pe Kuch Nahi Bhi Nahi Tha Wahi Tha Wahi Tha Wahi Tha Wahi Tha Jab Kahin Pe Kuch Nahi Bhi Nahi Tha Wahi Tha Wahi Tha Wahi Tha Wahi Tha Woh Jo Mujh Mein Samaya . . For Full Lyrics Visit at https://www.lyricsofficial.com.

https://medium.com/@dishuwani1011/kun-faya-kun-lyrics-a-r-rahman-javed-ali-295ef6bb6e83

['Dishant Wani']

2021-12-30 06:32:20.846000+00:00

['Bollywood', 'T Series', 'Ar Rahman', 'Hindi Song Lyric']

Reviewing Python Visualization Packages

Matplotlib, Seaborn, and Pandas: I’m going to group these together for a few reasons, first of which being that Seaborn and Pandas plotting were built on top of Matplotlib — when you use Seaborn or df.plot() in Pandas, you are actually utilizing code that people have written using Matplotlib. The resulting aesthetic from each of these is therefore similar and the ways of customizing your plots will use eerily similar syntax. When I think of these visualization tools, I think of 3 words: Exploratory Data Analysis. These packages are fantastic for getting a first look at your data but lack when it comes to presentation. Matplotlib is a low-level library that allows for incredible levels of customization (so don’t simply rule it out for presentation!), but there are many other tools that make great presentation-worthy graphics much easier. Matplotlib also has a set of style selections which emulate other popular aesthetics like ggplot2 and xkcd. Below are some examples of graphs made using Matplotlib and its cousins: When working with basketball salary data, I wanted to find the teams that had the highest median salary data. In order to show that, I color-coded a bar graph with each team’s salary below to show which teams players should appeal to in order to be on a team that pays well. This second plot is a Q-Q plot of the residuals of a regression experiment. The main purpose of this visualization is to show how few lines are necessary to make a useful visualization, even if the aesthetics are not eye-popping. Ultimately, Matplotlib and its relatives are very efficient, but typically not the final product as far as a presentation goes. ggplot(2): I groaned as I wrote that. “Aaron, why are you talking about ggplot, the most popular R visualization package? Isn’t this a Python package review?” you may ask. Developers implemented ggplot2 in Python, replicating everything from the aesthetics to syntax. From all of the material I have seen, it looks and feels like ggplot2, but with the added bonus of having dependencies on the Pandas Python package, which recently deprecated some methods resulting in the irrelevance of the Python version of ggplot. If you want to use the REAL ggplot in R(which has all of the same looks, feels, and syntax without the dependencies), I talk through some of its perks here! That said, if you truly must use ggplot in Python, you must install Pandas version 0.19.2, but I would caution against downgrading your Pandas so that you can use an inferior plotting package. What makes ggplot2 (and ggplot for Python, I guess) game-changing is that they use the “Grammar of Graphics” to construct a figure. The basic premise is that you can instantiate your plot and then add different features to it separately, i.e. the title, axes, data points, and trendline are all added separately with their own aesthetic properties. A simple example of some ggplot code follows is below. First we instantiate our figure with ggplot, set our aesthetics and data, then add points, a theme, and axis/title labels. Bokeh: Bokeh is beautiful. Conceptually similar to ggplot in how it uses the grammar of graphics to structure its figures, Bokeh has an easy-to-use interface that makes very professional graphs and dashboards. To illustrate my point (sorry!), below is a sample of code to make a histogram from the 538 Masculinity Survey dataset. Using Bokeh to represent survey responses The bar graph to the left shows responses to the question “Do you identify as masculine” as asked by 538 in a recent survey. The Bokeh code in lines 9–14 create an elegant and professional histogram of response counts, with sensible font sizing, y-ticks, and formatting. The majority of the code I wrote went to labeling the axes and title, along with giving the bars a color and border. When making nice, presentable figures, I lean very heavily towards Bokeh — a lot of the aesthetic work has already been done for us! Using Pandas to represent the same data The blue plot to the left is what comes from the single line of code on line 17 of the gist above. Both histograms have the same values, but serve different purposes. In an exploratory setting, it is much more convenient to write one line with pandas to see the data, but the aesthetics of Bokeh are pretty clearly superior. Every convenience that Bokeh provides takes customization in Matplotlib, be it angle of x-axis labels, background lines, y-tick spread, font sizing/italicizing/bolding, etc. The graph below shows a few random trends using a few more customizations with legends and different line types and colors: Bokeh is also a great tool for making interactive dashboards. I don’t want to get into dashboarding in this post, but there are great posts (like this one) that get more into the application and implementation of Bokeh dashboards. Plotly: Plotly is extremely powerful, but both setup and creating figures take a lot of time and neither are intuitive. After spending the better part of a morning working through Plotly, I went to lunch with almost nothing to show for it. I had created a bar graph without axis labels and a ‘scatterplot’ that had lines that I couldn’t remove. Some notable cons when getting started with Plotly: It requires an API key and registration rather than just a pip install It plots data/layout objects that are unique to Plotly and aren’t intuitive The plot layout hasn’t worked for me (40 lines of code for literal nothing!) For all of its setup cons, however, there are pros and workarounds: You can edit plots on the Plotly website as well as in a Python environment There is a lot of support for interactive graphs/dashboards Plotly is partnered with Mapbox, allowing for customized maps There is amazing overall potential for great graphics It wouldn’t be fair for me to just air my gripes with Plotly without showing some code and what I was able to accomplish versus what people more capable with this package have made. A bar graph representing average turnovers per minute by different NBA teams An attempt at a scatterplot representing salary as a function of playing time in the NBA Overall, the aesthetics out of the box look good but multiple attempts at fixing the axis labels copying the documentation verbatim yielded no change. As I promised before, however, here are some plots that show the potential of Plotly and why spending more than a few hours might be worth it:

https://towardsdatascience.com/reviewing-python-visualization-packages-fa7fe12e622b

['Aaron Frederick']

2019-04-18 14:21:56.952000+00:00

['Data Science', 'Data Visualization', 'Programming']

Lead by Example: Show Employees How to Manage Stress

Stress in the workplace takes a toll — not just emotionally, but physically and even financially. Stressed-out, anxious, and fatigued employees don’t work as hard, they don’t work as creatively, and they aren’t as willing to take risks. They do tend to call off more, taking more sick days and getting less done when they’re in the office. So in a very real way, workplace stress can impact your bottom line. The question is, what can you do about it? After all, stress happens. There’s nothing you can do to prevent stress from making its way into your workplace. You’ll have tough clients, urgent deadlines, high-stakes situations, and busy seasons. These common stressors cannot be totally prevented against, but perhaps they can be managed. Learning to manage stress is important for any business owner or leader — but you can’t just leave it there. In addition to managing your own stress, it’s important to help your employees manage their stress for them — which often means leading by example. Think about that the next time you feel yourself getting overwhelmed by your daily tasks. If you lash out, explode in a fit of rage, or have a breakdown in front of your employees — well, you’re only human, and these things can happen, but be mindful of the fact that the way you deal with stress is a model to the rest of your team. And when the boss gets overwhelmed, the rest of the workforce can’t help but feel the same. That’s why it’s important — first of all — for you to have some stress management structures in place, even if it’s just an outlet such as journaling, exercise, or music. Use these outlets, and make it clear to your employees that you welcome them to do the same. Make yours a workplace in which everyone takes the time they need to deal with potential stress buildups. You might even go as far as to invest in stress management training for your team — and if you do, make sure you’re in attendance. Again, what you want to do is lead by example — signaling to everyone on your team that proper stress mitigation is a part of your company culture.

https://medium.com/@drrickgoodman/lead-by-example-show-employees-how-to-manage-stress-4152577a2602

['Dr Rick Goodman']

2020-12-09 13:07:22.820000+00:00

['Stress Management', 'Leadership', 'Entrepreneurship', 'Employee Engagement', 'Stress']

2021 accessibility predictions

It’s time for the annual “Year-End” accessibility predictions. Machine Learning Machine learning is going to continue to be exceptionally important to the advancement of accessibility. The challenges of scaling accessibility in a world where only 30 % of the tests are automated are well documented in this note from the W3C titled Challenges with Accessibility Guidelines Conformance and Testing, and Approaches for Mitigating Them. TL;DR — Software *used* to be monolithic. One major release every 12–18 months, and a few minor releases focused on specific areas. That is no longer the case. SaaS can release hundreds of times per week. Native apps releases happen weekly-ish (more often if needed) Improved accessibility test automation is essential to avoid accessibility regressions With the world going to SaaS and native app in droves, accessibility can't live successfully in a world where 70 % of the tests are manual. It’s not enough to GET software accessible; you have to KEEP software accessible. Machine learning will allow us to crush the 30/70 split between automated and manual testing. Image processing, natural language processing, pattern recognition, and supervised and unsupervised learning will be essential to shifting that percentage towards the automated side. That way, the tests can be run with every, single check-in preventing good accessibility from being replaced with broken accessibility. My accessibility dream is a world that any check-in that breaks an automatic test is rejected. Something like this: When we can automate more accessibility tests with a high accuracy level, we can tie them into the CI/CD pipeline. Code updates can be blocked if more accessibility tests fail than from the last check-in, preventing achieved accessibility from deteriorating. High levels of accuracy, in turn, require taking into account how ARIA might be overriding an issue that is broken in the native HTML. False positives caused by performing HTML analysis alone will negate the value of automated testing. Shifting defect discovery to earlier in the process is better, faster, and cheaper for everyone. It is also necessary to move accessibility from reactive to proactive. (now a shameless plug for Crest, if you have already heard about this new fantastic tool, skip to the next section) VMware’s Crest machine learning-based open-source automated accessibility extension to WAVE now checks for video captions/subtitles and podcast transcripts automatically and keyboard function, focus indicators, focus contrast, and heading relevance. The Crest team has identified and is planning to implement 26 more tests currently only manually testable that we think we can automate before the end of 2021. Stay tuned! Personalization Personalization is a curb cut. It is a better experience for people without disabilities and a massive improvement for people with disabilities. Why? Personalization means less interaction — it takes people who use assistive technology three to five times (on average) as long to complete an operation than people without disabilities. Not having to turn on close captioning every time you enter a site means you are saving that interaction and operating faster no matter what your ability status is. Personalization means less user frustration — knowing what works for your particular situation and then having to re-establish it every single freaking time you log in is highly frustrating to users. If I had a nickel for every time I have thought, “why do I have to hit the Ctrl-+ button over and over again, why can’t it remember I like it set to 200 %,” I would be sipping a cocktail outside of Turtle Bay. Eventually, organizations will start to get the memo on the importance of personalization. It is taking longer than I thought it would, though. Who would have thought that something as apparent as personalization would take so long to achieve acceptance by organizations whose success is measured by gaining and retaining happy customers? 2021 will be the year non-accessibility professionals realize that accessibility is a program, not a project. From a Powerpoint presentation by Sheri Byrne-Haber explaining the history of accessibility over the past 15 years. Full description of relevant pieces in the narrative. So this prediction is my secret sauce, the one I haven’t heard anyone else discussing. There have been several significant accessibility milestones in the last 15 years: 2006 — WCAG 1.0 2008 — WCAG 2.0 2018 — WCAG 2.1 mid-2021 — WCAG 2.2 2022 — WCAG 3.0 and the EAA Note the spacing between updates. WCAG 1.0 was somewhat incomplete. Most consider WCAG 2.0 in 2008 to be the first complete accessibility standard. And then ten years passed without an update. Followed by three updates in four years (2.1, 2.2, and 3.0), two of which are pending. Then add in the European Accessibility Act for good measure if you work for a global company. Most software professionals who are NOT accessibility subject matter experts only know about 2.0 and 2.1 (if they know anything about accessibility at all), and they know that ten years passed between these two releases. If this is what they think is the regular W3C accessibility update cadence, they are in for a rude awakening. WCAG 2.2 will come out two years after 2.1, and 3.0 (AKA “Project Silver”), which will significantly change how accessibility is measured, comes out less than two years later. This “update WCAG every two years” approach is more likely to be the future cadence. WCAG 3.0 will be such a significant update that 3.1, though not yet started, is all but guaranteed, and it won’t likely be ten years after 3.0. Accessibility is and should be thought of as a continuous process improvement program. Your organization is guaranteed to fail if it only thinks about accessibility before release. Accessibility standards are evolving as more people perform research on things like cognitive disabilities and neurodiverse conditions. Accessibility standards also evolve as new technologies for gaming and VR/XR are released. Accessibility is a program, not a project. Also, accessibility needs to be considered throughout the product life cycle. If people don’t understand that now, the WCAG 2.2 update in 2021 and the planned 3.0 update in 2022 may enlighten them. “Accessibility is a program. Not a project” leads to my final prediction, which is: More frequent application of Maturity modeling to organizations trying to improve their accessibility programs. With the fear of litigation driving many (especially retail) accessibility programs, it is not surprising that many organizations slow down or even stop work on accessibility programs once the case has been dropped. This approach creates accessibility regression — because accessibility was viewed from the lens of a project (make the litigation go away) and not a program. Many companies are learning this difficult lesson as they are being sued multiple times by different litigants as their accessibility backslides. Getting a product accessible and *keeping* it accessible requires exercising two different sets of corporate muscles. Muscle set #1: Getting a product accessible focuses mostly on people involved directly in the Software Development Life Cycle Muscle set #2: Keeping a product accessible requires participation from stakeholders in the entire organization — Communications, Training, Support, HR, D&I, and Policy, just to name a few Maturity modeling (MM) is a way of measuring your entire organization to see how well each of these categories (“dimensions” in MM-speak). MM findings can identify: Which dimensions are doing better than others? What policies and documentation (“artifacts” in MM-speak) are missing. The changes that are necessary to achieve the next level of accessibility improvements. I will do a deep-dive on accessibility maturity modeling in a future article.

https://uxdesign.cc/2021-accessibility-predictions-b92ff660c8bd

['Sheri Byrne-Haber']

2020-12-23 22:48:41.065000+00:00

['UX', 'Accessibility', 'Machine Learning', 'Software Development', 'Disability']

Will Future Aircraft Run on Hydrogen Fuel Cells or Batteries?

Aircraft is already being designed and tested to run on hydrogen fuel-cells or batteries. They work for small aircraft, but can they work for jets? Can aircraft run on hydrogen fuel cells or lithium ion batteries, like cars? Well yes and maybe. Yes, hydrogen fuel cells and lithium ion batteries are already being used to power lighter aircraft, but commercial jetliners may have to wait for a few advances, most likely “hybrids” initially (planes that take off using traditional fuels, but then “cruise” using battery or hydrogen fuel cell power). If hydrogen/hydrogen fuel cells could be cheaper, then they may be the dominant power-provider for jetliners, given their superior energy densities and energy to weight ratios. Lithium ion/Lithium metal batteries may be able to power lighter aircraft, as weight ratios are not as critical in that realm, plus they are currently cheaper technologies. Hydrogen has an energy density per unit mass that is three times greater than jet fuel (either unleaded kerosene, Jet A, or naphtha-kerosene blend, Jet B). However, jet fuel has four times the energy per unit volume, so a jet would have to carry significantly larger fuel tanks to run on hydrogen fuel. Since hydrogen fuel is more volatile (combustible), most designers do not think it can be carried in the wings, where jet fuel is currently stored. Instead, a larger fuselage is envisioned, where the larger hydrogen fuel tanks can be safely stored. This in turn would increase the size and drag coefficient of the fuselage, but since the overall weight of the hydrogen fuel would be significantly less, the performance of the jet would not be negatively affected. There are several hydrogen powered aircraft prototypes. The first ever built was the Russian TU155, which made its first flight in 1989, using liquid hydrogen. After test flights, no commercial version was built. Boeing Research and Technology Europe (BRTE) made a hydrogen fuel cell powered two seater called the DA20 in 2008, but this aircraft was extremely light and needed very little energy for take off. In 2010, Rapid 200-FC made an aircraft that ran on gaseous hydrogen, and recorded six test flights. In 2016, the HY4 became the first passenger aircraft to run on hydrogen fuel cells. (Hawkins,2019),(Robertson,Maniaci,Segal,Scholz,Tidey,et al, n.d.) The first electrically powered aircraft flight was the MB-E1 in 1971. Famously, the Solar Impulse 2 flew around the world using only solar powered electricity, and is now being considered for some commercial applications (mostly non-passenger oriented, due to the limitations of lithium battery technology). Due to weight considerations, batteries are currently limited for lighter aircraft, and range is modest (does this sound similar to electric car technology?). It is thought that a 20-fold increase in energy density will be needed to make batteries capable of making the jump to commercial passenger aircraft. The NASA X-57 Maxwell is another recent entry into electric aircraft, with a 4-seater designed to reduce fuel use, emissions, and noise. A hybrid concept has been proposed for commercial aircraft, and several start ups are working on the concept, including Zunum Aero, General Electric, Volt Aero, Ampaire, Cranfield Aerospace, and the Berlin Brandenburg Aerospace Alliance. Generally speaking, the batteries are used for take off and landing, while an engine is used during flight for cruising speeds, and to recharge the batteries (just like an auto hybrid). (Guy,2020) The potential “hydrogen-izing” of aircraft is held back by some of the same factors that inhibit implementation in cars and trucks. Though hydrogen fuel itself is currently comparable in price to fossil-fuel (and getting cheaper), fuel cells are currently expensive, but look to lower costs with increased productivity. There are also few hydrogen fueling stations at present, which limit a traveler’s options. Hydrogen fuel choices vary between CO2-free “green” varieties (typically produced by renewable-powered electrolysis and more expensive) and “grey” types (typically produced by steam-reforming natural gas, cheaper but with CO2 byproduct). (Van Hulst,2019) Obviously, advances in aircraft electrification are quite dependent on better (lighter) battery technology and commercialization of hydrogen technologies, plus economy of scale pricing. It would seem that government subsidies would be in order, as these technological advances would not only improve aircraft, but other tech sectors such as auto and rail transportation. Like this article? Read more in Vern Scott’s new book “Civil (Engineering) Disobedience”, available on Amazon.com

https://medium.com/@scottvern/will-future-aircraft-run-on-hydrogen-fuel-cells-or-batteries-3703e2281fef

['Vern Scott']

2021-03-25 17:42:43.490000+00:00

['Aircraft', 'Hydrogen Fuel', 'Global Warming', 'Renewable Energy', 'Lithium Ion Battery']

Setup of persistent docker node on ARM M1 MacBook

First off: Install Xcode from the App Store. This takes a little while so getting this going first off is a good idea. You will also need homebrew to be installed. I recommend using the stable homebrew compiled for x86_64 and not the experimental ARM branch. Next you will want to get a disk image, initrd and kernel file for any linux distribution. In this guide I have used the cloud image for Ubuntu, you can choose anything, but the process of getting it up and running may differ. Kernel: https://cloud-images.ubuntu.com/releases/focal/release/unpacked/ubuntu-20.04-server-cloudimg-arm64-vmlinuz-generic Initrd: https://cloud-images.ubuntu.com/releases/focal/release/unpacked/ubuntu-20.04-server-cloudimg-arm64-initrd-generic Disk image: https://cloud-images.ubuntu.com/releases/focal/release/ubuntu-20.04-server-cloudimg-arm64.tar.gz Collect these files together in a folder, I chose ~/VM/docker-ubuntu-cloud/ mkdir -p ~/VM/docker-ubuntu-cloud cd ~/VM/docker-ubuntu-cloud mv ~/Downloads/ubuntu-20.04-server-cloudimg-arm64-vmlinuz-generic vmlinuz.gz mv ~/Downloads/ubuntu-20.04-server-cloudimg-arm64-initrd-generic initrd mv ~/Downloads/ubuntu-20.04-server-cloudimg-arm64.tar.gz diskimg.tar.gz You will want to unzip your disk image and the kernel file and tidy up the image tarball gunzip vmlinuz.gz tar xvzf diskimg.tar.gz rm diskimg.tar.gz Accept the license agreement for the xcodebuild tool sudo xcodebuild -license Clone the VM command line tool from github and build it using our Xcode install and copy it to our local bin cd vftool xcodebuild cd ../ cp vftool/build/Release/vftool /usr/local/bin/ source ~/.zshrc git clone https://github.com/evansm7/vftool cd vftoolxcodebuildcd ../cp vftool/build/Release/vftool /usr/local/bin/source ~/.zshrc Start the server using vftool vftool -k vmlinuz -i initrd -d focal-server-cloudimg-arm64.img -m 4096 -a “console=hvc0” The ouput will look something like this: vftool[43462:425638] vftool (v0.1 25/11/2020) starting vftool[43462:425638] +++ kernel at vmlinuz -- file:///Users/xi0s/VM/ubuntu-cloud-docker/, initrd at initrd -- file:///Users/xi0s/VM/ubuntu-cloud-docker/, cmdline 'console=hvc0', 1 cpus, 4096MB memory vftool[43462:425638] +++ fd 3 connected to /dev/ttys001 vftool[43462:425638] +++ Waiting for connection to: /dev/ttys001 Connect to your VM using the screen — making note of which tty socket is actually connected to your VM. You will need to do this in a new terminal tab/window from the one running your VM. screen /dev/ttys001 The cloud image for Ubuntu is configured to be provisioned by cloud-init by default. We will want to manually provision the image and set the root password along with some host keys and networking. Run the following commands inside your VM to get it provisioned for the next step. mkdir /mnt mount /dev/vda /mnt chroot /mnt touch /etc/cloud/cloud-init.disabled echo 'root:root' | chpasswd ssh-keygen -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_rsa_key -N '' -t rsa ssh-keygen -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_dsa_key -N '' -t dsa ssh-keygen -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_ed25519_key -N '' -t ed25519 cat <<EOF > /etc/netplan/01-dhcp.yaml network: renderer: networkd ethernets: enp0s1: dhcp4: true version: 2 EOF exit umount /dev/vda Close your VM (Press Ctrl+c inside the terminal window that is running your VM) and expand the disk image to allow other things to be installed and run. You will need to install the qemu package via homebrew for this step arch -arch x86_64 brew install qemu qemu-img resize focal-server-cloudimg-arm64.img +5G Now start the server with the disk attached vftool -k vmlinuz -i initrd -d focal-server-cloudimg-arm64.img -m 4096 -a “console=hvc0 root=/dev/vda” Connect again using screen — your tty socket may have changed so just be sure to double check screen /dev/ttys001 Now login using your new root credentials (username root password root ) Update the disk size inside the VM resize2fs /dev/vda Install Docker — below is a list of commands from the docker install guide for Ubuntu on ARM apt-get install \ apt-transport-https \ ca-certificates \ curl \ gnupg-agent \ software-properties-common curl -fsSL add-apt-repository \ "deb [arch=arm64] $(lsb_release -cs) \ stable" apt-get update apt-get install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io apt-get updateapt-get install \apt-transport-https \ca-certificates \curl \gnupg-agent \software-properties-commoncurl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | apt-key add -add-apt-repository \"deb [arch=arm64] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) \stable"apt-get updateapt-get install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io Create a user account to login with and add it to the docker group. Here I use the username docker and ensure the home directory is created with the -m flag. useradd -g docker -m docker Login to that user account and test docker is working

https://medium.com/@xi0s/setup-of-persistent-docker-node-on-arm-m1-macbook-4c44412911de

['Callum Smith']

2020-12-04 10:07:00.105000+00:00

['Virtualization', 'Docker', 'Mac', 'Containers', 'M1']

25 tips to prepare your IT infrastructure for the holiday season — Cyber Monday & Black Friday.

Our remote operation teams have been involved in US holiday season traffic for decades. Black Friday and Cyber Monday drive traffic volumes crazy bringing in 100x traffic increases to company websites and systems. It’s the time when some e-commerce & retail companies make most of their annual revenue within a few days time. And I know One thing for sure — That is Murphy’s Law loves the holiday season. Anything & everything that can go wrong will go wrong during this time, and many companies struggle with their engineering teams off during the holidays. US Cyber Monday online sales Our clients, of course, have the luxury of remote teams helping them on preparations as well as continuous 24x7 SRE operations with all tier 1, 2 & 3 support teams fully staffed and operational while the onsite teams enjoy their well deserved time off. US Black Friday online sales Even big brand names had their fair share of holiday season downtimes due to various failures and issues. In these few mad rush hours, a downtime of a few minutes could still cost Millions of dollars to the organization. So here we’re focusing on how you could ensure that your IT infrastructure is well prepared for the holiday season. Below list is without any order of importance.

https://medium.com/@bluecorp/25-tips-to-prepare-your-it-infrastructure-for-the-holiday-season-cyber-monday-black-friday-c16a358f6ba3

[]

2020-11-23 09:36:43.192000+00:00

['Black Friday', 'Cyber Monday', 'Thanksgiving', 'Infrastructure', 'Information Technology']

Technical solution or creative thinking? A Y-DATA graduate on why dealing with data can be so exciting

Technical solution or creative thinking? A Y-DATA graduate on why dealing with data can be so exciting Lyoka Ledenyova Follow Dec 17 · 6 min read Meet our hero of the day: Pini Koplovitch — a talented scientist that has recently graduated from our Y-DATA program. Pini’s first degree was centered on what the brain does and how it works, he studied both Cognitive Sciences and Biology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. After completing his BSc he proceeded directly to a PhD in Computational Neuroscience with an emphasis on the neuronal basis of neuropathic pain. In his study Pini was developing a genetically engineered biopump as a novel treatment for neuropathic pain, and the initial results of his research were found to be very promising. Unfortunately, during the proceeding phase he faced technical obstacles that did not allow more complex experiments and the continuation of the study. After careful consideration Pini has decided to leave the academic life, but not before receiving his MSc and publishing the PoC results in the leading journal in the field. During his study Pini has already started using clustering algorithms to semi-automatically analyze vast amounts of neuronal activity that helped him conduct much more experiments and increased the overall efficiency of the practical study. “It’s important to be able to recognize when things are working and when they aren’t, to choose a correct path, as one will oftentimes find themselves on the crossroads in this regard, at least as far as research is concerned. It’s important to understand how things work internally on some level at least, the math and the statistics of it. A data scientist needs skills from both the practical and the research worlds. Many experiments can now be performed due to us having stronger tools in genetics, which allow us to take a closer look at the genes themselves. There are more advanced statistical methods of data science we can use to provide correct analysis. Data science does help a lot, but in the life science field people are still going to find themselves in need to conduct experiments, use live animals for them to see how one subject affects the others, etc. Both sides are going to be required moving further, and the best case scenario would be a scientist well versed in both the experimental and the analytical work.” After leaving the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Pini decided to focus on getting a firmer grasp of data science as a whole in order to positively impact people’s lives. He’s still eager to work in brain science or in the medical field to continue helping sick and diseased people. “Data science is a tool, and I’m eager to use it in my professional work. I also just enjoy researching things, as I did with my PhD, even though I dropped it for many reasons. I used to work with animal research a lot, and I do want to experiment and discover things of course, but let someone else do the dissecting and I will focus on numbers. Finding solutions is something that excites me the most. I see data science as a tool to achieve said solutions. One can always use data science, but some problems don’t require fancy algorithms to get solved. Heavy machinery is not always the answer.” Academic work taught Pini how to handle a lot of data, ask the right questions and find the relevant solutions to the problems at hand. He was twice on the Dean’s List, participated in “ETGAR” Honor’s Program and completed Y-DATA program with outstanding success and honors. The Y-DATA industry project he did together with Urska Jelercic for Healthy.io was chosen for distinction. “When it comes to the Y-Data project, the main challenge we probably faced was working with the small and under-representative set of images the company provided us to work with. Instead of trying to squeeze better performance (and probably overfit) we decided to focus more on error analysis and to better understand which are the ‘hard’ images and what make them hard. This led to probably the main insight we delivered — which classes of images the company should focus when collecting more images. The second insight was that the architecture they encouraged us to work with is overkill for this problem (or at least for the current dataset) and much lighter architectures perform the same. The biggest excitement for me was the fact that we were solving a real life problem. Discussing things with other students and mentors during the project was inspiring, as every now and then I would get new insights or get introduced to new ways of thinking in regards to the problems we needed to solve.” It seems like there is nothing that excites Pini more than understanding that his work can be beneficial for medical science in general and people’s lives in particular, and still he’s not limiting himself and is ready to test his “good student” skills in new fields as long as it involves solving problems and tackling new challenges. Despite lots of honors that Pini has, he looks extremely modest and undemanding. He knows his strong sides but doesn’t want to brag about it. It doesn’t take a long time though to understand that he’s a curious and intelligent hard worker who’s ready to dedicate all his free time to something he’s passionate about. “Something to wake up in the morning for, something to be passionate about — is enough for me. A perfect day is the day when I am able to solve a big chunk of a problem at hand and to advance towards the end goal. As long as there is even a little progress, I feel satisfied. I am a curious person. Even the most mundane questions spark the will to research in me, this is what inspires me. I find interest in finding something new, something that no-one has ever done or seen before, and hopefully applying that something to solve a relevant issue. When the goal’s been reached there’s nothing interesting left. You don’t ever want to reach that end unless you can find something new to strive for.” Pini gives the impression of being an independent scientific figure that can deal with everything on his own, but when the talk turns to career goals and job perspectives, he makes a surprising statement. “One does need to socialize. One also needs to consult with colleagues, share insights, etc. In my PhD studies I had my own project, but I did have people I could consult with. I do want to work with people who tackle similar or related problems so that we can share insights and advice, better understand the tasks we are given and increase our efficiency. It’s important to work alongside people, not necessarily with them, to be able to do our job better. Two people cannot drive a car simultaneously, but the end goal is to reach the same destination with different cars with everyone pulling their weight.” Pini believes that intuition comes with knowledge and experience and that to be a good data scientist one also requires creative thinking. Yet there doesn’t seem to be much in the world that couldn’t be explained from Pini’s rational point of view. “I guess I am analytical because I actually know how the brain works. It removes most of the magic of how we see, think and understand, stultifies us questioning if our decisions have any meaning, or if we have free will at all. Alternatively, this knowledge poses new questions on its own accord, makes me think of how these things actually happen, how they work “under the hood”. We are physical entities in the end, and there is nothing metaphysical that can influence the physical. Even if we feel like we possess free will, there are physical processes that made us do whatever it is that we did. In parallel, we have got this notion that we decided to do something, but it only comes after the process of doing something has already begun. It’s not that there is a thought of initiating something and then the initiation of that something, but rather there’s doing something and the emerging feeling you get from some parallel channel that says “it’s me, I wanted to do it!”. Most people don’t like this way of thinking, though. I still enjoy thinking and believing that I do influence my own decisions. This is what keeps us moving in our day-to-day lives.” Pini is open for job offers in data science positions. Feel free to reach out to him on his Linkedin.

https://medium.com/y-data-stories/technical-solution-or-creative-thinking-28fc1189894e

['Lyoka Ledenyova']

2020-12-17 14:31:59.570000+00:00

['Cognitive Science', 'Data Scientist', 'Biology', 'Data Science', 'Neuroscience']

What happens when you type an URL in your browser and press Enter?

What happens when you type an URL in your browser and press Enter? Hadir Jenni Apr 25·3 min read We can admit that all people around the world use the internet all the time for any sorts of purposes since we’re living in a technological area. Most of time we type something in our browser and op we get the response in seconds, is it magic ? Of course not ! So what happens behind the scene when you browse to a website?? The client server model Before we dive into the details of the web, we need to understand the client server model so: The client-server model describes how a server provides resources and services to one or more clients. Examples of servers include web servers, mail servers, and file servers. Each of these servers provide resources to client devices, such as desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones and here’s a diagram to better understand: Clients are the web user’s(Computer connected to the WIFI, a phone connected to the mobile network) Servers are computers that store webpages, sites, or apps In addition to the client and the server, we also need: Internet connection: That allow us to send and receive data on the web Web-server: (like nginx) implement the HTTP protocol along with some other functions, that enable web browsers to connect, request and receive web data TCP/IP: Stands for Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol, are the communication protocols that define how data travel the internet. DNS: Domain Name Servers, when you type a web address in the browser, the browser looks at the DNS to find the real address of the website so he can send a HTTPS messages to the right place. HTTPS: Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure is a secure version of HTTP that define a language for clients and servers to speak to each other Firewall: Is a network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules Load-balancer: Is a device that acts as a reverse proxy and distributes network or application traffic across a number of servers. Load balancers are used to increase capacity (concurrent users) and reliability of applications. are used to increase capacity (concurrent users) and reliability of applications. Database: Database servers are servers dedicated to storing and organizing data. When a user signs in to Holberton Intranet, a query will be sent to one of Holberton’s database servers asking “USERNAME” is an actual user, if so, it will check the password they entered against the password in the database and then act accordingly by giving them access or denying them access to their account. Component files: Code files: like HTML, CSS and JS Asset: a collective name for all the other stuff like images, music .. So what happens, exactly when you type https://www.holbertonschool.com in your browser and press Enter? The browser goes to the DNS server, and finds the real address of the server that the website lives on. The browser sends an HTTP request message to the server, asking it to send a copy of the website to the client, this message and all data sent between client and server are sent across the internet using TCP/IP. If the server approves the client’s request, the server sends the client a “200 OK” message, and then start sending the website’s files to the browser as a series of data packets The browser assembles the data packets into a complete web page and displays it to you. And that’s how the magic happens!

https://medium.com/@hadirjenni/what-happens-when-you-type-an-url-in-your-browser-and-press-enter-34a526f83eb7

['Hadir Jenni']

2021-04-25 20:36:52.318000+00:00

['Websearch', 'Nginx', 'Website', 'System Engineering', 'Web']

When Kepler Destroyed the Universe

Ideas change everything It is impossible for us today to appreciate the profound effect of Johannes Kepler’s theory of planetary motion. Before Kepler’s book Astronomia Nova (1609) the unquestioned assumption was that everything in the heavens was perfect. A large part of that assumption was that the motion of heavenly bodies must be circular. Since ancient times, the circle was revered as geometric perfection. Scientists and sages assumed that the heavens were a realm of perfection and all motions of bodies reflected that perfection. Planets, assumed to revolve around the Earth of course, must revolve in circles. The paradigm of circular motion was so strong that to explain retrograde planetary motion, astronomers developed the complicated theory of multiple epicycles. It was better to have dozens more circles in heaven than no circles at all. Ironically, Kepler made the heavens more pristine through a profound paradigm shift. He proposed that planetary orbits are elliptical rather than circular. His system was much more elegant than Copernicus’s. Each planet moved in a single motion without epicycles. However, it meant that the Creation was not based on perfect geometry as everyone had assumed since before Plato. (No, it wasn’t a Christian concept.) Kepler’s shift in thinking, coupled with scientific work from others, affected how intellectuals viewed their universe. If perfection is not the model for creation then the universe is a very different place. If we can’t argue from rational first principles to reality, but instead reality tells us something that violates our assumptions, then we have to change how we approach the universe. Knowledge has to be won by searching, not by reasoning to it — an idea proposed by Christian monk, William of Ockham centuries earlier. Not that this changed everyone’s views. Spinoza, Leibniz, and others still clung to the belief that truth was knowable through analytical logic. Hobbes still demanded that science proceed from first principles rather than observations. Even today, some analytical philosophers stubbornly maintain this idealistic approach. Regardless, after Kepler’s theory of planetary motion, the perfect crystal spheres of the Ptolemaic universe were destroyed forever. The paradigm shift away from perfection and teleology that started in astronomy became the basis for all sciences. Good philosophy and science reflects observations of the world, not our preconceived notions. Like the Hindus say, out of destruction comes creation. Originally published at https://insertphilosophyhere.com/kepler-destroys-universe/

https://medium.com/inserting-philosophy/when-kepler-destroyed-the-universe-adb174206901

['Douglas Giles']

2020-12-04 14:57:39.458000+00:00

['Astronomy', 'Paradigm Shift', 'Philosophy', 'Science', 'Ideas']

Selecting A Reliable Gift Delivery Tokyo — Why Should You Go Online

Selecting A Reliable Gift Delivery Tokyo — Why Should You Go Online Birthdays come once every year and clearly you need to give the best birthday gift to your loved one. The best place to shop for birthday gifts or gifts for any events is the internet. There are numerous virtual stores which cater to your needs and deliver your gifts where and when you need them to. The online stores have birthday gifts for everyone and every age. Birthday gifts for women include perfumes, cosmetics, jewelry, totes etc. Shower and Body basket is a decent choice as most women like to be wrapped in a fresh appealing scent. When picking jewelry, you don’t need to go overboard and get her expensive precious stones, birthstones are in these days and her birthstone set in a ring will really please her. Or on the other hand you can give her cosmetics or totes endorsed by her favorite celebrity through an online gift delivery service in Tokyo. In the event that she loves reading, why not get her the latest paperback by her favorite writer. Mother will love precious stone show pieces or an imprinted mug while lingerie will make an intimate gift for your wife. Children adore toys; the sort of toy you select for the child depends upon his/her age. While younger children love trains, dolls, stuffed toys etc, remote controlled toys make the older ones upbeat. There are different types of toys also available to send birthday gifts to Japan. Gone are the days when men accepted socks, lighters or gloves and other utility items on their birthdays. Men today demand to be pampered with gifts; electronic gadgets are currently preferred by men. Tickets to the latest games in the area are other things they like. In the event that you are as yet confused with respect to what to choose, why not send flowers and cakes on that special day. Flowers make a unique and adoring gift. A bouquet of fresh beautiful flowers speaks eloquently of your love and fondness for the special person. Cakes are the perfect gift for children. Imagine their happiness when they cut the cake you have sent among friends and relatives. The online stores not just offer you a wide range of gifts to choose from yet in addition see that the gift reaches the person on time and in great condition. The online gift delivery stores in tokyo provide speedy birthday gift delivery and provide different gift delivery services, for example, same day delivery; in case you couldn’t choose a gift earlier or the exclusive midnight delivery. Midnight gift delivery is very well known these day and numerous people are sending birthday gifts utilizing this service. With midnight gift delivery, you loved one receives the gift as they enter the new year of their lives. There is the next day delivery service which delivers gifts the next day. We need to make the birthdays of our loved ones as special as possible even on the off chance that we are living far away and online stores help us in making events memorable with their wide selection of gifts and exclusive services which make sending birthday gifts to loved ones easier. Online shopping is so convenient that you can also send funeral flowers to Japan with just a click.

https://medium.com/@florajapan/selecting-a-reliable-gift-delivery-tokyo-why-should-you-go-online-558d020b3f4

['Flora Japan']

2019-10-16 06:00:28.677000+00:00

['Flowers']

New Year, New Me: Guided Meditation for Sleep, Insomnia, and Letting Go

Meditation (in Hibernation) Series: Part 2 The following guided meditation was originally published on the Enough-ism Podcast. This 10-minute guided meditation and ASMR experience will help quiet your mind and transition you into a restful sleep. It will also help you release negative thoughts, combat insomnia, and bring more positive, healing energy into your life. This podcast uses soft sounds and positive affirmations to help relieve stress and anxiety. Listen here: Watch here: Share your experiences on Twitter with the hashtag #IAmEnoughism.

https://medium.com/@iamenoughism/new-year-new-me-guided-meditation-for-sleep-insomnia-and-letting-go-458581828e21

['Enough-Ism Podcast']

2020-12-20 21:00:02.702000+00:00

['Mindfulness', 'Meditação', 'New Years Resolutions', 'Guided Meditation', 'Sleep']

Improve Your End to End Tests with Cypress Intercept

Stubbing Responses A stub is a canned answer to a request. Stubs are useful in building test state within an end-to-end test by simulating data which may or may not directly affect the test. In this instance, the books endpoint returns a JSON object of data. Each individual book within the JSON object is listed within the books table. What if this request takes a long time to load? Or, what if the table displays an error statement until the request has finished? When writing end-to-end tests, it is critical to curate your testing environment in order to reduce flake. I have experienced the above at Pendo.io, specifically a table which returns an error statement until a request has fulfilled. We determined that we had two options to solve the problem: Wait for the request to finish Stub the data We chose to stub the data as the table data does not directly impact our test. We can do the same with the books endpoint as the table data does not matter to the overall user journey. What matters is that a user is able to add a book to their profile. As long as there is at least one table entry, our user journey will be able to proceed. If a stub is a canned response to a request, then our test requires a response object to be built ahead of running our test. We can do so by copying a good response object and trimming it down to a more manageable state. In this instance, we are taking the response to the books endpoint and removing all but one entry. A book fixture. We can stub the table data by providing a fixture to the intercepted request. This will replace the response body with whatever data is found within the fixture file. Our test featuring a stubbed response for the books endpoint. Our table will now be populated by a single entry titled Designing Evolvable Web APIs with ASP.NET. We can assert against this prior to taking our next action.

https://javascript.plainenglish.io/improve-your-end-to-end-tests-with-cypress-intercept-2c68156d9495

['Jonathan Thompson']

2021-03-08 17:27:37.135000+00:00

['JavaScript', 'Programming', 'Cypress', 'Testing', 'Tdd']

[Video] Segmenting The Seven Kingdoms | Game of Thrones

This post was originally published on Hurree.co Market segmentation is a fundamental tool for any brands looking to see success in our digital world. Why? Because segmentation is the key to identifying users as individuals — Therefore allowing brands to create products, services, content and communications that are accurately targeted, personalized and valuable to consumers. But what about in a world where nothing is digital, and everything is fantasy? To put the significance of market segmentation into perspective, we’ve decided to segment the seven kingdoms. That’s right. It’s Game of Thrones. We’ve taken seven noble families from the lands of Westeros to identify and analyze their unique traits and characteristics. We have identified the demographic, geographic, psychographic and behavioral information from these 7 great Game of Thrones houses, to exemplify the importance of creating authentic and relevant market personas. So, here are our significant subjects: House Stark House Martell House Lannister House Arryn House Baratheon House Tyrell House Greyjoy The dominant characteristics of these families are what define and segment them; their culture, their values, their geographic location, their politics, climate, relationships, wealth, the list goes on. Segmenting the 7 Kingdoms of Westeros based on their characterizing features demonstrates how market segmentation works in the real world. The importance of identifying and utilizing the intricacies of individuals and market segments is undeniable when creating on-point personas for your genuine users.

https://medium.com/@hurree/video-segmenting-the-seven-kingdoms-game-of-thrones-5ca1b7b391b1

[]

2019-06-17 14:23:50.127000+00:00

['Market Segmentation', 'Game of Thrones', 'Marketing Strategy', 'Marketing', 'Digital Marketing']

[Logo inspiration] Examples of Good, Bad, and Ugly Logos

A logo is more than just a pretty design. It is the main symbol of your brand. Your logo should translate your brand identity and differentiate you from the competition. The last thing you want is for the logo to send the wrong message to the public. A misinterpreted, or poorly designed logo could easily ruin your reputation. We have made a selection of 10 cleverly designed logos and 10 logo designs gone wrong. We will also share 5 principles of great logo design, so your logo never ends up in the “gone wrong” selection. The good 1. Heineken Notice any differences between the two Heineken logos? The second one feels kind of off, doesn’t it? That’s because it’s an earlier version of the famous Heineken logo. Heineken redesigned the logo by changing the letter font and rotating E letters, making it seem like they’re smiling. Interestingly enough, when Google altered their logo design, they also rotated letter E in the same way: 2. Fedex Fedex found a clever way to communicate the core of their business by adding an arrow between the E and the X. The arrow symbolizes the motion of goods being shipped from point A to point B. 3. Tour de France Tour the France subtly incorporated a cyclist in their logo. Letter O, letter U and the orange circle are part of a bicycle, while letter R is shaped like a cyclist. Also, doesn’t the orange circle remind you of warm and sunny France in the summertime? 4. Amazon With an arrow going from A to Z, Amazon highlights their great assortment. Afterall, they sell everything from A to Z. The arrow is shaped like a smile, associating the brand with positive emotions. The arrow also represents the movement of goods from the warehouse to your doorstep. 5. My Indian Closet My Indian Closet is a great example of a simple logo design that manages to communicate the core of the business as well as its cultural heritage. 6. NBC NBC’s multi-color peacock dates back to the 50’s when NBC wanted to highlight the network’s color programming. Peacock stands for NBC’s pride (“proud as a peacock”) and the 6 colors represent the 6 divisions of NBC. The peacock is facing right, indicating that the company is future-centric. 7. Chad 2010 The logo represents a charity mission to the Republic of Chad, a country in north-central Africa. The main goal of the mission was to promote education and buy books for local schools. The logo cleverly incorporates the core elements of the mission, namely the African continent, a child’s face and books. 8. Toblerone Toblerone’s logo pays a tribute to the confectionery’s birthplace, Bern. If you look closely, you will see a bear in the mountain. The bear has been the symbol of Bern since the 13th century and it is also incorporated in the city’s coat of arms. 9. ED Elettro Domestic, translated as electrical appliances, makes great use of negative space to spell out ED in the shape of an electric plug. 10. Yoga Australia Notice how the white space formed by the hand and the leg is shaped like Australia. The bad and the Ugly 1. Megaflicks You had to look twice, didn’t you? Megaflicks didn’t leave much space between the L and the I, making it look like a curse word we all know. 2. Archdiocesan Youth Commission Following some very public scandals involving catholic priests and minors, this logo definitely doesn’t help shake off the nasty stereotype. 3. Safe Place Does this logo make you feel safe? Safe Place opted for colors often used in warning signs making it look anything but safe. 4. Office of Government Commerce According to the Office of Government Commerce, the logo was meant to signify their commitment to “improve value for money by driving up standards and capability in procurement”. However, when rotated 90 degrees, the logo resembles a person giving the middle finger. 5. Institudo de Estudos Orientas This center for oriental studies intended to portray an oriental house with a rising sun behind it. Are dirty minds to blame, or does the logo really scream something else entirely? 6. Arlington Pediatric Center Would you feel comfortable bringing your kids to this pediatric center. Similarly to Archdiocesan Youth Commission, Arlington Pediatric Center did not thoroughly think through the positioning of the child in their logo. 7. Mama’s Baking Get the fire extinguisher! This mama is on fire. We are not sure what’s baking in this kitchen. 8. The Computer Doctors It’s hard to believe that whoever designed this logo intended for the letter U to look like a computer mouse. 9. Junior Dance Class At first glance, the logo appears to be completely innocent. However, once you notice a body part (or 2), you will have a hard time unseeing it. 10. Resident Evil 6 Is it just the number 6, or do you see a giraffe and a person? Even the game producer Capcom acknowledged later on that the Resident Evil 6 logo looks like a giraffe. The 5 principles of great logo design 1. Simple A recognizable logo is simple in design and does not confuse the audience. Over-complicated logo designs are not easy to remember which brings us to the next point… 2. Memorable In today’s world, people are constantly confronted with information. An average person sees anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements a day! How do you make your brand stand out amongst other brands? Sharp colors, unique graphics and consistency are key. 3. Timeless Fashion comes and goes. Today’s trends will be replaced by tomorrow’s trends. Keep this in mind when designing your logo. Will it stand the test of time? 4. Multi-purposeful Your logo will be used on your website, social media, business cards, marketing materials etc. It should be effective in any size and format. When designing your logo, imagine what it would look like printed on different materials, surfaces, in different formats and what it would look like when viewed on big screens or mobile devices. 5. Unambiguous Keep in mind our “gone wrong” logo selection. Do not leave room for inappropriate ambiguity when designing your logo. Protecting your brand identity and ensuring brand consistency across all channels isn’t easy. At Lytho, we offer an easy solution that enables you to manage, store, create and share your digital assets in accordance with your brand identity. Ensure brand consistency Speak to one of our consultants to learn more about Lytho. BOOK A DEMO PREVIOUS STORY ← Image file formats: When to use which format NEXT STORY 5 breathtaking Brand Style Guide examples to inspire you →

https://medium.com/marketing-and-branding/logo-inspiration-examples-of-good-bad-and-ugly-logos-6d255fd4861e

['Raul Tiru']

2020-12-17 15:46:57.921000+00:00

['Brands', 'Logo', 'Branding', 'Logo Design', 'Brand Strategy']

Digital Journal. Conversion research. (part11)& addon — Google Analytics Health Check.

Mouse tracking and what is that all about? Ring model. As the name implies — track mouse movements and clicks on a website. It can be used for various purposes, but those most common are: -where people click and where they don’t (click maps), -how far down they scroll on any given page (scroll maps) where people click There are also heat maps — but there is no correlation where people click and look. No useful correlation between eye movements and mouse movements — apart from the obvious looking at where you are about to click. One needs to gather a large enough sample size for each page the heat maps are generated for. Aim should be data of 2000, or even 5000 visitors per page analyzed and not lower than 300 (otherwise the margin of error is too big). Most tools offer you three options: § Attention heat maps (generated by algorithm based on mouse cursor movements), § click maps that show the aggregated click activity on the page § scroll maps (how far down people scroll) Let me explain each: click maps are useful to see click distribution and if CTA gets more clicks than the rest of the page. Attention heat maps are interesting, but…always generated by an algorithm — so this is somebody’s interpretation. Take the results with a grain of salt. For most tools attention heat map and click heat map look similar. Scroll maps — it’s a fact that the longer the page, the fewer people reach the end. User recordings are vital for conversion optimizers — you can see actual users interact with your site. They fill in missing links for insight, help you understand how actual users use your forms, check out, and the issues they face. Allocate yourself a day (or at least half a day) to watch these videos where people proceed through the site, its well worth it to understand usage patterns and problems they run into. Pro tip: The best tools let you segment the data by browser, visitor type, behavior, errors. Use this to understand the differences between different segments — mobile vs desktop users, new vs returning, etc. There are tools on the market that generate “instant” heat maps based on some algorithms. These are machines predicting stuff, and the information is NOT based on your actual users. The “instant” part of these tools is attractive but always bear in mind that websites are contextual, and your buyers are not machines. Tools that can be used: Hotjar (all around winner for SMEs) SessionCam (enterprise) Clicktale (great, but expensive) Inspectlet (I liked it at first, but then started to doubt the accuracy of their data) CrazyEgg (not really good value for money compared to other tools, lacks user session videos) Mouseflow Ghostrec Ring Model is a quick and effective way to identify where your biggest leaks are. The model is developed by Craig Sullivan and it looks at the ‘layers’ or ‘levels’ reached. It focuses on depth of engagement, not pages viewed. Ring Model It’s similar to a funnel as it helps you see the key loss steps. In true nature, the model helps one to see where the flow is stuck. Or where traffic is not “converting” into the next level. It helps you see layers of a webpage that needs the most help. The author suggested to use a standard Google Analytics report for constructing it: Behavior -> Site Content -> All pages. Then do it with this is two-fold: Map out traffic flow per layer of the site (and see where the flow is stuck) Verify whether the goal funnel has been configured properly Here’s the flow: 1. Start with a manual walkthrough of the site to map out the URL structure. 2. Count the unique pageviews per layer. 3. Check the numbers against what you see in Conversions -> Goals -> Funnel Visualization.

https://medium.com/@emunjakovic/digital-journal-conversion-research-part11-addon-google-analytics-health-check-aa5e57976b45

['Elvir Munjakovic']

2020-12-13 20:04:07.664000+00:00

['Marketing Strategies', 'Cxl Institute', 'Cxl Minidegree', 'Growth Hacking']

How Writing A Story can help your Child connect to the person they want to be

How Writing A Story can help your Child connect to the person they want to be As a parent, you want nothing more than to see your child or children know themselves. Whether this is when they are alone, in school, with friends or with peers, I know you want your child to have the choice to be comfortable with the kind of person they want to be, and rightfully so. Continuing to help your child build character is important. The subject of a child connecting or reconnecting with the kind of person they are can seem simple and may accidentally get taken for granted, but it carries more weight than you might realize, and is a topic that you are wise not to ignore. You already know that in many instances, it can be a challenge for your child to be the person they want to be on their own. Especially when they are surrounded by peers whose personalities aren’t the same as your child’s. So, what can you do? Here’s a suggestion. You could have your child write a story where they are the hero because they make their own choices. For example, your child could write a scenario where peers tried to force them to make the same choice. Instead, they decided to make the choice that mirrors the outcome they want to see happen in real life. Afterwards, you could have them elaborate on how they felt about making the choices they wrote about. Writing a story can be a fun activity. I’m sure what they come up with will amaze the both of you. After all, children are budding with creative and imaginative ideas and are always excited to share them. The interest they have in a story is different for every child of course. Whether it be the fact that they can immerse themselves in the characters or write about the way they want to continue to see themselves, but in this case, they could write a story to help them get a glimpse of the type of person they want to become. It can be difficult for a child to open up and talk about the burden of negative influences, so they may try and continue to deal with it internally which could keep them falling victim to an insensible stress they don’t have to endure. When your child opens up to you, they want to be heard. One thing I learned as a parent is that when you listen to your child it can help them continue to open up and help you be on the same page with them (no pun intended), which is what you both want to happen. A child loves it when their parent or parents listen, hears them out and offers encouragement. I’ve also learned that when a child receives encouragement it helps them flourish when it comes to being the person they want to be, and can help in other areas they may struggle with. Having them work on an activity like this, while they’re at home and away from distractions and the negative influences of peers, can allow them much-needed time to re-focus on how important it is to be their own person and remember to put making their own choices first. Writing a story can be a perfect motivator too. It can give your child a chance to see themselves in control of who they want to be, which can help them continue to silence peer pressure attempting to constantly sway them away from the person they want to be. As with any story, there can be an important lesson to learn. One lesson can be for your child to remember that much like the hero of their story, every time they are faced with making a choice that isn’t the one they want to make, they can remember to think for themselves. This lesson can be an effective way for them to continue to gain a clear picture of who they want to be. Here is how the story can help further. You can encourage your child to implement the strategies they used in the story into real-life scenarios that they face so they can begin to make the choices they want to make, the same way they are doing so in their story. This strategy can make a big difference between making the choices they want to make instead of enduring continuous pressure to make a choice different from the one they do not want to make. Give the activity a try- have them write a story. It is worth the effort for your child to move towards the direction of becoming the person they choose to be.

https://medium.com/@robinwriter/how-writing-a-story-can-help-your-child-connect-to-the-person-they-want-to-be-905b7aee6c8c

['Robin Johnson']

2020-12-18 03:13:47.030000+00:00

['Character Development', 'Creative', 'Life Lessons', 'Kids Activities', 'Parenting']

Here’s Where I Stand on Capital Punishment

Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that the Federal Bureau of Prisons will resume federal capital punishment after nearly two decades. This is tragic. The administration’s decision to resume the death penalty is both misguided and immoral. As a career law enforcement official, I have long opposed the death penalty because it is discriminatory, irreversible, ineffective, and a gross misuse of taxpayer dollars. I’ve opposed the death penalty throughout my career. Our justice system is supposed to treat all equally, but the death penalty has been proven to be unequally applied. Black and Latino defendants are far more likely to be executed than their white counterparts. And poor defendants are far more likely to enter death row than those who can afford strong representation. Your race or your bank account should not determine your sentence. The death penalty is also a waste of taxpayer money — money that could be invested in schools, health care, and restorative justice programs. And in America, the death penalty has been imposed as a final punishment on many who were later found to be innocent. Between 1973 and 2016, for every ten people executed, more than one person has been exonerated. Killing even one innocent person is too many. There must be swift and serious consequences for those who murder another human being, but the death penalty will not make our country safer. The administration must reverse course immediately.

https://medium.com/@SenKamalaHarris/heres-where-i-stand-on-capital-punishment-50a76456fac4

['Kamala Harris']

2019-07-28 23:16:08.695000+00:00

['Justice', 'Trump Administration', 'Death Penalty', 'Kamala Harris', 'Criminal Justice']

Scientist with the very best job ever research laughter of infants, says it is all ‘in regards to the eye contact’

Scientist with the very best job ever research laughter of infants, says it is all ‘in regards to the eye contact’ Bradley William Nov 26, 2021·3 min read Though Addyman’s work made headlines in 2020, it’s gone viral lately-perhaps we’re all desperately in want of one thing to smile about. “The inspiration of all the things we change into is laid within the womb and people frenetic first two years. I used to be within the origins of language, thought, intelligence, and consciousness. These had been all very massive and tough subjects, so it appeared sensible to begin with child steps,” Addyman told Psychology Today. By way of a variety of observations from mother and father-about 1,500 moms and dads from 62 international locations throughout the globe, together with the Philippines, Zambia, Uruguay, and Australia-Addyman discovered that there are a couple of common issues that each one infants discover hilarious. Peekaboo will get ’em each time, Addyman says. It is a trick that infants universally get pleasure from. In accordance with Addyman, infants don’t have any sense of time or object permanence, so when mother or dad goes away after which-someway! magically!-returns, the shock is surprisingly humorous. “In comparison with different video games, equivalent to making humorous noises or utilizing puppets, peekaboo, Addyman explains, is “pure social interplay-it truly is in regards to the eye contact and the reference to the newborn,” Addyman said in an interview with Ted. “You come again into eye contact with them, and the very fact you’re protecting the sport going is pleasant and causes them to giggle.” The laughter is a reward for the eye. “They’re having a dialog with you,” he provides. Infants beloved to be tickled, however solely within the context of household, and largely mother or dad. “An enormous unusual man with a beard coming as much as you wouldn’t be nice,” as a result of tickling solely works “with somebody that the newborn is aware of very nicely,” Addyman tells Ted. Associated to grooming, tickling has its roots in being a mammal. Infants giggle extra in teams, notably with their friends. Youngsters laughed eight instances as a lot after they had been with one other youngster than after they watched the cartoon on their very own-although the research discovered that the cartoon was simply as humorous in each conditions. “The primary purpose they’re laughing is to speak that they discover this humorous,” Addyman informed Ted. Addyman says infants giggle with all folks, and “grownup consideration,” or “human connection” is the important thing to what they discover humorous. Addyman says adults don’t enable themselves to giggle practically as a lot as they need to. In an effort to do this, he says we should be extra like infants. We should be within the second. “Infants giggle greater than us as a result of they take the time to go searching,” he says. In 2016, Addyman, and his Birkbeck Babylab colleagues Sinead Rocha and Rosy Edey labored with acclaimed kids’s theatre director Sarah Argent to create a theatrical expertise to get a younger viewers wiggling and guffawing. The 45-minute efficiency was designed for kids 6- to 18-months outdated. “What was so thrilling about this undertaking was that, whereas as makers of child theatre we’re well-versed in shut and detailed commentary of infants whereas they’re observing rehearsals or performances, the extent of scientific readability with which our scientists might describe the infants’ responses and analyze why the infants’ had been responding in a selected approach at their explicit age took issues to a deeper stage,” Argent told the Goldsmiths University of London.

https://medium.com/@bradleyw129/scientist-with-the-very-best-job-ever-research-laughter-of-infants-says-it-is-all-in-regards-to-a8f14f58b2af

['Bradley William']

2021-11-26 02:34:26.372000+00:00

['Jobs', 'Scientist', 'Infant', 'Headlines', 'Viral']

Calling Products “Pro-Aging” Doesn’t Change Their Message That Aging Is Bad

While “anti-aging” has become more taboo as a term, it’s become more visible as a force for social stratification. The anti-aging industry downplays the role of genetics and lifestyle choices like diet and exercise in determining how quickly we age, though scientists suggest that physical aging is primarily determined by these factors. Based on genetics, who’s considered young-looking for their age is arbitrary. There’s a simple reason the industry ignores this: if they acknowledged it, they would have nothing to sell us. Instead, the industry claims their products can help anyone look younger — whether or not exercise, good genes, or other factors are accessible to them. Aging becomes about who can afford to stave it off. There’s also the fact that people with more resources have access to the more expensive (and presumably more effective) products and procedures. Aging becomes about who can afford to stave it off. But it’s not all just about actually looking younger. The anti-aging look itself—which is a separate thing from simply looking younger than your age—has also become a signifier of elevated status. Take Kim Kardashian—who, to me, looks 40 (her actual age). Her appearance doesn’t say, “I’m a college student;” instead, it says “I can afford for my skin to look like wax." You’ve probably encountered someone in your own life with the expensive anti-aging look: imagine a 50-something, upper-middle-class executive with dyed hair, skin inflated by injectables, foundation erasing every pore, teeth white like the reflective strips on traffic safety cones, and sinewy body made tight through yoga and pilates. She looks what people would consider “good for her age,” yet it’s clear she’s in her 50s. That look is a commodity. She’s signaling that she has the time and resources to battle age. No matter if that battle has left her looking like “a purse that melted in a car accident” (thank you, Amy Schumer). In contrast, a 40-something elementary school teacher who’s raising her family on a single income and spends her extra dollars on school supplies rather than skin products would find the products and procedures required to achieve this look are out of reach. Instead, she wears the wrinkles, grey hair, and extra weight of someone who people might assume can’t afford to do better. In reality, her priorities are elsewhere, as are those who do not have the means or headspace to worry about warding off age. There are those who walk the middle road — skincare routines with a mix of drugstore products and a few pricier items from Sephora, hair dyed at home and cut in an age-appropriate style at a reasonably-priced salon, sporadic exercise routines, and C+ diets. These flesh-and-blood women follow societal standards about what a middle-class woman of a certain age should look like — like she’s trying, but not too hard. No matter what group we belong to, all of us are in a stalemate, as few people are willing to leave the battlefield. We all want to look good, which has become synonymous with looking young. We all wish society were accepting of aging, but who wants to make the first move? As Amanda Hess of the New York Times writes, “We nod and agree that we should embrace our wrinkles while quietly understanding that none of us, individually, want to be the one who actually looks old.” There are a few exceptions. I have friends who work in academia, engineering, and holistic healing — fields of the mind and spirit. They seem comfortable wearing their ages, perhaps because looking older in these environments is considered less detrimental. I’ve also found that for many people, the older they become, the less likely they are to cling to youth — probably because it seems more and more unattainable.

https://medium.com/atta-girl/calling-products-pro-aging-doesnt-change-their-message-that-aging-is-bad-ce73f8447351

['Shanna Loga']

2020-12-09 23:52:58.520000+00:00

['Midlife', 'Beauty', 'Media Criticism', 'Anti Aging', 'Self']

On Cruelty

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash Day by day it is very common to hear people saying that there is an increase of violence, but if we analyze history and world’s structure we can notice, as Achille Mbembe has said, that violence and necropolitics have always been present in our society, but they are taking to a more cruel level with the addition of the state of exception and state of siege, which can legitimate a huge number of violations and cruelty around the world. The death of George Floid, a black man that was brutally killed by a white cop, in the U.S.A. has brought up again the debate about racism and brutality in our society, the terrible images of him being suffocated until death became very popularised with his last sentence “I can’t breath”, which was used in a large number of protests, not only in the U.S., but around the world. Worldwide, cruelty and violence are always present in the daily routine, mainly of people who are historically stigmatized, as etinics minorities, poor people, black people, indigenous people, people who live in favelas and peripheral zones, etc. They not only suffer from acts of violence but also from the process of legitimation of violence and abuses against them, and from the implementation of necropolitics in governments and the acceptance of this for the society, which can cause the subordination of these groups. Besides that it is totally necessary to raise the debate on the banalization of brutality and the spectacularization of barbary. Some months ago I was at my doctor’s office and there was a television on and people were watching, glazed by all that information of prisons, murders, shootings, etc — important note: it was only 7 a.m. and I felt as if that was their breakfast. Televisions, newspapers, videos, etc are notifying violence, violence and more violence, and people consume that as if it was normal, without asking themselves “ok, so why’s that happening?”. All this seeming apathy can be strongly prejudicial and bring irreparable losses, lives lost — as we have seen that people recorded the facts but didn’t do anything to interrupt the actions, resulting in death. In the book Necropolitics, Achille Mbembe centralizes his work on the discussion of how states and governments have a decision power — be it direct or subtle — to interfere not only in life, but especially in the death of individuals. Through what he defines as sovereignty, many governments and groups decide who can live and who should die, hence generating a policy of discarding so-called not so important or even socially undesirable segments. Thus, he invites us to reflect in which ways state’s racism can create death politics and has the legitimacy to implement measures that discard lives daily. In conclusion, I believe that only when we admit and face the problem of structural racism in our society and institutions, will we somehow be prepared to take a next step in fighting racism. As long as we remain ignorant about the fact that racism shapes all social relations and spheres, and about how we need not only to decolonize physical places, but also to decolonize minds, we are not going to make any consistent and significant improvement in this scenario.

https://medium.com/@alicemariadsg/on-cruelty-1e58565fac20

['Alice Maria Gomes']

2020-12-17 21:27:20.527000+00:00

['Necropolitics', 'Racism', 'Violence']

About Me – Sarah Meier on Medium

Where I’m headed Who knows. In this world of too many options, life isn’t easier; it’s harder. How the f*** are we supposed to find Robert Frost’s road not taken or less travelled by in this chaos? Tbh, as far as I’m concerned — mainstream road or not — I will take whatever road feels right for me. In this very moment, writing on here and being myself seems to working out just fine. On a platform that’s pretty competitive and already saturated with SEO experts and blogging gurus, I just want to stay true to myself. I don’t want to write for the sake of writing. If I write weekly, it’s not to adhere to blogging recommendations on posting consistently to gain a following; it’s so I can find my flow. So far, my most used story tags are ‘Mental Health’ ‘Self Love’, ‘Self Care’, ‘Self Improvement’, ‘Self Help’, ‘Confidence’, and I’d say these are fair indicators of what’s to come in terms of my content. Confidence is something about which I’m particularly keen to write, so perlease stay tuned for such articles. Why did I opt for watercolour-style images in my stories? At first, I thought I chose the surreal colour pallet because it let me crucially and momentarily escape reality. Something I’ve wanted to do at several low points I’ve had this year. But actually, with this vibrancy and abstraction, I weirdly feel more present. Less passive. More inspired. More engaged. There’s nothing fictitious about my writing, but why not infuse reality with energy, imagination and fantasy. It can’t hurt, right?

https://medium.com/about-me-stories/about-me-sarah-meier-on-medium-2bcd4810a506

['Sarah Meier']

2020-12-25 04:33:38.793000+00:00

['Introduction', 'About Me', 'Blogging', 'Confidence', 'Writing']

Spaulding vs Winnacunnet | New Hampshire High School Football Live Stream 12/25/2020

Spaulding vs Winnacunnet | New Hampshire High School Football Live Stream 12/25/2020 Caringinjaya ·Dec 25, 2020 Spaulding vs Winnacunnet | New Hampshire High School Football Live Stream 12/25/2020 Watch Here Live: http://syehkhambali.sportfb.com/hsfootball.php Red Raiders S 1–3 Warriors 6–3 The Winnacunnet (Hampton, NH) varsity football team has a home conference game vs. Spaulding (Rochester, NH) on Friday, December 25 @ 3p. Game Details: Winnacunnett HS

https://medium.com/@caringinjaya4/spaulding-vs-winnacunnet-new-hampshire-high-school-football-live-stream-12-25-2020-4d85cca52a1f

[]

2020-12-25 12:38:38.346000+00:00

['American', 'New Hampshire', 'American Dream', 'American Football', 'American History']

If They Ask You

If They Ask You It’s okay to lock up about some things. We’ll say this plainly, it’s the time of the year when scams go viral and people get swindled. But that’s not going to be you because you’re careful and you pay attention. We previously sent you some red flags and pointers to look out for, but criminals are clever and you must stay several steps ahead of them. This is a reminder. If anyone asks you for any or all of these details, they’re up to something: 1. Your Kuda login details. That’s your password and your login PIN. These two, like everything else we’re about to mention here, are for you to know and for everyone else to be clueless about. 2. Your card PIN and CVV. Your CVV is the three-digit code on the back of your card. This and the PIN you use to authorise your card transactions at ATMs, on POS terminals and online are not for sharing. Keep the bad guys guessing… forever. And if your PIN is 1234, 0000, 1111 or any other repetition of a single number, please change it to something more random now. 3. Your Pay ID. Your Pay ID is a number you generate on your Kuda app to pay on websites that have a ‘Pay With Bank’ option. It allows you to pay online from your Kuda account without using a Kuda Card. Your Pay ID gives a website permission to debit your account of the amount you want to pay. No one other than you should ever have your Pay ID, for any reason whatsoever. Don’t risk it. Please, remember that none of us at Kuda will ever ask you for any of the details we just mentioned. If they ask you, they’re not our staff, agent or representative. They are your enemy and a potential scammer. Don’t respond. Other Important Things To Remember There is only one Kuda Microfinance Bank and these are our official accounts: Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can reach us through any of those accounts but we prefer that you text us on the app or send a message to help@kudabank.com. These are much safer than social media. Not your Kuda, not your friend. Also, never post your bank account number, the email address linked to your bank account or other personal information publicly on the internet. Please. It’s been a ridiculously stressful year, let’s do our best to end it safely. Take care. 💜

https://medium.com/@kudabank/if-they-ask-you-3c97d265c2c4

[]

2020-12-11 16:48:59.305000+00:00

['Money', 'Nigeria', 'Security', 'Banking', 'Finance']

Test design techniques for productive testing.

Photo by Alesia Kazantceva Test design is the process of transforming general testing objectives into tangible test conditions and test cases. The test designer should build a process for testing all the most important parts of the software product, using the minimum possible number of checks. In small teams, the work of a test designer often falls on the shoulders of an ordinary tester. in large companies, the functions of testing and test design are usually clearly divided between specialists. As a result, the testing chain looks like this: the test analyst analyzes the product, breaks it down into its component parts, prioritizes testing, and creates a logical map of the application; the test designer starts developing tests based on the information received from the analyst; the tester performs direct testing based on ready-made test cases. Test design techniques: Equivalence Class Testing. Test data is divided into certain classes of acceptable values. Within each class, running a test with any value of the test data results in an equivalent result. After defining classes, you must run at least one test in each class. Let’s demonstrate this with a concrete example. Let’s imagine that we are testing a module for HR that determines whether a candidate can be hired depending on their age. The following selection conditions are set: if you are between 0 and 16 years old, do not hire; if you are between the ages of 16 and 18 — you can only hire part-time; if you are between the ages of 18 and 55 — you can hire for full time; if you are between the ages of 55 and 99 — do not hire. Is it worth checking each value? It seems more reasonable to test the range of each condition. This leaves us with only 4 positive test cases instead of the original 100 (0–99), for example: 10 — don’t hire; 17-hire part-time; 40-hire full-time; 80 — do not hire. Boundary Value Testing. This technique is based on the fact that one of the weakest points of any software product is the area of boundary values. To begin with, you select ranges of values — usually equivalence classes. Then the range boundaries are defined. On each of the borders created 3 test cases: the first checks the value of the border, the second value is below the third value above the border. Let’s return to the example we considered in the technique of equivalence classes: if you are between 0 and 16 years old, do not hire; if you are between the ages of 16 and 18 — you can only hire part-time; if you are between the ages of 18 and 55 — you can hire for full time; if you are between the ages of 55 and 99 — do not hire. Let’s imagine that the corresponding code looks like this: If (applicantAge >= 0 && applicantAge <=16) hireStatus="NO"; If (applicantAge >= 16 && applicantAge <=17) hireStatus="PART"; If (applicantAge >= 18 && applicantAge <=54) hireStatus="FULL"; If (applicantAge >= 55 && applicantAge <=99) hireStatus="NO"; When you first evaluate the boundaries of the requirements ranges, you immediately see an error — the ranges overlap or overlap. In fact, the condition should be written differently: if you are between 0 and 15 years old, do not hire; if you are between the ages of 16 and 17 — you can only hire part-time; if you are between the ages of 18 and 54 — you can hire for full time; if you are between the ages of 55 and 99 — do not hire. If (applicantAge >= 0 && applicantAge <=15) hireStatus="NO"; If (applicantAge >= 16 && applicantAge <=17) hireStatus="PART"; If (applicantAge >= 18 && applicantAge <=54) hireStatus="FULL"; If (applicantAge >= 55 && applicantAge <=99) hireStatus="NO"; Thus, the set of values for which the tests will be compiled will look like this: {-1, 0, 1}, {15, 16, 17}, {17, 18, 19}, {54, 55, 56}, {98, 99, 100} Decision Table Testing. Solution tables are a convenient tool for capturing requirements and describing the functionality of an application. Tables are very convenient for describing the business logic of an application, and they can serve as an excellent basis for creating test cases. Decision tables describe the application logic based on the system conditions that characterize its States. Each table should describe one state of the system. The solution table template is as follows: State-Transition Testing. The system switches to one or another state depending on what operations are performed on it. For clarity, let’s take a classic example of buying tickets: State (represented as a circle on the diagram) is the state of the application where it is waiting for one or more events. The state remembers the input data received before and shows how the application will respond to the received events. Events can cause a state change and/or trigger actions. (represented as a circle on the diagram) is the state of the application where it is waiting for one or more events. The state remembers the input data received before and shows how the application will respond to the received events. Events can cause a state change and/or trigger actions. A transition (represented as an arrow on the diagram) is a transformation from one state to another that occurs during an event. (represented as an arrow on the diagram) is a transformation from one state to another that occurs during an event. An event (represented by a label above the arrow) is something that causes the app to change its state. Events can be received from outside the application, via the interface of the application itself. The application itself can also generate events (for example, the “timer expired” event). When an event occurs, the application can change (or not change) the state and perform (or not perform) the action. Events can have parameters (for example, the “payMoney”, “print/Ticket”). (represented by a label above the arrow) is something that causes the app to change its state. Events can be received from outside the application, via the interface of the application itself. The application itself can also generate events (for example, the “timer expired” event). When an event occurs, the application can change (or not change) the state and perform (or not perform) the action. Events can have parameters (for example, the “payMoney”, “print/Ticket”). The action (action, represented after “ / “ in the label above the transition) is initiated by changing the state (“print ticket”). Usually, actions create something that is the output/return data of the system. Actions occur during transitions, and States themselves are passive. (action, represented after “ / “ in the label above the transition) is initiated by changing the state (“print ticket”). Usually, actions create something that is the output/return data of the system. Actions occur during transitions, and States themselves are passive. The entry point is indicated by a black circle. Pairwise testing. The pair testing method is based on the following idea: the vast majority of bugs are detected by a test that checks either one parameter or a combination of two. Errors caused by combinations of three or more parameters are usually much less critical. Let’s say that we have a system that depends on several input parameters. Yes, we can check all possible combinations of these parameters. But even for the case when each of the 10 parameters has only two values (On/Off), we get 210 = 1024 combinations! Using the method of pair testing, we do not test all possible combinations of input parameters but create test sets so that each parameter value is combined at least once with each value of the other tested parameters. Thus, the method significantly reduces the number of tests, and hence the testing time. But the highlight of the method is not to go through all possible pairs of parameters, but to choose pairs that provide the most effective verification with the minimum number of tests performed. Exploratory testing. Exploratory testing is an approach to software testing that is often described as simultaneous learning, test design, and execution. It focuses on the discovery and relies on the guidance of the individual tester to uncover defects that are not easily covered in the scope of other tests. As the well-known definition says, programming is thinking, not typing. So why do we need test designers? Why spend time on analysis and design if you can use it to perform a lot of additional checks? The examples above show that using design can significantly reduce the number of tests, as well as focus on the most vulnerable and important parts of the functionality. What is the point of full test coverage of the authorization form if the payment mechanism for the product in the online store does not work correctly? After all, while the tester checks 100 values with 100 tests, the test designer will figure out how to check 1000 values in 10 tests. Thus, the effort spent on test design will pay off with the quality of test execution. Gain Access to Expert View — Subscribe to DDI Intel

https://medium.com/datadriveninvestor/test-design-techniques-for-productive-testing-764c8f6e01a7

['Anton Smirnov']

2020-12-03 16:09:37.714000+00:00

['Tips And Tricks', 'Testing', 'Manual Testing', 'Test Design Technique']

You Are Responsible For Your Trades

Throughout history and time, there’s always been the dilemma of responsibility and blame — issues of free will and predestination, issues regarding forceable labor and slavery, and issues of war. Personal choices are no different. Nearly everyone takes risks in their lives regarding major decisions like education choices to minor ones like flavors of ice cream. Financial investments include this and particularly in this article — the issue of responsibility in making trades and investments with cryptocurrency. There seems to be a going trend and the misunderstanding of application in people providing content, educational tools, and even plausible opportunities in crypto space and placing blame on them when trades go bad. More recently, some on Crypto Twitter have been accused of getting some people “rekt” for following their trades. Many can understand the heartbreak of a bad trade, but the idea of this is both false and futile. False, because it’s simply not true — the only one responsible for your trades is yourself. And futile — because if you always place blame for your trades on others, then you’ll never learn the blessing of personal responsibility and risk management. This article will go over how you and you alone are responsible for your trades, no matter how much information you get from others. This will cover the reasons why this is the case along with my own personal story of placing blame that really held me back from successful trading. My Story When I first starting trading, I did an absolute no no — we were hurting financially and wanted to gain more money. We invested a small amount of money in Litecoin, which wasn’t necessarily bad in and of itself. What was bad about it was the source of where we received the funds. We used our emergency money to make the investment (don’t ever do this). By God’s grace in my stupidity, it worked out in our favor and removed our emergency funds from that kind of risk. During Christmas, instead of giving gifts to myself and my wife, we gave ourselves small investments for crypto. I was silly and didn’t know much, and often listened to Crypto Rand and others for my own personal decisions. But I didn’t treat them that way. If I traded from someone’s information on Twitter and made a profit, I was happy. I did this quite often for a month and was decently successful in my stupidity. But one time I took a trade based on a very famous Crypto Twitter personally (which I will remain anonymous) and I held it for a long time. It retraced nearly 90% and lost basically all my investment. I dusted it since then out of angst and to get it out-of-sight, out-of-mind. But that was wrong of me and have since made ammends with it. For two months, I secretly despised the CT personality (even though I never had talked to them or knew I existed). But the kicker here is that the trade was my fault and my responsibility. I lost my money. It was me. We Are Not Forced To Trade From the beginning of our involvement in crypto, we are fully responsible for everything. Adding fiat from our pockets or sources of income and converting it to a wallet or exchange, we are not focused by someone else to do this. We are often deluded by the motivation for more money or greed, or more neutral and plausibility good motivations like opportunity. But we are not forced to feel that way and not coerced from other people to create an account and create buy/sell orders and look up Twitter charts. That situation alone creates a wealth of evidence that your solely responsible for yourself. Even the philosophy behind crypto is to “be your own bank” which comes with the character of responsibility and independence. Influence Doesn’t Pardon Action But what about influence? It’s so easy to say we’re not forced to trade, but in the moment it feels so different and difficult. You’re having a bad trading month or lacking time to study the charts and you notice everyone on CT talking about a bull run for alts and taking about the same three coins. The peer pressure is real, even your paid group is saying to buy something. So if you take a trade everyone else is, how can that be your fault? Well it is. And that very same thing happened in April when everyone including a few bigger names on CT were making calls and got a lot of stuff wrong. But being influenced by peer pressure of the news of profit opportunities are still your fault because your actions are still your own. Enough research could have prevented you from making the trade and the fact that many talk about the same coin or trade could be the indication to counter trade. That’s exactly how people get caught buying or hodling at the top — because they feel good about the opportunities without assessing the risks. And also note that trades are never 100% accurate, that’s why risk management has things like stop losses, becuase bad trades happen to everyone, even the best. Everyone’s Situation Is Different Other than not being forced and still taking actions under influence led by our desires, one thing thats fluid is our situation. Someone else may be working with hundreds of thousands of dollars with trading, with no concerns about where their meals will come from (please don’t buy into the ramen memes), while someone else probably has no business trading at all if they can’t live off their next paycheck. We all trade differently, have different strategies, buy and sell targets, methods of operation, life balances, moral implications, etc. These are all additional behind the scenes elements that help differentiate ourselves in setting buying and selling targets. Even the exchanges we use have arbitrage to where one price will differ from one exchange to another. Making investments is a huge implication that has real money at stake and each person has a unique situation in regards to that. Responsibility For Trading is Good I want to swing this article around for the good because although I want to hammer down the concept of personal responsibility in trading, I also want to drive home how this is a wonderful thing. You ARE responsible for your trades. You CAN make the important decisions of taking an investment opportunity. Dealing with money is a massive issue. Areas of institutional involment of money have largely made things for the worse for people as individuals — student loans, job placements, living expenses and housing, healthcare and taking care of the elderly. But the great thing about crypto is the opportunity to be independent from centralized corruption. But with the aspect of decentralization, at least for now, requires the personal responsibility of doing things with our own choices we make. This is a good thing. Doing Your Own Research Is Important Placing blame also doesn’t help us solve anything, it just creates a scapegoat from what we’ve done so that we never face our responsibilies. And then we never learn to grow as people and we certainly never learn to improve from what happened. Regarding myself in following the famous CT personality, I made amends with it and studied hard to be a better trader. I’ve learned to grow in trading (and in a bear market no less) and but some of my education in statistics to good use. Once you get to that point, you can do the best thing possibly for yourself in trading — you can teach yourself to do your own research. And that’s far more valuable than any tweet about any coin. In the end, we still have an involvement in our trading and it’s not just from the profits. Thank you. Feel free to follow me or contact me on Twitter @hodltalk

https://medium.com/coinmonks/you-are-responsible-for-your-trades-dff2e2e483a3

['Crypto Otsukimi']

2018-07-26 10:09:26.864000+00:00

['Trading', 'Finance', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Bitcoin', 'Responsibility']

On “Humanitarian Intervention”

The addition of the descriptor “humanitarian” to any such war/intervention is possibly an even more dangerous rhetorical move since, as explained below, it degrades the very concept of humanitarianism. It is easy to see why warmongers have often wanted to describe their plans as “humanitarian”: it clothes their military campaigns in all the fuzzy feelings of the do-gooder. In one way or another, imperial and colonial powers have been doing just that for nearly 200 years. In the early days of the European empires, perhaps it was okay for the architects of their wars of expansion to describe their campaigns in purely selfish terms. “We’ll grab those crown jewels from the rulers of India!” “We’ll seize control of those lucrative trade routes!” “We’ll find great new acreage for our farmers to settle on and use!” But with the growth of literacy and the spread of newspapers, it became necessary to temper such displays of avarice and ascribe more noble goals to the continuing wars of expansion. Saving the “natives” of the targeted lands from some form of civilizational blight became a greater part of the empire-building rhetoric. And if the representations of that blight had to be exaggerated to some extent by the imperialists’ spokesmen and their allies in the national media, in order to strengthen the case for a “salvationist” imperial war-as happened very frequently-then so be it. (The counterpoint to that was always to downplay, or hide altogether wherever possible, any accounts of the much greater violence employed by the imperial armies and the much greater human suffering that they inflicted…) The specific use of the term “humanitarian” in Western discourse, when applied to an act of war, seems to have started with NATO’s 1999 war for Kosovo. As noted above, it was right around then that the term “intervention” became commonly used in place of war. Perhaps the rhetoricians who made that move realized that-due to the still-prevalent understandings about the nature and definition of “humanitarianism”-the term “humanitarian war” was just too much a contradiction in terms. I can state unequivocally, based on my personal experience, that there is no such thing as a “humanitarian war.” For six years, 1975 through 1981, I lived as a civilian and struggled to maintain our family’s household in war-torn Lebanon. Then, in the early 2000s, I did some in-depth research (including field research) into the legacies of earlier armed conflicts in three countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In every one of those conflicts, as in others around the world, it is the poorest and most vulnerable of the civilians trapped inside the war zone who suffer the worst losses and abuses. Organizations like the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Iraq Body Count, and Brown University’s “Costs of War” project all confirm that conclusion. Over the past 20 years, the increasing use of the term “humanitarian intervention” to mean military action has been accompanied by the efforts major Western governments have pursued to co-opt and distort the work of non-governmental organizations with previously long records of providing humanitarian aid on a relatively non-political basis. Two big U.S. examples of this are the New York-based International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Portland-based Mercy Corps. Both of these bodies have worked closely with the U.S. government on projects in Syria and elsewhere. In Syria, they have only ever provided relief services to people in areas controlled by the anti-Assad opposition. This politically discriminatory delivery of services runs directly counter to the core humanitarian-aid principles of impartiality and neutrality. (These and similar organizations, meanwhile, mounted broad, highly alarmist media campaigns that featured only the casualties in areas of Syria controlled by anti-Assad forces, while remaining mum on the also-high number of casualties suffered in the government-held areas that hold the majority of the country’s population. Those campaigns, coming from respected aid organizations, reinforced the perception among Western publics that the Syrian government and its allies are somehow uniquely evil, while Syria’s anti-government forces act only like Boy Scouts.) Both the IRC and Mercy Corps have taken considerable amounts of money from government sources in recent years. As reported in the IRC’s “Form 990” filing for 2016, $415.4 million (58%) of its $710.3 million income over the preceding year came from government grants, while for Mercy Corps, the corresponding proportion in its 2017 filing was 57% of its $308.2 million income. It seems plausible to conclude, therefore, that these organizations (and many smaller aid groups that acted in accordance with U.S. or UK political objectives in Syria) have also violated the core humanitarian principle of independence from the actions or policies of governments. This conclusion is strengthened when we learn that the Executive President of the IRC is David Milliband, a former British Foreign Secretary who was a long-time Blairite operative in 10 Downing Street, or that the former President of Mercy Corps, Nancy Lindborg, now heads the disturbingly hawkish, Congressionally-funded U.S. Institute of Peace. For his part, Milliband has a nice gig at the IRC, where in 2016 he pulled in a compensation package totaling $885,000. The use of the term “humanitarian intervention” for war and the co-optation and distortion of the work of aid organizations have, between them, had the further effect of decreasing the understanding among Western publics of principles of humanitarian action in times of war that had more than proven their worth over the preceding 140 years. Those principles were closely tied to the emergence and development since the 1860s of the international “Red Cross” movement (to whose British affiliate, in late 1950s, my classmates and I contributed our little knitted squares). Almost since its inception, the Red Cross movement has had two parts, both dedicated to upholding the same core principles. One part is the globe-spanning International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, made up of affiliated national-level societies that pursue their humanitarian work in many different contexts, mostly relating to natural disasters, not war. The other wing of the movement is the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which focuses more tightly on the challenges of humanitarian action in times of war. The ICRC has long worked with national governments, international organizations, and civil society to develop principles that ensure that wars, when fought, inflict as little damage on combatants and noncombatants as possible. In times of conflict, it works with all those parties and the national Red Cross/Crescent societies to try to implement those principles. One of the best-known achievements of the ICRC is the set of four Geneva Conventions it midwifed in 1949. These treaties, to which nearly all the world’s governments have acceded, lay out the rules for how armed forces must treat wounded or detained prisoners-of-war and how they must treat civilian residents of “foreign” areas that fall under their control in the course of any battle. Other ICRC-midwifed treaties dictate what kinds of weapons can be used in warfare and also, crucially, how they can be used. All these fundamental principles of humanitarian action in time of war put clear constraints on how warfare can be waged-precisely because their authors recognized that in and of itself warfare is profoundly inimical to human life and wellbeing. Hence the deep contradiction of the idea of any “humanitarian war.” It is time, therefore, to lay aside all the weasel-words and euphemisms that members of Western political elites have used in recent year to mask the realities of the nature of war. Military action is not just an “intervention.” In many circumstances, it is an act of war, and it should be recognized as such. And military action can never, in itself, be described as “humanitarian.” As General Sherman recognized, war is indeed hell.

https://hcobban.medium.com/on-humanitarian-intervention-b4ea3eb183c6

['Helena Cobban']

2019-08-09 14:27:27.036000+00:00

['Red Cross', 'Propaganda', 'World', 'War', 'Humanitarianism']

Artificial Intelligence in Email Marketing — The Possibilities!

Artificial Intelligence in Email Marketing — The Possibilities! Email Marketing has been around since forever. There are plenty of articles any of us can read on Google about Email Marketing. Why is email marketing important? How to Master Email Marketing — and so on. The game-changer now is Artificial Intelligence in Email Marketing. Here is how artificial intelligence in email marketing can up your game. Yes, you heard it right. Artificial Intelligence is slowly but surely taking over our Email Marketing efforts. Brands and businesses that are not aligning themselves with Artificial Intelligence in their Email Marketing campaigns have been left behind. And rightfully so. In a world when everything is evolving, why should Email Marketing be any different? Around 80% of Business professionals strongly believe that Email Marketing is needed for stronger customer retention. Anything to further enhance its power is a no brainer people will jump on it. Let’s dive right in and see how you can leverage Artificial Intelligence for your Email Marketing efforts. What is Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence is a bundle of many different native technologies like Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Computer Vision, etc. The bottom line is that all of these technologies combine. The combination of technologies helps machines (programs) perform certain cognitive tasks to the level at which humans perform them. Sometimes even at a higher level than humans themselves. Ever talked to Alexa or Siri? Yes, Artificial Intelligence right there in your daily life. They all do what they do using Artificial Intelligence. AI is used to offer customers new products or services based on their search/viewing histories or patterns. It’s all around us, and it has leveled up so many things in our lives already. It’s time for Email Marketing to make use of AI to enhance its effectiveness. Why use Artificial Intelligence in Email Marketing Like any other area touched by Artificial Intelligence, it did wonders for Email Marketing. Email Marketing can be optimized, driven, and much more effective if done right using AI. For any marketing campaign, two really important aspects need to be optimized, and AI does just that for Email Marketing - Reduce Costs — Creating and Winning at Email Marketing campaigns becomes super easy & straight forward with AI. It has the potential to save countless person-hours your team puts in for Email Marketing campaigns to be a winning proposition. Time is money, after all. Increase Revenue — AI can dramatically increase the ROI of your Email Marketing. AI-powered campaigns show an increase in the percentage of Open/Click rates. The click and open rate drive more money in from your existing campaign than ever before. AI makes it all possible by incorporating the data points. It uses existing insights available to make every aspect of your campaign optimized for conversion. It effectively reduces the guesswork regarding small but critical parameters of your Email campaigns. We all have been guilty of the same in the past. How to use Artificial Intelligence in Email Marketing 1. Subject Lines What really is the point of going through all the efforts of putting together a campaign if no one is going to open your email? Yes, Subject Lines are the first hit point with your customers, and if you lose the battle here, your email will never see the light of the day. With the study of historical data of your top-performing Emails as well as your recipient’s behavior trends, AI can ensure your email is at least opened and given a thought about by personalizing Subject Lines. 2. Personalization To significantly boost click-through rates, personalizing every aspect of your Email for the best experience to the end recipient does the job. And no, we are not talking about something as basic as mentioning the first name of the recipient in the first line of the Email. It is more of a personalized campaign based on the interest group of your various email contacts. AI determines the content type user responds to and helps you design your personalized campaigns for them, which is the most powerful optimization you can perform for your Email Marketing efforts. 3. Optimizing on the GO AI can help define target data points on various parameters of your Email campaigns. They monitor these data points and continuously tweak your campaign accordingly to ensure the best ROI. Any anomalies are pointed out so the future campaigns can make use of that information effectively. 4. Newsletters AI can personalize your newsletters down to the single user by curating content specifically for that particular user based on past data and trends available. This would mean you are sending out a personalized newsletter to every contact on your Email List, which can skyrocket the engagement levels. 5. Deliverability To improve the overall deliverability of your email campaign so that the maximum number of emails reach their intended audience, AI can do the following for you – Send Time Optimization — AI can help you optimize the best/most probable time to send an email at the single user-level, ensuring maximum open rates. — AI can help you optimize the best/most probable time to send an email at the single user-level, ensuring maximum open rates. Mini Campaigns — AI can help segregate your main campaign and develop mini-campaigns for different recipients based on their preferences. This is a compelling aspect to increase the open and click rates substantially. — AI can help segregate your main campaign and develop mini-campaigns for different recipients based on their preferences. This is a compelling aspect to increase the open and click rates substantially. Clean Email Lists — AI can help clean up your Email Lists to make your campaign more effective. AI can update titles/numbers or remove out of date data automatically. Scope of Artificial Intelligence in Email Marketing A lot of Marketers today do not realize nor understand the power of Artificial Intelligence. If they can only understand how to use AI in their daily roles, productivity can be at an all-time high for just about anyone leveraging AI. AI can help marketers to better utilize their time and resources by automating daily tasks. Also, with the help of data sets and results thrown out by AI, marketers can hyper optimize their campaigns and exponentially increase the ROI. It can improve every aspect of your campaign and finetune your efforts to send out a personally curated campaign for every single target audience on your list. As AI continues to evolve day by day, it is time to leverage this powerful tool. Every Business needs to incorporate it into Email Marketing efforts to stay ahead of the pack. Image Credit: christina morillo; pexels

https://medium.com/readwrite/artificial-intelligence-in-email-marketing-the-possibilities-a800346d2ac7

[]

2020-10-14 18:46:37.051000+00:00

['Email Marketing', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Marketing', 'Email']

Teaser #1 For The Novel “Zombies Don’t Ride Motorcycles”

Teaser #1 For The Novel “Zombies Don’t Ride Motorcycles” Charlie The tattoo on the back of her neck spelled out “Lady,” which she was not. It was a defiant act out against her parents, who had given her the nickname. Their logic lay that calling her such would inspire her to be so. It epically failed. The tattoo was the first of many acting-outs she visited upon her parents. The ROTC plan her parents forced her into meant to smooth out all of her rough edges. They only served to sharpen them. It made her stronger, true. Defiantly, however, her attitude remained. This showed most poignantly when she demanded her fellow cadets call her Charlie. “Charlotte” sounded too weak and grated her ears woefully every time she heard it. Charlie walked into the break-room. The tables lay turned over. The fronts of the drink machines were shattered and emptied. All that remained of organized civilization here were a sink and a full-length viewing mirror. She ran the water and gave herself what her mother once affectionately referred to it as a ‘whore’s bath.’ She smiled briefly at the thought. It had sounded so innocent to her the first time she had heard those words. She was too young then to understand what a whore was or why they would clean up so haphazardly. Charlie allowed herself a short giggle, her eyes finally open to the joke. She pulled off her garments and then proceeded to clean with the paper towels she had found under the sink. She stopped and ran her fingers up the sides of her back. The raised texture of her tattoos felt smooth against her fingertips. She turned to view it in the mirror. Black wings spread half-open to traverse the whole of her back. The only colors in her ink were the little red droplets trickling from the furthermost ends of her wing’s tips. A low gasping quietly echoed from outside the break room. Charlie ignored it. She raised her eyes back to their reflections. “Well, I guess there is no one left to say who I can and will be now, huh?” A single tear bungeed down from her eye. She caught it in her hand and slammed it against the sink. “No. Not now. We’ve got work to do, Lady.” She dressed back into her black and pink sports bra and a green muscle tee. Then, she looked down over to her equipment. She checked over her weapons. Each of them carried a rouge lipstick mark around each handle, around each grip. Finding them not smeared or completely removed, she took stock. She cleared the lipstick marks one at a time and began strapping various throwing knives on her body. She did not like sleeping without her weapons. In moments she felt the most vulnerable, the girl marked any weapons not kept on her person to show any tampering. Charlie had watched enough crime dramas and horror movies to know that a girl couldn’t be too careful. Plus, it was a habit that her commanding officer instilled in her. Two smaller blades made their homes in each boot, and several others hid slyly around her belt. A couple of tiny blades quickly slipped into her bra. She had nicknamed these “Toothpick” and “Splinter.” Two sharpened machetes sheathed across her back. Two holsters slapped against the fronts of both thighs, one for each of her Desert Eagles. A samurai sword lay sheathed upon her back. It was a display model from a hobby shop, and of course, stolen. The new owner had reappropriated the ornamental weapon and sharpened it fully to employ it for real physical use. Her three longer blades formed an asterisk on her back, punctuating her as the wildcard she had become. Lastly, she zipped up a backpack holding all her ammo and any excess food she found along the way. The gasp swallowed into a choking cough and then settled back into a gasp. Charlie walked around the corner opening of the break room and looked to the floor. About six feet away laid the writhing body of a butcher. Probably from this location, she surmised. He was still wearing his uniform, soaked in blood, and without his apron. Charlie did not need convincing; the blood was human, not from butchering out steaks. She pictured his final day of breathing before transforming into one of the teeming undead. He probably began feeling sick that one morning. It was not something that even registered as a good enough reason to call out. People caught viruses and went to work all the time anyway. The pressure from bosses to call out was everywhere. Yes. It was partly a pride thing, but a decision mostly made from fear of the repercussions exacted from upper management. No, this man did not dare not to show up for work. Charlie imagined he was in the middle of prepping his equipment. The nauseating pains built up to a crescendo, and off to the bathroom, he went to deal with it. That is where he probably died, only to awake again with the hunger of flesh in his eyes and mind. The patrons and employees that remained never stood a chance. This man was burly. It was apparent he had the girth to overpower and perhaps even outrun anything still roaming the store. Well, everyone except Charlie. Her eyes met the butcher’s eyes. They were full and ready, almost all-consuming in every direction. She was sure that if they could, they would jump right out of their own sockets to get at her. She knelt beside the creature and observed his predicament. An eight-inch KA-Bar protruded from his throat, staking him straight to the wooden pallet on which he was lying. Like a pushpin to a poster. She slowly stretched out her grimace into a cold smile. She looked into the twitching, reddened eyes one last time. “Your kind killed my parents. I may have hated them, but they were still mine. And no one touches what’s mine.” She grabbed the KA-Bar and ripped it the rest of the way through the zombie’s throat, spraying blood all over her knees and legs. She stood up, not content, and kicked the rest of the butcher’s head off, sending more sprays of clotted blood all over her. She stopped and looked down at herself. “Great. Now I’m gonna need more than just a whore’s bath,” she said and headed back to the bathroom. © 2020 Matthew Leo Thank you so much for giving me some of your time. It means the world to me. If you enjoyed this chapter, please click on the clappy hands at the bottom as many times as you feel it deserves. Please feel free to tweet, share on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, or to whoever you think might enjoy it as well. Take care and Be well. Zombies Don’t Ride Motorcycles can be found and purchased on Amazon.com. Kindle price is 2.99. Paperback is 15.99 (It’s quite a lengthy book) I am planning on doing a complete overhaul on this novel (edits, proofreading, added scenes) with a brand new cover design by Melissa Leo-Pahl. This teaser shows some of the edit and additives that I have in mind for the overhaul. I should have this completed sometime within the first quarter of 2021. Your wordsmith, Matt

https://medium.com/drying-inkstrokes/teaser-1-for-the-novel-zombies-dont-ride-motorcycles-c42708b0d731

['Matthew Leo']

2020-12-24 16:27:38.254000+00:00

['Zombies', 'Writing', 'Books And Authors', 'Books', 'Novel']

How to Get Funding for a New Business

Funding a new business is a challenge for many entrepreneurs. One may have a million-dollar idea but no funds to drive it home. Money is a constant when it comes to getting a business off the ground. With limited financing options, many companies remain an idea instead of a venture. Once an entrepreneur understands how much their new business needs, they should follow through by getting the appropriate funding. The following ways can get you the right financing for your new business. Self-funding Self-funding is a typical funding solution for many new businesses. It is also known as bootstrapping. Self-funding involves financing your business from personal savings. It gives a person full ownership and total authority to run and operate the business. When an individual is funding their business from their savings, they risk losing everything they have. Entrepreneurs must check with financial professionals before putting all their savings into ideas that may result in losses. Investors Business people look for investors to put their money in their new business for a piece of the pie. Investors only put cash in lucrative ventures. Venture capitalists are investors who fund businesses for an ownership share. For a new company to survive the cut-throat competition in most industries, the owners should ensure they take funding they can comfortably repay. Entrepreneurs should weigh their options regarding angel investors or venture capitalists, depending on the offer on the table. Bank loan Banks are typical creditors for many new businesses. They scrutinize the business plan to ensure they lend to a company that will comfortably pay back the loan with interest. Entrepreneurs should do in-depth research on various bank loans to compare their interests and ensure they settle for something reasonable. They should also consult professional financial advice before making concrete decisions. Crowdfunding Crowdfunding is becoming more popular by the day for many entrepreneurs. They have come to realize it is the best funding with no strings attached. The process entails raising money from a large pool of people online. It is a low-risk funding strategy for new businesses since one is not obliged to part with ownership or pay back the money. The funding methods mentioned above are some of the best funding options depending on one’s preference.

https://medium.com/@destrywittwa/how-to-get-funding-for-a-new-business-f8d2394aa898

['Destry Witt']

2020-12-17 16:34:41.581000+00:00

['Funding', 'Startup', 'Business']

What Extra Benefits Medium Gives You as a Writer

On Medium, You earn less than Uber cab driver. Many writers comment about medium partner program is all about beer money. I know and It’s true. But you can’t ignore fact about other writers who earns living from writing on medium. Medium is a subjective platform. You can’t get rich on medium. Writers were writing on medium when ‘medium partner program’ not available, and will write if it vanishes in a few years. I found extra benefits of writing on medium. It’s always better to write on the medium than a similar platform like Hubpages Newsbreak ( Newbie and everyone is talking about it ) WordPress Quora These platforms work better in their own ways. Medium beats them in all areas. Writers on Facebook posts like Medium is waste of time and money, it doesn’t worth it. I mess up with Medium, I am going to open my own WordPress blog- New medium writer Yesterday, I read this line from my fellow medium writer, which torn me from inside to outside. Writers who write to get some bucks from this platform are actually expecting more. It’s good to expect more. If you’ve quality in your writing you will shine from any corner. Quality works on this platform. Medium gives you extra benefits when you write on medium. 1. The medium platform helps you to discover yourself If you need to discover a writer in you, I suggest you write in Medium. On medium you get Free readers Editors who evaluate your work Prominent publications Writing opportunities Many writers have said to me, they discovered their writing interest on medium. You won’t get an engaging platform like medium, on the internet. Where writers make relations with readers. 2. You can get freelance offer by writing on medium It’s none of their business that you have to learn how to write. Let them think you were born that way.” ~ Ernest Hemingway Companies offer you a freelancing job by looking at the Medium profile. You don’t need to write on Fiverr for a few bucks. Many writers do this mistake. Your Medium profile promotes your writing potential. When you write more, you get better at it. Clients come to you to get their work don Most writer use their medium profile to get a freelance job. You get the edge over other writers if you write on medium. 3. Medium is 1000X better than WordPress blog Want to get demotivated ……… start WordPress blog Want to earn $1 after one year …….. start WordPress blog Want to waste $1000 on hosting and promotion….Start a WordPress blog I know, you will thank me for these. When you start a blog, no one look at it. Daily 400 websites start on the internet. Writing and running successful WordPress blo is difficult. You must have to opt for… You will waste time and money, and in return you get nothing. Writing on the medium is 100X worth more than writing on WordPress if you are a writer. Medium has high authority Medium has good internal and external traffic You earn something reliable on medium. Summary Medium is a social media site for writers. Except for earning and views there are other hidden gems on the medium you must find. The medium can able to boost your writing career if you seriously enough. You need to practice and work on medium. Vocal Media is also the same platform like Medium where you can earn money by participating in their vocal challenges and writing on platform. I write both on vocal media and Medium. They are the best platform for writers.

https://medium.com/mediom-works/what-extra-benefits-mediums-gives-you-as-a-writer-f08f58791f96

['Mike Ortega']

2020-12-04 13:21:07.369000+00:00

['Writer', 'Freelancing', 'Medium', 'Writing', 'Writing Tips']

How To Gain The Confidence To Live A Remarkable Life

On A Wing And Prayer With Confidence A remarkable life begins with the intention to cast away the bowline on your former life, in exchange for new beginnings. Whilst you may not know the steps required, you recognize your current experience is not what you want. Once you state your intention to change your circumstances, the pieces of the puzzle will come together. Most journeys are lined with detours, dead ends and eventual success. Our voyage comprises peaks and turning points where we confront our demons, only to rise above them. Your Attitude and Confidence “Your attitude and how you respond to both opportunity and setbacks are critical to pivoting. You need to develop habits that help you foster a positive mind-set, help you understand yourself. And, to increase your sense of control over your life,” affirms author Adam Markel in Pivot: The Art and Science of Reinventing Your Career and Life. We must assume responsibility for our future which means accepting everything that arises along the way. Nothing is gained overnight. Where success comes fast, it can be easily squandered, so don’t be in a haste to upgrade your life sooner. It’s not how fast you reach your destination, but the lessons and experiences that matter. But, how did it build your confidence. The Value Of Connections We cannot create a remarkable life without the help of others. As social creatures, valued relationships can propel us to new heights. My greatest life experiences resulted from co

https://medium.com/@freedomroad93/how-to-gain-the-confidence-to-live-a-remarkable-life-a2773aada865

[]

2020-12-23 13:50:37.778000+00:00

['Confidence']

Research Antibodies Market Worth $5.6 Billion By 2027

The global research antibodies market size is expected to reach USD 5.6 billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.2% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Major market drivers include rise in R&D initiatives undertaken by biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and government bodies, growing interest in the study of neurobiology and stem cell, availability of technologically advanced products, and strategic collaborations among various market players and academic research organizations. Designer antibodies are also anticipated to attract the attention of various academic organizations for their use in the R&D of novel products. For instance, in April 2019, scientists from ALS Canada Research Program developed a set of antibodies that can help in the detection of misfolded TDP-43 in various lab experiments that utilize post-mortem brain tissues. Rising usage of research antibodies for the development of novel diagnostic therapies is thus anticipated to fuel market growth in the near future. Increase in the usage of research antibodies to develop treatment options for various diseases is also expected to boost market growth during the forecast period. For instance, in June 2019, the Institute of Life Sciences (ILS, India) developed antibodies against chikungunya viral infection. These antibody structures were developed to aid in the understanding of various aspects of virus pathogenesis, entailing further research on antiviral therapies. Growing government funds and initiatives for R&D is anticipated to fuel the Asia Pacific market during the forecast period. According to the 2018–2019 Australian Budget, approximately USD 94 million was estimated for four years for new industry collaborations, research as well as new biomedical and medical programs. Additionally, rise in funds invested by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to enhance the study of proteomics and genomics is expected to drive the market. For instance, in 2017, Biognosys Inc. raised USD 5 million in funds to increase, advance, and develop next-generation proteomics products and workflow for high throughput and high content protein analysis. Rise in the number of major market players investing in advanced technologies and collaborating with other market players is also anticipated to positively impact market potential in the near future. For instance, Abcellera uses technologically advanced techniques to test antibodies from single B cells, map and screen natural immune responses, and to discover novel antibody therapies. The company has also partnered with Sanofi, Pfizer, Teva, Merck, and GSK to discover and develop new antibody-based therapies. North America dominated the research antibodies market in owing to increasing focus on R&D in the fields of biomedicine, stem cell, and cancer. Rising prevalence of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and blood diseases is also expected to fuel market growth. Launch of novel antibody structures for diagnosis of various diseases is also a major factor expected to boost the market. For instance, in August 2018, BioGenex launched a range of new antibodies for its use in cancer immunohistochemistry. The company’s immunohistochemistry solution offers about 400 reagents, primary antibodies, consumables, and ancillaries. Key players in the market include Abcam Plc; Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc.; PerkinElmer, Inc.; Agilent Technologies; Roche; Cell Signalling Technology, Inc.; Thermo Fisher Scientific; Lonza Group; and BD. Click the link below: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/research-antibodies-market Further key findings from the study suggest:

https://medium.com/@marketnewsreports/research-antibodies-market-42b889fecc94

['Gaurav Shah']

2020-12-23 06:17:29.774000+00:00

['Britain', 'Biotechnology', 'Research', 'Australia', 'China']

A close look at Denarius / $DNR

The Denarious Logo, looking real smooth if you ask me. Once again, Crypto Twitter has blessed me with the knowledge of a crypto project that I had not heard of, until I noticed a new ticker/”cashtag” in a tweet from oneTwitter account I’ve come to pay extra attention to: So I diligently start doing a “surface scratch” on the coin, I do the obligatory search for the $DNR cashtag on Twitter and I discover even more tweets that pique my interest: First of all, Denarius was, to me, unknown. Secondly — the above tweet made me curious as to what the author was describing. A PoS fight with PoW FPGA miners of a coin? I had never heard of anything like it, and it got me curious. At the moment I mine coins, I stake coins and I run masternodes. Basically, I take part in most coin-minting methods and I like to learn as much as I can about how this stuff works. What is Denarius? But first things first, I’ll give a quick look into the Denarius coin project and give some background on why it appealed to me more or less instantly. The following short description on the projects website was enough to make me want to start digging deeper into this project: “Denarius is a new cryptocurrency based off the original Bitcoin Core by Satoshi Nakamoto. Denarius features many changes, such as Stealth Addresses, Encrypted Messaging, Tribus a new PoW hashing algorithm that is ASIC resistant, and a max of 10,000,000 DNR to be created during the hybrid PoW/PoS lifecycle of 3 years, which then transitions to Proof of Stake entirely after the first 3 years.” This is fascinating to me. The project will only allow for PoW & PoS minting of coins until the max supply of 10,000,000 coins have been reached. A quick check on CoinMarketCap.com reveals that we are getting close to 1/3 of the max supply that are currently in circulation. At the time of writing it has a market cap of ~800,000$ USD so it fits perfectly into the low- to microcap category, which is where I like to place many of my bets. I’ve come to realise (and I’ve also learned from The Altcoin Traders Handbook) that this is a good strategy to follow when you are looking for investments with higher return probabilities. One should not blindly place investments in any smallcap projects, of course. A thorough FA is warranted everytime, as I’m sure JiuCrypto would like me to emphasize, especially since I used his tweet as the motivator for my further digging into this project 😎 Also, if you’ve read the The Altcoin Traders Handbook you probably noticed how the author recommends buying into coins which have at least 50% of their coins in circulation, DNR currently has 35% of their total coin supply in circulation. I do recommend buying, reading and taking all the tips you can get from this book as it will improve your trading strategy, it sure has for me — however, I don’t always follow every advice/rule in this book to the dot. A reader asked me a question specifically about the circulating supply, as I referenced the book in this piece so I thought it would be in its place to clarify my thoughts on this. The book is full of great advice, however I rarely let the fact that a coin does not match all the criteria of “a perfect coin” prevent me from buying into it. Ok, so I know the coin is both PoS and PoW, its a lowcap, it has a unique approach to its coin minting. Whats more, their website reveals some more features that inherently appeal to me: 🤟Secure Messaging🤟 🤟Stealth Addresses🤟 🤟Multi-Signature Adresses & Transactions🤟 🤟Atomic Swap support via BarterDEX🤟 So suddenly I see this “new” coin that, after a quick Google search and a glance through the website, seems to be a very interesting project. Not only that, the same coin is suffering from a FPGA miner who has gained enough hashrate in the coins network to be able to grab a whole lot of coins which he (or she) then dumps at exchanges right away, causing the price development of a promising project to halt. Needless to say, if you or I were a team member on a coin that started being subjected to such attacks, and we took the project seriously — we would try and find ways to mitigate any activity in the network that might have an overall negative effect on the majority of the coin holders. Considering this, I instantly start appreciating the community surrounding this coin. To me, it seems that these are people passionate about ensuring that the project continues to be a thriving community — and they won’t allow any single entity (person, group of people or company) to hijack the price development they want to reserve for the wider majority of their supporters. I like what I see. The community Shortly after my initial “surface scratch” on Twitter and the projects website, I join their Discord server and I discover that the community has, as expected, a lot of dedicated supporters. Even more, I notice a couple more Twitter personas, that I tend to pay extra attention to, on their Discord. This gives me additional trust in the projects good intentions and bright future. I’m not going to reveal which Twitter personas that I choose to put extra faith in here, actually — if you’re not active on Twitter for learning about cryptocurrency projects my best tip is that you get on it right away. The number of times a small hint on twitter has put me on to a hidden gem is growing bigger by the week. Actually, I’m curating a few lists on Twitter of different types of accounts of personas that are worth checking in on, for various reasons. The first one I’ve decided to publish is here. Now, keep in mind that I do not intend to make any exhaustive lists of CryptoTwitter accounts, this first one is based on people I like to check in on, but there sure might be some pure BS accounts in there as well (and also, there are some high profile Crypto Twitter users I can’t stand that I’ve decided to spare myself from — yeah, I’m looking at you Mister BCash, and you too Mister I’m-Satoshi-I-just-have-no-way-to-prove-it). But, as I often do — I digress. Back to Denarius and what (to me) makes it special. After I decided that Denarius is well worth a closer look, I start to investigate more into the PoS fight against FPGA miners. It turns out that someone has been able to obtain a majority hashrate in the network, effectively securing him/her a majority of the PoW payout which then was dumped more or less immediatly on exchanges. Its not hard to imagine that this affected the price development in a way that the team behind the coin did not appreciate. I for one, cannot understand how anyone who are able to obtain a majority of the rewards in this manner would decide not to use said rewards to set up Masternodes on their own to further enhance their profits, but hey — people are different. I’ll be a bit lazy here and use one of the team members responses to my tweet asking for more info on the situation, to bring you up to speed about what that whole POS vs. POW ordeal is about: And to further elaborate: So, to break it down a little more detailed than @cryptoBuzzB was able to in these limited tweets. A someone managed to obtain a large enough hashrate of the PoW in the chain, which in turn resulted in them getting a larger than usual portion of the Block Rewards. Now, this will introduce itself as a problem as soon as you discover that those same rewards are instantly dumped onto an exchange over an extended period of time. In these days, alts aren’t doing just peachy — unless you hadn’t noticed. So having a miner — someone that should be interested in the projects overall well being, mind you — just dump their coins at a market rate over an extended time period, that needs to be dealt with. And thus enters the strong and supportive community of Denarius. While its a low- to microcap at the moment, its got some bigtime supporters that obviously has much faith in the projects proseperity. So they — in the face of a threat that someone could just “mine ‘n dump” the coin to oblivion — took action. And its the action that was taken that got me so damn curious about Denarious in the first place. To understand how the Community could actually “fight off” a PoW miner that was securing a majority of we need a more thorough understanding of one essential element to Denarius: The Tribus Algorithm Ok, bear with me now, folks. But I’mma ‘bout to dive down into the Whitepaper (or the Whitescroll, as the ancient currency so beautifully calls it) an try and give you the crash-course on the inner workings of the mechanics that make this coin incentivise its miners, stakers and node-admins. In order to discourage ASIC creation which would adversely affect miners of the coin, Denarius seeks to implement a short proof of work phase in hybrid with proof of stake (PoS) where the PoS miners will use low difficulty hashes to create blocks & process a block full of transactions, claiming the transaction fees alone whilst the PoW miners will compete for higher difficulty hashes to create blocks which include a generation payment as well as any transaction fees attached to transactions in the mempool when the hash is solved. Even if the difficulty of the PoW blocks increases significantly, blocks that are full of transactions can still be processed by PoS miners at a low difficulty to ensure that even at times of very high PoW difficulty, block times can remain at or below 30 seconds. Ok, so what this tells us is that Denarius stakers will be entitled to claiming rewards from the blocks they process, and these rewards come from the transaction fees of the blocks. Miners, on the other hand, will be eligible for both a Block Reward and the transaction fees attached to the blocks they mine. Additionally, despite how much the miners of Denarius increase the overall difficulty — the stakers will still be able to process blocks through the Proof of Stake method, ensuring that the block time is kept at the desired interval. Interestingly, Denarius will disallow Proof of Work miners after a period of about ~3 years. In this initial period, there will be about 3 mill blocks mined and after this the remaining 2 million Denarius that can be mined is reserved for PoS stakers, who — after the year 2020 — will receive a 6% annual percentage rate (APR) from the coins they stake, in addition to the transaction fees off the blocks they process. The reason for why PoW is discontinued after 2020 is mainly to eliminate the risk of any ASIC miner being developed specifically for the Tribus Algorithm. The assumption, which sounds reasonable to me, is that there will be little effort put into developing ASIC specific hardware for this Algorithm when it is destined for such a short life-span. But what this basically means is that PoW rewards will decrease when the number of PoS stakers increase. So the Denarius community, with help of the Tribus Algorithm, successfully launched a counterattack. Also, the Denarius coin has an interesting feature where you can obtain more staking rewards for spreading you coins across a large number of wallets. See this guide, by community member BuzzkillB for more information about this method. In effect, the more people who stake this coin, the lower the PoW rewards become — and that was what made the community take action. They initiated an operation where a large number of holders put their coins in staking wallets as to make the PoW mining less profitable for the “attacker”. If that’s not cool, I don’t know what is. The Wrap Up I started this article after stumbling across a new ticker, and while researching the coin I got more and more intrigued. Not only with the mechanics of this coin, but also the community surrounding it and its collected effort against a threat of a PoW miner that was suppressing its price by dumping a whole bunch of coins onto exchanges at a fast rate. After joining their Discord, and learning that some of the people I follow (and respect) on Twitter were actively mining, staking and running masternodes for the project, I got in with a small investment to test out the staking methods and to aid in the PoS/PoW fight — but it did not take me long until I decided to go for a Masternode as well. At the time of writing the Masternode is supplying me with about ~9–12 DNR per day, and the mining rewards go straight to a staking wallet I’m hosting so I’m going all in on the PoS mining on this coin right now. I do, however, admin a mining farm so once I get to setting up a rig to mine DNR I’ll be sure to update this article with the mining speed and results I’m getting from that. If I were to point out possible red flags regarding this coin, it will have to be the premine and that it seems to have only one developer working on it, though that assumption comes from other articles I’ve read about the project. The Denarius coin will only ever have 10 mill coins in circulation, and of those 10 million, there is a 10% Premine (which amounts to 1,000,000 DNR). Now, to me, these premines are not something I tend to worry too much about. If a project has a strong community, a good, working product, and the developer(s) seem focused and dedicated. Then a premine, can be a positive thing. With Denarius, 50% of the premine is earmarked marketing and bounties, and the remaining 50% is for development costs. If you ask me this is fair enough. In the The Altcoin Traders Handbook which I like to reference, the author is somewhat sceptical to premines of this size — but this is a topic of much discussion within the crypto community. Ultimately one needs to make own assessments of whether a premine is too high, or if its being distributed in a manner that does not make sense. To me there is nothing really suspicious about the size of the Denarius premine, for reference the ZCash currency has a “founders reward” of 20% and this has not had any noticable effect on the adoption of this currency. It also seems that the ZCash team is able to spend these funds wisely on further development on their project so as long as the Denarius team also allocate their funds in a manner that makes sense, I have no objection to such premines. One needs to remember that in addition to the time spent on actual development, the project needs fund to pay for its servers and hosting, etc. The notion that a cryptocurrency project should have a 0% premine in any circumstance is not something that I agree with, but the size of the premine and how it is distributed is something one should always keep an eye on. When it comes to the single developer, I did some checking on that too. And on the projects Github contributors page we can see that there are at least two contributors that have a fairly high amount of commits. There are also a number of people with 1–2 commits as well but I tend to only consider people that have more than 15–20 commits as actual contributors. Either way, the project might benefit from an additional number of resources, perhaps — or it might not. If the developers that are working on the project as of right now feel that they have enough time and resources on their hands to drive the development further then they probably have a good reason for feeling this way. Adding more people to a team will ultimately lead to more time spent on project management than on actual development for the lead dev(s) and I can understand that this is not necessarily desirable. However, one can with good reason imagine unfortunate situations where something might occur in the personal lives of the active contributors of this project. And if something like that were to happen, then it would be reassuring to know that there are more than one or two people who are ready to “take the wheel”. For now this is not a major concern to me, but in the future I would be happy to see some more additions to the development team, even if the additions are purely for “worst case scenarios” where a lead dev is hit by a bus or something, and someone needs to step in to handle further development for a specific period of time. Nevertheless, for my own part I have found this to be a serious and credible cryptocurrency project and I’m going to have my masternode operational for at least 12 months onward and reassess its performance after that. In these days of the altcoin bloodbath the price of a Masternode amounts to about 1200$ so it is not an investment anyone can make, and no-one should do so on a whim. But I feel that this is yet another coin that I will take joy in following closely as its development progresses. (PS! If you are interested in setting up your own DNR Masternode, I can reccomend Vultr (reflink, btw) as your hosting provider and this guide to aid you trough the process of setting up the node properly.) Hey, BTW, if you like this article, please give it some applause or share it on Twitter. The applause helps my visibility here on Medium and sharing it on Twitter helps other people learn about DNR too 😎 But wait, there’s more! This article has become long enough as it is, but after I published it I got the following response on Twitter: I’m not trying to pat myself on the back by sharing that response (or am I 🤔 ) either way, JiuCrypto tipped me about some features upcoming features for DNR that were new to me (thanks, mate!). However, I’ve also been fortunate enough to get in touch with the lead dev behind the project so when the time is right I will publish a follow-up piece on DNR, with input from its lead, Carsen Klock. Stay tuned 😎 Additional info There are several things I have not even gotten around to cover in this article, for one — the Denarius QT wallet app is probably the most feature rich and nicest wallets I’ve seen for any cryptocurrency. It gives you a wealth of information about the coin, its price, it has a block explorer, statistics about its blockchain, masternode statistics, secret messaging, and much much more. If you want to learn more about Denarius, you can check out their website here. If you are interested in checking out their community, hop on their Discord which you will find here: You can also follow development, marketing and other announcements, in addition to participating in the community on Denarius’ own forum. Finally, if you are convinced that Denarius is well worth owning a stake of (and staking it too😅) — you can go get some at Cryptopia. (Btw, that is a reflink that I try and persuade you to using there 😇) Also, if you do decide to invest in $DNR and you realize that this was a sound investment — I will not stop you from passing some coins over to my DNR tipjar address: DFcgMsnuczwLCnX6K7NnnsgTi9Yw7gNYvn If you’re not a DNR holder yet, but you’re just itchin’ to throw some cash in my face (I don’t blame you😅), here are some other means of passing me a tip: BTC: 14iKgia5wtdjmLXs7QiJui3Sb6KVP6XebL ETH: 0x913c1CD95Dc971B304C5217831102E350230efaB BCH: qq5tjpm0jv460tvk4pa050pwc6u2aj46gs2tce2rd4 NEO: ARdd2cqCSajpzkSZGFtSqAPvBLYcquD7WH XHV: hvxyCxSYVGLSysjcLhRUhEfpHX3p9wXjpGNFC7iR84DPewEuZ3BxoYAaC7uUVvMxxVVBWwsxWkzPLPfFqwtVxveE7S9tdCbok4

https://medium.com/mr-kr%C3%BCgers-world-of-crypto/a-close-look-at-denarius-dnr-82f1aec5c1a

['Krüger Cryptographical Smoothing']

2018-08-19 17:17:51.306000+00:00

['Cryptocurrency News', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Bitcoin']

Collection of Curated Stories on ILLUMINATION-Curated

Collection of Curated Stories on ILLUMINATION-Curated Selected Stories by MaryJo Wagner, PhD hosted on ILLUMINATION-Curated Licensed from 123RF; copyright, damedeeso. Jack checks “Daily Dog” for curated stories on ILLUMINATION. An Actor Played My Father in “Band of Brothers” #WORLD WAR TWO 2 #BAND OF BROTHERS #D-DAY My birth-father John Derrick Halls, a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne, was killed by Nazi gunfire on D-Day, June 6, 1944. And actor played his part in Steven Spielberg’s HBO Series “Band of Brothers.” The Past Makes Us Who We Are #GOLD RUSH #PIONEERS #HISTORY My Great-grandfather Herman came west to what is now Denver, Colorado in 1859. He hoped to strike it rich during the Gold Rush. After digging for gold proved futile, he opened a saddlery business. His wife Anna followed in 1860, crossing the Overland Trail with a covered wagon. After proving up on a homestead, she raised 7 children, had her own cattle brand, and built one of the first brick houses in Denver. The Piano Recital: A Near-death Experience #MEMOIR #MUSIC #BACH Although I loved my piano, even practicing, I was traumatized by required piano recitals. I gave up the piano to sing in choirs. My career as a chorister came to an end the night I almost fell off the risers while singing the Bach Mass in D-Minor with large choir, organ, chamber orchestra, and harpsichord. What Can You Do When the World Is Falling Apart Around Us? #INSPIRATION #MENTAL HEALTH #SELF IMPROVEMENT Smiling which is easy, quick, and changes your brain pattern can take you from down in the dumps to feeling positive. Eating a piece of chocolate, petting your cat help too. Try singing or taking a walk. Purposely doing something that feels takes the edge off. If done consistently, it improves the quality of our life during these difficult times. Post Your Content Everywhere #CONTENT MARKETING #WRITING #LITTLE WOMEN Louisa May Alcott died a millionaire from the sale of Little Women and other books. An astute business woman, she was the bread winner in her family. Her story about writing, publishing, and marketing has lessons for authors today. Her books were serialized and sold in many editions, a reminder about the benefits of repurposing. She listened to readers and changed Little Women to please them. Watching John Lewis’ Homegoing #CIVIL RIGHTS #JOHN LEWIS #HISTORY John Lewis, Civil Rights leader, had his skull crushed marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. My granddaughters marched across the Bridge in honor of the 50th anniversary of Lewis’ march and in memory of a less well-known activist, Jonathan Daniels, murdered while protecting a young Black woman. I thank Dr Mehmet Yildiz and the ILLUMINATION editors for their encouragement of my writing in Illumination-Curated.

https://medium.com/illumination-curated/collection-of-curated-stories-on-illumination-curated-79acc7dcc266

['Maryjo Wagner']

2020-10-09 17:39:25.803000+00:00

['Writing', 'Family', 'History', 'Life Lessons', 'Illumination']

Emelia Hartford offers an exclusive NordVPN discount — find out how to get it.

Emelia Hartford is a famous YouTuber, who already has more than 450k subscribers in her channel. You wouldn’t expect it at the very first sight, but this girl is well known in the automotive industry because of her award-winning driving skills. Racing and modifying cars were always her biggest hobby, so she decided to create a YouTube channel dedicated to that. In the videos, you can find her building and racing lots of different cars, sometimes reviewing some of the aspects of newly released ones, etc. Sometimes, in her videos, she includes such topic as cybersecurity, since it’s been increasing for the last couple of years. Not only does she try to inform her viewers about such issue, but gives an opportunity to get a VPN with a special discount. Get yourself the best possible deal! Emelia Hartford takes care of her viewers and informs them about the ways to improve their online security. Use her exclusive deal and get NordVPN with a 70% discount, secure yourself online for only $3.49/month with a 3-year plan. For securing all your devices, you can download the software for iOS here, or by clicking here you can download it from Google store. Click on this link and apply the discount automatically. Why NordVPN? Let’s start with that it can offer a strict no-logs policy, which is very important for your security. NordVPN is based in Panama and is outside the 5 and 14 eyes alliances, which allows it not to obey the mandatory data retention laws or other legal obligations that would require to collect users’ data. Not to mention that this premium VPN is one of the very few that can overcome Netflix proxy blocks and other blocks of many popular streaming services like Hulu, Amazon Prime, BBC, etc. Also, NordVPN has more than 5000 servers in over 60 countries, and it can give great pings and high speeds for gaming lovers. What is a Virtual Private Network? VPN is a very popular online security tool these days, though if you’re not a super tech person, you might have some difficulties understanding how it works and what it’s used for. Everything you do online is with the help of your Internet Service Provider (ISP), which seems pretty obvious. Though what most people don’t know is that it can also see or even log everything you do online. In this case, you need to use VPN that will create an encrypted tunnel and will secure your information not only from the ISP but hackers or even the government too. Besides the primary VPN purpose, it comes in handy for such cases as torrenting, streaming, gaming, traveling, and many more.

https://medium.com/@jaydenholt87/emelia-hartford-offers-an-exclusive-nordvpn-discount-1dd74304e71b

['Jayden Holt']

2020-05-13 14:14:32.033000+00:00

['VPN', 'Coupon', 'Discount', 'Offers']

Space exploration — An industry that values design

Photo by Pixabay from Pexels A Design in its most basic sense is the offering of a or a solution to a problem. Its purpose is to reduce complications in the most practical and efficient manner, in the most vulnerable and dangerous of situations. But finding the inspiration for a design is but only the first step of the process. The victory of a well-done design is in its usability. The metamorphosis of an inspiration into a ‘GOOD DESIGN’ is the primary foundation of human civilization. The design of a bonfire, inspired from a spark between two stones helped early man to stay safe in the wilderness. The perfect circular stone rolled on to become wheels saving us the hard labour of walking to places and carrying heavy load. These designs might seem plain, but it took several trials and errors to reach their prime functional stage. Importance of good design One of the best ways to gain perspective for appreciation of good design is through evaluating achievements and losses in the process of space exploration, the largest breakthrough for mankind till date. The disaster of The Columbia space shuttle is probably the greatest misfortune in the quest of space exploration. The loss of a piece of foam from the bipod ramp collided with the left wing of the shuttle, allowing hot gas to enter the wing that destroyed the shuttle while it re-entered earth’s atmosphere, killing its crew of seven astronauts. The loss of foam had already been established as a setback in design. NASA focused on strengthening precautionary measures to handle the disastrous malfunction rather than to completely mitigate the possibility of its occurrence through a better functional design. This catastrophe reinstates the importance of good design. And also the danger of not heeding to one. Launch of a vessel into outer space has many challenges. The main motive of a space rocket is to escape the earth’s gravity drag to reach the destination. The force required to break free of earth’s gravitational force is massive even for a tiny object. A fully equipped rocket is heavy, weighed down by the essentials required for a crew manned mission. The required force is achieved by fuel propulsion and mass expulsion. In space shuttles gas is produced by burning fuel in the engines. Controlled escape of this gas provides the thrust which propels the rocket in the opposite direction. The largest mass of the rocket is occupied by the propulsion system (propellant tanks and propellants). This mass is lost as the propellants are fired up by the engine to gain acceleration of the rocket providing the force for it to escape gravity. A functional design for a rocket is to efficiently burn enough propellant to gain the required acceleration. A well designed rocket is able to generate enough force to either get into orbit of the earth or escape earth’s gravity entirely to move to another planet, much like the same way a good design helps to gain investors to ‘launch off’ a product successfully into the market. As the rocket flies through the air of earth’s atmosphere aerodynamic forces of drag and lift kick in. Lift force occurs due to the turning of the gas flow by the rocket. It upsets the direction of flight by causing rotation and changing the course of the vessel. The nose cone, body tube and the wings of the rocket are used to turn the gas flow and generate lift force to control and stabilize the direction of flight. Drag force is the friction generated between the atmospheric air and the rocket. The drag force is difficult to determine and requires testing of the rocket model and is entirely dependent on its shape design, thrust setting and gas flow at the base. Thus Structural design of the rocket dictates its flight ability and is key for the mission of space exploration. Once a product is launched in the market, the competitors and economy begin acting as the opposing forces. Efficient Marketing and Branding design are essential to neutralize these opposing forces. Turning good design into an asset A key factor for space exploration is the ability to maneuver the vessel and host the crew. Once the rocket leaves the luxurious atmosphere of the planet, assistance through communication satellites becomes unreliable and there is no GPS in space. A sustainable atmosphere with Environment controls, Life support systems and highly reliable smart control systems are vital constituents of a rocket. The launch of Falcon9 rocket, a combined project of SpaceX and NASA, is the first step towards opening up the barriers of space exploration through smart, reliable and functional design. The Falcon9 simplified its control panel with large touch screens that enabled visualization of extensive real time data and effectively commandeer the ship.Use of custom foam molds in the capsule seats helps provide a more smooth and comfortable ride for the crew. The rethinking of the design of the spacesuit by Elon Musk with minimal equipment, use of lightweight material and increased efficiency, custom made for the crew is a positive step towards the future of space missions. The control panel and cockpit along with a reliable crew are necessities that help the transition of a well designed rocket into a beneficial asset for mankind. A highly efficient team and environment is required to keep a business and product afloat. Build an efficient cockpit to drive your design to success. The International Space Station (ISS) is a pitstop in the conquest of space exploration. ISS functions as a self-contained, living quarters and life-support system that is capable of communication with the ground flight controllers. It is designed to serve as a docking port for space shuttles and crew exploration vehicles to provide a rest stop for rejuvenation. The Internal and External research accommodations of ISS allows experiments to be carried out in order to collect data and test new technologies. It serves as the initial platform for the conquest of space, to further proceed towards greater achievements in exploring the universe. Once you build a successful firm, make a pitstop to gather and re-evaluate data. Design a platform to experiment with creativity and test new ideas. Rely on your design, data, and intuition once you step out to become a venture. Make your product an asset in the market. Future of Design Each successful design opens up opportunities for further designs, technologies and achievements. The Mars Landers have picked up insights about the planet and evaluations of the data have shown a possibility of building a sustainable human colony on it. The curiosity rover was designed to travel over the land of Mars and analyze its environment. Powered by the energy generated through radioisotope decay, the rover is a self-sustainable mission. It has a camera and robotic arms to collect, gather, and store information as it roams on the planet’s surface. Elon Musk sprung the proposition of landing an experimental greenhouse on mars that would help open access to space. If the idea seems familiar to you, it is because it is also the storyline of ‘The Martian’ movie. Falcon9 is a step towards opening up space exploration opportunities with reliable and affordable design, the vision of SpaceX. The successful completion of its mission has restored the enthusiasm to explore space further. There exists no limit to inspiration and design. Every idea is an opportunistic design to power the future. If you’re looking for consulting services in design or development for your new or existing digital product or enhance your online presence, please email your requirements to hello@headcanon.co

https://medium.com/@headcanon/space-exploration-a-product-of-valued-design-e4ead33ffb03

[]

2021-01-06 12:51:11.007000+00:00

['Consulting', 'NASA', 'Emerging Technology', 'Design', 'Space Exploration']

Everything you need to know about color

Color evokes emotion, sparks excitement, and grabs attention. Color can help draw your eye where you want it on anything from a poster or billboard to an email in your inbox. Color can even influence your mood. Did you know the color psychology behind a red and yellow combination makes you hungry? It’s no wonder well-known fast-food chains like McDonald’s and KFC use red and yellow colors in their logos. Color theory is a set of principles for creating harmonious color combinations. It’s a mixture of science and art. Understanding the fundamentals of color theory and where color comes from is important to know as a designer. Once you master it, you’ll know how to create the best color combinations for your graphic and web design projects. If you don’t believe color has an impact on your design then take a look at this example. It’s the exact same illustration, the only difference is the colors. Which one is pleasing to look at and which makes your eyes want to explode?

https://uxdesign.cc/everything-you-need-to-know-about-color-d921c07c8b0b

['Monica Galvan']

2020-10-17 20:58:27.235000+00:00

['UI', 'Visual Design', 'Design', 'Creativity', 'UX']

4 Fun Reasons to Avoid Using “Primitive” Swift Types in Your Code

1. Primitive types aren’t documenting your code When you see a function definition like this one, do you instantly know what both of the String will actually be? func getData(for identifier: String) -> String { Here, String can be anything, both the input String and the output String . If you’re developing the code alone, you will probably remember what is the typical content of those two. I say probably, because as any developer knows — by Monday you may not remember what the code written on Friday does. It’s something I can promise you. Give this project a few months of a break and it will be easier for you to write the thing from scratch than to try to understand “what the poet had in mind”. To (try to) ensure the inputs and outputs stay at least a bit clear, you will need to add comments to explain the details of what you expect those Strings to actually contain. From the above function definition alone we only know we’re looking for some identifier. We may understand from the context of the app what that may be, but what is the result of this function exactly? Will it give us some kind of person’s name? Or maybe a large chunk of JSON data? Maybe a specific number of animal emojis such as a 🐐 and a 🐠? For no reason. But a String can be all those, so make sure that your code will handle every possible case now. I think you see my point. In reality, nobody knows what those are until they check the actual code of the function. We have powerful IDEs (such as Xcode), which provide developers with previews of possible completions. They are useless in this case. Imagine what you would think if you were working on someone else’s code and you stumbled upon the above definition as an Xcode suggestion. My guess is: some rude words will be included in your reaction.

https://medium.com/swlh/4-fun-reasons-to-avoid-using-primitive-swift-types-in-your-code-1000c3fa64a5

['Paul Pela']

2020-10-04 11:37:24.465000+00:00

['iOS App Development', 'Swift Programming', 'Swift', 'Programming', 'Programming Languages']

Addon Catalog sneak peak

Addons are one of the top reasons for Storybook’s popularity. The community has over 200 addons made by developers at eBay, Intuit, Rakuten, and more. But using addons is tricky. I’m thrilled to share a sneak peak of Storybook’s new addon ecosystem. We’re simplifying how to create, find, and reuse addons. Here’s how: New Addon Catalog app Rewritten API docs with code samples New guide for building an addon from scratch Read full post: Addon Catalog sneak peak »

https://medium.com/storybookjs/addon-catalog-sneak-peak-67ca1a58f562

['Dominic Nguyen']

2020-12-02 15:16:05.750000+00:00

['Front End Development', 'Storybook', 'Components', 'Design Systems']

The Ins and Outs of Contractors vs. Employees

Jobs are changing, and in the new world of 2021, the needs of businesses are quickly evolving. As part of that evolution, workers that are used to an 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. schedule are going the freelance route. With more than 59 million Americans performing freelance work last year, we at AllWork are getting one question more often than any other: What’s the difference between an independent contractor and an employee? Employees receive a W-2 as their tax paperwork, and independent contractors receive a 1099. But those forms carry more weight than you might think. There are many factors the Federal Government takes into consideration when assessing the difference. According to the Internal Revenue Service, there are three ways to determine how a worker will be classified: Behavioral Control: The designation is indicated by the behavior of the company toward the worker. The worker is an employee if the business has the right to dictate how they perform their job and gives specific instructions. This can include the types of instruction, the detail of instruction, evaluation methods, and training. An independent contractor often uses their own tools and utilizes their own knowledge and experience to perform the work with little instruction by the business. Financial Control: The designation is indicated by how the worker receives their compensation. The worker is an employee if the business owns the equipment they use to work, if their work expenses are not reimbursed, and if they are paid a set wage with taxes, Social Security, and Medicare deducted. Independent contractors often require reimbursement for expenses, can take a financial loss on the project, and are usually paid a flat fee. Relationship: The designation is dictated by how the company and worker perceive their relationship with one another. A worker is an employee if there is an expectation that the job will continue indefinitely and if the business pays benefits like overtime, insurance, or healthcare. Independent contractors usually have limited-term employment or provide their services based on contracts rather than employment agreements. Still confused? It can get a little murky. As you probably know, the IRS is most concerned with how you pay the worker and how they receive the taxes on the work. Mis-classifying a worker can mean fines, interest, and back taxes owed and can really hit a business hard. AllWork Can Help As a business owner, we know that compliance and peace of mind are important to you. AllWork is an all-in-one platform that can help you manage freelancers and employees. In managing them, we can help you distinguish the difference, make sure you submit the correct tax paperwork, assist you in knowing what tax and payroll obligations you need to fill, track your deadlines, and more. Our team of experts at AllWork can work with you directly to help you determine the classification of your workers. You can also manage your business, save money, and assure compliance and accuracy using the following tools: All-in-one payroll: Keep track of worker hours and payments, as well as compliant tax paperwork, using this tool that integrates with your budget and timesheets. Keep track of worker hours and payments, as well as compliant tax paperwork, using this tool that integrates with your budget and timesheets. Budgeting and planning: With this tool, you can set your budget and we will keep track of freelancer and employee hours, adjusting to your needs and notifying you if you are spending more than allotted on your workers. With this tool, you can set your budget and we will keep track of freelancer and employee hours, adjusting to your needs and notifying you if you are spending more than allotted on your workers. App for submitting hours: Whether they’re an employee or an independent contractor, your workers can submit their hours from a simple app, which integrates with the Allwork system. Whether they’re an employee or an independent contractor, your workers can submit their hours from a simple app, which integrates with the Allwork system. Time optimization tools: Save on administrative costs with our streamlined platform so you can have more time and funds available for your workers, and prevent lags in productivity that often occur with out-of-date systems. We know that things are changing rapidly. That’s why our platform can help keep you on the right track as your business develops by providing seamless solutions to many of your work needs. In particular, we know that the distinction between independent contractors and employees can be difficult to decipher. Luckily, with AllWork, we’ll figure that out for you so you’ll never have to worry.

https://medium.com/@glennlaumeister/the-ins-and-outs-of-contractors-vs-employees-b18f467719a9

['Glenn Laumeister']

2021-08-27 16:26:02.719000+00:00

['Freelancers', 'Payments', 'Gig Economy', 'Compliance', 'Fintech']

He Always Wakes Up Smiling — Life Lessons from My Newborn Son.

By David Berry: People told me parenting would be hard. No one told me it might be because I wouldn’t feel particularly connected to my own child. Or that shaming myself into silence for feeling that way would only make it harder. It was the 4th of July. After struggling to hand-feed my stubborn 14-year-old diva Shih Tzu that morning, I slowly (dramatically) collapsed to the floor in front of my kitchen sink. And I sobbed. No feat of strength could compel me to rise up off the floor, where I lay for 15 minutes. For better or worse, I knew that clamming up about those feelings had failed me long before my face was pressed to luxury vinyl planking because my dog wouldn’t eat her diet-sensitive all-natural food (side note, LVP is a fine surface for crying, should you need it). Parenthood is sold as a Pantone parade of fluffy shades of pink and blue. If there’s an obstacle, its antidote is found in the mundane achievements of your cooing offspring. You slept two hours last night? What a cute baby, look at him stretch! He screamed for 40 minutes and won’t take a bottle? Look at him stare at the little bear on his play mat! Your business is going through significant changes and you’re suffocating under the weight? Look how cute he is in that green swaddle that makes him look like a string bean! Now read him another book and narrate it in baby talk. Rinse. Repeat. In the days after my meltdown, I found myself standing on our floor instead of laying on it. Little victories. And as my shame transformed into generic angst, I started telling friends with children of their own about what had happened to me. Or rather, what was still happening to me, even if I was upright more often. Not one of them was surprised. In fact, I was stunned to learn that something similar had happened to most of them, as if crying on the floor in the early stages of fatherhood is Fight Club, and the first rule of Fight Club is that we don’t talk about it. I have a marginally better explanation for my distress now. But I quickly learned that once I’d said this shameful thing out loud — that I didn’t feel close or connected to my own son — that the power it held over me started to dissipate. The overwhelming insecurities and self-doubt started to feel rational instead of suffocating. It was hardly an overnight transformation, but it was a start. Then two days later, I heard my wife talking to our son through the audio on the baby monitor, a common event when he’s waking up from naps. “You’re always smiling when you wake up, sweet boy! You like your naps?” she said. I knew what she was talking about because I’d seen it myself. Whether this boy had gone to sleep with ease or fighting us like a scene out of Gladiator, sure enough, he’d wake up from his nap smiling and cooing. As if the best moment of his day is always this one. I felt a pang of embarrassment again — and trust me, I’m working on it — as I realized this little boy is oblivious to anything except what is. He is aware only of his bottles, his bed, and his mommy and daddy. Everything else is noise. I sat with it. And somewhere in my dense 36-year-old brain, the one that’s been conditioned to dumb down its purpose to that of a provider and cog in the capitalist wheel, a light flickered. And my wife’s voice repeated itself to me: “You’re always smiling when you wake up, sweet boy!” Why? Why is this kid smiling? Okay, so I don’t know this with total certainty, but I’d venture that it’s because of this — His mind is not molded or compromised by what adults think they know about the world, or what even his own teachers or peers might project onto him in the realm of expectations, doubt and fear. He knows food, sleep and love. That’s it. I almost gave in to the temptation to write it off as his naïveté because after all, he is just a baby. But him not knowing better is in fact his super power. Me thinking I know better has undoubtedly been my kryptonite. As I peeled back the root of my angst, I realized (with some help from my therapist) that my son was actually a much smaller source of my frustration than I’d first thought. In truth, he’d just represented the newest thing I couldn’t master or bend to my will. On the growing list of things that have rendered me less-than, the common theme has been difficulty with the gap between what is and what might be. The light in my mind flickered a bit brighter, and with it, the realization that what could be is a figment of my imagination. It’s a diversion, a guess and a distraction. My waking hours have been littered with them, distractions. I don’t wake up smiling. I wake up in fear of not having enough, of second guessing my decisions at work. Of how I’ll buy my next house, or what trips I’ll take to escape from a reality I haven’t bothered to understand, let alone embrace. I was a boy once too. I think back on my own father, and I am reminded that I didn’t know what working class was, and if I did, I wouldn’t have cared. Dad’s money didn’t matter to me. I was oblivious to his shortcomings. And what I loved about my dad is that he loved me and had time for me. I think that’s what innocence is. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve unconsciously used innocence as a synonym for being naive. I am wrong for that. Innocence is part purity, part simplicity, and perhaps it’s best defined as the intersection between the two. I am envious of my son’s innocence in part because it reminds me that I’ve lost mine. But maybe the way back to it is through him. I could learn a thing or two from someone who always wakes up smiling. To read more of David’s stories, visit https://berrychronicles.com.

https://medium.com/@david_50450/he-always-wakes-up-smiling-life-lessons-from-my-newborn-son-8b78018894ee

['David Berry']

2021-08-25 00:19:44.459000+00:00

['Life', 'Life Lessons', 'Parenting Advice', 'Fatherhood', 'Parenting']

This Passenger Plane Took Off in 1989 But is Yet to Land

This Passenger Plane Took Off in 1989 But is Yet to Land The Sad & Mysterious Story of Flight PK-404. Gilgit Airport Pakistan | Photo Credits: Apricot Tours On a sunny August day, in the mountains of Gilgit Baltistan (Pakistan), passengers of Flight PK-404 get ready to board the plane. As it is the end of summer, breezy winds are blowing through the valleys. Several passengers are going back home after enjoying a scenic trip of Northern Pakistan, a few are planning to meet their loved ones, and some are going on a work-related trip. All of them, however, are excited to begin this journey from the mountains of Gilgit to the national capital, Islamabad. The crew begins preparing for the flight, and at 7:35 am the 54 passengers on the plane take off into the air. Within just nine minutes of takeoff, the plane vanishes in the sky and is never to be found again. Gilgit to Islamabad Flight PIA | Photo Credits: Voice of GB This is the mysterious story of the Fokker-F27, a Pakistan International Airlines plane that took off from Gilgit Airport on August 25, 1989, and disappeared shortly after takeoff. This tragic and perplexing event is a mystery that none have been able to solve — thus causing many families to be propelled into a state of limbo. The failure of the Pakistani Government to discover what happened to the plane despite their relentless efforts have deprived many of the closure they needed. “It’s a tragedy that we cannot forget about,” said Arif Hussain, who lost his uncle, aunt, wife, and two children in the incident. Just like Arif Hussain, many lost their loved ones, and many were left wondering what happened to the flight.

https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/this-passenger-plane-took-off-in-1989-but-is-yet-to-land-c9386663688

[]

2020-10-26 03:53:32.536000+00:00

['Accident', 'Travel', 'Aircraft', 'History', 'Mystery']

Is it time for your B2B brand to be on TikTok?

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a social media network in possession of a good audience, must be in want of marketing.” Chances are, you’ve heard of TikTok. It’s only the seventh most popular social media network in the world, with 689 million active users as of January 2021. And when it comes to a popular social media network, it’s pretty much inevitable that someone is going to ask “can we do marketing on that?”. And usually, a little bit later once B2C marketers have been doing their thing for a while, someone will ask “can we do B2B marketing on that?”. In this article, we’re going to take a look at the second question for two reasons. Firstly, because we know B2C marketing works on it (AdAge named TikTok its no.1 marketer of the year for 2020). And secondly, this is a community for B2B marketers so it makes sense. To answer that question, we’re going to take a look at the demographics that make up the majority of TikTok’s users, the types of marketing content they respond best to, and finally, take a look at some of the B2B brands already trying to make things work on this new(ish, it’s been around since 2016) channel. Who is using TikTok? Despite some high-profile bans and attempted bans in certain countries, TikTok is available in 144 countries worldwide ( as of June 2021). In terms of demographics, we’re going to focus on the US, as that’s where we can get the most complete data: 48% of adults between 18 and 29 use TikTok, with it being slightly higher in the 18–24 category at 55%, with slightly more female users than male. Things drop off pretty significantly in older age demographics. So all those reports of TikTok being the social media of choice for Gen-Z hold up well. But what does that mean for B2B? Social media makes for a pretty effective B2B lead generation and nurturing tool: 75% of B2B buyers use social media to help make buying decisions, and B2B buyers are who you’re going to devote your resources towards targeting. But who are those buyers? Well, rather than being crusty old white dudes, they’re shockingly youthful: 73% of millennials influence B2B purchasing decisions. The social media channels used most by millennials are Facebook (90.4%), Instagram (59%), Youtube (44% check Youtube daily), and Twitter (38%). Meanwhile, on LinkedIn, 60% of the total user base are millennials. This is reflected in the current social media channels most popular with B2B marketers: 96% of them use LinkedIn, 82% Facebook and Twitter, 69% Youtube, and 49% Instagram. While that doesn’t exactly mirror the user breakdown stats we shared above, it does show that, for a large part, B2B marketers are targeting millennials with their social media strategies. So despite the fact only 1% of B2B marketers currently use TikTok, it’s likely we’ll see a lot more B2B marketers engaging with the platform as the amount of Gen-Z in the workforce increases. But could it be the right time to start dipping your toe into the TikTok space? Is now the right time to do B2B marketing on TikTok? Until recently, social media was seen as a largely free way to effectively build a community and distribute content organically. Then big social media giants pulled the rug out from under us marketers by changing up their algorithms to massively reduce the reach of branded organic content. The writing’s on the wall: if you want reach on the major social media platforms, it’s gonna cost you and this can be a problem in a crowded marketplace. The way social media ads work is you bid on placement, and the more you spend, the better your reach. So if all your competitors are all on the same platform, it basically becomes a race to see who can spend the most effectively. Could it be time to start establishing yourself on some untrod ground? Some untrod ground like TikTok? It’s a gamble, to be sure, as there won’t necessarily be much short-term benefit. But in the long-term, it could be huge. By getting into TikTok ahead of your competitors, you have an opportunity to build a community and familiarize yourself with how things work, putting you in a strong position if/when TikTok does emerge as a major B2B social media network. However, if your company produces products that favor entrepreneurs or start-ups, TikTok might be the perfect platform for you right now. 54% of Gen-Z have said they aspire to be entrepreneurs. So if a large percentage of a generation that aspires to entrepreneurship is on a particular platform, and you make products that help entrepreneurs, it’s a no-brainer to get involved. But what type of B2B marketing content do TikTok users respond to? B2B TikTok content that works The nature of TikTok, with its emphasis on short, low-budget videos means it’s both cheap to produce content for, and the ideal platform for brands to build personal, emotional connections with an audience. The videos are a great way to show quick hacks related to your products and services, show clips of behind-the-scenes/development, and the fun, personal side of your company. TikTok, like Instagram, is also a popular platform for influencers, so if you’re looking to get into the burgeoning world of B2B influencer marketing, it’s the perfect vehicle to find influencers who can connect your brand to the right audience. Best of all, TikTok makes it relatively easy to get your content in front of the right audience. Each TikTok user has an algorithmically curated “For You” page, which generates an endless stream of content based on their prior interactions with other videos. Basically, if you produce a video in a certain format on a certain topic, TikTok makes it easy to organically access users who have favored content like that in the past. So which B2B brands are already doing well on TikTok? Adobe We’ve previously talked about how good Adobe is at communicating the fun side of its brand while remaining informative about the strength of its products. This makes them the perfect fit for TikTok! Admittedly, Adobe does have a partnership with TikTok to provide production tools for its creators, but their success can’t just be chalked up to that. As of June 2021, they have 110,900+ followers, with their most successful video having over 2.5 million views! This success is down to two things: understanding their audience and understanding the platform. Firstly, their videos are helpful and informative about how to use their products. Secondly, they communicate in clear methods of interaction that are popular with the TikTok audience. Their first video (1.3M views) encouraged audience interactions with the popular “put a finger down if you…” CTA, while highlighting specific aspects of being creative through their products. Their most popular video (2.5M views) was a call for TikTokers to highlight and tag creatives on the platform, making for an extremely effective way to extend their reach and engage with the right customers for their products. They’ve also dived headfirst into the realms of TikTok influencers. Their partnership with TikTok includes the #LevelUpWithAdobe challenge to work directly with 33 up-and-coming creatives to help them improve their video production skills using the app. It’s influencer marketing at its finest: every single creator produces better work through Adobe’s services, increasing their audience, which in turn enhances Adobe’s brand and standing on the app. Lesson learned: Find methods that are unique to TikTok that highlight the strengths of your brand. Shopify Remember what we said about Gen-Z being a generation of aspiring entrepreneurs? Well, it’s no wonder Shopify, as an e-commerce platform for independent businesses, has found great success there. Once again, Shopify might have a bit of a leg up, as they have partnered with TikTok to provide e-commerce services on the platform. The popularity of influencers on TikTok shows how important personalities are on the platform, which is something Shopify has embraced wholeheartedly, by building their TikTok presence around a sole personality. This gives the videos a consistent tone and a personal connection for their audiences. From this position with a central figure, they’re able to show detailed tips on how to use their services and highlight success stories through partnered videos. They don’t just have a guest-made post, they have their representative connect directly with those people, allowing for much more authentic and emotive content. The result is 45,700 followers, and videos that get as much as 223,800 views. Lesson learned: Build a strong, distinct personality for your TikTok channel. Sage The UK-based software company aimed at small businesses (noticing a pattern?), has over 32,500 followers on TikTok, which puts it at the low end of the scale of the brands we’re discussing here. But in terms of views, they’re killing it: four of their videos have over 17 million views, while their most popular one has a humongous 27.7 million views! How have they managed this? Well, they were the first UK B2B company to utilize TikTok’s branded hashtags feature, starting with their #BossIt2021 challenge. They asked small business owners and entrepreneurs to show how they’re planning on “bossing it” in 2021, with the most creative getting the chance to win everything they need to set up a killer home workspace. The results were huge (that’s the one that wracked up 27.7 million views), and they’ve had continued success with other similar campaigns. Lesson learned: Find a way to engage the right audience through UGC-driven campaigns. Final thoughts So should all B2B brands be on TikTok right now? Heck no! But if you have the right products for its community of entrepreneurs and creatives, then it could be an absolute goldmine. Furthermore, it could be wise to get in while it’s accessible and easier to grow an audience, so when it does emerge as a truly viable B2B marketing platform, you’re there with an established community while your competitors are scrambling for space. Just don’t expect huge returns in the short term. Got some questions about the viability of B2B marketing on TikTok? Maybe you’ve had some great successes there. Share them on the B2B Marketing Alliance Community!

https://medium.com/@b2b-marketing-alliance/is-it-time-for-your-b2b-brand-to-be-on-tiktok-ed9cbd9d9e8a

['Marketing Alliance']

2021-07-13 16:10:40.899000+00:00

['Social Media Marketing', 'Tik Tok', 'B2b Marketing', 'B2B', 'Marketing']

What Is My IP Address?

What Is My IP Address? IP Address You’ve heard about one of those cases before: a high school student, or your neighbour down the street, has been receiving harassing messages from an unknown online assailant. That person’s profile was devoid of identifying information, yet authorities tracked them down with something called an IP address. The same goes for major pirating and watching porn — all of that activity can be traced back to you through your IP address. But what is an IP address? And what if I’m using a VPN or incognito mode on my browser, then what? To understand these macro questions, it’s necessary to first dive into the micro technical specs. So let’s start at the very beginning. What Is an IP Address? Put simply, an IP address (short for Internet Protocol address) is a unique identifier for your machine. Not only do computers have one, but so do tablets and smartphones. And, just like a fingerprint, no two IP addresses are exactly the same. IPV4 There are standards for these sort of things, of course, and the Internet Assigned Numbers (IANA) Authority sets them. There are two primary types of IP addresses in use today: IP version 4 (IPv4) and IP version 6 (IPv6). The former has been around since January 1983, and is still the most common. These are 32-bit numbers expressed in four octets, separated in a so-called “dotted decimal” notation — for example, 192.0.2.53. By 1999, with the commercialization of internet access well underway, there was a concern that IANA could actually run out of valid IPv4 addresses. So, the Internet Engineering Task Force, a nonprofit standards organization based in Fremont, California, engineered its successor, IPv6. These are 128-bit numbers, expressed in hexadecimal strings — for instance, 2001:0db8:582:ae33::29. Equally important is what an IP address is not. There are some misleading analogies out there, but the most common one is a comparison to your home address. That is flat out inaccurate, considering your home address is a very specific and static location, while IP addresses are often more of an estimate of your location. In a 2016 white paper on the use of IP addresses in criminal investigations, the Electronic Frontier Foundation points out that such metaphors “incorrectly characterize the function and reliability of IP addresses, and they potentially operate to overstate the accuracy of IP address information.” IP When IANA set up the IPv4, and then IPv6 protocols, the designers set up the system to uniquely identify an electronic destination on the internet — not an exact physical one. IANA created blocks of IP addresses, assigning them to regions throughout the world on a numeric basis, not a geographical one. For instance, IP addresses in India and Australia fall under the same registry, despite their disparate geographical locations. Beyond the regional level, internet service providers usually assign IP addresses to customers. Internal vs. External IP Address Internal vs. External IP Address Your external IP address is what you likely think about first when considering that unique string of numbers associated with your internet use. It’s also the IP address that your internet service provider assigns to you, and it’s all public. Put another way: it’s the digital address for your router interface. From there, your router provides your devices with internet access. At this point, when you visit a website on your phone or laptop, each of those devices has its own internal IP address — also called a private IP address — that is logged along with your browsing history. Think of the relationship between the two like a phone extension. Your company assigns you a particular phone number that routes calls only to you. This would be the internal IP address. But the default company number, which is publicly listed, is like your external IP address. In this analogy, your router acts as a kind of receptionist. So What’s a VPN? In that receptionist scenario, everyone can find the company’s phone number — the external IP address in this case. That said, if you want to keep your external IP address private, you should consider installing a virtual private network (VPN), which masks your external IP address by issuing you a new one that is not tied to your internet service provider. Now that most of us are working at home, employers will often provide workers with a corporate VPN to give them secure access to the company’s internal network and data. How To Find Your IP Address Regardless of the device and software that you’re running, you should navigate to your WiFi or Ethernet settings to find your IP address. Here’s a list of how to do that on four separate kinds of devices, but if you don’t see your specific make and model, digging into your internet settings should get you there. There’s also a pretty cool Google shortcut. Just click this link and Google will display your IP address at the top of the search results page. Next time around, just type “What is my IP” into Google search and you’ll get the same result. Otherwise… On a Mac: Apple menu > System Preferences > Network > Select either WiFi or Ethernet, depending on your connection > your IP address is displayed in the open window, right beneath the status of your connection. On a PC running Windows 10: On the task bar, select WiFi or Ethernet > click on the network you’re currently connected to > select Properties > your IP address is listed next to “IPv4 address.” On an Android smartphone or tablet: Settings > Wireless & Networks (or “Network & Internet” on Pixel devices) > select the WiFi network that you’re connected to > Your IP address is displayed alongside other network information. On an iPhone/iPad: Settings > WiFi > tap the arrow next to your network name > your IP address is displayed to the right of “IP address.” If you liked this piece why not check out some of my other pieces here.

https://medium.com/@everythingcj/what-is-my-ip-address-82297d5b739e

['Everything Cj']

2021-02-07 12:57:47.004000+00:00

['IP', 'How To', 'What Is', 'Address', 'Knowledge']

Robinhood Portfolio — A view via Tableau

Ok, using the following python code, I web-scrapped all stock prices from yahoo.com/finance and updated my overall, dollar based, ownership status of my top equity holdings. Python Code: https://colab.research.google.com/drive/1HKiT2EQ4VDDz71rLrIBeU9mDOXbWGaMd?usp=sharing *Note: The python code is current stored in the cloud via google colab, but is meant to be run on one’s local drive, with all file paths updated accordingly. Also, for AMZN and GOOGL, I modified the code to take the comma out of shares prices over $999.99 so that python could convert strings to floats. If one owns other stocks, such modifications would have to be expanded to those as well. Overall, my dollar based ownership status of my Robinhood account looks like this: This view helps me see where my investments are concentrated and where I need to buy more. As share prices fluctuate, this automated process allows one to keep track of their holdings and rebalance as needed.

https://medium.com/@jeffemrich/robinhood-portfolio-a-view-via-tableau-39185156ee90

['Jeff Emrich']

2020-12-11 17:38:07.940000+00:00

['Investing', 'Tableau', 'Cloudflare', 'Portfolio', 'Robinhood']

Six of Cups: Childhood Nostalgia

It’s Friday and I am off! I’ve got two more working days left in the year, and with the sun shining brightly into my home, I feel a teensy bit lighter and dare I say happier. It’s like when the sun breaks through the clouds on a grey day and you know it’s going to be short-lived but can’t stop yourself from allowing yourself to stress a little less and be a bit happier. I often wonder how much of my mental state is just me being a drama queen. But then I remember that this emotion is different from when I was a teenager and angsty. The anxiety, stress and mental toll is hard to control and the act of even trying to control it makes you sink deeper and feel exhausted. So no — I’m not being a drama queen, and I’d give anything to be able to shut my brain off and embrace ignorant bliss. Six of Cups from the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck What you see: A little boy hands a flowering cup to a little girl. Behind him is another flowering cup and in the foreground four more. The children appear to be on a village street with houses and a man walking away behind them. What it means: The young children represent happy childhood memories; the white flowers in the cups are innocent bliss. The backdrop of their village signifies the comfort, safety and familiarity of home. The story: The Six of Cups represents pleasant memories from childhood; revisiting the past or reacquainting with childhood friends. Reversed: Reversed, the card represents being stuck in the past and unable to move forward; losing touch with the present. Reflection: Nostalgia can be a beautiful thing; retreating into your past occasionally to feel comfort or safety when the present time is hard. However, there is a danger in staying too long in the past — it makes the present feel more depressing, or you forget you are remembering only the bright parts and through rose-coloured glasses.

https://medium.com/@tarotstories/six-of-cups-childhood-nostalgia-d7871a8e1837

['Tarot Stories']

2020-12-18 15:50:05.650000+00:00

['Nostalgia', 'Childhood Memories', 'Tarot', 'Childhood', 'Tarot Reading']

My Neighbor Picasso

I introduce myself, my name is Victor, I am 63 years old, I have no children, no woman or even dog; I have lived here for so long, Since this truck did not see me at the big crossroads, the doctors were not expensive, but I clung to life out of a pure spirit of contradiction. I never liked the paths drawn in advance, I never supported that another than me know what could happen in my life, so I woke up from the coma in which I had probably taken refuge to forget. It will be ten years in a few days and I am used to the unacceptable. I do not even want to talk to him, his image is enough for me; sometimes he is funny, as if his universe was peopled with unlikely stories that do not tell. I’m waiting, it’s my way of being in the world. I wait for the sun for its few rays that penetrate through the louvers of my living room, the rain for the lapping, the puddles and the smells that emerge in the silence that follows, the snow, because it will always be snow, the storm that makes me shudder and tells me that I’m alive. Oh alive! There is Irma who comes every day to take care of the material things of my life; we talk about rain and good weather, that’s good, it’s the subjects that interest me. I do not engage any more serious conversation because for that it is necessary to be in the life, to have regrets, hopes, convictions, what do I know? Me, I’m waiting for Picasso to leave his house, that’s all. I was the so-called reporter, I traveled the world, the war of men, airports, tidy jeeps, shabby or luxurious hotels. I have always loved the image, the one that says everything, the one that reminds you of nothing but horror; and there I found myself full force; I was always in the breach, between two planes, two wars … And probably the same fight, run, show, showcase the horrors of war. The disgusting, the unspeakable, the atrocious, the misery, the despair, it was my livelihood. To say that it stops, to say never again? No, I was not a militant, to tell the truth, as time went by, I became stupid, I grabbed images like other butterflies, it protected me from fear, from wanting to forget me so much I lost myself. Picasso I feel he could grow wings, and there …

https://medium.com/written-tales/my-neighbor-picasso-a6f01132ecde

['Mao Tss']

2019-11-19 06:40:28.268000+00:00

['Life Lessons', 'Slice Of Life', 'Stalking', 'Fiction', 'Short Story']

Bitcoin Technical Analysis

As we can see in this chart, Bitcoin is at a crucial support level. The 50MA and 200MA on 1D chart are also converging and further fall in BTC price can lead to a death cross. RSI is also moving in unison with BTC price and a further break below 35 will lead to continued downtrend. Next support level of Bitcoin is currently at 7700. We, at Ledgerfund run one of the biggest Crypto Hedge Funds in the world and give returns in bitcoins. To know more about how you can invest your bitcoins in this fund, refer to our website: https://ledgerfund.io

https://medium.com/ledgerfund/bitcoin-technical-analysis-bcbc82ed39e7

['Ledgerfund Technical Analysis']

2018-03-26 17:38:33.347000+00:00

['Bitcoin', 'Trading']

Covid Feels Familiar.. Covid brings back memories of a young…

Author, Traveling India 2013 This quarantine feels familiar. It’s an unprecedented event that’s never occurred in history, so how does it feel so familiar? The familiar ability to stay confined to one bedroom in one home. Familiar to have to face my discomfort & safety from outside my walls alone & unspoken. The familiar typing with cries for help because I’m experiencing emotions I need help parsing through. And the misunderstanding or inability of the recipient to comfort me. Flashes of October 2013 come forward in my memory. Darkness and fireworks outside and fluorescent lights on above my dining room table. I had just moved to Mumbai the week of my 30th birthday. My marching orders were obedient and far ahead of my heart or will to be there. My sister sent a birthday package with me. I remember opening it alone in my bedroom. I was feeling so many wishes, yet was doing my darndest to adjust and work with what I had & have a good attitude. When Diwali festival came one month later, my resistance and sanity could barely do an honest job. At this point, I was still encountering internet outages & unreliability. I wasn’t comfortable enough with my new surroundings. So, I put my energy and desire to have a comfortable home into nesting. The local staff spoke English as a second language, making the smallest request need more patience. Later I sent a punch list to the housing department to assist them, so another could have it better. I wasn’t prepared for the difficulty. I wasn’t prepared for the poor transportation in an unfamiliar, intimidating city. I was raised in rural America and departed the bird chirping, palm trees swaying environment of Jamaica before arriving there. I also had returned to my music and was more sensitive-to-sound. I wasn’t prepared to face the noise of Pali Hill crows, rickshaw horns and now fireworks for hours on end. When my positive self-talk expired, I sent a Facebook message to my sister. It was dripping with complaint and honesty. I never did get a response. I later made an international call to a childhood friend. She wasn’t prepared for the understanding & maturity I needed. She yelled at me, “Sarah, Didn’t you choose this?!” I was so hurt by her response that I didn’t talk to her for 3 years. I swallowed her rebuke and soldiered on, but I didn’t choose it, actually. I continued to work with locals and get used to the new office culture. I took rickshaws to work every morning for 3 months. They’d cause wind blown hair and confrontation with agast odors of pollution. I learned to always have a hairband and scarf. I gave directional cues in Hindi and head nods. I began hosting, always creating a life without excuses and making the best of it. I hosted a baby shower for a new friend, Christmas feast for our Marine Security Guard Detachment at Post. I hosted new Indian friends plus an American mutual friend visiting from Nashville. But all of these never quite cut the sting of how lonely that apartment could get. I’d have evening plans and outings in the city often. I took music lessons on the other side of town and had weekly get-togethers with church friends. I compensated the feeling of outer city pollution and chaos by organizing my apartment to a “T”. Soon, there were no more home projects to distract me. After a visiting house keeper cooked for my diet-of-a-bird, it left me with a lot of free time. I’d sing in my office, and it started to feel as if I was in a tower. I was also in a tower sort of building in Kingston, my previous assignment. It also had moments of too much alone time. At the time it was exclusively fellow Americans. So, as soon as I moved there I had dinner invitations and friendly colleagues were an elevator ride away. Laughter and life filled the hallways of the building, I remember. Pleasant security guards with bright white smiles greeted me in an accent. Here, up in the tower on the 7th floor, my view from the living room was usually gray skies and hundreds of cawing black crows. The ones I grew up watching in Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”. There were so many that the apartment was wrapped in something like chicken wire, making the porch and windows have the effect of being in a cage. And so, that’s how I felt. Caged in a tower with all my attempts to voice limits in adjusting to the culture and life change unacknowledged. Today, I watch as the world is so understanding of the human experience this social distancing life change brings. The limits, the difficulty adjusting, the resources to deal with collective isolation and loneliness. The same experience I felt I had to toughen through. At the time it caused me to think, maybe’s something wrong with me? Am I not doing this right? I was on a panel of how-to-build a life in a new city, yet felt as if I failed beyond my tools to actual feelings. 6 years away from that experience, I consider myself “normalized” and healed from the habits, desensitization and self-talk that got me through that time, best I knew. Today, I’m a graduate of more human skills for success programs & mindfulness habits than I can count. Today, there’s no glossing over my needs to show up for a career or job demands I actually didn’t choose. Today, I’m careful to pick up on bodily cues and emotional triggers to process them healthfully and directly. I’m empathetic of individuals, specifically professional females, who toughen their way through emotional needs. There’s so much that changed about myself and how I’m willing to live life because of that familiar experience. Thankfully, there was a blessing hidden in that experience. My developed anxiety came to such a head that I had to learn to face it, “fess” it and manage it. Unlike many performance-driven career burnouts, it happened when I was young enough to rule it out as an accepted way of life. It wasn’t a decision I made overnight. There was a long buildup. A year to be exact. It’s no wonder today, I dedicate free time to do personal development exercises in relation to life choices. We all learn at different rates- and I still make mistakes. That painful experience buried in a once-in-a-lifetime but untimely opportunity moving to India did produce purpose. And dare I say- passion. I’m only a voice but without a doubt, I know my story can serve a purpose. Maybe to the woman who gave everything to a job but left yourself miles behind? Maybe you suppress your new values to fulfill an old commitment? Or, you’re not sure why a new life change you may have signed up for is harder to handle than usual. Sometimes, life can take you on a path where what’s normal no longer is right. There are moments in life to endure and there are moments to make a change. If a part of your life feels like that caged apartment in Mumbai, there’s always room to dream again. It may not happen overnight and some may not be able to take the leap for who you could become. It’s risky! If you do feel a call to a version of yourself beyond the framework life built for you- rather than you designed for yourself, it’s for a reason. It will take undoing. It will take unwiring. It will take commitment & authenticity of self. To the others, perhaps you don’t have to live a year in solitude in India like me to have similar enlightenments. Or save yourself the sorrow of loneliness to force yourself to find the community where you really belong. I sincerely pray you aren’t directly affected by the virus and no one would wish this pandemic. But, this alone time could be a catalyst for the change you were sensing a build up from already. Maybe this quarantine can be an opportunity to become more self-aware. Or to assess what’s not working in your life or career and re-evaluate priorities. A chance to start that exciting side hustle because, why not? Or explore your creative side that got side-lined in your former life. I know my experience showed me. The question is, what could this quarantine be showing you?

https://medium.com/@sarah-cary/covidfeelsfamiliar-75bcac16fd8

['Sarah Cary']

2020-06-30 21:11:33.965000+00:00

['Career Burnout', 'High Achiever', 'Overseas Work', 'PTSD', 'Foreign Service']

Is Trump right on China? A polite critique of Fareed Zakaria’s latest article.

With Palash Gupta (right), Delaware Commission on Indian Heritage and Culture. Let me start by saying Fareed Zakaria is my hero. As a young Indian-American who wants a future career in politics and international affairs, he along with Shashi Tharoor are the glimmers of hope that we Indians can be stalwarts in the field. The recent onslaught of attacks by the BJP and India’s right-wing against Jawaharlal Nehru make it even harder for already-unappreciated Krishna Menon to get his recognition as a great diplomat, as well as Nehru himself (at least for the diplomatic prowess). To Dr. Zakaria, I thank you for all you do and for the brilliant work over the years, and please keep it up. That way, maybe the Indian uncles and aunties can lay off about how international law and diplomacy are futile matters. Even his recent piece on Washington Post on Trump’s China policy is lucid and brilliant, until the very end. I will now offer a respectful dissent on some of his concluding points on said article. The first issue here is the title. Yes, China is a trade cheat. But that is such an obvious point among economists and IR theorists that even Trump knows this, and he knows very little on U.S.-China trade and NAFTA, the latter actually being relevant here. No modern-day President should get credit for knowing China cheats, but rather be told if they are right or wrong based on their response to China’s cheating. Unfortunately for Trump, his response is incorrect. China-Israel relations (Times of Israel). Zakaria’s list of China’s mischief, such as WTO commitment inconsistency, blocking of technology and websites such as Facebook, Google, and Amazon, cyber attacks against the U.S., and intellectual property misconduct is well-construed. I wish human rights was also mentioned. China, Brazil, and India sabotaging the Doha Round was also despicable. However, China and India maintaining mixed economies, not liberalizing fully, and staying strong regardless is not a “threat” to the open world economy. “Threat” seems to be too strong of a characterization. India and China are actually quite open, geopolitically and historically. Both most likely had their best trading relationship with the United States under the Obama Administration. Meanwhile, both have trade relations with Iran. China and India also have simultaneous economic and diplomatic ties to Israel, with Israel becoming a member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (led by China). At a dinner recently for the Delaware Commission on Indian Heritage and Culture, keynote speaker Richard Verma, the former U.S. Ambassador to the India, noted that President Obama was the first sitting U.S. President to attend India’s Republic Day parade. After Crimea and U.S. sanctions in response, Modi and Putin still remain on good terms. Putin and Xi Jinping continue a historical relationship best described as “frenemies”. China and India also continue their strange relationship in the present day, but China is still India’s largest trading partner. It is doubtful that mixed economies and pressing pause on liberalization by both countries will end all of the previous relationships, though pressing pause for too long is a bad idea. China-Iran relations (BBC). But trade and financial liberalization done slowly and intelligently, is not to be downplayed. Impatient liberalization led to the East Asian Financial Crisis of the late 90’s, stopping the massive growth rates of previous years. India and China should liberalize, but implementation and having an established banking system cannot be ignored. Perhaps Zakaria is implying they are not liberalizing for more nefarious and corrupt reasons, which has happened in the past. The Chinese government has displayed preferential treatment of state-owned enterprises over private sector firms. Likewise, China has not been the role model of fair competition in both the PRC and the U.S., nor has the pie of benefits always been cut equally between the two (Trump does have merit there, but I will address that later). Either way, delayed liberalization is nevertheless better than rapid and improper liberalization, whose evils India and China may have the strength to absorb, but end up susceptible to risks, given the billions of people in each country. Not to mention that liberalization going south gives strength to both countries’ anti-growth movements. On the issue of mixed economies, both India and China are in the shadow of the old Soviet Union. China had Mao Zedong; India had Indira Gandhi. Both figures’ influence and penchants for public enterprise and socialism will not subside overnight. Perhaps a small fraction will always be there, as it is an important part of Delhi and Beijing’s history. In other words, call it “economic originalism”. Western and IMF pressure, like what happened in East Asia, should be applied more proportionally this time around. Beijing and New Delhi should have their own timetables to sort this out, as long as they are in transition to a market economy. But are mixed economies or public-private enterprises such a bad thing? In the past, the United States has had both a strong federal government and private sector, often working together or being able to co-exist. FDR’s New Deal comes to mind, with big business still in a position of power. The Federal Government still bailed out the banks and Detroit in 2008. New York City, home of the country’s largest city government, had private-public cooperation under Mayor Mike Bloomberg, with a staff boasting private sector experience. Governor John Carney recently replaced the Delaware Economic Development Office in favor of public-private partnerships, with more private sector voices in Delaware’s economic development, with the State of Delaware still playing an integral role. The United States has a mixed economy themselves! Former U.S. Ambassador to India Richard Verma at the Inauguration of the Delaware Commission on Indian Heritage & Culture. Zakaria’s final point on China is the most concerning. He concedes Trump’s moves are not the brightest and that the Administration’s frustration is understandable, with other Administrations grappling with Beijing as well. But he then says that “getting tough on China is a case where I am willing to give Trump’s unconventional methods a try. Nothing else has worked”. I once had Zakaria’s open-mindedness to Trump’s approach on China myself. It lasted five minutes. Trump’s actions have led to Chinese tariffs attacking American agriculture, such as soybeans, wheat, corn, cotton, sorghum, nuts, fruits, wine, and pork. It also led to tariffs on American steel and aluminum (ironic). Manufacturing is likely be targeted as well, and the range of industries affected is unclear, given China’s position. Trump beat Clinton in Middle America (where agriculture and manufacturing are key); they wanted change from the status quo. However, the status quo was serving them better economically than what may come next. Hillary Clinton’s boring stability would have been smoother than Donald Trump’s chaotic uncertainty. I always thought conservatism was about upholding tradition and remembering history and the liberals are the ones willing to start new precedent and be spontaneous. Nixon, Carter, H.W. Bush, and Clinton never approached China this way. Nevertheless, Republican U.S. Senator Ben Sasse and the Democrats who have spoken out against Trump’s China moves are taking the conservative (and correct) stance. It must also be said that when pragmatic liberals try new things, they are aware of the changing circumstances and the potential dangers. Trump is not. China does cheat. Market manipulation and liberalization stagnation are not ideal. But going with Trump because “nothing else has worked” appears to make the United States far worse off than where it was under the Washington-Beijing consensus from the Great Recession through January 19th, 2017. Those days were not all sunshine and rainbows. In the end, those experiences and stalemates do not justify such drastic changes. (Side note: for anyone interested, here is the link to the new Delaware Commission on Indian Heritage and Culture: https://www.facebook.com/DelawareIndianCommission/)

https://medium.com/mookies-opinions/is-trump-right-on-china-314952d7a4f9

['Hirak Mukhopadhyay']

2019-09-23 23:19:46.373000+00:00

['Economics', 'Politics', 'India', 'China', 'Donald Trump']

ConTOUR

ConTOUR Her contour is the whole of her. Her shape in its entirety. It is not the view when she is constricted in corsets that exists to further her end. Her contour is not the unmarred hourglass with so lean a form presented solely to delight the senses of many addled by construct. It is not a skin devoid of wrinkles as the photographer has made her be. Her contour is her. The whole of her. Her contour is her fat shapely legs. It is her thighs marked with stripes so beautiful it is larger than life. It is her stomach. So soft, so tender, so sensual. It is the rolls that grace her back. It is the cream curved lines that starts from the curve of her ass to further spread over sides that crinkles with the gentlest of prods. Skin that folds when she lays. It is a wonder my hands seek when we hold. She stiffens at the find, and there is something about the pause. Something about the complete desire so surrendered when she leans into that embrace. Something about her desperate hold as I let my fingers explore at a measured pace. It is her body. Her rolls that take form when she lays, one leg thrown over the other. She lays bare, and the curves are impossible to resist in the dim of the night. Something about her eyes when she sees me staring. When she pulls the sheets down. When she runs her small, dark fingers delicately over the soft that is her middle. And then, down. She traces it over her ass. Over the front of the black thong I picked for the tour. She raises a leg teasingly, and she moves. There is something about her. Clothed in a blue beach wear with ropes that gets lost in her middle. In the adventure that is her back. There is something about the dimples at the small of her back. Another delight I love to loose my tongue in. Her contour is all of her. The crease. The smooth. Her body is.

https://medium.com/@omogefemii/contour-bb8dcf4e63

[]

2021-04-18 12:29:56.354000+00:00

['Love And Sex', 'Relationships', 'Body Positivity', 'Poetry On Medium', 'Body Positive']

A Little Bit about Women’s Rights in Indonesia

A Little Bit about Women’s Rights in Indonesia Maybe some of you think that women are safe in Indonesia, that we are diverse and tolerant people with laws in place to give equality towards women. Some even suggest that we are more accepting than other countries when it comes to women because we are one of the countries to have a female president from 2001–2004. But do women really have equal rights, if the laws are not implemented justly? Indonesia signed and ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1980, an international treaty made by the United Nations as the bill of rights for women. Which is quite funny considering by 2012 there are about 282 policies in various jurisdictions across Indonesia that are discriminatory against women (the number went up to 421 policies in 2016). Among those laws, there are 96 that impose criminal sanctions on women through regulations on prostitution and pornography, 60 that contain dress codes and religious standards, and 38 that place restrictions on women’s mobility. For example, in Aceh, they implemented full Sharia law since 1999 and lashed a woman for standing too close to her boyfriend. Women and girls, especially those from poor and marginalised communities, are prevented from fully exercising their sexual and reproductive rights. There are cruel, inhumane, and degrading practices still in place for women’s bodies, including female genital mutilation, child marriages, and virginity tests if you want to work in some fields. Some local laws even enforce hijabs on women and girls in schools, government offices, and public spaces. There is also a local law that allows police to frisk and detain women who go out at night, just based on intuition or the women looking “slutty” as initial suspicion. According to the 1974 Marriage Law, the minimum age of marriage for girls is set at 16 years and 19 years for men. Though this law has been updated in 2019 by raising the minimum age to 19 years for women to curb child brides, it’s still not enough and the damage has been done. In 2015, around 62.5 million households included housewives aged between 20 and 24 years, and were married before the age of 18. All because their families are afraid that their daughters wouldn’t find anyone and become spinsters. On the other side of the spectrum, parents worry their children will commit adultery, especially when they are in relationships. Because of these taboos, the laws won’t stop families from forcing their daughters to marry. There are even families who sell their daughters to older men; as their 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th wife, due to economic factors. Marital rape is even not a crime under the Indonesian Criminal Code. The Code defined rape, under Article 285, as an act of forced penetration that takes place outside of marriage, between a man and a woman who is not his wife. Yet they deemed RUU PKS (the draft bill concerning the elimination of sexual violence in Indonesia) to be too vague and pro-free sex and has kept it shelved; even dropping it from the priority list in 2020, while the real laws in place leaves so much room for loopholes and other interpretations. If we were to help people who are being sexually violated, we have to take a video as evidence and it has to include penetration. Otherwise it will not be deemed a sexual offence. And this approach might not even guarantee that the law would proceed to convict the assailant, because the victim will have a chance of being criminalized for spreading content that may be deemed as pornography. Other ways of obtaining evidence is by having a visum, which is a written report signed by a licensed doctor based on a check-up for victims of sexual, physical, or mental violence. In order to have a visum, victims of assault must report to the police first. However, over 90% of rape cases in Indonesia goes unreported, because they are afraid of being blamed and gaslighted. There is a revenge porn case in Cirebon at the moment, a local news site covered it and blamed the victim for the video being shared. Despite knowing that the rapist is an 18 year old man and the victim is a 14 year old girl who is still in school. Not only that, the news site exposed the victim’s name but kept the rapist anonymous by just writing his initials. The news site also reported that the relations between them was consensual because they were in a romantic relationship, even though the Indonesian Criminal Code stated under Article 290 that having any kind of sexual or romantic relations with a minor under 15 years old is a criminal act. Sadly, society doesn’t care and continues to blame the girl. Some commenters of said news site even asked for the link to the video to “confirm” if it was rape, when in actuality they would use the video to masturbate, knowing fully well she is a 14 year old minor. But let’s say victims do report to the police, what then? Due to the discriminatory nature of the police force, they have a higher tendency to blame the victim of assault with questions such as “why didn’t you stop him?” or “why did you walk alone at night?”. This hinders sexual assault survivors from having their case pursued. What if they believe the victim? Okay, for the sake of this argument, let’s say the victim’s report got processed. Visum is still not a good method to gather evidence, it might be an invasive procedure and the results are often inconclusive. For example, if the incident happened a while ago; either the DNA of the assailant was unavailable, some bruises would have healed, or some parts of the body that could lead to evidence might be cleaned from taking a shower, etc. In 2018, a friend of a victim of sexual assault shared a telephone conversation between the victim and her boss, a concrete piece of evidence that her boss harassed her sexually. The Indonesian Supreme Court convicted the victim, Baiq Nuril, because she had recorded the telephone conversation with her boss. They sentenced her to six months in jail for breaking another law, yet left her boss free of any sentences. Unfortunately, the discrimination towards women doesn’t stop there. Indonesia also has a problem with sex-trafficking, Indonesian and foreign women and minors have been forced into prostitution in brothels and homes and been physically and psychologically abused. By May 2020, it is estimated that approximately 100,000 children and women are trafficked each year in Indonesia — 30 percent are below the age of 18; 43.5 percent of trafficking victims are as young as 14 years old. Poverty and lack of access to education can be the reason for sex-trafficking. But, it is also due to the weak implementation of the Child Protection Act, especially at the provincial level, the rise of child sex tourism, and girls being forced into prostitution. Yes, there are laws against these crimes, but there is little to no enforcement carried out by the Indonesian government on its legislation to act against widespread sex abuses. Not to mention, the police received lack of training to punish those who commit crimes against women, as we have learned, making the situation more difficult. The Indonesian government and the police force continue to fail at protecting women, letting the perpetrators continue to profit and grow. As of today, there weren’t even any legislations for sexual harassment in employment and education. Therefore, there were no criminal penalties for them or civil remedies for the victims. This country let men criminalize women for being, well, alive. Can you imagine? A whole entire gender is punished to be blamed and ignored, when all we need is help. Why am I saying all of these horrible things? Because I love Indonesia, I was raised in this country, I grew up in this country. I and all of the women living here, should be able to live here. Someone told me that in order to make a change, you should be able to teach, in order to teach you have to be able to understand, and to understand you have to be able to acknowledge. So acknowledge this mistake, don’t close your eyes to this matter, don’t look away. Acknowledge that women are still in danger and understand that we need change. Us women love this country, it’s about time this country loves us back.

https://medium.com/@urgeekypoet/are-we-really-safe-as-women-7b27f5b0a044

[]

2021-01-23 00:20:11.672000+00:00

['Law', 'Discrimination', 'Women', 'Indonesia', 'Sexual Assault Awareness']

Three Methods of Achieving Language Fluency in 3 Months.

Don’t be discouraged. If it were easy, everyone would be conversing in a wide range of languages on a daily basis. I’ve taught many students over the years and most of them ask; how can I learn English fast? It has taken some time and careful consideration, however as each year rolled over, I feel that I have created an essential basis for anyone who wishes to learn a language quickly. There is no get it quick scheme or magic button to be pressed, this journey is going to take hard work, dedication and lots of coffee. But with tenacity and optimism, and the right set of goals, learning a language should and can be, fun and exciting. Remember your goals an focus on what is important. If you make mistakes that’s good, but if you lose motivation, you need to spice things up a notch. So here we go; three factors to help you get fluent, faster. Routine is the Key I kid you not, this is the most vital. If you stick to a core routine and allow your body and emotions to focus on a routine, then surely your ability to learn a language should also follow suit, no? Of course. When you wake up in the morning, if the first thing you do is check Facebook, you’re automatically creating a habit that will lock in and you will continuously do that for the following three months. Take Facebook out of the equation and set an alarm to do 30 mins of language grammar study and your mind and energy will become attune to waking up at a certain hour. It will start to feel less like a chore and more like a habit. Creating healthy habits and sticking to them is essential with any task, especially with language acquisition. TIP: So many people forget to have a notebook and pen beside the bed. Also, replace your mobile with a proper alarm clock. That way you are not obliged to pick up your phone. Use the pen and paper to write down as many phrases from the previous day to help trigger memory recall the moment the white analog clock goes off. Sticky Notes are Your Best Friend. This is a little something that I picked up on my travels in South Korea. I had been a teacher for nearly three years at the time and the simple premise had never once crossed my mind. All you need is a decent couple of hours and a few pads of sticky notes. A pen will also be required. Go around your house and label everything, I mean everything, with sticky notes written in your desired language. When you go to the cupboard to get a can of beans, you’ll not only have a visual representation of what the word is but the spelling and correct article use as well. TIP: Instead of writing the singular word, take the extra time to write plural forms and the correct articles, prepositons or phrases that go with that word. For example, if you are learning Portuguese, when you open the fridge you should have written uma garrafa de leite (a bottle of milk) instead of just leite. We instinctively know what our household items and spaces are called, yet in other languages, they can be so diverse. Instead of learning them on an App or in a Classroom, simply apply them to your new routine. After a few months, you’ll have learnt everything in your house in two languages. Get Going on Grammar I cannot stress this enough. Grammar is crucial when learning a language. I’ve taught many students in my time who are excellent speakers, but their grammar is atrocious. Although they were confident in what they were saying, to people who are not familiar with listening to grammatical errors, the sounds and sentence structure sounded off and strange. Your first few weeks should be studying grammar, every day for a least an hour to really get the key concepts down. Particularly where the language has reverse subject-verb agreement or masculine and feminine words. These are the little things you need to become familiar with quickly to ensure you get your head around the language within the three months. TIP: Write down each grammatical tense on individual pages in a notebook. The top of the page should have the tense you are learning followed by what it is in your native language. The second part should be the language you are trying to learn and the third part needs to be at least five examples. Case Study A student of mine travelled to Australia with very little English. While it may seem irrelevant to you, like so many other travellers to Australia, English has been regarded as one of the hardest languages to learn so this study should offer some insight. After the first class, he told me what his intentions were and I gave him clear instructions, much like the notes in this article. He went home and took on some more of his own ideas as well as mine. Each day that passed I noticed he was using grammar and vocabulary that was not being taught in the unit material. Rather he was conducting his own studies and implementing them in the class. After three months of lessons, we sat down and had a conversation. Me: What have you been doing outside of the classroom to assist with your studies? Student: Many things. But I guess the most important was surrounding myself with English speakers rather than relying on native Portuguese speakers. He flew back to Brazil with an advanced level of English. In Summary I know most readers, much like myself at times, like to scroll to the end to get the main points of the story, rather than reading line for line. I cannot stress enough how important reading and re-reading will be when learning a language. It is a great way to visually see how grammar is constructed and any words that you may be unfamiliar with, as I am sure there will be many you can highlight or underline. However, for those of you who don’t like to read and merely want the quick notes here they are; Change up your routine and morning habits. If you start the day strong, then the rest of the learning process will be a breeze. Use sticky notes everywhere. They’re inexpensive and a great way to visualise vocabulary. Don’t skip the grammar. This is the foundation of the language and will provide great support in building your language knowledge. Learning a language won’t just improve your conversational skills in distant countries, but will also help you develop healthier learning habits as well.

https://medium.com/curious/three-methods-ofachieving-language-fluency-in-3-months-7cd22bc769ce

['Sam Taylor']

2020-11-21 10:44:17.314000+00:00

['Learning', 'Self Improvement', 'Education', 'Language', 'Creativity']

It’s Time to Cancel Brilliant Jerks

Photo by Icons8 Team on Unsplash I still remember my first brilliant-jerk boss. It was decades ago, back when shooting video meant bulky cameras and VHS cassettes. Eli (not his real name) was a local boy wonder, a wunderkind of Spielberg proportions, in my mind at least: a twenty-six-year-old medical resident who also had a thriving side business as a high-end event videographer. Think Duddy Kravitz, only a lot more cunning. No doubt he was aware of career synergy even before it had a name: all those wealthy, influential community contacts he was making with his side business helped him build up his medical practice in later years. To me, he was a living nightmare. For two years, he berated me, belittled me, insulted me, yelled at me. And he’d say things like “You don’t have any stress, you know,” he once said. “I mean, I bark at you, and maybe that gets your blood pressure going.” After I finally quit, having slowly, painfully amassed some professional skills (and maybe a shade of backbone), I learned he’d been paying me a third of what he paid his other assistant. I’d been too cowed, too intimidated as a repressed, closeted eighteen-year-old to ask for more money or even a dash of respect. I know this feels like the least important thing in the world right now, some Gen Xer’s random, haunting memory of a horrible boss from eons ago. How irrelevant it must seem in our dystopian present, with lingering racial injustice, a troubled American presidency (to say the least), economic turmoil…and, oh yeah, that microscopic little bug that’s made 2020 feel like the end is nigh. But what if I told you all these are in some way connected? Definitions I can’t speak to everyone’s definition of what a brilliant jerk is, but here’s mine: A person of exceptional achievement, stature, reputation, or authority — real or perceived — with a pattern of being gratuitously cruel or unpleasant, most often to subordinates. They’re not just in the workplace, I know, but it’s often in that arena that we find the brilliant jerk. Makes sense, since workplaces are some of the most hierarchical places of our age. Since a huge part of brilliant jerk brilliance is just how incredibly well they exploit hierarchies, they’re just as insidious today, in our late-capitalist age, as they were in earlier times. Where, in the past, a brilliant jerk could be a tyrant king or a conniving courtier, in the modern world they’re “rock star” professionals or executives who “add value to the enterprise”—and, in so doing, establish a position of dominance within it. This is the source of brilliant jerk power: perceived indispensability. But what makes them jerks in the first place? I think some of it comes from the romantic notion of the tortured artist, mixed with the robber baron mystique of the 19th century. People often point to Steve Jobs as justification for (and maybe a model of) the brilliant jerk’s M.O.: after all, without him, there would be no iPhone. Ergo, you have to have that sort of person around to unlock innovation at that level. I doubt this is universally true, and plenty of amazing, accomplished people (a few of whom I’ve had the good fortune to work with) aren’t jerks. I think the more common reality with brilliant jerk types is more pernicious. Let’s look at this bit from Swimming With Sharks, the 1994 movie where Kevin Spacey’s (ironic, I know) a brilliant jerk Hollywood studio executive lecturing his naive assistant: What, you think someone just handed me this job? I’ve handled the phones. I’ve juggled the bimbos. I’ve — I’ve put up with the tyrants, the yellers, the screamers. I’ve done more than you can even imagine in that small mind of yours. I’ve paid my dues — Dammit, it’s my turn to be selfish. It’s my turn. Chilling, right? Such great insight into the mindset, and how it serves as perpetuator of both power and bad behavior. Brilliant jerks, without exception in my experience, have this super-aggressive social-Darwinian mindset (itself a construct of Herbert Spencer, not that other guy and his Galápagos finches). They don’t just view hierarchy, and the forceful exercise of it, as some unfortunate thing to overcome; instead, they view it as an inescapable condition of life itself. The universe is uncaring and tough, so we ought to be even more uncaring and tougher. I imagine brilliant jerks have movie-cliché drill sergeants running on continuous loop in their brains (which for my money Full Metal Jacket probably renders best). The personal is political To understand this mindset further, I think we need to look to politics. Ideology, more exactly, the ever-present left-right divide. To grossly oversimplify, we have the left/liberal worldview believing in the potential of humans to do amazing things together—and so it stresses the importance of bold, egalitarian, usually not-profited-oriented collective action such as done by governments granted with ample taxation; the right/conservative worldview, meanwhile, is more cynical: emphasis is on the unfixable crooked timber of human nature, the inefficiency of government, and the inherent laziness of individuals absent the good swift kick in the pants of incentive capitalism. The state’s job is to protect law and order and property rights—and leave the rest to sort itself out. It’s tempting to look at these worldviews, and lump brilliant jerks into just one of them. Some of that, I think, is valid: it’s a lot easier to look at the conservative world picture and deduce the thought process: “well, if everybody’s a jerk, might as well be one too.” Except, I don’t think it breaks out that evenly, or that cleanly. Plenty of political liberals have been brilliant jerks, too—including some horrifically extreme examples, like Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein. Heck, Harvey even fundraised for Hillary. Why is that? I think it’s because no side of the political spectrum has ever been able to do away with the concept of hierarchy. Even egalitarian societies have chieftains who call the shots. The most radical Communist regimes ended up as police-state, inner-party hierarchies. Regardless of whether our pecking order’s based on hardworking merit, inborn ability, or unfair privilege, we humans tend to go along with it, in so doing granting certain people greater agency in our society. And whenever you have an asymmetry of power, you allow for poor treatment of the less-powerful. Brilliant jerks we know and (don’t) love It’s no great leap, given my back-of-the-envelope politics, to guess who I think is the most visible brilliant jerk of all these days—and an analysis of the current U.S. President’s mentors and influences substantiates my claim. To those who may scoff at the brilliant part, well, I’d argue that running his business the way he ran it (not well, but with the appearance of great success), cultivating the image he cultivated, then successfully engineering it all to win an American Presidency… it may strike many of us as horrific and dystopian, sure, but there’s no underestimating the brilliance of pulling it off. That his “brilliance” had a lot of help from luck and timing—and lots of family money—doesn’t diminish it. It’s part of it. That’s the thing about brilliant jerks: fairly earned or not, their projection of legitimacy sticks. So how does it relate to other big world events? Let’s start with the Epstein-Weinstein duo. Now, I know tantrum-y bosses are not in the same league as sexual harassers and assaulters. But it’s probably safe to claim these behaviors are often branches of the same tree—and are not infrequently committed by the same people (as another bit of fiction, the show Entourage, so well depicted). No surprise: in both, power gives sanction to the powerful to mistreat others. This brings us to more extreme behavior in the news these days. I know nobody’s calling murderous, racist cops brilliant either. They’re practically the definition of bad cops. But there’s a common thread here: entitlement, which derives from power and hierarchy. These are entitled jerks—literally protected from consequence, in the cops’ case, by qualified immunity. Same deal with the Kens and Karens we’ve been hearing about lately, mostly better-off white folks operating with relative impunity. In these cases, it’s apparent to me now where that flavor of hierarchy came from, something I’ve been reading up on lately with mounting horror as a lifelong science geek: the legacy of 19th-century scientific racism. It shows that, even though science is supposed to be an impartial beacon on our understanding of the universe, it too can be perverted by human bias, and used to justify the most awful forms of inequality. Sure, I know most brilliant jerks today would decry this bit of two hundred year-old pseudoscience…except when they don’t, and it creeps into the conversation. Can we overcome them? Still, I know that, for those who haven’t been around them, brilliant jerks probably feels like how some circles view climate change: a bad thing we need to deal with at some point, sure, but otherwise abstract, diffuse…and perhaps not all that critical. I mean, if a few Amazon.com warehouse workers are being mistreated, but the company still manages to send out packages reliably and efficiently…are we going to call for Jeff Bezos’ head or boycott Amazon and bring it to ruin? Unlikely. I think that’s the call to action here, tough. No, a horrible boss isn’t the same thing as a rapist, or a killing cop…but some motivating elements behind all of them share common ancestry. While it’s inevitable for things in some workplace circumstances to get exercised or heated (sometimes over the dumbest things), the one-way extreme behavior that characterizes brilliant jerks really should have no place in our world. To answer the Steve Jobs question about innovation sans jerkiness, I offer up this thought experiment: imagine society without this behavior. Some brilliant jerk supporters, reading this, might counter that, without these hardasses cracking the whip, society would collapse into mediocrity, “socialism”, blandness, and, ultimately, impoverishment—heck, just ask Milton Friedman or Ayn Rand. To that I say: just imagine how many other people would feel, newly empowered, without brilliant jerks to hold them back. Think of what their new sense of agency might accomplish. We’ve been told to believe we need the bad cop, in our lives and careers, someone to keep the rest of us in line. But do we? And, if so, is the brilliant jerk model really the right bad cop for us to have? Because, ultimately, society is a series of choices about what behavior we will and will not accept. Now more than ever, with the world on lockdown and our future uncertain, is the time to start pushing for some better angels of our nature to rise up.

https://medium.com/swlh/its-time-to-cancel-brilliant-jerks-bdddcb1b0384

['David Jedeikin']

2020-07-27 00:21:36.469000+00:00

['Abuse', 'Workplace', 'Harrasment', 'Psychology']

The Chicago Police Riot

1968 — A HISTORICAL NOVEL: CHAPTER 22 The Chicago Police Riot The Democratic National Convention became a disgraceful battleground between anti-war protesters and overzealous law officers John Dupree always liked to say that Eleanor Guilfoyle was the prettiest girl in Canaryville, at least until Marge Fitzpatrick moved into the neighborhood. John and Sis, the nickname which Eleanor went by, grew up four houses apart on South Throop Street on the south side of Chicago, hard by the Union Stock Yards where both their fathers walked to work each day — Patrick Guilfoyle as a butcher, and Edward Dupree as a freight handler for one of the railroad companies that shipped the cattle in for slaughter. Sis was the eighth of 11 staunchly Irish-Catholic Guilfoyle children, John was the third of four equally staunchly Irish-Catholic Dupree kids. John was two years older than Sis, but there was always something that drew the two of them together, and usually when John would go to the Guilfoyle house, it was to spend time with Sis, under the guise of wanting to meet up with her brother, Lloyd. Lloyd figured this out sometime around freshman year in high school and he never really had a problem with it. In fact, he often told John that when Sis reached high school age — not a god-damned day before — he wouldn’t play the protective big brother card if John ever wanted to ask Sis out to a dance or a Charlie Chaplin movie. But it was never that way for John. Sis was his best friend, and that’s always how he and she wanted it. And so it was that Sis did what any best friend would do when Marge Fitzpatrick’s family moved into Mrs. Mulberry’s house across the street from the Guilfoyle’s, and Sis saw the look in John’s eyes the first time he met the new neighbor. She made the introduction and helped facilitate a union that was still going strong some 48 years later. John and Marge officially became a couple when John was a senior, and the moment Marge graduated St. Mary’s in 1923, she took his hand in marriage and the newlyweds moved into a bungalow a few blocks away from where their families lived right there in Canaryville. They were South side through and through. Within a year, they were the parents of a beautiful green-eyed, dark-haired bundle of joy whom they named Olivia Grace. The young family went through some tough times, especially with Marge unable to work as she cared for the baby. John toiled days at the Martin Senour Co. paint factory to pay the bills as well as the cost of evening classes at Northwestern, where his goal was to earn a degree in political science which he hoped would help him gain entry into the law program at DePaul. Along the way, John befriended a charismatic and energetic fella named Richard Daley, at once an aspiring law student at DePaul who had begun to dip his toes in the roiling waters of Chicago politics while earning a wage to defray his tuition by working in the rough-and-tumble meatpacking district pushing cattle through the stock yard pens, as well as serving as the manager at the Hamburg Athletic Club. Daley spent some of the scant free time he had perched next to John on bar stools at South side joints that generally ignored Prohibition like the The Pump on Halstead Street, or Babe Connelly’s Bar on 37th Street, tipping a few cold beers and solving the country’s problems. The topics of discussion were wildly diverse, ranging from the cases they were studying in law school, to the turbulent political climate in Chicago, to the blood on the hands of Chicago crime boss Al Capone, to whether their beloved White Sox would ever recover from the devastating Black Sox World Series scandal of 1919. They were men of similar upbringings and religious beliefs, men of education, men of ambition, and they had well-formulated designs on how they were going to make their city better — John becoming an attorney who would represent the poor and disenfranchised, Richard fixated on a career in government. One of their mutual friends happened to be Lloyd Guilfoyle, Sis’ brother, who occasionally played softball with them, or joined them for poker games at the Hamburg AC. One summer night in 1930, Sis — who by then was working as a secretary at the same paint factory where John was employed — took John up on his request to come watch he and Lloyd play ball at Mark White Square Park. Little did John know that that invitation would be the impetus for changing the course of Sis’ life, just as Sis’ introduction of John to Marge when they were kids changed his life. After the last out was recorded, Sis left the bleachers and came down to the field to hug both John and Lloyd, and they introduced her to the team’s second baseman, Richard. The rest, as they say, is history. A few weeks later Richard took Sis to a White Sox game for their first date. Six years hence, in June of 1936 — just months before Richard was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives, kicking off one of the most iconic political careers in United States history — they were married at St. Bridget’s. Among the guests were John, Marge, and 11-year-old Olivia, who in the coming years would occasionally babysit the first three of the Daley’s seven children who were born before she left Chicago to attend Fordham University in New York, which led to her meeting her future husband, Jack McDonald. Before he even started studying law, Daley was already a Democratic party precinct captain by the age of 21, worked in the City Council office as a clerk, and served as a ward committeeman. By the time he entered DePaul he was reasonably certain that he’d never practice, but he went ahead and obtained his degree, married Sis, and promptly won election to the House. In 1938 he ascended to the state senate, served six years as the Senate minority leader, and during that time was also Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson’s state director of revenue. In 1950 he was elected Cook County clerk, and in 1953 became the chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party, paving the way for his successful run for mayor of Chicago in 1955. He ousted incumbent Mayor Martin Kennelly in a bitterly contested primary, then defeated Republican Robert Merriam in the general election. Daley was surrounded by a phalanx of sharp-minded advisors and yes men, but when he really needed an intelligent and unbiased ear, especially when he reached City Hall and took a stranglehold of the Chicago political machine, he usually turned to his good friend, John Dupree. And rarely did the two men speak more in a single given year than 1968 when Chicago erupted in a volcano of violence as its streets became a battleground between anti-war protesters and a Chicago police force that was on high alert, by the mayor’s order, to quell any threats of disruption to the Democratic National Convention by whatever force was necessary. To have the convention in Chicago was like a lifetime achievement award for the 66-year-old Daley, a glad-handed pat on the back for all the work he had done for the party at the local, state, and national level. The last time it was held in Chicago in 1956, he had just begun his first term as mayor. Now, he was a larger than life figure in the city, and he considered being the host mayor for the convention as one of his crowning glories. Instead, it became a blight on his decorated resume and the fallout resulted in irreparable damage to his legacy. The seeds for trouble began germinating early in the year because of what was happening in Vietnam. Fueled by the Tet Offensive, Walter Cronkite’s pronouncement that the war was no longer winnable, and the grisly nightly television images emanating from those jungles, Vietnam was tearing the nation apart, and the Democratic president — who it was quite naturally assumed would be coming to Chicago seeking a second term in the White House — was in the eye of the storm. As early as March, peace activist groups and anti-war factions including the National Mobilization Committee to End War in Vietnam (MOBE), Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), and the Youth International Party (Yippies), were planning protest marches in Chicago during the late August convention to rail against President Johnson’s handling of the war. And even after Johnson stunned the nation with his announcement that he wouldn’t be accepting the party’s nomination, the protesters were undeterred because Johnson’s vice-president, Hubert Humphrey, was the leading candidate to head the ticket, and he was in favor of Johnson’s policies regarding the war. Daley’s response to the planned infiltration was to refuse to grant permits which would allow the demonstrators to protest legally. “No thousands will come to our city and take over our streets, our city, our convention,” Daley said with typical bravado and defiance. Barely days after that statement, Daley exacerbated the situation in the wake of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Race riots broke out in the hours after the tragedy, and on the West side, 11 blacks died and 20 blocks went up in flames with more than 120 fires damaging 210 buildings to the tune of approximately $10 million. Daley had to call President Johnson to request 5,000 U.S. Army soldiers be flown in from Fort Hood, Texas. to help suppress the rioting, and afterward, the mayor heavily criticized his police superintendent, James B. Conlisk, and the entire department, for what he perceived as it’s too-cautious handling of the incident. During a press conference at City Hall, Daley said, “I said to (Conlisk) very emphatically and very definitely that an order be issued by him immediately to shoot to kill any arsonist or anyone with a Molotov cocktail in his hand, because they’re potential murderers, and to shoot to maim or cripple anyone looting.” Daley supporters deluged his office with grateful letters, but the press skewered him, and black leaders such as the Rev. Jesse Jackson called it a “fascist’s response.” The day after the “shoot to kill” proclamation became public knowledge, Daley called John Dupree to gauge his reaction, and John said to him, “Richard, I understand why you said what you said, but I think you may have opened the door for some real trouble when the convention comes here.” John knew the anti-war groups were coming to town, and now that Daley had derided his own police force, it was a recipe for potential disaster with the angry cops hellbent on atoning for their alleged mishandling of the riots. Taking John’s advice, Daley backed away from the statement, saying at a City Council meeting, “It is the established policy of the police department — fully supported by this administration — that only the minimum force necessary be used by policemen in carrying out their duties.” Still, the die had been cast, and the police were not going to make the same mistake when the convention arrived. By the time the delegates began flooding into his city, the mayor had transformed Chicago into a police state in the hope that the massive show of force would dissuade the dissenters from causing trouble. The area around the convention site — the International Amphitheater on the South side near the Union Stock Yards — was a veritable fortress, protected by more than 5,600 Illinois National Guardsmen, plus every member of the powder-blue shirt and helmeted Chicago police force, nearly 12,000 strong, armed not only with the standard issue firearm and billy club, but with mace, tear gas, and riot gear. In case that wasn’t enough, there were 5,000 more Guardsmen on stand-by, as well as 7,500 regular army troops at Fort Hood, Fort Sill in Oklahoma, and Fort Carson in Colorado who could be flown in within 24 hours. Further, there were more than 1,000 Secret Service agents, military intelligence officials, federal narcotics investigators, and FBI agents roaming the city with their ears to the ground snuffing out potential uprisings and conflicts. None of which deterred Olivia in her eagerness to get to Chicago. Having never attended a convention, she had been looking forward to this all summer, especially since she and her parents would be guests of Daley, the most powerful man in Chicagoland. But as the day of her flight neared, Jack pleaded with her not to go. “Liv, I wish you’d stay home,” Jack had said numerous times as reports of the impending violent dissidence usurped Vietnam in the nightly news A block. “And I don’t think your parents should go into the city, either. Tell them to stay out there in Hinsdale where it’ll be safe.” Naturally, the staunch Democrat would have none of it. “I’m going, and it’ll be fine,” Olivia said. “This is a big moment for Mr. Daley; I’ve known him almost my whole life, and we owe it to him to be there for support.” “Bullshit,” Jack said. “Mayor Daley has enough on his mind and he won’t be checking his guest list. He’ll understand if you and your parents sit this one out. His town is ready to explode, and I don’t want you anywhere near it.” “Jack, I know you don’t care about politics, but this is the World Series to me, the Rose Bowl, or whatever other sports analogy you’d like me to use here. I’ve been looking forward to this all year.” “Yes, believe it or not I get it, I do. But there’s this really useful invention known as the television, and we happen to have one sitting right there in the living room. Guess what? Everything that happens in Chicago will be shown right there on that tube. And here’s the best part, you won’t be in the middle of a fucking riot!” Needless to say, Olivia boarded her flight at LaGuardia, after Jack sent her off with a loving, worrisome kiss. Why are the women in my life so headstrong, Jack thought to himself before saying, “Be careful.” “I will.” By the time Olivia landed at O’Hare on Sunday afternoon, it had become clear that Chicago was on the verge of boiling into a sea of civil unrest. On Thursday, Aug. 22, four days before the official start of the convention, a 17-year-old Sioux Indian from South Dakota was shot dead by police who said he pulled a gun. The next day, the Yippies gathered en masse at the Civic Center plaza in the Loop where they nominated their own presidential candidate, Pigasus the pig. The pig and seven of the Yippies were arrested. And so it began. The convention was formally opened by Daley on Monday night, Aug. 26, and Daley reiterated, “As long as I am mayor of this city, there’s going to be law and order in Chicago.” There was plenty of law, and absolutely no order over the next four bloody days that reinforced microcosmically how divided a nation the United States was. Thousands of protesters gathered each night in Lincoln Park and Grant Park, whipped into a frenzy by leaders of the Yippies, MOBE, SDS, Black Panthers, and other satellite radicals such as Allan Ginsberg, Norman Mailer, David Dellinger, William Burroughs, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Lee Weiner, Abbie Hoffman, Bobby Seale, Phil Ochs, Jerry Rubin, and Dick Gregory, preaching their New Left politics with street theater tactics. Several marches toward the Amphitheater were attempted, but all were beaten back by the mace-spraying, tear gas-throwing, club-swinging police force, and hundreds were injured and/or arrested. Night after night the protesters refueled with fury and vitriol and pressed on despite the heavy-handed opposition, and with network television cameras broadcasting the uprisings nationwide, Americans grew even more despondent about the unraveling of society. Never was this more apparent than the evening of Aug. 28 when the violence escalated nearly out of control. Approximately 10,000 gathered at the Grant Park band shell for MOBE’s anti-war rally, surrounded on all sides by the police, with National Guardsmen perched on the roof of the Field Museum with rifles at the ready. As the rally came to an end, a young man began to lower the American flag near the band shell. Police rushed in to arrest him, and then several others completed the flag lowering and attached a blood-spattered shirt to be raised in its place. Police moved in again and a battle ensued, during which Rennie Davis of MOBE, whose father had been former President Harry S. Truman’s chief of staff on the Council of Economic Advisers, was beaten unconscious. David Dellinger, one of America’s foremost radicals who in 1943 was arrested for failing to report for his World War II draft physical, took control at this point and instructed a march to the Amphitheater. Because they didn’t have a permit, the police refused to allow them to move on the sidewalks, and the march stagnated. After an hour of heated and fruitless negotiation, the protesters tried to cross over to Michigan Avenue, but both the Balbo and Congress bridges were blocked by Guardsmen armed with machine guns. The mob moved north and was able to surge onto Michigan via the unguarded Jackson Street bridge, and then headed back south on Michigan toward the Hilton Hotel where many of the delegates, and most of the media, were headquartered. With cameras rolling, the police forcibly halted the march, and the melee became the signature event of the week, the Battle of Michigan Avenue as it was dubbed. As the police clubbed, the protesters fired back with fists and rocks and whatever else they could find to throw. Many were heard to be chanting, “The whole world is watching!” and they were right. “The conduct of the authorities here resembles the conduct of the Russians toward Czechoslovakia,” said the poet, Ginsberg. Meanwhile, inside the Amphitheater, tensions were equally stretched to the limit as the Democratic Party came unglued over its internal disagreement on Vietnam. Having defeated the Germans and Japanese in World War II, it quickly became apparent that the rising Soviet Union, and the potential spread of its Communist government, would be America’s new primary enemy. Stopping the threat of Communism became paramount, and the United States decreed that it would intervene in the affairs of countries it deemed susceptible to that influence. It was this policy that drew America into the Vietnam conflict in an effort to keep South Vietnam from being overrun by Communist North Vietnam. The Democrats could not come to a unified consensus on Vietnam, with Hubert Humphrey upholding President Johnson’s handling of the war, and Eugene McCarthy and George McGovern going the other way and siding with the anti-war faction in the belief that it was time to get out of Southeast Asia. With nominations underway, Massachusetts Senator Abraham Ribicoff, in his speech promoting McGovern, said, “With George McGovern as President of the United States we wouldn’t have Gestapo tactics in the streets of Chicago.” Mayor Daley, standing in plain sight on the convention floor, angrily shook his fist at Ribicoff and, depending on the account, either called Ribicoff a “fucker” or a “faker.” With the anti-war delegates getting increasingly agitated by what they were hearing from the stage, the police inside the arena became more and more antagonistic and scuffles broke out, again on national television. In one memorable incident, CBS reporter Dan Rather was knocked to the floor as he tried to interview a delegate who was being forcibly removed from the convention. Rather was able to recover and he told Walter Cronkite and the viewers, “Walter… we tried to talk to the man and we got violently pushed out of the way. This is the kind of thing that has been going on outside the hall, this is the first time we’ve had it happen inside the hall. I’m sorry to be out of breath, but somebody belted me in the stomach during that. What happened is a Georgia delegate, at least he had a Georgia delegate sign on, was being hauled out of the hall. We tried to talk to him to see why, who he was, what the situation was, and at that instant the security people, well as you can see, put me on the deck. I didn’t do very well.” Cronkite then said, “I think we’ve got a bunch of thugs here, Dan.” Like most Americans, Jack sat in the living room mesmerized by what was taking place, and he wondered where his wife was, and whether she and her parents were safe. Long after midnight, Jack got his answer, awakened by the phone on the nightstand next to his bed. When he picked up the receiver, he heard Olivia crying on the other end. “Are you OK?” Jack said, immediately alert despite the hour. “What happened?” “I’m OK, but we’re not going back downtown tomorrow. It was awful, Jack. I’ve never seen anything like this. We saw on the television monitors what was going on outside the hall, all the rioting and the beating, and then the people on the floor in the building were fighting. You were right, this was a bad idea. I can’t wait to get out of here.” When Olivia hung up, she sat down at the kitchen table of her parents’ home in the safety of suburbia, and they talked into the early hours of the morning, lamenting the fact that the Democratic Party was irreparably broken, and that there was no way the Republican nominee, Richard Nixon, could lose the election. It was clear the Democrats should have nominated an anti-war liberal, but with only 15 states choosing their delegates by primary, Humphrey was able to secure the vast majority of delegates in the states where they were selected by county committeemen, state party officers, and elected officials. Men like Daley and his minions that kept his political machine humming. When the convention was closed the following night, Humphrey was officially confirmed, but only the most optimistic members of the party truly believed he stood a chance after what had transpired in Chicago. The final tally was nearly 700 arrests, more than a thousand injuries to police and protesters, several hundred of those serious enough to be treated at area hospitals. And during the week of the convention, it was reported there were 308 American casualties and more than 1,100 injured during fighting in Vietnam.

https://medium.com/the-junction/the-chicago-police-riot-3961a070fb3c

['Sal Maiorana']

2020-12-27 21:14:40.845000+00:00

['Politics', 'Chicago Police Riot', 'Historical Fiction']

Intellectual Property, Digital Identities, And the Blockchain

Think about one thing Facebook, Google, and Twitter have in common? Yeah no, it’s not an alphabet, not a campus-freebie, not a similar UI. The firms acquire and sell YOUR data. Remember that Google survey you took? Or the Facebook page you liked? Or the Twitter celebrity you followed?And then somehow magically it all starts appearing around you? It not a stroke of luck or God playing games. You see things they want you to see. You hear things they would like you to hear. All because you casually accepted those pesky T&C’s and agree to share your data for them to monetize. While sharing data, or I.P, is a million dollar market for the corporations, most of the public has no idea of this or can’t do this or can’t even choose what to sell and what not to. The reason? Expenses. For musicians or companies, from janitors to CEOs — The I.P process is a costly affair, and commands money paid out to a legion of bankers, lawyers, and taxi drivers. While this won’t make that much of a different on an individual level, small business and startups are akin to innocent Facebook users — with their data and sensitive company information having the bare minimum of ease while selling or transferring rights. But, blockchain and smart contracts can make it easy for facilitating the trade of I.Ps conducting a peer-to-peer transaction and recording it all on an immutable database. Costs aside, low transparency of the IP sales process has highly discouraged entrepreneurs and young founders to list their valuable information online. Clearly, there is a market of buyers of high-quality information, and there are sellers are well. The missing piece of this puzzle is a robust, blockchain-based IP platform. For filling this clear gap, companies like Lexit and Polymath are taking significant steps forward. While Polymath offers a platform to build one’s own Security Token, Lexit tokenizes one’s I.P, and allows for seamless trading among trusted participants. Based in Tallinn, Estonia, Lexit provides startup owners a noteworthy avenue for selling their companies. The Lexit Token The company believes that digital tokens need to have a solid backing, rather than a promise of hot air. Hence, Lexit envisions an economy of the future which runs on individuals and corporations selling their data to each time in a real-time, quick, secure manner. Simply put — Lexit transforms I.P, such as patents and rights, and into a single tradable token that is available to interested parties. Lexit clients and users can not only trade their I.P, but even break their I.P into smaller chunks for sale. For example — purchasing an I.P in full is not only expensive, but there may be some information to it which of use to the buyer. Imagine an IP about a automobile factory’s chassis cutting arm. Perhaps Company A is interested in the chassis design, and Company B in the arm itself? Two different tokens are created for one underlying I.P with different, modular elements to it. Lexit makes THAT possible. In the tokenization of IP, the whole intellectual property will be one whole asset, and will be divided among several smaller chunks. Think of it as one bar of gold in the bank which backs several fiat notes. Tokenization of IP would be very close to that. What founders can also do on LEXIT is put the whole startup on our platform and then decide that, if they can’t find the buyers, then they should tokenize it into smaller chunks, and then sell those to other people. Additionally, in May 2018, Lexit partnered with China-based Metaverse to tokenize intellectual property. As stated in the announcement — Metaverse is an open-source public blockchain that will allow LEXIT to provide a safe and secure environment for the trading of intellectual property (IP), assets, and parts of or entire companies. Entrepreneurs will also for the first time have unfettered access to a global market where mergers and acquisitions can be conducted faster and cheaper than ever before. The functionality provided in digital assets, through the Metaverse Smart Token (MST), allows users and startup founders the power to generate and distribute their own cryptocurrency. Digital Identification In this highly-anonymous process, isn’t it implied to save one’s identity in a similar manner? The blockchain brings trust to tokens, information, and even identities, and Lexit implements a digital I.D system to build a user’s “reputation” on their platform. As a user contributes more — their trust increases in the system, and contributes towards creating a robust, secure, I.P-powered economy. Fin.

https://medium.com/hackernoon/intellectual-property-digital-identities-and-the-blockchain-ad9e9acead7b

['Shaurya Malwa']

2018-07-13 07:51:01.681000+00:00

['Intellectual Property', 'Blockchain', 'Identity And Blockchain', 'Property And Blockchain', 'Digital Identity']

📌 This is Provably Neutral

Welcome to Provably Neutral, which is a crypto blog/newsletter that I’m starting today. This post will explain what PN is as well as some of my motivations for starting a blog. But first, let me tell you a bit about myself: My name is Spencer Noon and I’m an investor at DTC Capital. 📖 Here’s my background. I became absolutely obsessed with Bitcoin in 2013 as an investment research analyst at UBS . Our group managed billions of dollars in assets, but our portfolio managers scoffed at the idea of cryptocurrencies. . Our group managed billions of dollars in assets, but our portfolio managers scoffed at the idea of cryptocurrencies. And so I left in 2014 to start a Bitcoin ATM startup called BTCity . It was actually the Wild West back then. Unfortunately, we were forced to shut it down due to the uncertainty and other problems related to the BitLicense. The New York crypto scene still hasn’t fully recovered. . It was actually the Wild West back then. Unfortunately, we were forced to shut it down due to the uncertainty and other problems related to the BitLicense. The New York crypto scene still hasn’t fully recovered. After seriously considering an offer to join Circle in Boston, I opted to stay closer to home and joined SeatGeek , the world’s fastest growing ticket company. I was their first biz dev/strategy team hire. There, I learned more about strategy, operations, and product development than I could have possibly imagined. , the world’s fastest growing ticket company. I was their first biz dev/strategy team hire. There, I learned more about strategy, operations, and product development than I could have possibly imagined. Which brings me to today. In January, I founded DTC Capital, a stage-agnostic and long-term focused crypto fund. 🗯 The tl;dr on the blog is this. PN is a blog about my life as a crypto investor and inspired by Fred Wilson’s AVC blog. I will be writing short posts, sharing interesting things I come across, and occasionally venturing completely off-topic, just like Fred. I’m not sure it will be valuable, though if nothing else, you will get a close-up look into the life of someone who is out-of-this-world passionate about decentralized networks. I am also happy to be transparent about my reasons for starting this blog. Here they are in no particular order: To develop my ideas about decentralized networks & investing To connect with founders, investors, influencers, and other thoughtful people in the blockchain space To practice writing clearly and concisely on a daily basis ✅ Finally, the name. I titled the blog Provably Neutral because that is quite literally what I strive to be as an investor. It can be hard - the blockchain industry increasingly feels like an echo chamber these days, driven by a handful of influencers and group think, but I’m trying my best to find my own voice in a crowded space. If you’re interested in following along and subscribe below. Want to get in touch? Find me on Twitter (@spencernoon).

https://medium.com/provably-neutral/this-is-provably-neutral-fa3c3931bda5

['Spencer Noon']

2018-04-11 21:30:29.225000+00:00

['Blockchain', 'Ethereum', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Crypto', 'Bitcoin']

Don’t stop at facts, seek greater truth!

Vision Over Sight ! Photo by Matt Noble on Unsplash “If you can see it in your mind, you can hold it in your hand.” — Steve Harvey All the smallest & greatest inventions & discoveries were made possible, just because someone didn’t want to stop at just the facts. He believed in something that couldn’t be proved or seen just as yet, something for which he had a clear vision for & unwavering faith towards! Everything we see around us was first someone’s idea. Nothing exists in this world that didn’t first exist ONLY in someone’s mind. Who would have believed that electricity exists, before Nikola Tesla, Michael Faraday & the other visionary scientists went beyond the facts & relentlessly believed & pursued their vision? Who would have thought that humans could fly too, if it was not for the Wright Brothers & their imagination? A real ‘Thought Leader’ is someone who dares to think transformatively! Thought is the first level of creation. Every incredible invention starts with an inspiration, an idea, a visualization. Then comes the inspired action & then comes the physical proof, which then becomes a fact! So, I say again. Don’t let the facts stop you, deter you from creating something that has never been done before, that you have a deep inner knowing for, a slow hunch ( Daniel Kahneman ) for! That deep inner knowing, that nagging feeling that’s telling you to act on something, that step that you know you want to take, embrace that. Don’t let people who have never done it before tell you that it can’t be done. They never tried, But try you must!

https://medium.com/@urmilasardesai/dont-stop-at-facts-seek-greater-truth-32e947fbc643

['Urmila Sardesai']

2020-12-21 05:49:29.249000+00:00

['Vision', 'Purpose', 'Self-awareness', 'Inspiration', 'Self Improvement']

The Life of Trees in the Work of the Iranian Photographer Ali Shokri

Trees are an essential part of our world. They are called the lungs of the Earth because they provide us with oxygen and absorb pollutants through their leaves. Besides, trees are a vital element of every community. They increase the quality of life and create an aesthetically pleasing and peaceful atmosphere we all need in our busy lives. However, sometimes, people seem to forget how trees are important to our survival and the environment. In this post, we want to remind you about that and show you the beauty of trees through the work of the talented Iranian photographer Ali Shokri. The Life of Trees in the Work of the Iranian Photographer Ali Shokri Ali Shokri is an Iranian photographer born in Tabriz in 1982. He started working professionally in the field of fine art and photography in 2004, and it was when he launched his multi-year art project called “The Tree.” Trees in the work of Ali Shokri are like human beings, each with its own story to tell. The artist captures their life and their beauty, trying to remind people that each of us needs to take care of our natural world because it is crucial to our survival. In 2017, Ali Shokri even published a book called “Passion of the Trees,” which represents a compilation of many years of his work and features an extensive collection of tree photographs taken in Iran and Azerbaijan. Works by the inspired Iranian photographer Ali Shokri have been featured at a number of solo and group exhibitions around the globe. They have also been presented at many national and international competitions and appeared in various publications worldwide. Ali Shokri is, without a doubt, one of the most notable Iranian artists of today, whose work makes a difference. His amazing photographs of trees and nature are what can make people remember the things that are really important not just for our well-being, but for our lives.

https://medium.com/@fineartshippers/the-life-of-trees-in-the-work-of-the-iranian-photographer-ali-shokri-9b887c9a261e

['Ilya Kushnirskiy', 'Fine Art Shippers']

2020-12-08 22:32:53.627000+00:00

['Nature', 'Art', 'Artist', 'Photography', 'Trees']

Tezzigator Legacy Update

On April 22, we announced the launch of a new HSM-based delegation service with a 10% fee (Baking Address: tz3adcvQaKXTCg12zbninqo3q8ptKKtDFTLv). This fee on the new tz3 system will stay at 10%, and we are only changing fee for the old baking system (with the tz1 address). Community response to this new offering, as well as the grant from the Tezos Foundation to support Cloud HSM baking, has been strong and we are honored to be part of this passionate group of bakers, developers, and delegates. That announcement also indicated that the original baker (now called Tezzigator Legacy) would be shutting down in the future. As of the writing of this update, the Tezzigator Legacy baker has baked 5700 blocks or about 1.29% of the entire Tezos blockchain to date. Meanwhile, the new baker has just begun, baking 17 blocks (and an early steal on its third block!). Father Time and Baby New Year, 1897 While we are currently managing both bakers, we will be unable to support both indefinitely due to the cost involved. We’ve been actively alerting all delegates on the Legacy system to change delegations since that time with updates across all social media channels, as well as our website and associated dashboard. Many of you have made the change, and we are so glad you are continuing to bake with us! The Legacy system will charge a 25% fee beginning at cycle 116. There are currently no plans to change the fee on the new tz3 system which will maintain a 10% fee. At this time, the Legacy system is still supporting over 4.4M XTZ delegated. We need all delegators on the Legacy baker to update to the new system in order to provide you with the best service and distribute the maximum possible rewards. Contracts for the data centers supporting the Legacy baker will be expiring eventually, and we will not be renewing them. We will continue to support the Legacy baker independently, but there may be an increase in missed bakes and endorsements, resulting in fewer rewards. Therefore, we encourage all delegates to update to the new system ASAP to ensure the best rewards possible for you!

https://medium.com/@tezzigator/tezzigator-legacy-update-1326c4de85be

['Tezzigator', 'Bo Byrd']

2019-05-19 13:24:45.422000+00:00

['Baking']

Job Opening : Community Banking Specialist I — ACNB BANK, Taneytown, MD

OVERVIEW: Reporting to the Community Banking Manager, this position is responsible for providing the bank’s new and existing customers with quality service by assessing their financial needs and providing appropriate solutions. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: Identifying cross sales opportunities for products and other lines of business; Establishing deposit and loan account relationships and solving related problems; Attaining sales goals and assisting in the achievement of office sales and service goals; Performing Community Banking Associate duties, as needed. QUALIFICATIONS: Required: A high school diploma or GED is required; Proficient reading, writing, and grammar skills; proficient analytical and mathematics skills; Visual and auditory skills; Detail-orientated: The ability to lift approximately fifty (50) pounds; and, A valid driver’s license is required. Preferred: A minimum of one (1) year banking, retail sales or cash handling experience; Knowledge of the features and benefits of banking products and services; Proven experience in a sales and marketing function achieving either weekly, monthly or annual sales goals; Proficient interpersonal relations, communicative, customer service and sales skills. Proficient eye-hand coordination; Basic computer skills, including a working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and the Internet; and, Demonstrated leadership and decision making skills. ACNB Bank is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law. APPLY NOW : https://needhired.com/community-banking-specialist-i-acnb-bank-d9ef2cbafba2757e/

https://medium.com/@needhired/job-opening-community-banking-specialist-i-acnb-bank-taneytown-md-ecb93de1ac8a

['Need Hired']

2019-06-17 12:23:02.247000+00:00

['Jobs', 'Job Hunting', 'Job Search', 'Job Interview', 'Banking']

Daily Dialogue — November 21, 2019

Carmine Falcone: [feigning insanity] Yeah, Doctor Crane, I can’t take it anymore. It’s all too much. “The walls are closing in.” Blah, blah, blah. Couple more days of this food, it’ll be true. Dr. Jonathan Crane: What do you want? Carmine Falcone: I want to know how you’re gonna convince me to keep my mouth shut. Dr. Jonathan Crane: About what? You don’t know anything. Carmine Falcone: I know you don’t want the police to take a closer look at the drugs they seized. And I know about your experiments with the inmates of your nuthouse. See, I don’t go into business with a guy without finding out his dirty secrets. And those goons you used — I own the muscle in this town. Now, I’ve been bringing your stuff in for months, so whatever he’s planning, it’s big, and I want in. Dr. Jonathan Crane: Well, I already know what he’ll say: that we should kill you. Carmine Falcone: No, even he can’t get me in here. Not in my town. Dr. Jonathan Crane: [sighs] Would you like to see my mask? I use it in my experiments. [takes out the Scarecrow mask] Now, probably not very frightening to a guy like you, but these crazies, they can’t stand it. Crane puts on the mask. Carmine Falcone: So when did the nut take over the nuthouse? Crane sprays fear gas into Falcone’s face. Falcone begins to scream in terror as the gas takes effect. Through Falcone’s eyes: tiny LIZARD TONGUES FLICK out of the holes in Crane’s mask. The Scarecrow: They scream, and they cry. Much as you’re doing now. — Batman Begins (2005), screenplay by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer, story by David S. Goyer, characters created by Bob Krane The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Doctor. Today’s suggestion by Paul DeCesare. Trivia: During the writing process, Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer sometimes took walks near the site of the original Batcave from Batman (1966). Dialogue On Dialogue: A moment with Dr. Crane a k a Scarecrow.

https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/daily-dialogue-november-21-2019-d14377c12691

['Scott Myers']

2019-11-21 12:01:01.763000+00:00

['Movies', 'Film', 'Screenwriting', 'Dialogue', 'Screenplay']

Virtually Promoting a Healthy Company Culture

With more and more employees working from home, employers face challenges in maintaining a sense of unity and shared workplace culture. While this requires different strategies compared to promoting workplace culture in person, it is possible to make remote workers feel as though they are part of the team. The first step is to fully understand the company values and to communicate those values to employees. Employers might need to step back and consider what those values are. For example, some companies may be more family-oriented while others might encourage a competitive atmosphere. Discussing company values should be a part of training new hires. Employers should also find ways for employees to communicate since they cannot run into one another in the break room for a casual chat. Chat rooms or channels where employees can go to relax can help. There could also be a social aspect included in any online training. The opportunity for video calls can be important since video offers so many more cues about expression and body language compared to text and can help employees get to know one another better. Employers need to get to know their employees as well. This includes getting regular feedback and learning more about how the company can support its remote workers. Software and data analytics can track employee engagement and help with scheduling, task delegation, and more. Virtual workers may not be able to attend in-person team building events, so it is necessary to find some that work remotely. Many team-building exercises can work nearly as well at a distance, such as two truths and a lie. Employees can simply participate in video calls. Ultimately, building and preserving company culture is about hiring the right workers for the job. For example, a company that thrives on sales needs employees who are outgoing and persuasive. Interviews during the hiring process should screen for the right employees. Current employees might participate in the interview process at some point as well to ensure that everyone will be able to work together as a team. Maintaining a consistent culture and a sense of teamwork is critical for employers. Remote employees need to be included in day-to-day activities and treated in the same way that on-site employees are. Originally published on Jerry Swon’s website.

https://medium.com/@jerryswon/virtually-promoting-a-healthy-company-culture-e8448003cec3

['Jerry Swon']

2020-12-14 19:39:54.560000+00:00

['Remote Working', 'Company Culture', 'Jerry Swon', 'Business', 'Leadership']

Are Sufis and Muslims the Same?

Are Sufis and Muslims the Same? An exploration of Islamic mysticism. Sufism is a mystical religious sect of Islam that emphasizes the divine connection within the self. Although Sufism has, in some form, existed since the early days of Islam, the Sufi ‘canon’ became more or less established in the medieval time period, along with a formalization of the tradition altogether. It was in this time period that Sufi poetry emerged, including the works of Rumi and Kabir. The Sufi emphasis on the divine within the self has created conflict with traditional Sunni and Shia sects of Islam, including entire governments, like Turkey, which ban the Sufi practice altogether. The pressing question for Sufis and traditional Muslims alike is: can Sufism operate within normative Islam, or must it operate outside of it? In this paper, I will argue that Sufism should be considered a legitimate part of Islam. To determine whether or not Sufism is compatible with normative Islam, an assessment must be made about the central tenents of the Muslim faith. Conveniently, the first pillar of Islam provides a concise breakdown of what it means to bear witness to Allah. The shahadah states, “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is His messenger.” Uttering this sentence is, theoretically, all that is required to become a Muslim. The first half of the shahadah, which Murata & Chittick call ‘the first shahadah’ simply declares the truth of monotheism (45). Other religions, including Judaism and Christianity, also would have no problem uttering this phrase. The second half of the shahadah (the second shahadah) is the part that is specific to Islam, bearing witness to the fact that Muhammad was a genuine messenger of Allah, the transmitter of the Muslim holy text The Qur’an, and the final prophet in the Muslim canon. One can use this yardstick to determine whether Sufism falls into the religious category of Islam. Indeed, Sufism still does testify to the unity of Allah and the status of Muhammad as the final messenger. There are also four remaining ‘pillars’ of Islam, that for the sake of brevity this paper will not explore since Sufis also subscribe to these remaining tenents. If Sufis abide by these basic practices and theological tenents, why even debate whether Sufism can be legitimately considered a part of Islam? One major point of friction between Sufism and other more traditional sects of Islam is a matter of theological outlook. Paul L. Heck articulates a few of these key differences in his paper Mysticism as Morality: The Case of Sufism (2006). Here he claims that Islam, broadly, has two concerns: 1) the outer (dhahir) and 2) the inner (batin). Traditional Islam has a particular emphasis on the ‘outer’: the religio-legal, the divine command of God, the specific texts (Qur’an), the sharia, and ‘sobriety’. Sufism, by contrast, has a great emphasis on the ‘inner’: the psycho-spiritual, the divine communion with God, the heart as a moral guide, and ‘intoxication’ with the divine. This last point on intoxication figures prominently in Rumi’s poetry, which on the surface may appear at odds with the normative Islamic prohibition on alcohol. For example, in his poem The Many Wines, Rumi references drunkenness (Barks 6): There are thousands of wines That can take over our minds. Don’t think all ecstacies Are the same! Jesus was lost in his love for God. His donkey was drunk with barley. Unlike ‘worldly’ drunkenness, Rumi urges his readers to identify the halal wine of Allah, and allow oneself to become fully lost in God. Sufism encourages its adherents to allow Allah to fully engulf the soul, casting off humanity’s faulty concerns over status, structure, rigidity, and even formal knowledge. Instead, Sufism prompts one to look toward the divine breath that animates our clay bodies; the air in a reed flute that makes it sing. Kabir, like Rumi, rejects the superficial concerns that other Muslims sometimes fall into. It is the rigidity of religion that often prevents one from uniting with their beloved, Allah. Although Rumi’s poetry contains themes of religious plurality, they barely hold a candle to the outright rejection of dogma and fundamentalism, which Kabir equips in his poetry. In Poem 30 of his Sabda, he writes: Brother, where did your two gods come from? Tell me, who made you mad? Ram, Allah, Keshav, Karim, Hari, Hazrat — So many names. So many ornaments, all one gold, It has no double nature. … This a Hindu, that a Turk But all belong to the earth. Vedas, Korans, all those books … So many names, so many names. But the poets are all one clay. Kabir says, nobody can find Ram, Both sides are lost in schisms. One slaughters goats, one slaughters cows, They squander their birth in isms. To forget one’s dogma is to forget oneself. Heck asserts that “Sufism would wholeheartedly agree that moral action comes about not simply from knowledge of outer life… but most fully through the refinement of the inner life whereby concern for self is no longer paramount” (253). This is the culmination of drunkenness, to forget oneself and focus on the Whole. To forget oneself is to return to one’s fitrah, one’s innate witnessing of the oneness of God. A similar forgetting of oneself can be found in the meditative practice of ‘whirling’, which Rumi supposedly spurred in Konya, Turkey. The documentary Sufi Soul: The Mystic Music of Islam (2005) spends a considerable length of time focusing on the practice of whirling and its origins. Apparently one day Rumi was in the steel-working market when he was so caught up in the rhythm of the hammers against metal, that he broke out in spinning. In this spinning, he found himself centered in Allah’s presence. This ‘spinning’ theme figures prominently in Rumi’s poetry, as in his poem where he writes (Barks 278): I have no name For what circles So perfectly. But this oxymoronic emphasis on the self and forgetfulness of oneself also comes with theological controversy. For one, traditional Islam often discourages engaging with both music and dance, claiming one could lose oneself and perform haram actions. Traditional normative Islam often finds comfort in rigid ideas of right and wrong. In his piece, Homeland Insecurity: How Immigrant Muslims Naturalize America in Islam (2011), Mucahit Bilici refers to the imaginaries developed of the Dar al Islam (‘Adobe of Peace’) and the Dar al Harb (‘Adobe of War’). In this view, there is a pure, unified imagined community where Islam flourishes and enacts Allah’s will for humanity, contrasting with a disruptive, irredeemable outside world. Since Islam’s most fundamental tenant is the oneness of God, anything that would disrupt this picture may appear threatening. Unlike the Jewish and Christian traditions, Islam has not experienced the manifold denominational schisms that have lead to radically varying ways of practicing religion or imagining God. For most of Muslim history, there have existed two primary ways of practicing Islam, Sunni and Shia, with the fringe Sufi tradition often blending with these other two traditions. That said, the fragmentation of these other traditions have not necessarily weakened the strongholds of these traditions, in spite of their diversity. Fragmentation is a reasonable concern, but one that should not be used to ostracize individuals who, albeit Sufi, share in the central tenants and practices of the Islamic faith. The doctrine of tanzih emphasizes humanity’s difference from Allah, and subsequently the need to structure one’s life in a way that submits to Allah, which is greater in all capacities (Murata & Chittick 72). By contrast, the doctrine of tashbih states that we are fundamentally similar to God, animated by the life-breath of Allah (Murata & Chittick 73). When both tanzih and tashbih are recognized, Tawhid (the oneness of Allah) can be fully understood. If the traditional practice of Islam bears more resemblance to tanzih, while Sufism aligns more closely with tashbih, but must be necessary to get the greater picture of Allah and what it is to truly submit (‘islam’) to His will. Therefore, Sufism should be considered a legitimate expression of Islam despite its inward outlook and drunken demeanor. Sufi is one part of the whole, just as humanity is both like Allah but also fundamentally different from Him. Without this mystical understanding of Allah, humanity may not have the full picture.

https://medium.com/interfaith-now/are-sufis-and-muslims-the-same-825c3cb62ba

['Allison J. Van Tilborgh']

2020-12-26 03:27:47.146000+00:00

['Poetry', 'Dance', 'Spirituality', 'Religion', 'Music']

The UK’s World-Beating COVID-19 Test and Trace System is Missing Something: Tests

I told myself I wouldn’t do this, but today it’s well and truly time for a rant on my coronavirus state-of-affairs opinion. I am not a medical professional, and I’m not trying to give medical advice. I’m just someone trying to get by during this pandemic and finding the UK Government advice and pandemic control systems just a little bit laughable. In the UK, our new NHS test and trace app has just been released. Adverts on every social media channel have been bombarding me all morning, asking me to download the app. There’s certainly a lot of money being thrown at the second version of this app, reported to have cost millions. Unlike some, I’m not scared about the Government having my data, as they probably have far more from various forms I’ve filled out over the years, or they could just ask Facebook. In fact, by showing me adverts via Facebook and Twitter they probably already got more information about me than the app will give them. I downloaded it, but I’m not sure this is app going to do any good whatsoever. Why? Long story… Random Observations on the App To begin with, the app only holds information for 21 days. How are you going to really track the spread of the virus in that time, when it can take two weeks for people to show symptoms? Next, Bluetooth drains my battery, and I usually turn it off. For now, I’m specifically keeping it on for this app, and I’m pleased to note the app does remind you with a notification to turn Bluetooth back on if it’s turned off. Now, one of the articles I read this morning encouraged families to download the app as supposedly the Government are keen to see how children are passing around the virus. Makes sense, but when you see the app you’ll note that you can’t specifically note how many people you are representing or what ages they are. When you “Check your symptoms” it presumes you mean your own personal symptoms. So when you follow through to the test booking service it isn’t really going to know whose test is being tracked back to the app. Let’s back up a bit. Lockdown I’m a mum of four. Since just before the official UK lockdown began, in mid-March, when my 1-year-old daycare-going daughter spiked a raging fever and had me on the phone to 111 all day for a coronavirus test they didn’t think she needed because no-one in our household had been to China lately, we’ve been doing our best to stay at home. It didn’t matter that we had no idea where the other daycare parents had been recently. After an emergency GP visit and a long trip to a distant pharmacy, we had antibiotics. No test. Daily exercise, groceries and work have been our only non-home-based events since March. Since restrictions eased a bit, we’ve had grandparents visit briefly, but now that the UK has the “Rule of Six” in place, we can’t have any visitors. Netflix and Disney+ have been keeping the kids sane for months. We’re trying to do the right thing. School Time At the start of September, the UK sent their kids back to school. Teachers and school heads have been frantically trying to work out how to social distance using already over-crowded spaces. Solutions involve isolated class bubbles, separate short lunch sessions, and lots of hand sanitiser. All of it, probably pointless. No-one at my kids’ school is wearing a mask, because the teachers figured the kids would fiddle with them and spread the germs quicker. Perhaps. It doesn’t really matter what the teachers try to do, because as soon as the kids get a chance they’re sliding down slides together and playing football. They all touch the same handrails and they all breathe the same air. In a school of 130 kids in six bubbles, what happens when one kid in one bubble gets the virus? If that bubble gets sent home, along with anyone who has a sibling in that bubble, who is left? Maybe half the school? Face it. By the time we know one kid has it they all probably will. Now here’s an interesting thing. Schools went back at the start of September, and confirmed UK COVID-19 cases spiked about two weeks later. For a virus with a two-week incubation period, this is really unsurprising to me. What is surprising though is that no-one is mentioning it. I’m not into conspiracy theories, but I am a bit of a cynic. I think it’s possible there is a UK press blackout on linking rising COVID-19 cases to schools. Does the Government think that we’re not going to make the connection? That we’re going to think the kids are completely safe and can’t spread the virus? The kids are not really 100% safe from the virus at school, and the teachers have been put in a ridiculous position trying to ensure they are. Yes, it’s possible that kids are less affected by the disease, but I personally believe that the reason we didn’t see many cases in kids before now was because we were all keeping them at home where they weren’t exposed to it at all. Those Pesky Young People. Ok, Boomer. The media have also been blaming “young people" for the spread of the disease, citing people ages 20-40 and insinuating they have been out partying, which is quite the insult to this age group, really. Some people have been out having fun, for sure. But so have older people. I know more 50-70 year-olds that have been out visiting restaurants and bars in the past month than under 40-year-olds. I guess you need to flip this around and ask “What are all these young people doing to expose themselves to the virus?”. My guess is that most of them are working. These people are the bulk of the shop workers, waiting staff, bar staff, bin collectors, and customer service staff. These are the people most likely to be catching public transport and physically going to work. These people can’t often work from home, and often work in small spaces alongside coworkers and the public. Even those of us working from home have in recent months been very strongly encouraged to go back to the office. Having seen via Zoom how everyone in my office is failing to keep 2m apart or wear masks, I’m not sure that the office is a sensible place to be. These 20-40-year-olds also are also the main age group who have kids. Kids in childcare and kids at school. What caused them to get the virus? My bet is on work, transport or kids. Wear a Mask I have been keenly following articles detailing how the virus spreads, especially some very interesting reads on exactly how aerosol-borne viruses spread, and how this one might be behaving. The likelihood of catching the virus through sharing an office/classroom/bus and breathing the same air for more than 15 minutes seems pretty high, especially if someone sneezes or coughs. It seems unfathomable that it took until August for the UK Government to mandate mask-wearing in certain public places. As one very sarcastic friend of mine said, “That’s like wearing a condom after the woman is already pregnant". We should have mandated mask-wearing sooner. The Cough Now, two weeks ago, my 7-year-old son suddenly had a cough. I couldn’t tell if it was a dry cough or not, and all Government advice said to get tested and isolate the family. I started trying to get a test for him. It takes a good 10 minutes to fill out all the details and NHS numbers before you even get to putting in your postcode and seeing if there is a local booking free for you to take. I tried for 12 hours straight to get him a test, refreshing that page over and over. During the night, around 1am, my baby started coughing too. I was wide awake now, checking the test site for a time slot. Still no luck, as there were no bookings free. Facing Isolation at 2am By 2am, I started considering the impact of a two-week isolation for the whole household. My partner wouldn’t be able to work and wouldn’t get paid. We’d have to survive on the food, toilet paper, and nappies currently in the house. Had I prepared adequately? I have a full freezer, and a cupboard full of tins, powdered milk and bread mix, so I could feed everyone the basics if I had to. I had two mega nappy bags, and I could make the baby wipes stretch two weeks if I was careful. I know it takes two weeks just to get a delivery slot at Tesco or Asda at the moment, and you’re never really certain of getting what you wanted into your order without it being deleted for not being in stock that minute, or actually having it arrive on the day due to stock levels on the delivery day. I live within sight of a grocery store, but I wouldn’t be able to go in for two whole weeks. I have two toddlers who consume three pints of milk a day, plus older kids who would want to make use of our stash of cereal, so really I needed a better way of getting my family food. I know full well that 15 minutes after that milk runs out there would be riots in this house… I need my coffee. At 3am I was signing up for a local milk, bread and vegetable delivery service. I’d found a supermarket alternative for cleaning products and pantry goods. I was wondering if I had enough of our regular medicines to get us through. I was panicking a bit. Confusing Government Advice It actually took a while to confirm that the self-isolation advice was for when you are certain it’s coronavirus symptoms, not for just when someone had a cough that might be a coronavirus symptom. So as long as I was certain it wasn’t a dry cough we didn’t have to isolate. Now, how could I, as a layperson, be certain that this random cough wasn’t a coronavirus symptom? I know, a test! I noted, while refreshing the test booking form repeatedly, that if I were to visit the test station I could only get a test for myself and three passengers. Sure, if even one person tests positive we can guess the other family members with the same symptoms probably have it too. But how does that affect the statistics? Wouldn’t it be better to just give out one test per household and then note the NHS numbers of everyone else in the family likely to be affected? Or is that too obvious? I Would Walk 500 Miles The form to book a test was receiving a lot of backlash in the press at the time, sending people 100s of miles away for a test, ensuring that symptomatic people with sick kids had to use highway petrol stations and toilets on their way for testing. Smart. Why wouldn’t you put an automatic distance limit into the app? Who would have thought of that? Unprecedented. Grateful for Snot Finally, my son woke up and told me he “coughed up snot" and showed me a hand covered in phlegm, which may be the first time in my life I’ve ever been pleased to hear and see something so disgusting. So, it was just a regular, snotty cold. Sure, he may have also contracted coronavirus, but he had no symptoms of that at all, so we could continue to behave as normal. Sure enough, he passed the cold around and the kids were off school for a few days anyway. Good times. The Cough, Part II Fast forward to yesterday and the school tells me they’re sending him home for coughing, and they won’t let him back until he has a negative COVID-19 test. I explain that it’s a regular snotty cold that he caught two weeks prior and already took time off school for and he’s been coughing that whole time. In fact, he’s had a weird cough for years which definitely wasn’t cured by the trial asthma medication, but we haven’t worked out what it is yet. The kid is going to cough. Also, getting a test is impossible. But the school staff are understandably worried and want to keep all the other kids safe. An impossible task for them. Strangely, even if my kid had actually shown coronavirus symptoms on his first day of coughing, the Government advice would be for him to be back at school around now. The UK currently says 8 days isolation if you’re living alone, or 14 days if you live with others, just to ensure the contagious period has passed. So, he would have been back the next day. A Test! But I understand the school’s predicament, and my son’s dad managed to miraculously book him a test right near my house for 1pm. After my 12-hour frustration two weeks before I was pretty impressed. At 1pm I show up at the test station. They ask me for a QR code, so I have to message my kid’s dad to get the code. He never got one. Didn’t know that he was supposed to have one. The guy at the testing station tells me it has happened a lot, as people think the process is finished and booked when they’re not quite done yet. What sort of a system relies on supplying something so specific at the end of the booking without warning people first? It would only involve a message on each page saying “When you have successfully booked, you will be supplied with a QR code. Don’t leave the site until you have it.” Simple. So, the test station can’t test my son and they suggest I park nearby and try to book again. There are at least 10 members of staff waiting to supply tests, but no-one else there being tested at the time. I begin the process of entering in all my details and my son’s details into the test booking site again, only to find there are no test bookings available near me. I am literally sat at a test station at the time looking at testers who are waiting around eating chips. Refresh, refresh, refresh. Nothing. No test bookings. People start arriving at the test centre, and one by one they all get turned away for not having QR codes. Several cars are now parked at the station refreshing their phones furiously while the testers wait for someone with a completed booking. I guess we’re doing slightly better than some test stations. Here we have testers doing nothing but turning people away. At other UK test stations we’ve seen people with booked tests turning up to find no staff on site. The media had to tell them all that there was no-one coming to test them. No Test For Kiddo I eventually give up and call the school. They aren’t sure what to do either and decide to send home one of their precious 10 emergency test kits with my older daughter. The headmistress and I reason that this is probably still the cold he was off sick for two weeks ago, and he’d be back at school the next day anyway even if that had been coronavirus. She says he can come back after the weekend, and if I don’t use the test I should take it back to her as she might need it. We muse on what exactly counts as an emergency, figuring it’s probably intended for teachers, and reason that a kid who has been coughing up phlegm for two weeks probably isn’t one. She sends the test home to me anyway. I’m left confused. So, he doesn’t need a test before he can come back to school now? Or does he? Is this a new cough? Are we worried? None of us are medical professionals, so it makes sense to ask someone who is, or maybe do a test. Also, consider that my son has managed to pick up a cold while in his well-cleaned school and in his school bubble. He managed to pass it on to his baby sister even though I make him shower and wash his outdoor clothes when he comes home from school each day. And they say coronavirus is more infectious than your average cold? Our efforts to not bring home the virus are probably pretty futile, really. We should possibly be telling people just to stay at home to avoid coronavirus. No Tests At All Meanwhile, the test booking system has gone from saying there are no bookings to saying that there are no tests left at all in my area. Refresh, refresh, refresh. I Tweet about the irony of our world -breaking test system being taken out by school administrators asking for tests to keep their students safe. Who could have predicted they’d want to do that? Unprecedented. Strangely Low UK Coronavirus Figures It has occurred to me that if the tests are limited and people can’t get tested, our UK daily reported case number is way off. Whenever the case numbers are presented, no-one ever says “but tests are unavailable to most people right now, so the actual case rate is probably a lot higher”. We would get a better idea of what it really is if we calculate back from the death rate and the world percentage of deaths per case rate, and adjusted for the fact that deaths occur a bit later than the day people get the virus. But that number would probably be quite large, and we wouldn’t want to alarm the UK public by showing them large numbers. If we did, the people might not want to “Get back to work" and send their kids into virus incubation factories. I mean, schools. Kids With Nits Seriously, who got the idea that kids won’t pass around the coronavirus as much as other people? Kids… They bring home colds, flus, norovirus, and nits. Every week it’s something new with kids, and the whole class picks up anything going around. There is nothing the kids can’t pass around with their snotty noses, disgusting habits, lack of true understanding, and disregard for consequences. Kids are not exactly known for being sensible about germs. My toddlers would literally pick up toys from the floor that have just been in other kids’ mouths and put them in their own. I’m sure if a kid in any of my bigger kids’ classes gets coronavirus, my kids will pick it up by giving them a hug. These days in school, I hear some kids are playing tag by licking their hands and running around screaming “Coronavirus”. Kids will find a way to spread it if they get it. Trust me. Oh, and don’t think parents can just tell their kids not to do reckless things that pass around diseases, because we can’t even anticipate what to tell them. We tell them to wash their hands and not touch things, then they burp in each others faces, wipe snot on the tables and swap lunches. And parents know all too well that saying “put your shoes on” usually needs to be repeated 40 times before you can actually leave the house, so “wash your hands at school” probably isn’t getting through, and for some reason I forgot to say “Don’t share drink bottles, even if your friends are thirsty”. Test and Trace, Part II Today, I wake up and the UK Government is begging me to use its new and improved NHS COVID-19 test and trace app. I hunt around for information on the app before installing. Some articles about the app tell me you can book a test through the app and this would allow them to track the test results too, so I figure I could give it a go. Not for Me The symptom-checker part of the app doesn’t even want to know that I’m not talking about my own symptoms or that my son’s symptoms began two weeks ago. Without really thinking, I say the symptoms started today so I can progress to the test booking. It redirects me to the all-familiar test booking website, only now it doesn’t save his details into the web form and I need to re-enter them each time I go back. So, of course, I’ll just use the page in future, not the app. The app has also now decided that I am living solo and need to self-isolate. It has started counting down to when I need to stop isolating. 8 days. Not even any mention that households with more people should isolate for longer. Or a way of telling it that the dates are off or that the symptoms went away or weren’t even mine. Will it stop counting down when that test I couldn’t book comes back negative? I wonder how many other people are being told to self-isolate? Will the app tell people they’ve been in contact with someone that should have been isolating (according to the information in the app that I can’t correct)? Why doesn’t this app even mention in the notes that a family should isolate for longer? The app links to a page for more information where it merely says to “isolate for the full period advised by your isolation countdown tracker”. So it seems the app is giving out misleading information that will actually cause people to end their self-isolation too early. Wouldn’t it make sense to automatically show a 14-day isolation countdown and then say if you live alone you can end at 8 days? Then people would be less likely to under-isolate due to a misunderstanding. Surely, after spending a reported £12-£35 million creating this app, someone on the team might have considered that. Do the Bus Stop So, given that we don’t actually need to isolate, and I still have one kid to get to school, I found myself at the bus stop this morning with my 8-year-old. I consider that this is the most contact I have with strangers on a regular basis, and realise that this fancy new app isn’t going to even register the presence of any of the other people there. As far as the app is concerned, I am alone. Everyone else at the bus stop is under 16 at a guess, and the app doesn’t cater for under 16s. My daughter doesn’t exist to the app and neither do they. Obviously, there are going to be a few rule-breaking teens who rebelliously lie to the Government and click the “I am over 16" button. But even if they did, they probably aren’t allowed to have phones on them at school. The app will probably be registering them as spending a long day in close proximity to the phones in the other lockers. Meanwhile, at the bus stop, the only way the app is doing anything useful to contain the pandemic is if one of these teens is a rebel. Rebel with a cause? That said, I look around at my non-tracked teenaged bus stop companions to note that they’re all wearing their masks and standing 2m apart — these teens are more sensible than the people in my office. They’re staring at my daughter who isn’t allowed to have or wear a mask at school, meaning she won’t be wearing one on the bus either. There are three different school uniforms represented at the bus stop, and I recall that some of these teens have already had a confirmed COVID-19 case at their high school, which is probably why they look terrified about going to school and spending time on the bus with my unmasked daughter. Don’t worry, though. Kids don’t pass around the coronavirus, they say.

https://medium.com/writers-blokke/the-uks-world-breaking-covid-19-test-and-trace-system-is-missing-something-453cc0af376c

['Angela Randall']

2020-09-27 04:50:35.555000+00:00

['Covid 19', 'UK Politics', 'Coronavirus', 'Virus', 'UK']

Post Corona, From Crisis to Opportunity by Scott Galloway — Notes

Chapter 3: OTHER DISRUPTORS The Disruptability Index The opportunity for disruption in an industry can be correlated to a handful of factors — a disruptability index. The key signal is dramatic increase in price with no accompanying increase in value or innovation. This is also known as unearned margin. ( Example: Higher Education, Healthcare) Another factor of disruptability is a reliance on brand equity divorced from the quality of the product, its distribution, or support. Many firms and industries have fostered an adversarial relationship with consumers. Insurance, Healthcare The Burning of the Unicorn Barn Bill Gates was the first to prove the same person could found a company and take it to $100 billion in value. Gates grew Microsoft to $600 billion over 14 years. In 2005, we weren’t making that many more true geniuses, but available capital began to increase exponentially. VCs jockeying to fund successful founders devised term sheets that included secondary sales, two-class shareholder structures, and other founder-friendly terms. The NASDAQ quadrupled in ten years. The sheer amount of capital meant that companies could pursue capital-driven growth strategies. That is, they could buy market share by selling at a loss, while raising subsequent rounds of capital, at increasing valuations, due to growth that was fueled by cheap capital. The number of U.S. IPOs has declined 88% from 1996 to 2016. It also takes much longer for companies to get public. The average age of a company up for IPO increased from three to eight years over the last 20 years. ENTER THE UNICORN Aileen Lee found 39 unicorn companies and reported that new ones came along at a rate of about 4 per year. Estimates put the number today at around 400, with 42 born in 2019 alone. Value is a function of growth and margins. As they did in the ’90s, many of today’s unicorns have deployed massive capital to achieve the former while not demonstrating the value proposition to achieve the latter. SOFTBANK’S $100 BILLION UNICORN BUFFET The pitch from SoftBank to entrepreneurs was simple and compelling. “You aren’t thinking big enough. We want to invest three times your planned raise, and if you don’t do a deal with us, we’ll inject these liters of growth hormone capital into your biggest competitor.” Capital is in fact a weapon in private equity, where only a few firms can bid for the truly great, proven assets with enormous cash flows. However, in venture, and growth, the secret sauce is dislocation, a market ripe for disruption, and crazy genius founders who are too stupid to know they will fail. When your ability to deploy billions into a concept becomes the priority, as it does when you have $100 billion to deploy, your returns go down. Business and trade are, despite rumors of the death of distance, a function of geography. A retail store’s profitability is correlated with proximity to HQ. The availability of capital is not correlated with the availability of good places to invest the capital. Good investments — disruptive start-ups with the potential to grow into sustainable multibillion-dollar enterprises — will always be scarce. YOGABABBLE Too much capital and not enough talent is the cue for the rise of the charismatic founder. According to LinkedIn, there are more corporate comms personnel working for Bezos at Amazon (969) than journalists working for Bezos at The Washington Post (798). THOROUGHBRED VS. UNICORN On a per-mattress basis, Casper captures $1,362 in revenue. But it spends $761 on the mattress, $480 on sales and marketing, and an impressive $470 on administrative overhead. That’s a loss of $349 per mattress. Casper tried to wrap an undifferentiated product with aspirational associations. When the Smoke Clears Private investors — traditional venture capitalists, but also institutional investors whose appetite for risk has increased with their assets under management — are signing up for more and larger financing rounds, and using the public markets as an exit, instead of as a financing event. Abundant capital permits a heft of financing rounds previously only available in the public markets, and a robust secondary market provides liquidity to shareholders. A major reason we are seeing so many unicorns is companies stay private longer. This has the benefit of reduced overhead and regulatory compliance costs, as well as less scrutiny. The company captures more of the upside for its private-market backers. Another change has been the increased potential for another form of high-return exit — acquisition by one of the mega tech companies like the Four. Apple has cash worth 200 unicorns ($200 billion) on its balance sheet. Google has $120 billion. The 12 unicorns that exited in the first half of 2020 did so at a 91% premium to their last private valuation. The pandemic may birth the best-performing IPO class in several years, as the market’s valuations are based on a firm’s perceived performance 10 years ahead. The same is true of the downside: as firms that are struggling are issued a do-not-resuscitate order from the markets and are valued at their (remaining) cash flows. The cheap capital economy that offers disruptors the opportunity to pull the future forward sucks oxygen from the incumbents, who are forced to retrench (layoff, cuts in CapEx) as the new kids on the block can lean into new investments and hiring. The eight elements of the T Algorithm (rillion-dollar valuation) are as follows: Appealing to human instinct; Accelerant; Balancing growth and margins; Rundle; Vertical integration; Benjamin Button products; Visionary storytelling; Likability Appealing to human instinct: The brain instinct : We are constantly looking for answers to help explain our experiences and the world around us (Google). Bargains (Walmart) and rational claims (Dell, Microsoft) appeal to the brain. Margins tend to be small in brain-appealing businesses — there is one lowest price or fastest processor. The heart : We have an innate desire to connect with the people around us. Caring for those around you makes you more willing to spend. The Gut The Genitals: We are motivated to buy products and services that make us feel more successful and good-looking, so we can attract better mates. We pay irrational margins for products that improve our sex appeal. Contrast rational companies Walmart and Amazon (the brain and the gut) to Ferrari and Louboutin (the genitals). Accelerant: A firm that serves as an incredible springboard for a person’s career. Other than intellectual property or defensible IP, a firm’s ability to attract talented employees is one of the most important contributors to success. Balancing growth and margins: Typically, margins are in conflict with growth. There are some companies that take very low margins, like Walmart, and as a result are able to grow faster because they don’t charge much additional margin for their value-add. In contrast, if a firm has high margins, it usually has lower growth and lower potential for scaling. Only some exceptional firms, like the Four, are able to combine high growth with high margins. Rundle: A bundle of goods and/or services that justifies recurring revenue. This strategy exploits one of our key weaknesses as human beings: we are terrible at estimating the value of time. Firms that convince consumers to enter into a monogamous relationship with them are positioned to accumulate more value over time than firms that interact with consumers transactionally. Example: Apple currently offers music and streaming video subscriptions, but it could bundle both of those products, plus news, plus annual iPhone upgrades, into a bigger recurring revenue bundle. Disney could bundle Disney+, parks, cruises, and other perks into several tiers of packages based on recurring revenue, or a multiple-product subscription. Vertical integration: A firm’s ability to control the end-to-end customer experience by controlling as much of the value chain as possible. Companies that control distribution reap huge benefits. Benjamin Button products: Products or services that age in reverse (get more, rather than less, valuable to users over time) due to network effects. Example: Spotify Visionary storytelling Telling a compelling story unites employees and attracts top talent and cheap capital. THE SHINIEST UNICORNS IN THE HERD

https://medium.com/@sohilgupta/post-corona-from-crisis-to-opportunity-by-scott-galloway-f8aa36cd4e58

['Sohil Gupta']

2020-12-23 18:32:27.191000+00:00

['Corona', 'Tesla', 'Amazon', 'Business', 'Apple']

I Got Food Poisoning From an Alison Roman Recipe. Here’s Why It Was Her Fault, Not Mine.

I Got Food Poisoning From an Alison Roman Recipe. Here’s Why It Was Her Fault, Not Mine. I’m tired. Tired because of the pandemic that’s been raging on for five months, sure. Tired because of the racial inequality that has been brought to light in the past few weeks. But most of all, I’m tired because I just spent hours puking into a toilet. What happened, you might ask? Alison Roman, a food writer with popular cookbooks such as Dining In and Nothing Fancy, has had a number of her recipes go viral. You might recognize her work from hashtags such as #TheStew or #TheCookie. Along with her recipe fame, she has also had her fair share of controversy. Branded as a no-nonsense cool girl who is effortlessly Madewell-stylish, Roman is known for her refreshingly honest takes on home cooking. More recently, she came under fire for her flippant comments on the product lines of Marie Kondo and Chrissy Teigen, both women of Asian descent. Here’s why that matters. I am Asian. I’ve always been Asian. I’ve been Asian since the day I was born. Also notable? I never wash my hands. I just won’t do it. The Center for Health Information and Sciences released a report in 2019 about how hand-washing is actually ineffective to the point that it is harmful. That’s right — my lifelong habit of avoiding water is backed by science. So after I made Alison Roman’s famous shallot-anchovy pasta recipe and woke up with food poisoning, I knew that it couldn’t possibly have been my fault. This was another misstep in Roman’s long line of misdeeds against women of color. When people say racism kills, they’re not kidding. According to YouGov, 20,000 Americans prefer French fries to every other way to eat a potato. The first hour was agonizing. I woke up with a jolt. “What is this pain in my stomach?” I asked myself. What did I even eat yesterday? Oats for breakfast…Sweetgreen for lunch…a dozen handfuls of melted cheese, six glasses of whiskey, two whole grapefruits sprinkled with ghost pepper sauce, three tablespoons of baking soda, and…anchovy pasta for dinner. Alison Roman’s recipe. Bingo. The CDC estimates that every year, approximately 48 million people get sick from a foodborne illness. I am now part of that 1 in 6 statistic. Perhaps I was not one of the unlucky few to be hospitalized or to die from such an event, but nevertheless, I am a survivor. I called my friends, who expressed confusion about why I was calling them about this. I called my parents, who told me that I needed to be more careful about food safety when I cooked. Although no one explicitly agreed with me that this was anti-Asian racism, I knew the truth. Deep down, they did too. This is yet another incident that cannot be ignored. There’s not enough research yet to show that Alison Roman is directly trying to poison Asian Americans, but I hope that my story will inspire further analysis and discussion on this important topic. As I finally was able to leave the toilet and gargle some mouthwash, I looked at myself in the mirror. A bloodshot, disheveled version of myself stared back. “We made it,” I said to my mirror self. “We’re okay.” As an Asian American woman, Alison Roman’s words and recipes have poisoned my body and my mind. I’m lucky to still be here. I refuse to stay silent.

https://medium.com/@blair.m/i-got-food-poisoning-from-an-alison-roman-recipe-heres-why-it-was-her-fault-not-mine-543d9c200dc6

['Blair Mayu']

2020-07-07 01:01:51.048000+00:00

['Alison Roman', 'Satire', 'Conspiracy Theories', 'Racism', 'Hygiene']

A Kind of Trust

A Kind of Trust A Poem About Leaning Into the Unknown Photo by Milada Vigerova on Unsplash eyes open palms turning up, even in darkness the air, every breath given and then let go, before it came into this body it was exchanged in the complex interior labyrinth of countless other beings for eons this heart, beating my-o-cardium raise this cup and drink it may be that to be truly alive in this uncertain world is. . . yes

https://berrywoman08.medium.com/a-kind-of-trust-83f2fd376fcb

['Michelle Berry Lane']

2020-11-23 20:02:02.957000+00:00

['Poetry', 'Spiritual Tree', 'Faith', 'Vulnerability', 'Spiritual']

Portuguese, and Other Spanish Dialects

The Tagus River has its source in the Spanish heartland, and flows through Lisbon to the sea. A few weeks ago, I was languishing in a clinic waiting room in Lima, hoping to procure a Covid test that would enable me to fly to the United States before another sinister Greek letter shut down the world. For some reason, a nervous Brazilian woman sitting next to me was sure that I was a fellow Brasileiro, and addressed me in Portuguese. I have never learnt Portuguese, nor she Spanish, but within about 30 seconds we were able to commiserate more or less intelligibly about our plight. Spanish and Portuguese are different languages. But it is worth asking what we mean by “Spanish.” To Spaniards, and many Spanish-speakers worldwide, what we call Spanish is Castellano, the language of Castile. Castile was one of many kingdoms of medieval Spain. Through war and marriage, it absorbed all the others, culminating with the 1492 union with (Catalan-speaking) Aragon. All except one. In the 16th Century, Philip II, the Castilian monarch who styled himself King of Spain, tried to annex Portugal into his realm. Had he succeeded, Portuguese would probably be considered a dialect of Spanish today. But Portugal’s mighty fleet and overseas empire made her too big to digest- as they say, a language is a dialect with an army and a navy. In 1578, while campaigning in Morocco, King Sebastião of Portugal disappeared off the face of the earth. He was succeeded by his uncle Henrique, who as an elderly cardinal was not the best choice to produce an heir. His death left the door open to Philip of Spain; in another world, it would have been the end of Portugal. It would not be an outlandish claim. Spanish and Portuguese share 89% lexical similarity, meaning nine out of every ten words has a cognate in the other language. They only diverged from Old Spanish in the past millennium. They are far more similar than many “dialects” in China. But there are significant differences, most prominently in pronunciation. While Spanish (like Italian) is enunciated quite clearly, with each letter distinct, Portuguese (like French) is more innovative. Thus, while Portuguese and Spanish speakers can quite easily read the other, Portuguese speakers have a much easier time understanding spoken Spanish than vice versa. I have heard Spaniards joke that Portuguese is “Vulgar Spanish” (a play on Vulgar Latin), as some of the ways that Portuguese departs from Castilian sound like casual Spanish. Portuguese levels out some diphthongs (compound vowel sounds) into a simpler vowel. An O at the end of a word is pronounced like a U. It is pretty common in vernacular Spanish to pronounce LL (which is supposed to be pronounced like a Y) something like an English J (native Spanish speakers often say English “you” something like “joo”); in Portuguese, the LL becomes a CH. In other ways, however, Portuguese preserves Old Spanish features that Castilian has dropped. It has a proper V, which in Castilian lacks, and more hard Zs. Most prominently, where Castilian softened some initial Fs into Hs, Portuguese kept them. Where Castilian has hablar (“to speak”) and hacer (“to do”), Portuguese has falar and fazer (the F is also fossilised in Castilian satisfacer, “to satisfy”). You can basically translate this verse from Marc Anthony’s “Vivir Mi Vida” purely by applying the rules we explored above. In English, it is “Sometimes the rain arrives/ To clean your wounds/ Sometimes just a drop/ Can beat the drought.” Beyond diphthongs, Portuguese embraces other notable simplifications. Its definite articles are the single letters o and a. Portuguese is also heavy in nasal vowels, even in the place of consonants. A few generations before the discovery of Brazil, devout Portuguese would have honoured Santo Pablo, but by the time they arrived, he was São Paulo. The most unique feature of Portuguese, setting it apart from any other language in Europe, is its names for days of the week. Sunday is domingo, the Lord’s day. But the ever-mercantile Portuguese named every single other day after the trading fair that occurred on it, from Monday, segunda-feria (second fair), all the way through to sexta-feria (sixth fair). The Alhambra palace is an icon of Spain’s Islamic past. The Arabs were driven from what is now Portugal centuries earlier than southern Spain, so their language left much less imprint on Portuguese than Castilian. One important source of difference is the two languages’ differing foreign influences. The Iberian Peninsula was under Islamic rule for centuries, leaving an indelible impact on all of its budding languages. But the Arabs were driven from what is now Portugal centuries earlier than from southern Castile, so Arabic had a lighter impact on Portuguese. Spaniards call a scorpion alacrán and a drunk borracho, both from Arabic, where the Portuguese use the Latin escorpião and bêbado. Conversely, Portuguese borrowed heavily from French. They read the news in a jornal and celebrate Reveillon on December 31, where Spaniards read a periódico and pop champagne (or, in Madrid, eat a bunch of grapes) on Nochevieja. There are also some false friends, words that sound alike but have different meanings. A Spanish speaker following Brazil’s sprawling corruption scandal a few years ago would be probably confused as to why so many politicians were getting propinas. In Spanish, a propina is a tip, while in Brazilian Portuguese, it is a bribe. A great example of clear, subtitled Portuguese for speakers of other Romance languages who are curious to see how much they can understand. The video is an advertisement from a (sadly unsuccessful) 1993 campaign to restore the Brazilian monarchy. Spanish and Portuguese are closely related, but a lot of people who hear Portuguese, particularly Portuguese from Portugal, make the bizarre observation that it sounds like Russian. There are a few reasons for this. Portuguese and Russian are both stress-timed, meaning that stressed syllables are enunciated at roughly equal intervals. Combined that with Portuguese’s heavy use of palatal sounds (e.g., SH, ZH), and you get languages from opposite ends of Europe sounding weirdly similar. When I took a weekend trip to Macao while working in China, it was shocked to discover how dominant Portuguese still is there. Yet as with my Brazilian acquaintance in Lima, it did not take long to hack together a sort of hybrid dialect. This linguistic chimera made world news two years ago, when Brazil’s embattled President Jair Bolsonaro tried to appoint his son Eduardo as his ambassador to the United States. The appointment hit a snag when it came out that the younger Mr Bolsonaro did not really speak English (he has since improved); according to one Spanish-speaking American official, in one of their meetings, hybrid Portunhol became a language of international diplomacy. Portugal’s legacy in Macao, their old colony in South China, is surprisingly robust. The line between a dialect and a language is a blurry one, usually reified by state borders whose courses have little to do with linguistics. Through much of the 20th Century, Spain’s nationalist government held that all the languages of Spain were dialects (including Galician, which linguists pretty much all agree is much closer to Portuguese than Castilian). It sounds chauvinistic, and in General Franco’s case it was, but strictly speaking even “Spanish” (i.e., Castellano) is a Spanish dialect. As a kid in Puerto Rico in the 2000s, I even learned that Catalan was merely a dialect of Spanish. Had King Philip managed to close the deal five centuries ago, I probably would have heard the same of Portuguese.

https://medium.com/@sjquillen/portuguese-and-other-spanish-dialects-ee218955a1c4

['Sam Quillen']

2021-12-20 18:20:31.525000+00:00

['Spanish', 'Portuguese', 'Latin America', 'Linguistics', 'Diplomacy']

Ethereum Application Development Services

Ethereum Application Development Services Our Ethereum developers utilize agile methodology to design and develop dApps. Our experts identify the user personas and components to be involved in the dApp. Also, we define the on chain and off chain data along with the microservices and DB requirements. Get your first smart contract designed and developed within a week. ERC20 Tokens Based on our experience, we define the attributes which require to be a part of your Token. We introduce features like Mintable, Burnable, Upgradable, Haltable, Transferable in the smart contract of your ERC20 Token. Get your sample smart contract developed in no time. Smart Contracts We have developed more than 100 Smart contracts. Our experienced Ethereum developers understand the available API’s in-depth and can integrate any web or mobile application with Smart contracts and different wallets. Bring your existing application and add reliability of Ethereum Blockchain. Ethereum App Consulting Our Ethereum Development Team provides clients with strategic advice on the implementation of Ethereum Blockchain for your business. We identify the possible stakeholders of the system and on-chain and off-chain components of the application. User Interfaces From wire frame designs, high fidelity and low fidelity designs, we ensure to adopt the industry standards when designing the user interfaces of an app. Our design team creates user-friendly and customer-driven interfaces. Create custom ethereum app on private network We can set up a private network, build smart contracts and enable permissioning on smart contracts to provide a custom dApp to the clients. Launch Ethereum Node on Public Network We can help clients launch Ethereum nodes and connect them to the main Ethereum network. Smart Contracts Audit With extensive domain experience, our team of Ethereum Development Experts provides clients with insightful audit reports of the current smart contracts and help them to build the error-free and robust contracts. Ethereum App Porting We provide complete support in Ethereum app porting with the smart contract creation. We can move your existing mobile or web app to Ethereum Blockchain Platform to meet the business requirements. https://www.somish.com/blockchain/ethereum-application-development

https://medium.com/@surajsomish1133/ethereum-application-development-services-fef170c28493

[]

2020-07-07 09:59:34.777000+00:00

['Ethereum', 'Ethereum Blockchain', 'Blockchain']

How to update the name on a Ticketspace ticket

Preamble Ticketspace is a popular ticketing platform based in New Zealand, and chances are you have used a Ticketspace ticket to attend an event in the past. Some of the nation’s favorite festivals, eg. Bay Dreams, rely on Ticketspace technology. Changing names Some events, typically music festivals, require that you update the name on the ticket if you pass it to a friend, sell it online, etc. The name on the ticket must always match the name of the person who is going to use it. Fortunately, it’s very easy to do this on Ticketspace. First, login to your Ticketspace account, everybody has one, at https://tickets.ticketspace.co.nz/my-tickets/login If you don’t remember your password, click “Forgot your password” — you will be emailed a special link to continue. Once inside, head to the “Order history”: Now scroll all the way down, you will see a list of your tickets and a “Edit ticket name” button next to each one: Now click “Edit ticket name” next to the ticket you are planning to pass to somebody else, a popup will appear: Now provide the new name to put on your ticket — the person you gave the ticket to (or sold — on Tixel or elsewhere) and your credit card details. Different events will charge different fees for this service. Once the payment is done, you can click “Print / View Tickets” button to download your new PDF tickets.

https://medium.com/tixel/how-to-update-a-name-on-ticketspace-ticket-7c18c7736fe

['Denis Mysenko']

2020-12-21 11:36:57.320000+00:00

['Ticketspace', 'Updates', 'New Zealand', 'Manuals', 'Resale']

When pride is virtue, who says it is a vice?

Vishnu Sharma was teaching the foolish sons of a particular King by telling stories. These stories although simple contained extraordinary knowledge of life and virtues. One such tale is that of Pigeon-King, Chitragriba. Chitragriba and his flock, while flying in the sky, saw some grains in the forest, and fell into the net when they greedily descended to eat. However, they flew away with the net together to the Mouse-King, who was the friend of Chitragriba. Finding his friend in trouble, he went to cut the trap of Chitragriba first, to which Chitragriba denied, and said he need not have to worry about him. He should cut the trap of his subjects first and then come to him. What he meant by this was, he also was a pigeon like all others, but he was their King, their leader. And those who are proud of being a king should also take the responsibility of the safety and well-being of their subjects. This is the true pride of a king or a leader which he should have. Perhaps this pride makes a man think high above petty selfishness and make him kind and generous, and propel him to do great things for others and society. The true yardstick to measure the greatness of a man is his kindness and generosity towards others and society at large. It is only through unselfish service to mankind, a man can truly help himself. To do so, he has to come out from the narrow parallel roads of self-interest and selfishness that make a man fall into the sewage of ordinariness. In order to do and be extraordinary, a man must rise up from the deep slumber of selfishness and fill the world with the brilliance of his inherent potential, for which he must have pride and belief in himself. True pride always accompanies belief. If it is not so, it becomes sheer arrogance and ego. A man must be proud of himself; he must believe in himself first in order to do that. But an arrogant man is a man with fake pride without any belief in himself or his abilities. Being so he becomes a hypocrite and runs away when he is needed the most. It must be remembered that pride must not take the form of arrogance or ego, which is hollow pride. True pride can make a man strong. It does not need a title or even a position in society to develop in a man. And this can only be done when a man does not think of himself as an ordinary individual, but be proud of his divine origin, and belief in his ability to do whatever he wish to do. Great things are reposed upon them who believe that they are born to do great things and whose heart is ever filled with pride and honor for their own generosity, benevolence, and kindness.

https://medium.com/indian-thoughts/when-pride-is-virtue-who-says-it-is-a-vice-766977772993

['Krishna Jena']

2017-05-30 09:25:03.263000+00:00

['Life Lessons', 'Philosophy', 'Self Improvement', 'Knowledge', 'Inspiration']

Nora’s abode of dreams

Photo by DESIGNECOLOGIST on Unsplash Amidst the bed of sunflowers and sunshine, Stretching beyond the power of sight, Nora lay exploring the vast, As the fuzzy clouds meandered the sky. She keenly watched the sunflowers smile, Sunflowers they blush, rather an orange than rust, They bend their heads with a beatific grin, As the adoring sunbeam sparkled their lives. Her world so small yet boundless, Unlike the shack she survived her night, She mused and pondered the tiny dots of life, For imaginations crossed the barriers that lied. Off from chore at the reaping and sowing, She found her haven in this bed of dreams, Days were long for stooping hurt, But the sunsets eased the pain that’s worth. She dreamed of an abode here amid the blooms, Where the twee petals swayed along her prance, Where the blossoms yearned for the resuming sun, And where she owned her freedom like the flitting songbird!

https://medium.com/paperkin/noras-abode-of-dreams-bf314640ba3f

['Ranjana Reghunath']

2020-06-01 13:01:01.289000+00:00

['Nature', 'Home', 'Poem', 'Travel', 'Love']

Consent Culture in the Dungeon: a “what you can do” guide for community members

The BDSM community has always put itself forward as at the forefront of consent education. “Safe Sane and Consensual”, we say. “Ask first!” But the reality is that abuse and consent violations happen within this community, as it does with every community. Rape culture is a problem literally everywhere. In the 6 years I’ve been doing consent activist work, I’ve found that change is coming in addressing these issues… but it’s slow work. Still, you don’t have to wait for community leaders to guide you — community members can take on that labor too! These are some tips and ideas that I have personally for how I’d like to take personal responsibility myself, and hopefully, it’ll be helpful for other people. Admit Abuse Happens Look, people, maybe it hasn’t happened to you, but I would put down money that abuse has touched your kinky community at some point. And it probably didn’t go down that well. In fact, the victim, no matter how old, well-known, or savvy he or she was, probably blamed themselves- for not fighting back hard enough, for disassociating and struggling to safeword, for being there in the first place. Cause that’s part of trauma response. It’s only after you start to talk to others and realize how common it is that you get mad- I finally told several people close to me, And then a few more. And no one told me I was stupid. In fact, to my dismay, my story was common. Standard. Typical. And that is horrifying. THAT is shameful. So I am taking a deep breath and telling you today. Because? Consent COUNTS. And anyone can be taken advantage of. Anyone. And you aren’t stupid, you aren’t helpless, if someone pushes through your boundaries. -Consent [Violated] by Mollena If you’re not admitting that this happens, if you’re putting your fingers in your ears and singing “lalalala”, you are enabling this abuse. I mean, hell, the Leather Leadership Conference seems to think it’s relevant. Communities like Kink Abuse exist. Resources like the National Leather Associations Domestic Violence Project seems to take it pretty seriously too. Did you know these things were even available? Do you think they’re making it up or “just being dramatic”? Be Aware of Creepiness First of all, let’s talk a bit about not being creepy. Cause one thing we definitely have control over is our own behavior and trying not to add to the problem, right? Being creepy, while often characterized by what Maggie Mayhem once called the Creepy Naked Guy, is certainly not restricted to him- people of every gender can have that special, leer-y look that makes a shiver go down the spine. Cliff over on Pervocracy has a great piece on how to not be creepy that everyone can learn a lot from: I don’t agree with Clarisse Thorn that “creepy” is a meaningless or sexist term. I think it has a very clear meaning: someone who is creepy is someone who makes you feel unsafe and uncomfortable in a sexual way. And while you may be unfair in your discomfort — for example, if you feel uncomfortable around anyone who admits they’re into BDSM — it’s still real. When it’s realest are the times when you don’t know why you feel it. If someone strikes you as “creepy” and you can’t put your finger on it, you feel a little unfair applying the label because they’re clearly so nice but you just keep having this feeling — do not get alone with them. “Creepy” may be a pejorative sometimes; other times it’s the goddamn Gift Of Fear. But what if people think you’re a creep, and you don’t deserve it? I don’t think the answer is to tell them that they’re being wrong and unfair — you can’t argue with a feeling, and trying to debate a person into not being afraid of you is kind of creepy in itself. Sometimes you may just need to move on to another social group. But sometimes there are things you can do to make people feel safer and more comfortable around you, even as you continue to pursue sex and romance. Take it from a recovering creep. Seriously, read it. It’s the best first step you can take to help improve your local community. And learn how to ogle with awareness and tact. But woe to the person who says “creepy folks are creepy”, because they’re judgmental and not respecting YKIOK. I was amazed that people (on Fetlife, for example, which the below comes from) had a response of “but, but, think of the wankers!”: The idea of empowerment and responsibility for one’s own actions deeply resonates with me, and I would prefer that our community, which often speaks of embracing all of the various perverts that mainstream society castigates, should suit its actions to its words. In this instance, to embrace the wankers for what they contribute to the dungeon. Yes, they’re unsanitary, but as it’s already been pointed out, poor sanitary habits are not their personal onus to bear. We all need to be cleaner in the dungeon. What wankers contribute are twofold that I can easily determine: they offer themselves as an audience, and they offer pheromones to heighten the mood of any sex-play in progress. As long as they’re not invading someone’s space or getting their mess on equipment, food, or other people, I think they should be as accepted as the couple doing fire-play, the people in a race-play scene, or whatever else we might encounter in a dungeon. (emphasis mine) Really? REALLY? I’ve never been to a dungeon party in person where people were delighted to see the Wankyman Express. I’ve never heard him referred to as an asset before. I have heard people leave because he’s there and refuse to come back because he weirds them out. Interestingly, many dungeons have rules against the things CWG does- cruising aggressively, masturbating outside of a scene, being there in a dungeon space exclusively for sex. Though it’s hard to know that, considering a lot of dungeons and sex spaces don’t actually post their rules online- posting what you can’t do in these spaces suggests what you *can* do, which can be a liability. So everyone learns the rules when they get to the space, and are already hyped up and wanting to get in as quickly as possible. Not the best for retaining information… or managing expectations. And then when you’re in the party, CWG isn’t often called out for his behaviour, because yeah, he’s creepy, but is he hurting anyone..? The answer? Indirectly, yes, yes he is. And I like this response from the now-defunct Informed Consent BDSM board: With YKIOK (your kink is ok) I think its about people engaging in things that you may not be interested in and don’t have to get involved in. Wanky men don’t give you a choice. Also YKIOK can be used as a blanket statement that doesn’t always apply, for example, if someone is being unsafe/threatening whatever in a club, someone will step in. So thing you can do #2? Don’t be creepy. Note: Not every creepy person realizes they’re coming off as creepy. This can be due to a lack of experience, general social awkwardness/anxiety, gendered training and being on the autism spectrum, among other things. So try to be gentle but clear when letting someone know they’re coming off that way, and try to give an example of what they could be doing instead. Listen If someone comes up to you and says they’ve been assaulted, your jobs, in order, are to listen, ask them what they need, and to reference them to some help for then to take up or not as they so choose. As far as I’m aware, DMs and party hosts are not required to have even read a pamphlet on how to be a first responder for sexual or physical assault. They have no idea how to deal with a victim’s responses… or even an understanding of what they might be and why. This is a serious problem that leads to victims feeling uncomfortable speaking up… understandable, when the likelihood is that they’ll be told it’s their fault anyway. It’s not your job to play therapist. But you can listen. And you can say “that sounds like it was a really scary experience” and ask what they need from you. If you can offer it, you can offer it. If not you can help them to the best of your ability. You should have some resources displayed with all the party fliers by the door so you can give them to people as needed. And you can understand that someone who has just suffered trauma may be struggling to put all the pieces together. Negotiate… and Stick To It We talk a lot about negotiation and consent. Yet one of the things that really concerns me is the often spoken “no means no”… because people tend to take that as “everything is ok until they say no/safeword”. There’s that joke, right, about Jesus- why did he die on the cross? He forgot his safeword. Hah! But when you think about it there’s an undercurrent that’s kind of creepy- that, because he didn’t safeword, everything else was ok. Sure, it’s a joke, but it reflects an attitude that ignores that people dealing with trauma may struggle to say “no”, or struggle to safeword, and that isn’t a free pass. And if you want to have sex with someone, for God’s sake don’t be this guy. In every case, just freaking ask. The point of asking someone is not to get a “yes” by any means necessary; it’s to find out how they feel about you. Realize that, post-high-school, most people are not cruel in saying no. Rejection is awkward and painful for the rejector too, and anyone worthy of your affection is going to be gentle about it. If you know each other at all as people (and sometimes even if you don’t), they’re not going to laugh or insult you or tell all their friends how gross you are. They’re just going to tell you that you won’t be dating them, which is a situation you were already living with. If someone says no, that means no. Don’t keep asking and don’t ask “why not?” The answer to “why not” is never something you want to hear, and forcing it out of someone will never change their mind; it’ll just be excruciating for both of you. -How Not to be Creepy, Pervocracy Which is why I’d like to hear more “yes means yes”. Because yes is sexy, and negotiation can be hot- it doesn’t have to be a mood-killer. I had a partner tell me about a scene he did where he told his play partner that he wasn’t going to take his clothes off- he wanted them to do it. A simple power thing, right? But that allowed the play partner to decide how much should come off, and when- it was a sexy way to suss out how far to go. That’s pretty hot. Or my play partner last night who winked at me, cock in harness, and said “well, if you want to be fucked, you should roll over on your back”… thus allowing me to make that decision. Being able to say no (without passive aggressive sulking for hearing that no) makes your yes mean something, and that’s hot for everyone. Jay Wiseman had a blog post on how unfortunate it is when someone sticking to the negotiations made is revolutionary, rather than the norm: So the scene is finished and she’s getting dressed when I hear her quietly say, almost more to herself than me, “You actually kept the agreement to not be sexual. That was interesting.” Huh? I turn to look at her, my jaw hanging open. “What do you mean?” I ask her. “You’re the first one who ever did that,” she replies. HUH??? “Yeah,” she continues, “All of the other men have just gone ahead and had sex with me anyway.” I cannot believe what I’m hearing. “What do they say afterwards?” “Usually something like, Oh, it just happened.” I just stare at her, stunned into speechlessness. Then it dawns on me that she was likely thinking that I would break the agreement as well. She went into the scene anticipating that that would happen. All throughout the scene a part of her brain was waiting for that to “just happen.” She was expecting that I would break my word. He goes on to discuss how that related to his feelings when he read the manuscript for a kinky dating guide for women: What particularly bothered me about the manuscript was that the author wasn’t talking about newbie men. She was talking about established, well-known guys. Guys seen at places like local munches with some frequency. Guys (supposedly!) well educated about basic SM principles such as consent, respecting limits, and so forth. Guys who *knew better* than to pull crap like that. This bothered me, rather a lot, particularly the implications. So what I basically have here is at least three women, all of whom seem fairly rational and emotionally stable with no anti-male axe to grind, and all of whom are separately affirming that being lied to by men — in particular, being lied to by local, known, supposedly educated men — in order to get sex/play/etc. is a *common* experience for them. In particular, incidents involving men lying or breaking agreements in order to “get” sex and/or to avoid using condoms seem to be extremely common. Please let’s move away from this rape culture and consciously towards a consent culture. That’s a lot more of a turn-on. Be Heard Calling “Bullshit” Another part of effectively fighting against rape culture and abuse in your local community is understanding why people defend rape culture so you can better aim when you smack them with a clue-by-four. Particularly useful is understanding the Male Gaze defensiveness from that article on Pervocracy: This is the way our society tends to lock us into seeing things from the point of view of a heterosexual male. It’s sort of assumed that you’ll find “sexy” women appealing and “sexy” men funny or gross, that anyone will want to follow male role models but female ones are only for girls, and that the public discourse in general is aimed at straight men unless specified otherwise. And of course all this is tremendously magnified if youare a heterosexual man; with an effort a woman can find female perspectives, but men are almost never forced to take on a female viewpoint. Marie Curie and Amelia Earhart are never held up as heroes for little boys. The relevant end result of this is that when someone — particularly straight men, but not only them — sees a story about a woman accusing a man of rape, they put themselves in the place of the man. They don’t think “wow, what would it be like if I were raped?”, but “wow, what would it be like if I were accused of rape?” Well, I certainly wouldn’t commit rape! So if I assume that this person I’m empathizing with acts the same way I would have, he must be innocent, and dealing with this false accusation must be tremendously frightening and frustrating for him. As long as you see the alleged rapist as the protagonist, the “you” of the story, the furthest you’re able to stretch is “maybe he raped her for a really good reason?” You know what happens when someone who has been abused overhears the victim-blaming, slut-shaming, apologist vitriol that gets spewed out when a victim comes out? They leave the community. And they don’t come back. And that abuser gets to continue to teach classes, harass n00bs, and be a predator, without ever worrying that they’ll be told off. I mean, FFS, stop patting yourselves on the back, kink community. Even the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom and Tristan Taoromino get the difference, and it’s not just “they didn’t safeword” or “they didn’t say no”. As Tristan said, “Once you have gotten into the realm of holding someone down, being forceful with them, doing something that could leave a mark on their body, you better hear a loud, enthusiastic and sober ‘yes.’” More to the point? Hold these asshats accountable. Encourage communication. Don’t let predatory Doms (and, additionally, abusive subs) attack over and over again. Keep an eye open for the next post on this, which will explain techniques I’ve discovered for community leaders on additional ways to address abuse in the community. Other Links of Note: Getting into BDSM: Safety Ways to Combat Sexual Abuse/Power-Based Violence in Alt-Sex Communities Civility and Incivility in the Scene Abusers Among Us

https://medium.com/consent-culture-a-conversation/consent-culture-in-the-dungeon-a-what-you-can-do-guide-for-community-members-c1bb35ab6c2a

['Kitty Stryker']

2017-06-22 01:15:08.987000+00:00

['BDSM', 'Consent', 'Kink', 'Feminism', 'Rape']

How To Pitch Your Minimum Viable Product

When it comes to fundraising, it all starts with an idea. The reality is that startups are never rarely unique — most likely there are a bunch of people who are doing exactly the same. So, ‘just the idea’ isn’t what makes investors open their wallets — even if you came up with something absolutely amazing. Purrweb will tell you a cool way to attract investors. Enjoy! Okay, if ideas are useless, how to captivate investors and prove the workability of your business concept? A well-designed MVP does the trick perfectly. This article aims at finding out how to create a solid UI design and share the MVP idea in the best possible way. So well, what’s before MVP pitch? Let’s have a look: Do initial research Before pitching MVP to investors and sharing the visuals, get started with research: show that you’ve picked a viable business model, thoroughly analyzed competitors, target audience, and their issues; calculated investments, risks, and potential profit. Investors want to be sure you did homework: sharing key information about the industry you want to enter is the best way to prove that. Every investor wants to know what your plans are. All you need to do here is to tell them about how exactly you’re going to move forward: hand over the ‘done’ prototypes to the devs, launch a social media marketing campaign, partner with larger companies or influencers. Be specific and provide as many details as possible about how exactly you’re going to spend the raised money. MVP pitch to investors isn’t about sharing some random numbers and facts — it’s about providing meaningful data. Particularly, about potential customers. To gather such data, you need to reach out to your targets and bombard them with a ton of questions (it might be a face-to-face interview) — having 40 people is pretty much okay for that, however the more the better. Let’s say you have plans to develop a pet health tracking app: figure out how pet owners calculate the amount of food, schedule activities and search for vets. Find out if it is anyhow challenging to find a decent vet nearby. This will help to convince investors that your idea solves a real problem and there is a market for it. To collect actionable insights from potential customers, consider surveys as well: you can try MailChimp or social media. About the latter, it might be Instagram, Facebook or any other place where your targets hang out. Pitch for an MVP: To reach a wider audience, consider promoting posts So, before presenting the UI design to investors, we recommend that you dedicate sufficient time to carefully study the market and make rough calculations. Simply because when investors are willing to support businesses, they expect them to be determined and take this money seriously. Why? Because they want to get their money back. The way to seem determined is to share all the details about where you’re now, who your target market is, what their issues are and what you’re going to do with raised funds. Create simple UI You’re likely to know that the product design includes both UI and UX parts — the roles are distinctively different, however, both of them are crucial to a product and work closely together. Create a MVP: UI is how the product looks, UX is how it feels. Understand why both require different skills? Good MVP UI design is not about impressing investors with super customized animations or icons. It’s about sharing the design that looks appealing and meets the basic UI principles: it is informative and as straightforward as possible. The goal is not to make investors say ‘Wow, that’s awesome!’ but to clearly describe the idea, present core values, and basic functionality. Investors want to be sure that business they’re going to support is what users can benefit from — overloading the pitch with 100 features isn’t the best way to prove that. Your primary focus is MVP, so the UI design should present only the key functionality. Let’s get back to that pet health tracking app we’re talking about earlier. In this case, features that would help investors get a basic understanding of how the app works would be pet profile, vet clinics search and appointment scheduling. Unnecessary features like multi-language support or bitcoin payments aren’t very effective in this matter, so you can neglect both of them. Wrapping up In fundraising, your primary goal is to convince investors that your MVP is worth sinking money into. To achieve that, there’s absolutely no sense in going crazy over UI ‘bells and whistles’ like hard-to-implement layouts, menus or icons. Don’t get caught up in stuff that doesn’t help investors figure out if the idea is profitable or not. Remember even large minimum viable product examples started out with simple things. Rather than overthinking the UI design, get started with extensive research and prove that you know your shit. And then describe the entire MVP idea with a few basic screens that represent the core of your future product. This is the only way to pitch an MVP to make it work.

https://productcoalition.com/how-to-pitch-your-minimum-viable-product-a270b147ba5

[]

2021-03-11 12:29:30.636000+00:00

['MVP', 'Development', 'Fundraising', 'Pitching']

My Random Road Trip

“Bottle water, lacasera, viju miiiiilk”… I look up from my phone and see the lady hawking drinks by the road. I look around and see a BRT bus shelter with a sign. New Garage. New Garage?? What in the name of…. I’m at Ikorodu! Fourty-Five Minutes Earlier… I booked my hair appointment at a natural hair salon in Ogudu. I was to set out by 10am but something must have delayed me at home. So I end up leaving the house by 12 noon. I’m trying to navigate my way so I end up at Maryland and enter a cab going to Ogudu. 20 minutes later, I look up and see the driver drive past my bus stop. I stare on as one in a trance while he drives past and I don’t say a word. In my mind, I say “maybe he wants to drive round and enter Ogudu from somewhere else”. Maybe my mind is tired. Or maybe my body feels like being driven for longer because I should have said something, right? I do this sometimes — go to a place I have no business being in or take a very different route to my destination. It’s a mood thing. Sometimes, I just want to see other places I’ve never been to in Lagos. I remember when I was going to Magodo from Ibeju Lekki once. Rather than pass through the usual route (Lekki — Third Mainland Bridge — Magodo), the cab driver asked if he could pass through Epe and I obliged. For the first time, I passed through places I’ve never even heard of and he enjoyed showing me places. I got to see where Henry Townsend was buried. (Memorial site, maybe?) Or where they said he was buried. But this particular road trip is VERY unplanned. However, with hours to make my appointment and more than enough cash in case I get stranded, I settle in and decide to enjoy this impromptu trip and see where the cab stops. The smell of fresh pineapple and fresh buttered bread (from a bakery, maybe) makes my mind come alive. I should do this more often when I have a bit more financial freedom, I think to myself. Fourty-five minutes later, I’m looking up at a BRT bus shelter sign and I’m at New Garage, Ikorodu. The driver looks at me confused when I say I am going back to Ojota and I just wanted to see the road. Epic look. Lool. For those that have been going through the Iyana-Ipaja to Oshodi expressway traffic, good news. That road is going to be beautiful once they are done. I believe it’s been modeled after the one at Ikorodu. Oh by the way, the cab driver said “Ikorodu” and I heard “Ogudu”. I don’t know how that happened. I mean Ikorodu has 4 syllables and Ogudu has 3 but they both end in “du” so whatever.

https://medium.com/uchechi/my-random-road-trip-6b5be657a78

['Uchechi Onuoha']

2019-08-29 21:41:34.497000+00:00

['Roadtrip', 'Short Story', 'Lagos']

People and Patients First: How Roche BeLux is Reinventing Itself

How do you reinvent a successful, 125-year-old company without wrecking what’s made it great? That’s a big question — and one Roche Pharmaceuticals is asking itself as it moves away from traditional hierarchy and towards autonomous, self-organizing teams. To investigate the company’s ongoing transformation, we interviewed Eva McLellan, a member of the leadership team for Roche Pharmaceutical’s Belgium/Luxembourg (BeLux) branch and its Head of Business Strategy, Transformation, and Innovation. Eva sat down with Jurriaan Kamer, a partner at The Ready. Jurriaan Kamer: The BeLux branch has been undergoing a transformation for about two years. What was its initial driver? Eva McLellan: Our north star is to deliver three to five times more patient benefit at half the cost to society. Patients need new medicines and new hope faster. An incredibly motivating and worthwhile cause that’s driving our new ways of working and transformation. To achieve these ambitions, a greater focus on patients and their quality of experience is needed. Rather than measure organizational success through product sales, we’ve placed the pursuit of patient and societal outcomes in the center. The ramifications of this shift filter throughout the organization — from structure to incentives to the language we use to talk about our work and impact. The pharmaceutical industry’s DNA has historically been based on developing and selling a small number of highly impactful medicines. But this is changing rapidly. While the majority of our sales came from a few large products in the past, we’re shifting to a more diverse portfolio of personalized medicines and diagnostics in the future. Participatory from the Beginning JK: If organizational transformation is imposed rather than invited, it rarely goes well — so I was inspired to learn that Roche BeLux applied a participatory approach to begin its transformation. Why was that the right way to go? EM: I strongly believe when you invite folks toco-create a transformational process from the beginning, they’re more likely to contribute to the longer-term effort required to make it a reality. This results in high engagement and a greater overall quality of the transformational work. With this in mind, we started this journey by inviting involvement from within the organization rather than issuing a dictatorial mandate from the top. We architected the transformation to have five phases: unify direction, design, develop people, embed key practices, and measure performance. To make the transformation sustainable, we solicited volunteers from the organization to convene two design teams. One was asked to make recommendations about what a patient-centric operating model should look like (structure); another was tasked with making recommendations around the culture and mindset needed to support a new operating model (culture). JK: How did it work? EM: Employees were encouraged to apply to the two teams if they had motivation and relevant expertise. Applications were submitted without any identifying information; people weren’t even sure who was on a team until the day they convened. The process was designed to optimize for interest, quality of ideas, and expertise as opposed to the office-place politics that often accompany who does or doesn’t get selected for “special projects.” After a two-week long design thinking sprint, the two teams presented the leadership team with 20 recommendations, almost all of which were accepted with minimal modifications. Our role as leadership team was to make sure recommendations didn’t jeopardize ethical principles, patient safety, or license to operate. We weren’t there to make them match our own preferences. “People in the system know the system better than anyone, trust that. When you tap into people’s collective intelligence, the designs will be good enough for now and safe enough to try. Making progress together is energizing so get into action and improve as you learn.” — Eva McLellan Fit-For-Purpose Teams JK: Organizational structure is often optimized for everything except value creation. Instead of asking what structure would allow a company to best serve its customers, structure is often pigeonholed into rigid paradigms. Why was it necessary to challenge these paradigms and rethink Roche BeLux’s organizational structure? EM: We continuously went back to our purpose and how to deliver value to customers in a more fluid ways, with less friction and more impact. One thing we identified was that BeLux team strategies were largely product-centric. This sometimes resulted in frustrating situations. For example, multiple Roche employees often engaging on different disease area related solutions could all visit the same physician. This redundancy not only frustrated customers, but it also meant our representatives were often unable to address stakeholder’s broader needs about how various Roche solutions along the patient journey were integrated. It was clear that the environment was shifting, complexity in delivery of healthcare was increasing, and customers and patients expected different things, and we wanted to make it easier to work with us. This meant changing the paradigm and traditional model of selling our solutions, to partnership and value creation, as our fundamental way of operating. In addition to being product-centric, our organizational chart was based on a functional hierarchy. Different functions were led by a product director, sales director, and a medical director (among several others), who each had their own targets and strategic plans. This reinforced organizational silos and produced even more inconsistencies for external stakeholders. So we identified we also needed to adopt a new leadership mindset. JK: What does the new organizational structure look like? EM: We gave the design teams a design principle to look outside-in: What might our structure look like if designed with patient and physician needs in the center? They came back with a networked approach with autonomous teams. Our operating model is based on three fit-for-purpose teams that supplant an old way of thinking about how value is created within the organization: Customer Driven Teams (CDT) focus on disease areas Roche offers solutions for today (with a medium-term focus, 1–2 years). These teams work on identifying and delivering needs across the patient journey in the disease area, based on stakeholder input and insights. They’re focused on patient outcomes and reducing inefficiencies, thus reducing cost to society. The teams are cross-functional, consisting of experts from different disciplines like marketing, medical, customer engagement, market access and finance. Each CDT has a non-hierarchical leader (CDTL). Centers of Excellence (COEs) build capabilities needed in the future (3–5+ years focus). Examples of COEs are Personalized Healthcare, Digital, and Innovation and Patient Engagement. They do R&D in their area of focus and take inputs from the CDTs to put into practice. As an example, the Digital COE is working on solutions that make it easier to engage with physicians and patients. Pop-Up teams are the most flexible and adaptable (with a short-term focus). They’re designed to capitalize on opportunities or quickly react to unplanned issues. These teams form and disband over short periods of time and work on outcome-focused projects. For example, at the start of the pandemic, a Pop-Up team figured out how to deal with high demand in a COVID-19-related medicine and the logistical challenges that caused. People from different places in the organization can volunteer part-time in a Pop-Up team they care about. Fit-For-Purpose Ways of Working Creating new teaming constructs is not sufficient on its own for organizational transformation. To bring it to life, The Ready was asked to help implement a new Operating System based on different ways of working that enable self-organization and inch decision-making closer to the patient. We trained and coached a subset of Roche BeLux to become transformation ambassadors — a self-steering community of practice that continues the transformation after we leave. Through trial and error, we let them figure out what practices would be useful for their teams and when. Practices were tested by running experiments. The ones that worked well were embedded. These are five important ones that gained traction: Team charters When you remove hierarchy, you need to replace it with something. A team charter is co-created by the team and are the working agreements that enable the team to pursue its purpose. A typical team charter includes agreements around purpose, outcomes, accountabilities, decision rights, structure (what roles exist within the team), practices, and steering metrics. But chartering isn’t a one-and-done deal; we retrospect and iterate on charters as new tensions crop up, new members join, or work changes. 90-day outcomes “We used to plan and budget on annual cycles,” says Eva, “but the environment would shift so quickly that our strategy became obsolete in six months.” To become more adaptive, we implemented an up-tempo cadence: the 90-day heartbeat. Strategic conversations, decision reviews, and priority steering now happen several times a year. A team’s planned outcomes are transparent to the organization, which creates clarity on what every team is pursuing. Action meetings Meetings done right are one of the most powerful tools available to teams trying to do great work. But great meetings don’t happen accidentally; they require making deliberate decisions about how you want to work. As part of the team’s operating rhythm, most adopted a disciplined weekly action meeting, in which a team figures out what is needed to make progress next week. The agenda is built on-the-fly and based on the needs of the team members. Retrospectives One of the transformation’s essential elements was to create an organization that redesigns itself. As Eva explains: “We want a self-steering, self-optimizing, continuously-learning system. To achieve that, we need to review regularly what is working, and what is not, so success can be amplified and mistakes can be corrected.” Teams adopted a recurring rhythm of retrospectives: a moment to reflect on the last period, the impact they made, and areas for improvement. Integrative Decision Making To enable speedy, non-hierarchical decision making, teams adopted a process called Integrative Decision Making (IDM). Anyone can introduce a proposal, and after exploring clarifying questions and hearing everyone’s perspective, the team adopts the proposal when it’s “safe-to-try” and there are no reasoned objections. One challenge was getting teams to invest time in new ways of working and give new practices a chance. As Eva puts it: “You won’t become a tennis player by watching the pros. You need to be on the court, practicing every day with intention. You need to try, fail, and learn. Practice is key, like with anything else you want to master.” — Eva McLellan The New Role of Leaders JK: Distributing decision-making power has implications for those who previously called the shots. How did the leadership culture change? EM: All leaders were invited to adopt a servant-leadership style. Our main responsibilities include setting vision and guardrails, and then coaching people, building skills, and architecting an environment where people could thrive and produce great outcomes. Now, everyone is much clearer on how they best contribute. Understandably, this shift was and continues to be a challenge for all of us who previously held management positions. Having said that, I believe this is one of the most important cultural design elements. Many well-intentioned transformational initiatives fail because this is not integrated into the organizational mindset and actions. JK: What advice would you give to leaders going through a similar transformation? EM: Our transformation is intended to cause extraordinary outcomes beyond historical performance, and growing people in the process. I recommend leaders keep these things in mind: Clear purpose is key. When your company mission is compelling — like “Deliver three to five times as much patient benefit at half the cost to society” — it is clear that, as a leader, your number one task is to help everyone think differently about how the organization functions. Recognize that people want to make the biggest contribution they can, and if the context is clear, they will use their best intelligence and act in a way that forwards the mission, correcting and improving as they go. If you empower them as much as you can, your team will be self-steering, and sustainable. This will allow you to spend more time with your people and customers working ‘on the system’ removing roadblocks, and improving it. Models, data and frameworks only get you so far. You need to tune up your intuitive inner leader, sense situations, and meet people where they are. Be self-reflective and intentional about what’s needed in the moment and act on that intuition. Conclusion Transforming a 125-year-old organization in a regulated industry like biotechnology can seem difficult to achieve, but Eva believes it’s far from impossible: “You need to have a few hard rules, a clear purpose, trust in your people to do the right thing, and then let go of the rest.” In part two of this series, we’ll sit down with Eva again to further reflect on how to build a culture of innovation and learning — and why breakthrough performance can’t happen without failures.

https://medium.com/the-ready/people-and-patients-first-how-roche-belux-is-reinventing-itself-3be569b33087

['Jurriaan Kamer']

2021-09-15 07:20:19.240000+00:00

['Transformation', 'Change Management', 'Organization Design', 'Leadership', 'Pharmaceutical']

How to Be Productive

“It is not that we have so little time but that we lose so much. … The life we receive is not short but we make it so; we are not ill provided but use what we have wastefully.” ― Lucius Annaeus Seneca There are so many things that I want to do, so many books that I want to read. I want to become a writer, an alpinist, a photographer, a dad, you know the drill. Doing all that requires time and action, lots of action. And yet, I keep falling again and again into the same old behaviors day by day. Instagram, YouTube, just plain good ol’ time wastin’. Do you ever feel the same? Then you get sudden rushes of energy and productivity. You sit down to work for hours on end, and then realize, that it’s absolutely unsustainable. You open YouTube again. And so it goes. Then you feel guilty because you read quotes such as the one above, telling you that you do have a lot of time, just that you ‘lose it easily’, that you’re a time-waster and that you should be ashamed of yourself. And that’s just normal. The movies lie let me tell you, big time. Human life is slow. Things take time, a lot of it, and effort. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Knowing that things take time, and that life is more gradual than sudden, what’s the best way to go? Enjoyment First things first. You want to enjoy your life as most as possible. There is never going to be a time in which you’re gonna ‘get there’. This is it. There no ‘there’, just here and now. You’ll reach different levels of happiness in your life, but peace can only be found in the present moment. Sometimes you’re going to find yourself doing things that you don’t like. Like doing your taxes, or filling out forms in your job. Or maybe doing something physical and tiring. Can you even enjoy these things? How? Flow. Whenever I find myself in these types of situations, I think to myself, that more than getting better at doing my taxes, I want to get better at getting into a flow state. “Most enjoyable activities are not natural; they demand an effort that initially one is reluctant to make. But once the interaction starts to provide feedback to the person’s skills, it usually begins to be intrinsically rewarding.” ― Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Intrinsically rewarding. That is, you just enjoy doing the thing, just because. Test your ability to do stuff in a focused, clear, and qualitative way. This will inevitably get you into a flow state. If you want to learn more about this state I recommend this article. OK, now that you know that having fun and enjoying your time on earth is a top priority. Let’s move on. Attention Your attention is, without a doubt, after time, your most valuable asset. I used to struggle a lot thinking that I wasn’t as good at something, anything, playing guitar, playing chess, writing, you name it, and so I just didn’t do it. This still happens from time to time. And every time it happens, I have to remind myself again that it doesn’t matter how much you suck at anything, what matters is that you become good at training your attention. My ability to focus on a problem or an activity, such as writing or playing guitar, for an extended period of time without distracting myself with the damn phone or something. Your attention is like a laser beam, you just have to direct it and sort of let it do its thing. Your mind will get to work as soon as you sit down to work, trust me. So, sit yourself down, and focus. Great, now that you know how to enjoy yourself while living and what your most powerful weapon is when it comes to productivity, let’s move on. My recommendation regarding the magical power of attention? This guy: Cal Newport The Pomodoro Technique I used to laugh about this. Just get to work already, I used to tell myself. Get shit done, that’s it, that’s the answer. Haha, nope, not at all. Burnout is a painfully real thing. No matter if you’re working at your dream job, no matter if you’re doing the thing you love, you’re going to burn out if you don’t have occasional rests here and there. In my job, as a project manager, there are so many things to do, always, all the time. You think that you’re going to be done by noon, and the gods of undone tasks send you a thousand more tasks to do by the afternoon. It’s mentally draining. So much so that by the end of the day, I don’t want to do anything but watch Netflix. You need to rest to let your brain recover and become able to use that superpower of attention. What I do now? I set a timer for 50 minutes. And I do nothing but work, I laser focus and try to finish as much as possible. Then I rest, first for 10 minutes, then work other 50 minutes, then rest for 20 minutes, then other 50 minutes work stretch, then 30 minutes, then an hour. It works wonders. Try it. So! Now that you know that you’ve got to enjoy yourself while living, your most powerful asset (attention), and the Pomodoro technique so that you don’t burn out, let’s move on. Another resource? Sure, here you go: Pomodoro Technique Follow his or follow mine, it’s the same (mine’s better). Your Goals and your Calendar “If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.” — Seneca What do you want to do? What do you want to become? It all starts with a tiny action. Say, I want to start with documentary filming. So what I’m going to do, is that this weekend I’m going to go for a run and will document it. What will make my Sunday run interesting? What are the small details that make it worthwhile watching? I will shoot with my GoPro some video (I’d use my iPhone 6 if I didn’t have the GoPro). I already downloaded Resolve, a free video editing software, and I’m going to do the shittiest video you’ve ever seen on Sunday. I’m going to upload it to YouTube. Let’s see how it goes. I also put the activity on my Google Calendar. That’s how you begin. You define what you’d like to do, or what you have to do, like cutting your hair or applying for a job, then you write it on your calendar, and then use the things mentioned above (flow, attention, Pomodoro Technique) and get farther and farther. Eventually, you’ll get there. You’ll find that you’ll write a lot of shit on your Calendar, then don’t do it. That’s OK. The first step is planning and defining. Write it down, all of it. If you don’t do it that day, move the activity to the next day. Do that until you do it. So this is it. First. Enjoy yourself, there’s no happiness at the end of the road. Happiness is the way. Get involved with life and happiness will happen on its own. Remember flow. Second. Put attention to what you’re doing! You don’t start being great at anything, you become great with time and focus. Learn to see your attention like a laser beam that can penetrate through anything you focus it on. Third. Pomodoro Technique. Learn to take rests and bursts of action. Act, rest, act, rest. Rest is just as important as action. Be silly with your friends, your partner, then put your game face on again, and get to work. Fourth. Use the damn Calendar. Seriously, you’ll realize you need it for the simple fact that you cannot remember so much shit! You’ll learn to love it, trust me. Thanks for reading, Ricardo Guaderrama Do you want to get what I write in your email? Subscribe here

https://medium.com/@ricardoguaderramacaraveo/how-to-be-productive-65dfb5251ed5

['Ricardo Guaderrama Caraveo']

2020-12-12 21:28:31.563000+00:00

['Entrepreneurship', 'Organizational Culture', 'Time Management', 'Producitivity']

No, the problem isn’t “bad coders”

A recent blog article discussed the fact that 70% of all security bugs in Microsoft products are due to memory safety vulnerabilities. A lot of the comments I’ve seen on social media boil down to “The problem isn’t the use of a memory unsafe language, but that the programmers who wrote this code are bad.” In this article, I’m going to look at a recent bug that was caught by the Rust compiler, which I think shows that not only is this assertion unreasonable but virtually impossible for reasons I haven’t seen discussed. While the example I’m going to give is about thread safety rather than memory safety, the arguments I’m going to present can be applied to both. First, let’s talk briefly about the actual bug. The code that I was working on had both a thread pool and a database connection pool. In order to do its work, I would need exactly one thread and at least one database connection. Database connections are likely to be the more limited resource, and I wanted to avoid spawning a thread and immediately just having it block waiting for a database connection. So the code would grab a connection from the pool and then spawn off the new thread. The problem is that the database connection would sometimes use a re-entrant mutex when it was acquired from the pool. A re-entrant mutex is a concurrency primitive that ensures you are only using some resource on a single thread. The re-entrant part means that you can ask for a lock multiple times as long as it’s on the same thread. With a normal mutex we would be fine, since only one lock can exist and it doesn’t matter if we unlock it on a thread other than the one we locked it from. But since a re-entrant mutex remembers which thread it was locked from, we need to keep the resource on the same thread. Fundamentally, we just can’t have a re-entrant mutex be involved and also be able to pull the connection from the pool on a different thread than it is being used. If the compiler hadn’t caught this for me, all scenarios would have been bad. The best case scenario is that it would have resulted in a test failure. Debugging “attempting to acquire a lock on this mutex hangs indefinitely” would have taken me several hours at least. The worst case scenario here would have been that no tests failed. We had a case where we thought we had a resource which is not thread safe and could only be used on one thread, but there is actually another thread which could “acquire” a lock on it at any time. This is the sort of ticking time bomb that might not cause a bug at the time the code is written but leaves a massive hole for some other reasonable looking code to blow up in the future. But luckily, that’s not what happened here. The compiler told me that the mutex guard didn’t implement Send , which is Rust’s way of saying “You can’t send this to another thread” at which point the problem became clear to me. At this point you might be thinking that this should have been obvious to me as soon as I started writing this code. I disagree with that assertion. But even if we assume that is true, I’ve left out one important detail which makes it baseless. When this code was written, there were no re-entrant mutexes anywhere in the code base. This wasn’t caught when I finished writing the code. It was caught weeks later, when rebasing against the other changes of the codebase. The invariants of the code I was working with had fundamentally changed out from underneath me between when the code was written and when I was planning to merge it. Let me be clear, I disagree with the assertion that programmers can be expected to be perfect on its own. But the assertion that we just need better C programmers goes way farther than that. It’s not just a question of whether people can catch problems in code that they write. It’s also expecting people to be capable of re-contextualizing every invariant in any code they interact with (even indirectly). It sets the expectation that none of this changes between the time code is proposed and when it is merged. These are not reasonable expectations of a human being. We need languages with guard rails to protect against these kinds of errors. Nobody is arguing that if we just had better drivers on the road we wouldn’t need seatbelts. We should not be making that argument about software developers and programming languages either.

https://medium.com/@sgrif/no-the-problem-isnt-bad-coders-ed4347810270

['Sean Griffin']

2019-02-13 06:24:58.842000+00:00

['Programming', 'C', 'Rust']

5 Inspirational quotes

Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore

https://medium.com/idomongodb/5-inspirational-quotes-7ccebd283b89

['Ido Montekyo']

2020-12-27 08:06:37.762000+00:00

['Growth Mindset', 'Inspiration', 'Self Improvement', 'Personal Growth', 'Personal Development']

Which NBA Centers Will Suddenly Start Hitting Threes This Season?

Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Ayton scored 1159 points last season and shot 75% from the line. Guess how many three pointers he made as a rookie. Did you guess zero? Because that is somehow the answer, in a crime against coaching and development. Ayton attempted only four threes, all of them at the buzzer, and Phoenix coaches reportedly wanted him to avoid threes and focus on building his game from the inside out. What year is this? Ayton is never going to be a great defending big man, so his path to #1 pick value is by becoming unstoppable on offense, and in 2019, that absolutely must include shooting. And the thing is, Ayton can shoot! Look at this shot chart. Ayton is comfortable shooting the ball, and 75% at the line is outstanding for a big man. Let the man take two steps out and hit the jumper, for the love of all unicorns! Alas, Ayton has yet to attempt a three-point shot this preseason. Sigh. LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Aldridge has to be the most obvious can-he-shoot big man in the entire NBA. Dude has literally made a living hitting shots from a couple feet inside the arc. LMA is a seven-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA player with a solid chance at the Hall of Fame. How has no one ever done him the favor of telling him to take a step back and add the three to his game? Is there any better way to extend his career? Aldridge shot a career best 44% last year between 16 feet and the arc. He’s literally shooting better as he ages. All it would take is one summer shooting threes and he’d start hitting 2.5 a game. Especially in San Antonio, of all places, king of the shot doctors. Why do the Spurs hate three pointers so much? Don’t tell me this dude can’t shoot: Marvin Bagley, Sacramento Bagley developed quickly as a rookie. He averaged 13/7 before the All-Star break but leapt to 18.5/9 after the break, using his athleticism to amp up the Sacramento attack. Bagley has immense raw talent and is at his best anywhere around the rim where he has always had terrific touch. Perhaps it’s no surprise that Bagley has already started shooting threes too. It happened so subtly, you might not have even noticed. Through Bagley’s first 50 games, he hit 16 threes, only once making more than one in a game. But he made 13 in his final 12 games, including 2+ makes in five games down the stretch. He’s made 3-of-9 this preseason, so he clearly plans to keep shooting. Bagley was billed as a modern Amare’ Stoudemire coming out of the draft. How good would Amare’ have been if he could hit threes too? Domantas Sabonis, Indiana Expecting a different Pacers big man? Sabonis has made only 22 threes in two years with Indiana, though he’s shot 41% behind the arc doing it. You’ve seen Sabonis play. He’s comfortable handling the ball and spends plenty of his time away from the basket, and he hit 39% of his long twos last season and 72% of his free throws. He’s clearly comfortable shooting. And his future in Indiana might depend on it. The Pacers have already had some trouble playing Sabonis together with Myles Turner, and now they spent another draft pick on European center Goga Bitadze. Sabonis is in the last year of his rookie deal. Indiana has Turner on a cheap extension and Bitadze on a rookie deal. Which one of the three big men is most expendable? The easiest way for Sabonis to show is value for Indiana is by adding a stretch component to his game. Arvydas Sabonis hit 40 threes a year his first few seasons in the NBA, so like father, like son? Domantas made 51 threes his rookie season in Oklahoma City, so the shot is there, and he’s taken eight already this preseason. It’s coming. Gorgui Dieng, Minnesota It’s hard to remember now, but a few years ago, Dieng was a pretty similar player to Sabonis, at least in playing style. Never a great rim protector, Dieng is a true four and made his living further from the basket with a nifty jumper and a lethal mid-range game. Dieng shoots 50% for his career on shots between 10 and 16 feet, and he’s made just under 45% of his long twos the last four seasons. Add in 79% from the line, and Dieng has all the makings of an obvious three-point shooter. So why has Dieng never been pushed to shoot behind the arc? Blame Tom Thibodeau and a prehistoric Minnesota offense that failed to learn 3>2… until now. Gersson Rosas and the new Wolves world order has the team jacking threes like never before. Dieng has barely even managed to find playing time the last few years, turning into one of the worst, deadest contracts in the league. Could Minnesota resurrect his value by turning him into a stretch four? Dieng 2017 Larry Nance, Cleveland You’re starting to see the pattern by now, so let’s not belabor the point. Nance is a career 70% free throw shooter and has made 40% of his long twos. He’s also on a slightly bloated contract that needs added value to redeem it… added value like a three. In the first 225 games of Nance’s NBA career, he made 26 threes. Then he hit 20 in Cleveland’s final 24 games, and he’s already taken 11 threes this preseason. Add in a semi-reliable three and Nance might just transform from bad contract into useful trade chip. Pau Gasol, Portland Fun fact: Pau Gasol leads the NBA in three-point percentage over the past three seasons (minimum 100 attempts). He’s 105-of-237 in that stretch, an incredible 44.3%, atop a leaderboard loaded with the league’s best shooters. Real shame the Spurs have yet to learn that 3>2, or the Bulls before them, for that matter. Fun fact #2: Pau isn’t retired and could actually be a difference maker for a Blazers team in need of big man production with Jusuf Nurkic out til February. Maybe they’ll let him shoot. Cody Zeller, Charlotte If a t(h)ree falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it still make a sound? Contrary to popular belief, Charlotte actually has some quality basketball players. They just don’t have any great ones. Cody Zeller is one of the quality ones, at least when he’s healthy enough to stay on the court. Zeller is a 74% free throw shooter but has been mercurial at best from the mid-range for his career, and he’s made only 10-of-38 threes in his six-year career. But preseason basketball can actually tell us something, and Zeller has already attempted 11 preseason threes. That’s enough volume to tell us he’s trying, even if he only made two of them. Grant Williams, Boston It’s probably cheating to include a rookie on this list, but it’s my list, so sue me. Grant Williams was a two-time SEC Player of the Year and consensus All-American at Tennessee. He has an incredible basketball IQ, is a pitbull on defense, and makes approximately 93% of his jumpers from the elbow. And yet, no one wanted to draft him because he’s too small and can’t shoot threes, with only 30 makes in three college seasons. Oops. Williams has always had outstanding touch around the rim and made 76% of his college free throws, and sure enough, he immediately started taking and making threes at NBA Summer League. This preseason he’s 5-of-12 behind the arc, a robust 42%. Pretty good for a guy who can’t shoot. Honorable mention to fellow rookie Bruno Fernando, whose Maryland coaches never allowed him to shoot when he clearly has a great touch. Atlanta turns every center they touch into a shooter, so it’s only a matter of time.

https://medium.com/sportsraid/2019-nba-centers-start-making-three-pointers-basketball-big-men-threes-brook-lopez-ayton-bagley-sabonis-14c5b8408db8

['Brandon Anderson']

2020-03-03 21:45:13.602000+00:00

['Sports', 'Basketball', 'Data', 'NBA', 'Data Science']

10 Effective Ways To Leverage Tech In Education Systems

Education is worth even more than most tangible assets in today’s world.💰 Its importance cannot be compromised yet having a plethora of institutions in our country we do lack many essential qualities. In fact, a recent survey done by Business Insider states that by 2030 over half of the Indian students won’t possess quality industrial skills to be employed. Hence it’s crucial that institutions optimize and update education systems to keep pace with the demands of the industry. Here are some ways they could accomplish it. Adopting digital resources to implement classroom activities Technology is taking over the world at a rapid pace and so it’s the responsibility of the universities to keep their teaching methods updated to the latest trends. Gone are the days when Professors would dictate notes or write on the blackboard.👨‍🏫 Classes can be digitized leveraging many applications available out there. One of my favorites is Google Classroom This app offers a great way to implement classroom tasks such as posting notes, grading assignments, marks composition and much more, taking the burden off students from having to mope around the campus just to get the above tasks done. Many Institutions, more specifically speaking lecturers use messenger apps like WhatsApp, Telegram for this purpose which functionally works but there are limitations as these apps are made for just short to intermediate messages. If the institution has the necessary prerequisites like Free Wifi and a server then its quite easy to implement these in the elementary classroom. For instance, let’s take Google Classroom It has many nifty features like To-Do lists📜 Calendar embedded within for reminders and task-scheduling🗓 Separate directories for better organization of source material📁 and also it supports larger files to be shared over messenger apps.

https://medium.com/novasemita/top-10-effective-ways-to-implement-appropriate-technology-in-education-system-11ccb5a366d6

['Mashayikh Shaikh']

2019-11-20 06:15:56.653000+00:00

['Finance', 'Linux', 'Technology Trends', 'Education', 'Social Media']

Underrated things that happen when you study in an all girls’ school:

Underrated things that happen when you study in an all girls’ school: So I studied in an all girls’ school, and college too. While other questions like — “how will you even talk to boys?” and “you’re missing out on the sheer joy that having a male friend can be” ceased to make that big of a difference, few things never stopped bugging me. Like the spotlight stolen from the points I’ve mentioned below! Trust me, I know co-ed is important. I acknowledge that there are some important and interesting interactions that I miss out on because I’m not used to talking to men. However, it’s also foolish to mistake this situation for a once-in-a-lifetime kinda thing. On the other hand, has everyone experienced the charm of studying in an all girls’ environment though? I’m not saying either is a superior form of educating the young, but an all girls’ environment is the center of too much unnecessary bad talk. And mostly by girls! (Internalized misogyny, anyone?) This is why I -the knight in shining armor of this reputation -will list few things that will hopefully help break some stereotypes. You realize how underrated female friendships are. Like, seriously. Imagine what a lovely friendship could have bloomed between Bertha Mason and Jane Eyre in a parallel world if we did not have a certain Mister Liar between them -who, by the way, drove one of them mad. (Am I salty today? You guess.) (You do know that Mr. Rochester was not supposed to be this hot, right?) I’ve heard so many other girls who’ve come from co-ed background say that they’re skeptical if girls can even be good friends with each other. Apparently, there is bound to be a gigantic green monster doing ballet on their heads all the time. Even boys say so! People. Dear, naive people. Nope. Girls know how to stick up for each other when given the chance, and an all girls’ environment teaches you its value early on in life. Ladies, I’m sorry if you have missed out on some real friends worth cherishing. But it has got nothing to do with gender. On that note, watch this amazing video by Vitamin Stree on female friendship. You get to explore yourself. Girls have no chill when it comes to discussing ‘stuff’. From political controversies to spilling the beans on the last racy title they dug up from the lawless land of the internet, girls will talk about anything. And it’s good. I don’t know why chatty girls get so much criticism for simply talking when silence is mostly what society has given them all this while. Girls, talk. Talk your heart out. Talk about what has been keeping you up at night and talk about your novels and talk about your heartbreaks and talk about the things that leave you puzzled and curious -talk. Learn. Educate yourself. Knowing that most of us shared a grief of similar shape growing up helped me a lot. It may help you too. Girls can go gross from gorgeous pretty quick. Metaphorical and beauty from within aside, this holds true for the shallower levels as well. Okay, here’s a funnier point. When you’re in an all girls’ school or college, you’ll realize that each woman can be massively different from another. Unbelievable, right? It’s almost like they’re a part of the human race! I’ve seen women who think shaving is a nuisance and I’ve seen those who think it’s an absolute must. And either is fine. Some days girls are Beauty and a lot of times they don’t mind being the Beast -and that should not be such a headline! So whatever is conventionally considered as ‘gross’ -like not shaving your legs or having a lot of facial hair? It’s all a part of the routine, baby. We have mastered the art of transformation in a week, and we are unflaggingly proud of it. The beauty of not having a creep glaring holes in your back. Not to generalize in a country crawling with creeps, but it’s undeniably a nice feeling when you’re paying attention to the teacher and aren’t constantly under the surveillance of a creep from the back. I mean, it’s not like this is a rare experience you’ll miss out on! You can get it for free on the road too. Adjust your straps freely in the classroom, girls. It’s a world of its own. You realize just how much of ‘exposure’ and ‘real-world experience’ is pinned down on having frequent interactions with males. Uh, not to discredit the beautiful role of men in history and present -but women are a part of the world too. And knowing how to talk to your own kin without staring down at them is kinda nice if you ask me. So let’s not underestimate the power of being surrounded by so many amazing women who’re most likely going through the same thing.

https://medium.com/@harshitavyas252/underrated-things-that-happen-when-you-study-in-an-all-girls-school-1c11b6c61f10

['Harshita', 'Bluestreetoptimism']

2021-09-12 07:56:32.721000+00:00

['School Choice', 'Girls', 'Feminism', 'Female Friendships', 'Education']

Sonos users can now double the boom in any room by adding a second Sonos Sub subwoofer

Sonos users can now double the boom in any room by adding a second Sonos Sub subwoofer Mario Dec 21, 2020·2 min read Sonos builds an awesome subwoofer, but customers lucky enough to own very large home theaters and listening rooms—and the custom installers who cater to that deep-pocketed crowd—have long wanted the option of deploying two Sonos Subs. Today, Sonos released a software update that lets them do just that. Mentioned in this article Sonos Sub (Gen 3) See it The Sonos Sub is not a conventional low-frequency-effects speaker in the sense that it can’t be connected to an A/V receiver or paired with just any soundbar. It must be deployed in conjunction with another Sonos speaker or a Sonos amplifier. And those who want to deploy two Subs in the same system must have a Sonos Arc, Beam, or Playbar soundbar; a Playbase sound base; or a Sonos Amp. One of the Subs must be a Gen 3 model, which has increased processing power, and you’ll need to have the latest version of the Sonos S2 app, which is rolling out today. [ Further reading: The best soundbars ] Union LA / Sonos Sonos has re-released the Sonos One SL Union LA Edition speaker. In other Sonos news, the company is re-releasing the Sonos One SL Union LA Edition, a collaboration between Sonos, interior designer Sheila Bridges and the streetwear brand Union LA. The limited-edition speaker was created in partnership with Color of Change as part of the organization’s #TellBlackStories initiative. The speaker’s grille is printed with Bridges’ Harlem Toile pattern. You can read more about the collaboration in this Sonos blog post from 2019. The $249 speaker can be purchased at SheilaBridges.com and UnionLosAngeles.com. Last week, Sonos announced the Arc SL Shadow Edition, a microphone-free soundbar that’s a Costco exclusive. You can read more about it in our earlier news story. Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Read our affiliate link policy for more details.

https://medium.com/@Mario56784012/sonos-users-can-now-double-the-boom-in-any-room-by-adding-a-second-sonos-sub-subwoofer-5af0935d503b

[]

2020-12-21 06:17:00.558000+00:00

['Home Tech', 'Lighting', 'Entertainment']

It is time for Canada to take COVID-19 border controls seriously

In March, as SARS-CoV-2 spread globally, the federal government invoked the Quarantine Act to pass a series of orders addressing international travel into Canada. The land border with the United States was effectively closed to all but “essential workers” and restrictions on who can enter the country were implemented, along with exceptions to these rules. With the identification of the novel UK mutation, much public attention has been focused on our borders. Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, spent two days lambasting the federal government for the volume of international passengers arriving at Pearson International Airport in Toronto, and what he believes are minimal checks for these passengers. Seemingly in response, on December 22, Patty Hajdu, federal Minister of Health, and Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, defended the Liberal government’s response, stating that that the government would be using the 72-hour window of restricted UK arrivals to “examine the evidence” around its border policies, while claiming that less than 2% of all cases in Canada are travel related and Canada’s border controls are among the most stringent in the world. In Ontario, the second wave of COVID-19 has produced case numbers so high that contact tracing has effectively collapsed in some areas, with only high-risk, largely congregate outbreak situations receiving such attention. This has resulted in many of Ontario’s second-wave cases having no known confirmed source: 65% for Toronto Public Health and 49% for the combination of Toronto, Peel and York. It is thus impossible for the federal government to make accurate claims as to the percentage of cases attributable to international travel. Moreover, in response to a Freedom of Information request I submitted, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has acknowledged not having any records on to the number of passengers who have tested positive; the breakdown between citizens and permanent residents on one hand and those falling into the exapanded categories of allowed traveller on the other; or the number of individual passengers contacted in qurantine checks. Bill Blair claimed that one million checks have been made thus far. However, over one million travellers returned before the end of March; what of those who have arrived in the nearly nine months since? We have not been able to make even a single check -in with each quarantined passenger, let alone multiple checks over the two-week period. Canadian leaders have developed the unfortunate habit of benchmarking our performance against those doing poorly, such as the United States, rather than those who have found success. It is not clear to what countries Ministers Hajdu and Blair compared Canada’s border controls as they were not identified, but it is abundantly clear that ours are seriously lacking when compared to those of countries that have successfully contained this virus to a manageable number of cases, defined here as that which allows robust contact tracing and isolation. This group of nations famously includes Australia and New Zealand, but also Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore as well as Hong Kong and, yes, China. In fact, while lockdown stringency has different within and among these jurisdictions, a vigilant approach to the identification and isolation of imported cases has been common to all. Korean Air summarizes these international border control regimens. They have utilized three general strategies: tight restrictions on who can enter the country, managed quarantine and mandatory testing. The first of these is obvious, and has generally restricted arrivals to citizens and permanent residents, occasionally truly immediate family. The third is similarly obvious, encompassing some combination of proof of negative test before arrival (including IgM antigen tests in the case of China), plus mandatory testing upon arrival and prior to the exit from quarantine. Managed quarantine refers to the quarantine of travellers at designated facilities, usually hotels, for the duration of the quarantine period. This essentially eliminates the risk of imported cases spreading to household contacts and the broader community; the CDC has demonstrated the secondary infection rate among household contacts to be as high as 53%, far higher than originally thought in the spring. It further allows for the identification of onset of symptoms in travellers after arrival and lengthening of quarantine as appropriate. Designated facilities tend to be located at the point of arrival. In New Zealand, this required managed quarantine in Auckland before going anywhere else in the country. Travellers themselves are usually required to pay for associated hotel quarantine costs. The integrity of managed quarantine was so prioritized in Australia that during Melbourne’s second wave all international flights were diverted out of Victoria and the number of arrivals sharply cut to 4000 per week to maintain the integrity of the system. In contrast to Australia, Canada’s federal government made it easier for more people to arrive from abroad during our second wave. On October 2 the list of allowed travellers was expanded to now include the extended family of those in “committed dating relationship” with a citizen or permanent resident, for example. Doug Ford has noted 64,000 weekly international arrivals at Pearson alone, where travellers can hop on connecting flights and subsequent public transportation to reach the eventual quarantine destination, which could be an apartment shared by others whose mobility isn’t restricted during the quarantine period. There is no direct supervision of these travellers for subsequent onset of symptoms, instead relying on an honour system of electronic reporting. There is no requirement for negative testing prior exiting quarantine, thus only those travellers who develop symptoms (usually required for testing) and choose to get tested will be identified. This is incongruent with our knowledge of asymptomatic transmission and, for instance, the absence of paid sick leave acting as a disincentive for testing in the case of quarantine households shared with essential workers who would have to miss work. Comparing our measures to the above, it is difficult to take Patty Hajdu and Bill Blair seriously.

https://medium.com/@winston-bharat/it-is-time-for-canada-to-take-covid-19-border-control-seriously-4badcb0fbe36

['Winston Bharat']

2020-12-24 18:31:53.891000+00:00

['Politics', 'Sars Cov2', 'Covid 19', 'Travel', 'Canada']

How I Stumbled Into The World of Stock Market……

-Dhruv Srivastava Before the lockdown that was caused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the field of stock market was a mystery to me. I had heard about the term ‘stock market’ only from movies like ‘The Wolf of the Wall Street’ or whenever the name Warren Buffet arose during lunch breaks. I didn’t understand what it was about or its relevance and honestly, I wasn’t that interested in knowing about it too. Well, if there is something that these past 8 to 9 months have showed me, then it would be of how ignorant I have been after barely scratching the surface of this fascinating part of the world of commerce. After my class 10th board exams, I was quite uncertain about what the next few months will be like because of the worldwide lockdown and the holiday break between 10th and 11th standard. Knowing that I couldn’t go outside to play any kind of sports or visit the places my family had been planning on visiting, I tried finding something that would keep me occupied. I prepared for the SAT exams, watched various documentaries and movies on Netflix and Amazon Prime, read various autobiographies and novels on the internet but none of them seemed like a viable alternative for long term. Then one day, after having my dinner, I was going to watch another movie when I noticed my father and mother debating about something. Sensing that it wasn’t the right time to watch a movie, I started walking back to my room, when suddenly I heard my father calling me and I thought to myself what have I got myself into now. He asked whether I was planning on doing something and I shook my head and then he asked me the question that would completely change my life in these past 8 months, which was ‘’ If I would help him decide which stocks to invest in ?’’ At the time I thought that it might be something very boring but knowing that I had nothing else to do, I hesitatingly said yes, just so that I could help them and pass my time. What an amazing yet fortuitous decision that was. I could have never imagined how something like the stock market could compel me in such a manner that now I am seriously considering it as a career option. This goes on to show that how sometime things that can change our lives our just around the corner, it’s just a matter of stopping and giving them a chance. The year 2020 has been a sad and negative one for the whole world, but I will always remember it for the rest of my life, not just because of the whole COVID 19 pandemic situation, but because how it introduced me something that would not only help me utilise my time constructively but also at the same time making us a lot of money, when the whole world was collapsing around us

https://medium.com/@stock-market-adventures/how-i-stumbled-into-the-world-of-stock-market-97af9ddde5cf

['Dhruv Srivastava']

2020-12-19 04:23:18.821000+00:00

['Covid 19', 'Finance', 'Kids', 'Stock Market', 'Investment']

Getting started with Kaggle

Table of contents What is Kaggle ? ? Why Kaggle ? ? Your first ML model on Kaggle What is Kaggle ? Kaggle is the world’s largest data science community with powerful tools and resources to help you achieve your data science goals. — www.kaggle.com Basically Kaggle is a platform dedicated for datascience where you can learn, share and discover a lot of ressources. This platform offers : Data : The users can share and use data on the platform, those datasets are sometimes provided with a description and some other details to comprehend them easily. : The users can share and use data on the platform, those datasets are sometimes provided with a description and some other details to comprehend them easily. Notebooks : If you are not familiar with this term, a notebook is a document that can contain organized text (better than comments) and run lines of code. Users can share and access notebooks provided by other users, so that is knowledge sharing! : If you are not familiar with this term, a notebook is a document that can contain organized text (better than comments) and run lines of code. Users can share and access notebooks provided by other users, so that is knowledge sharing! Competitions : The platform allows its users to participate in datascience competitions with money as a prize (mostly dozens of thousand of dollars minimum). : The platform allows its users to participate in datascience competitions with money as a prize (mostly dozens of thousand of dollars minimum). Courses & Communities : The platform allows its users to learn datascience or machine learning and stuff by using the Courses ressources and users can share/exchange on the platform too with Communities. Why Kaggle ? Kaggle is free and most of its ressources are made by users who are either professionals or students in the sector. So you don’t have to be afraid of learning wrong stuff because the community is large enough to help each other. Your first ML model on Kaggle Now before getting started you will need some tools : a brain a computer Just kidding! So let’s get into it. Go to the Compete page Compete page 2. Click on this competition : Titanic — Machine Learning from Disaster Titanic — Machine Learning from Disaster competition for knowledge 3. Click on Notebooks/New Notebook Kaggle — Notebooks Kaggle — New Notebook Just keep those settings. 4. Write some code Kaggle — Notebooks | Predictions based on ‘Sex’ column 5. Press on Run All 6. Refresh the directory, press the More actions button and Download Kaggle — Refresh | More actions/Download Then the submission.csv file will be downloaded on your computer. 7. Go the the competition page and click on Submit predictions/Make Submission Kaggle — Competition page Kaggle — Make Submission Upload your submission.csv file on Step 1 and write a small description for your submission just in case you will make many others. 8. Check your score/leaderboard Kaggle — Score Here I predicted 76.5% right for the survivors of Titanic! Now as a data-scientist you will have to modify this model to make a better model for better predictions. Hope that you learnt something, here is my Kaggle profile if you want to check some of my work .

https://medium.com/analytics-vidhya/getting-started-withkaggle-cde3f59814e6

['Itokiana Rafidinarivo']

2021-01-04 16:59:19.112000+00:00

['Python', 'Kaggle', 'Notebook', 'Getting Started', 'Tutorial']

When Do You Feel Like a “Real” Writer?

When Do You Feel Like a “Real” Writer? Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash January was my highest earning month on Medium so far, largely in part thanks to this piece. My writing success lately hasn’t been just monetary. The exposure I have received has been incredible. A piece I wrote on pronouns was shared by writer Amanda Knox on Twitter, and reblogged over 2,000 times on Tumblr. Friends have complimented me on my work over text and in person. For the first time in my life, I feel like my work is gaining traction. And yet I still yearn for a byline in “real” publications. http://cancerbulletin.facs.org/can/bma/video-Falcons-Chargers-4k-tvc-01.html http://cancerbulletin.facs.org/can/bma/video-Falcons-Chargers-4k-tvc-02.html http://cancerbulletin.facs.org/can/bma/video-Falcons-Chargers-4k-tvc-03.html http://cancerbulletin.facs.org/can/bma/video-Falcons-Chargers-4k-tvc-04.html http://cancerbulletin.facs.org/can/bma/video-Falcons-Chargers-4k-tvc-05.html http://cancerbulletin.facs.org/can/bma/video-Falcons-Chargers-4k-tvc-06.html http://cancerbulletin.facs.org/can/bma/video-Falcons-Chargers-4k-tvc-07.html http://cancerbulletin.facs.org/can/bma/video-Falcons-Chargers-4k-tvc-08.html http://cancerbulletin.facs.org/can/bma/video-Falcons-Chargers-4k-tvc-09.html http://cancerbulletin.facs.org/can/bma/Video-Wa-v-49ers-mkm01.html http://cancerbulletin.facs.org/can/bma/Video-Wa-v-49ers-mkm02.html http://cancerbulletin.facs.org/can/bma/Video-Wa-v-49ers-mkm03.html 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https://sanibel-captiva.org/moni/V-ideos-Hawks-v-Magic-liv-cq00.html https://sanibel-captiva.org/moni/V-ideos-Hawks-v-Magic-liv-cq01.html https://sanibel-captiva.org/moni/V-ideos-Hawks-v-Magic-liv-cq02.html https://sanibel-captiva.org/moni/V-ideos-Hawks-v-Magic-liv-cq03.html https://sanibel-captiva.org/moni/V-ideos-Hawks-v-Magic-liv-cq04.html https://sanibel-captiva.org/moni/V-ideos-Hawks-v-Magic-liv-cq05.html I lament over the fact that I haven’t finished the fifth draft of my novel or finished the first and second drafts of others in my Google Drive, because I feel like the moment I am holding a hardcopy of a book I wrote will be the only moment at which I will feel like a “real” writer. I majored in Writing and Rhetoric in college, and the definition of a “writer” was often debated. According to some professors, it was as basic as “someone who writes.” It didn’t matter what they wrote, how much, or whether or not they were paid for it. The act of writing was enough to give them the title of a writer. To me, that definition could mean everyone who is literate is a writer. Perhaps that is why I accept the numerous gatekeepers in the writing world — if everyone could be called a writer, nothing would be special about it. And we all want to feel special. But somehow, my success in this lovely little pocket of the Internet called Medium doesn’t feel like “enough” for me. I’ve been thinking about what it might be like to one day write for my dream publications: Refinery29, The Cut, Them, and Teen Vogue. Until my name is on one of their articles, I will be hesitant to call myself a “real” writer. But is that fair to leave all of the power of validation to those “official” publications? What about people like Shannon Ashley, who makes her income on this site and writes thoughtful, intriguing, and beautiful pieces? Are the writers I admire on this site only valid if they also have bylines at major magazines? Is being a successful Medium writer no more impressive than having a Wordpress blog? What makes magazine and book writing any more valid than this writing? There are more gatekeepers to those, sure, but what are gatekeepers except for a few individuals with expertise making subjective decisions about the merit of our work and talent? Maybe if we all treated ourselves like “real” writers, our work would be even better for it.

https://medium.com/@jonasleodfdf87/when-do-you-feel-like-a-real-writer-2842dd4b31e4

[]

2020-12-13 22:00:26.778000+00:00

['Medium Italia', 'Writers On Writing', 'Writer', 'Writing', 'Novel']

Debugging Tips for Neural Networks

Often times the bottleneck in a neural network-based project isn’t the network implementation. Rather, after you’ve written all the code and tried a whole bunch of hyperparameter configurations, sometimes the network will just not work. I’ve been there before. After some time dealing with finicky networks, I’ve collected a few methods that have helped me debug them. These methods aren’t a guarantee of any sort — even if you do everything I suggest, there’s a chance your network will still be broken. I hope, however, that these tips will in the long run decrease the time you spend debugging your neural networks. Check for gradient issues: Sometimes the gradient is the cause of the problem. There are several useful gradient-related debugging methods: Numerically compute the gradient for each weight. This is commonly called “gradient checking” and is useful to ensure the gradient is being computed correctly. One way to do this is to use finite differences. More details can be found here. This is commonly called “gradient checking” and is useful to ensure the gradient is being computed correctly. One way to do this is to use finite differences. More details can be found here. For each weight, compare the magnitude of the gradient to the magnitude of the weight. We want to make sure the ratio of the magnitudes is reasonable. If the gradient magnitude is much smaller than the weight magnitude, the network will take forever to train. If the gradient magnitude is about the same or larger than the weight magnitude, the network will be very unstable and probably not train at all. We want to make sure the ratio of the magnitudes is reasonable. If the gradient magnitude is much smaller than the weight magnitude, the network will take forever to train. If the gradient magnitude is about the same or larger than the weight magnitude, the network will be very unstable and probably not train at all. Check for exploding or vanishing gradients. If you see a gradient go to 0 or nan/infinity, you can be sure the network will not train correctly. You need to first figure out why the exploding/vanishing gradient is happening, for example perhaps because the step size is too big. Once you figure out why the gradient is exploding/vanishing, there are various solutions to fix the issue, for example, adding residual connections to propagate the gradient better or simply using a smaller network. If you see a gradient go to 0 or nan/infinity, you can be sure the network will not train correctly. You need to first figure out why the exploding/vanishing gradient is happening, for example perhaps because the step size is too big. Once you figure out why the gradient is exploding/vanishing, there are various solutions to fix the issue, for example, adding residual connections to propagate the gradient better or simply using a smaller network. Activation functions can also cause exploding/vanishing gradients. For example, if the magnitude of the input to a sigmoid activation function is too large, the gradient will be very close to 0. Check the inputs to your activation functions over time, and make sure that those inputs won’t cause gradients to consistently be 0 or a large magnitude. Check training progress often: Checking the training progress of your network often will save you time. For example, assume you are training a network to play the Snake game. Instead of training the network for days at a time and then checking to see if the network has learned anything, every ten minutes run the game with the current learned weights. After several hours, if you notice that the agent is doing the same thing every time and getting zero reward, you know there might be something wrong and have saved yourself days of wasted training time. Don’t rely on quantitative outputs: If you only look at quantitative outputs, you could miss useful debugging information. For example, when training a network for speech translation, make sure you read the translated speech to make sure it actually makes sense. Don’t just check if the evaluation function is decreasing. As another example, when training a network for image recognition, make sure you check the labels that the network gives by hand. The reason you shouldn’t rely on quantitative outputs is twofold. First, there could be an error in your evaluation function. If you only look at the number outputted by the faulty evaluation function, it could be weeks before you realize that something is wrong. Second, you may find patterns of mistakes in your neural network output that wouldn’t show up quantitatively. For example, you might realize that one particular word is always being mistranslated, or that in the top left quadrant the image recognition network is always wrong. These observations in turn can help you find bugs in the data processing part of your code, which otherwise would go unnoticed. Try a small dataset: Another way to determine whether your code has a bug or the data is just hard to train is to fit a smaller dataset first. For example, instead of having 100,000 training examples in your dataset, trim your dataset so there are only 100 or even 1 training example. In these cases, you expect a neural network to be able to fit the data extremely well, especially in the case of one training example. If your network still has high test error, you should be almost certain that something is wrong with your network code. Try a less complicated network: If your full size network is having trouble training, try a smaller network with fewer layers. This has the added benefit of training faster. If the smaller network succeeds where the full size network fails, that suggests the network architecture for the full size model is too complicated. If both the simple and full size network fail, you might have a bug in your code. If you aren’t using a framework, check against a framework: If you’ve written the code for the neural network from scratch instead of using a machine learning framework, there’s a chance that something is wrong with your implementation. Fortunately, you can check if this is the case by coding up the same network architecture in a machine learning framework. Then put print statements in both your implementation and the framework version and compare the outputs until you find where the difference in the print statements starts occurring. That is where your error is. For example, let’s say you have a network with ten layers and the error is in the seventh layer. When you print the output of the first layer in your network and compare it to the first layer output in the framework implementation, they will be the same. So you move to comparing the outputs of the second layer. Still the same. Then you move to the third layer, and so on and so forth until you see differences start occurring at the seventh layer. Therefore you can infer that the seventh layer is the problem. Notice that this method will only work for the first iteration of the network, because the second iteration and beyond will have different starting points due to the differences in the first iteration output. The example above assumes that the error occurs in the forward pass of learning. The same idea can be used if the error occurs during backpropagation. You can print the gradients for the weights layer by layer, starting from the last layer, until you see a difference in the framework gradients and your implementation gradients.

https://towardsdatascience.com/debugging-tips-for-neural-networks-f7dc699d6845

['Wilson Wang']

2021-05-31 04:37:11.777000+00:00

['Artificial Intelligence', 'Neural Networks', 'Data Science', 'Debugging', 'Machine Learning']