title
stringlengths 1
200
⌀ | text
stringlengths 10
100k
| url
stringlengths 32
885
| authors
stringlengths 2
392
| timestamp
stringlengths 19
32
⌀ | tags
stringlengths 6
263
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
My Journey of Becoming an Artist | My Journey of Becoming an Artist
For the past year, I studied art fundamentals, learned how to draw and paint with traditional media and digital tools. As an ML engineer, I have been exploring how to use AI for art and design, which has become my focal interest. This is the story of my journey of becoming an artist.
I created an online gallery: margaretmz.art with AI generated art and artwork I created in traditional media or with digital tools. You can browse and filter my artwork by categories and tags, and I will be adding new ones.
margaretmz.art, image by the author
AI art
With the assistance of AI, everyone can create art now: with a press of button on your phone camera, or simply draw with your fingers. AI is also integrated into many of the existing software tools, for example, Adobe Photoshop and Snapchat.
Other examples include auto draw, neural style transfer and using GANs to generate or transform images. In addition to helping hobbyists to make art, AI can also provide professional artists with inspiration, which is an important aspect in art making.
Through open source project collaboration, I have designed and created Android apps that can transform photos into anime or cartoons and apply artistic effects (to image background).
Cartoonized self-portrait, image by the author
Digital art
The digital tools today make the artists life so much easier: from drawing perfect lines and shapes, making color pallets, automatically fill color, customized brushes with special effects, to AI powered effects and filters.
Here are the digital tools (software and hardware) that I currently use or have explored in the past: Procreate, iPad Pro 2020 with 2nd gen Apple pencil, Wacom Tablet, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe XD, Paper by We Transfer (previously 53), SketchBook, Inkscape, and Paintbrush.
Earlier this year, I started working with Procreate with an Apple Pencil on iPad Pro and absolutely love it! I took several classes from female portrait illustration, flat illustrations to watercolor painting.
Protip: Try different styles and tools but eventually develop depth by focusing on just a few.
Experimenting with many different types of media, styles and tools will broaden your skills. Ultimately to learn something in depth, you will need to choose and focus. Once you figure out your favorite styles and tools, dedicate your time to perfect them.
Digital paintings, image by the author
Traditional art
There are lots of digital tools today that make the artists life much easier; however, to make good art, you still need to understand the fundamentals such as proportions, perspectives, lights, shadows, and colors — tones, contrast, brightness etc. You still need lots of practice to develop your ability with good intuition, eyes for observation and how to express emotions with colors and so on.
Protip: I recommend learning the fundamentals if you have the time and interest. Start drawing with just a pencil and a piece of paper.
Here is my analogy of creating art to coding — the art making apps and software are like your IDEs, the customized brushes are like code libraries that make your life easier. You still need to learn the programming language and the computer science fundamentals.
Drawing with pencil on a piece of paper, is like coding deep learning algorithms with Python without any frameworks to help you. Doing so will help you understand how things work under the hood.
Last year I took an evening art class “Basic Drawing: Right-Brain Method” at Bellevue University. We followed the text book called “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain”. My teacher was excellent and I enjoyed the class very much.
Each session went from 6pm to 9pm. I was so surprised how much I enjoyed spending 3 hours drawing with just a pencil on a piece of a paper. The only “enhancement” was an occasional graphite stick and smudging with a paper towel. | https://medium.com/swlh/journey-of-becoming-artist-fd61768a182f | ['Margaret Maynard-Reid'] | 2020-12-10 14:26:38.933000+00:00 | ['Drawing', 'Digital Art', 'Illustration', 'Art', 'AI'] |
Covid Pan-Panic | Photo by nikko macaspac on Unsplash
Are you having cold feet with the tip of your hands shivering while your whole body heats up in sweat? Are you full of thoughts or completely blank in your head, and couldn’t sleep in the nights? Or are you having a hard time breathing as if there’s a huge block in your airway?
You may have already known it. You are under anxiety or stress, and more importantly you’re not alone. You might be wondering how this is still happening when the worst part of covid has seemingly been concluded as the news of successful vaccines hit the global headlines. However, the reality for most of us is that the impact of covid was a lasting heavy blow in our own small nations. It came uninvited, and leave its mark on mother earth and her earthlings. For some, the marks were shallow, for others, it’s much deeper. But to coexist after all those, the weight of tomorrow isn’t a small phase to consider.
A few tricks on reducing the burden on our minds could never be a waste on the rough journey ahead. And if that’s not it, after surviving for about a whole year, the pent up stress deserves a moment of pause.
Realize what’s in your hands and what’s not
How much can u ran? How far? With covid, it’s not always about what you can do? If your work/ studies/ your daily life is depending on others, you have to consider what they can and cannot do? If you’re university is temporarily on halt, no matter if you’re joining online courses or reading its virtual library, it still means it’s on halt, same case with a customer who chose not to buy a product to save money in this period. If you push too much, you will just be risking yourself to burn out of engine. Remember that
this isn’t a short term once in a lifetime deal
It may have hit once, but unfortunately, it has a prolonging effect.
2. One at a time
When there’s so many things to get done and so little times, or when you’re at a lost on what to do, focus on things one at a time. Make small goals, as small as a proper meal for your breakfast or waking up at 8 for a morning walk (Those small little things for selfcare could go so far ahead in the long run) But of course, making too many small goals is just as realistic as Covid completely ripped of from the earth tomorrow, and just like that never to be heard again.
Find your balance in making those small goals to focus on, that sense of accomplishment is still unmatched.
Photo by Motoki Tonn on Unsplash
3. Breathe
A simple word, but one which slip our minds at the time of crisis and panic. Having a hard time, just take a long breath. No need to hold back on the no-charges tax free oxygen for now, so why not make full use of it.
4. Shower yourself & be showered with love
Cheesy ? Extra work? It’s an essential, especially when we’re down. A gentle smile to the first person you wake up to could make your mood for the day. When you have a hard time building resilience, hanging on to that last rope or you just need to take a break, those small smiles that you have made will return the favor.
Always know you’re not alone.
Not all of us are iron man, and even he needed a hand.
5. Look back, look behind
Now most would say leave the past behind which is an absolutely valid statement. Nonetheless, without that past you would not be here today. Look back on your achievements and mistakes. No matter what you have faced since childhood, the truth is you’re still standing today! The situation is tough, it may get tougher but they’re not the only ones who can get tougher.
You’ve come a long way, the journey is still ongoing.
This is my first ever blog. Comments and feedbacks are much appreciated. Merry Christmas! | https://medium.com/@injynn-nge/covid-pan-panic-a82b9b061cc2 | ['Injynn Nge'] | 2020-12-27 19:45:18.692000+00:00 | ['Anxiety', 'Stress Management', 'Panic', 'Covid 19', 'Stress'] |
Reasons why I believe no human should have to work for money | Imagine a world in which we all were able to wake up in a comfortable and clean home, have a refrigerator full of food, spend as much time with our family as we’d like, and fill our days with entertainment at no cost. That world SHOULD exist but it does not because of one thing, THE MONEY SYSTEM.
Have you ever thought “WHY do we work?” Have you ever thought “WHY do we ‘need’ money?” The answer is simple, at some point in history some person decided that they would create the currency system as a way to establish order, exchange goods, and create international economies.
When you really think about it, the only reason that one individual may have more money than someone else is only because they have found ways to make THE MONEY SYSTEM work for them. For example, poor people are only poor because of lack of knowledge. I proved this to myself because I increased my income just by gaining new skills and putting them to use. Its really that simple.
Despite knowing this, it is still baffling to me how so many people place their value in the amount of money they make. That is like a chef bragging about his cooking skills to people who cant cook. All he did was found a winning recipe, practiced the techniques, & repeated the process for new recipes.
I say all of this to say that THE MONEY SYSTEM controls ALOT in our everyday lives. It controls how we think, it controls who we date, it controls who we are friends with, it controls politics, etc.
If we were to take away the money system and just tell everyone “You can live anywhere you want, buy anything you want, and you never have to work again. Its all FREE! Just enjoy your life and be nice to each other”, we’d have a much better world.
Millions of people will immediately be relieved of loads of stress, fake relationships kept only for politics, jobs they hate, etc.
I know there are some people who may think that people should “earn” a living or “earn” luxury but my question is why?
Why should a human being have to earn food in the refrigerator?
Why should a human being have to earn a clean and safe place to live?
Why are there ANY homeless people in the United States when there are billions of dollars circulating monthly?
Its ridiculous! Like who created this rule? Who decided to be GOD and say that I have to leave my child to go work for a dollar in order to feed him.
To ask a mother to leave her child so that she can work for a dollar is absolutely disgusting. A mother’s greatest job is to nurture her children.
This MONEY SYSTEM needs to die away and we need to create a new world. We need to create a new world in which the governments are not out to control people like puppets. The government works for us! We are the people who should have a say so in how the world is ran. The problem is that because of THE MONEY SYSTEM, most people will never speak up louder than their neighbor because they fear what….. they will lose MONEY if they are fired or if they lose supporters etc. Most people have probably never even thought of these ideas so I’ll give this point a break.
I believe crime rate will go down tremendously as well. Think about it, most people commit crimes because of what…..MONEY.
Another thing to think about is all the jobs people would quit if the money system was removed, what would we do about that? To this I say that no job will go undone. There are people who will volunteer to do work out of love for the work or the company. There are people who like working but it would feel so much better if they were not REQUIRED to work and they could choose their own schedule. While we are on this topic, I do want to point out that we need to get rid of this “40 hours a week” idea. I think that is so stupid to say that so many jobs are effective in the same amount of hours per week. I can personally say that it is dreadfully boring to work somewhere in which my workload is truly 2 hours but I'm forced to stay for 8 hours because of what, THE MONEY SYSTEM.
The last point I will touch on is the idea that we NEED an economy to survive. No we don't. That's a statement created to sell that idea to the world. Every human in this world regardless of race, ethnicity, and background strives to do two things, love their family and take care of themselves. If we all could wake up everyday and do just that, I know the world would be a much better place. | https://medium.com/@milanivalentine/reasons-why-i-believe-no-human-should-have-to-work-for-money-b04df48b675a | ['Milani Valentine'] | 2020-12-23 15:29:54.983000+00:00 | ['Relationships', 'Life', 'Money', 'Jobs', 'Workplace'] |
Machine Learning, Trust, and the Whole Transparency Thing | Machine Learning, Trust, and the Whole Transparency Thing
Don’t think transparency will solve all your AI trust issues, we need more complex AI systems. — by Olaf T.A. Janssen and Gerard Schouten Olaf T.A. Janssen Apr 23, 2020·31 min read
The recent cry for transparent and explainable AI originates not only from our curious nature and a sense of fairness but also because we fear losing control over what we once thought we could control (algorithms) and the need to blame someone for mistakes. Machine learning algorithms are inherently opaque. Not only because of intentional corporate secrecy, but more importantly owing to the technical illiteracy of most people and the dismal human mental capabilities we all have to deal with. We try to mitigate these issues using laws (GDPR) for privacy and fairness, deploying auditing systems, creating better algorithms and defenses against attackers, and also by reverse engineering human understandable explanations for machine learning decisions. These solutions miss two things. Deep learning algorithms are complex dynamic systems that by their very nature are prone to be misled by attackers, exhibit catastrophic errors and are impossible to predict, limiting the usefulness of current strategies (giving us a false sense of security). In addition to improving current strategies, we should embed AIs in even more complex systems where adaptive fail-safes, redundancies and checks and balances are in place to stabilize most catastrophic machine learning failures and where we involve humans. This caters much more to our human sense of trust than cold explanations alone. Modern forms of democracy, the economic system and banks, and our relatively crime-less society are evidence that humans trust complex institutions even though they do not fully understand them and are aware that politicians may creatively bend the truth, bankers may be grabbers and humans may be deceitful. Once the fail-safes of these institutions crumble and trust disappears, the results are disastrous. Sadly, we see this in recent development in some modern democracies and our response to the recent Corona pandemic. With AI-assisted institutions, we can do better.
Introduction
We inhabit a society where we not only encounter so-branded smart thermostats but also smart toothbrushes, umbrellas, forks, and egg trays (examples here). After being notified of our dental state by our toothbrush, we turn to our smartphone and read updates from our friends that social media platforms decided interested us. When we venture outside, we are sharing the road with more-and-more autonomous vehicles that try to learn their way around traffic. Unaware, your online resume is scraped and you are matched to a job that according to some machine fits who you are.
To be fair, most serious applications are developed with the best intentions. Cities and governmental bodies may look to enhance the safety of citizens by predicting crime or plan urban facilities (Goldsmith, 2014; Sisson, 2018). Science tries to discover patterns in a myriad of collected experimental data to unravel new mechanisms (CERN; Kleinberg, 2016). Banks may determine whether you are eligible for a loan (Jia, 2018) so that both you and the bank don’t get into financial problems. The police may decide where it would be best to patrol the streets. Insurance companies may want to determine a personal monthly rate on your behavior. Self-driving cars should make decisions that will ensure the safety of its passengers. The military should have control over its weapons systems to prevent collateral damage and to prevent inadvertently going to war.
Despite the best intentions, it is far from surprising that these developments elicit a whole range of well and lesser substantiated critical reactions. Some responses, fueled by fear, are about AIs taking over our jobs or worse: human extinction in an event ominously called “the singularity”. Some reactions understandably focus on privacy concerns. It does not sit well that companies eavesdrop in on our actions and profit from them. Somehow, we should be in control of how machines get to see us. The most neutral reactions are those that question the accurateness or validity of these algorithms, wonder what reasoning these algorithms use, and who is to blame if things go bad? Is the decision fair or discriminatory? With what data was the model trained? Can it be hacked?
What does not acquiesce the turmoil are statements about machine learning algorithms operating like black boxes that conceal their inner workings. Or that marketers and self-acclaimed innovators try to brand anything as AI for a whole range of ‘intelligence’ levels. This makes it hard for us to differentiate the admirable technology in complex systems such as a self-driving car and the less sophisticated AI in a smart fork that warns us we are eating too fast. To make matters worse, deep fakes and similar experiments show the average human that they should no longer trust their senses about what is real and what is fake. And most machine learning models can be attacked in such manner that an attacker can produce any desired outcome.
A lot of recent developments therefore trigger very basal feelings of fear, anxiety, of being out of control, lack of trust and diminishing of autonomy. Being in such a state of mind often results in tunnel vision and simplified world views about how to deal with this new state of the world, which is reflected in the extreme opinions of media personalities and pundits. This has been the case for all technological breakthroughs, but for AI it seems even more prominent. Nonetheless, around the world serious initiatives are undertaken in response to the cries for more fairness, accuracy, confidentiality and transparency (FACT) (Dwork et al, 2011; VWData).
It all starts with our beliefs
The remainder of this text explores what concepts such as fairness, transparency and trust mean in the context of machine learning applications.
Dictionary definitions teach us that something opaque is literally something that you cannot see through and figuratively is something hard to understand. Conversely, something transparent is free from deceit, readily understood and accessible. This means that trust and privacy play a role. Therefore, we see fairness, accuracy, confidentiality as aspects of this broad definition of transparency.
In the above we have acknowledged that some underlying human desires are:
a general curiosity of how the world and systems work and can be improved
fear of losing control over our algorithms and a sense of control over our world
a sense of justice; we like to be treated fairly (to our definition of fairness)
the need for accountability, we have a desire to be able to blame someone or something (preferably not ourselves)
In modern, connected societies these desires are almost treated as human rights, taking for granted the complex systems in place that try to keep us safe from injustice, illness, ill-fortune and natural disasters. In remote areas of the world, where nature rules, people are more accepting of the fact that they can die alone from a heart attack because a hospital is out of reach. Our fake sense of control becomes painstakingly clear when you see part of the Western world react too late and in disbelief to a force such as the recent Corona pandemic. Something we will address towards the end of this article.
Section 1 discusses three fundamental bumps on the road towards transparency. Section 2 focuses more on the deceit aspect relating to vulnerability to attacks. Subsequently, in Section 3 the focus shifts to how humans make decisions and experience trust. The section both links human and machine decision making and the relation between man and machine, a necessary background for trying to come up with solutions to make machine learning algorithms more explainable and trusted. In Section 4, existing and future solutions are described and compared. In Section 5, we question whether the current strategies are enough by exploring the nature of complex system dynamics, leaving our ideas for further research in Section 6.
1. What is the opacity issue?
Before making a case for more transparency of opaque machine learning systems, we should first establish what it exactly means for an algorithm to be opaque. We discuss three types of opacity (Burrell, 2016) that each have their origin and that consequently require different strategies if more transparency is wanted.
Intentional secrecy
The first origin of opacity is that of intentional secrecy. It can be corporate secrecy: a company trying to have a competitive advantage using their proprietary models and algorithms or state secrecy for national intelligence agencies. Training and tweaking the hyperparameters, usage of exotic (non-common) cost functions, of a good model takes effort and money and others should not be able to take advantage of this prior work by stealing the model. Also, the model is trained with painstakingly obtained data. The training data is usually also kept secret because it is the basis for training the model. It is also often private user data that should be protected under privacy laws. However, the data could be severely biased. If the training set is intentionally kept secret this is hard to judge and generalizations might be hard to trust.
We will briefly describe the different ways machine learning systems can be attacked in a later section. For now, it suffices to say that as a general rule of thumb intentional secrecy is fallible and we should always assume that to an attacker all parts of the system are known (Ateniese et al., 2013).
Technical illiteracy
The second type of opacity rises from the technical illiteracy of the public. A verdict by a judge can be understood by his explanation and verified by consulting related laws and legal precedents. Ambiguities and biases of the judge can be discussed. Reading legal documents is already quite a high threshold for most people and familiarity with legal jargon and procedures is required. If those same laws and rules are coded in programming source code, there is an even smaller group of people that would be able to understand the decision that is made, because fewer of people that are well versed in law can read source code.
For complex systems, even programmers will not immediately be able to understand the full decision process. Statistical machine learning models and algorithms are written in source code but the algorithms themselves require a certain level of mathematical understanding to appreciate the results. Also, they require a feeling about the limitations of the algorithm and when results can be trusted or not. In general, the person who is being affected by a machine-learned decision does not have the technical ability to understand how the decision was formed, even if there was no intentional secrecy with classifier model, training data, and algorithm source code made public. We are in a familiar position of needing to trust a system that we cannot understand technically. There is enough trust in cars, trains and airplanes, and software that we use them without understanding their exact functioning. However, a lack of understanding can easily feed conspiracy theory thinking about the designers of the product. In some cases we can event attribute magical or omniscient properties to systems of which the boundaries are not understood.
While making the public more literate and aware of the systems currently in operation is a good initiative, it can never be expected that all people will understand all systems completely. It is attainable and feasible to have a global understanding of such systems, similar to how we have a simplified mental model of how cars function and how they can be operated safely.
Insufficient mental capacity
The third type of opacity of machine learning systems arises from a fundamental characteristic of these algorithms. Often the decision model depends on a complex interplay between the input variables that humans just cannot fully grasp in a mental model, no matter their education or training. Also, the way machine learning algorithms treat data and relations does not match human-style and scale of reasoning and semantic interpretation. We can easily understand the decision to supply a loan based on the height of a person’s income. We can imagine how a factor of risk of still having that income in a few years might weigh in. These factors are monotonous and more or less linear, meaning: a higher income is always better. In practical machine learning algorithms, factors may not be monotonous and linear and might be impacted by tens or hundreds of additional factors. Such a model goes beyond our human understanding, even if the decision is otherwise made fully transparent to us.
To mitigate this type of opacity, the computer system should be able to reduce its decision-making process into bite-size steps and with concepts that humans can understand. For a good overview of such interpretable models read Hall and Gill, 2019. We also touch them in Section 4.
2. What does it mean for a learning machine to be attacked?
The three reasons of the previous section are fundamental in the sense that we cannot solve them, only be mindful of them. In practice, the transparency issue deals mainly with trust in the workings of the system. Let us first assume that machine learning models are created with the best intentions and trained with the best data, giving very accurate results. Can we still trust them? How do we know whether a machine learning algorithm is tampered with and hacked? Before turning to real-world examples, it is interesting to observe in what manner a machine learning system can be attacked.
A first type of attack, or intrusion of a machine learning system is one that targets the computer system itself. One can try to break into a system and steal knowledge about the system, ideally by obtaining the classifier model, the algorithm source code and the training data. Another way to attack a system is to cause, for instance, an overload so that the system can no longer adequately perform. Such system-stress attacks are not specific to machine learning so we will not further discuss them. Instead, we focus on two types of attacks specific to machine learning systems, which are exploratory and causative attacks (Barreno, at al., 2006).
Exploratory attacks
In exploratory attacks, the attacker tries to gain knowledge of a system by exploring how a system responds to given input without trying to change the system itself. If for a spam filter an attacker can test whether his message is considered spam by the system, he can continuously alter his message until, finally, he gets his spam message passed as regular mail.
A targeted attack would be one where a specific input, a single spam message in the last example, would pass the spam filter. An indiscriminate attack would be one where the attacker finds that a particular combination of words or headers in his message will ensure that he can pass the spam filter with any message of his choosing.
Causative attacks
In causative attacks, the attacker tries to alter the system by influencing the training data. Suppose an attacker wants to bypass a spam filter with a spam message, he can flood the system with emails that are regular emails but that resemble the desired spam message. If the system uses this data to train the spam filter, it may consider the spam message to resemble the slur of regular mails and the attacker has thus bypassed the spam filter. Conversely, the attacker can try to disrupt the spam filter by sending spam that resembles existing real messages to where the system will learn to treat regular mail as spam. Again, this can only occur if the model is trained continuously or if at least the model is retrained regularly and includes the attacker’s data.
Systems that learn continuously, so-called online learners, are more susceptible to causative attacks. Usually, systems are only trained once, and then only updated regularly with a selected training set, so that causative attacks are harder.
Examples of adversarial interventions
Most recent examples of adversarial interventions let the machine learner recognize something utterly different from a human observing the same input. Most of these are based on exploratory attacks.
Some attacks are so-called black-box attacks, so the attacker does not know the system other than the interface available to the end-user. For so-called white-box attacks, the attacker has full knowledge of the machine learning system. White-box attacks are easier, and the level of trickery is higher than black-box attacks. Tutorials to easily create an adversarial network are readily available (Athalye, 2017) for anyone to try.
If a machine learning system can be probed, even as a black-box system, a classifier can be trained based using the output of the attacked system as input. It is shown that in this way, an attacker can learn about the training data of the original system (Ateniese et al., 2013). For instance, it was found that a particular voice recognition system was trained for 95% with English-speaking people with an Indian accent. More specific queries could be possible where it could be deduced whether the data of an individual is part of the training set or not, breaking differential privacy rules.
Voice-activated devices and voice assistants such as Apple’s Siri, Google Home, and Amazon Echo, are now commonplace. It is possible to hide voice commands in sounds to activate such systems, where a human does not recognize the voice command, but the device does (Song, 2017). Demonstrations can be found here.
Deep neural networks are successfully used in image recognition and classification learning systems. Often a system returns a series of labels of possibly detected objects including its accuracy. Attackers can use this information to create a gradient: how does a small perturbation of the input image affect the labeling and the accuracy of this labeling. In another way, the attacker can use a guide image that the learner should detect instead of the original input image. The attacker now has to solve an optimization problem, in which he continuously perturbs the image into the direction of a different label than the correct one. While many optimization algorithms can be applied with mixed success, it is possible to create images that with a minimal perturbation undetectable by humans, are consistently labeled by a learning system as a different object (Goodfellow, 2015). Because of the similarity between deep neural networks and classifiers with the same task, an adversarial example can sometimes fool even systems for which the example was not designed. This means that an adversarial image created to fool one neural network, will often also misclassify on other networks.
As an example of how dangerous this might be, research has shown that by small alterations (stickering) of road signs a STOP road sign could be interpreted as a speed limit road sign (Evtimov et al., 2017). But more recent examples are plenty, fooling face recognition software into thinking you are someone else and faking entire videos (deep fakes) that show people saying things they have not said with gestures they have not gestured in locations they have never been.
3. Human and machine decision making
Bad actors may hack machine learning systems and this has a detrimental effect on the trust we have in such systems. But trust is about much more than that, so we should dive a bit into human-machine interaction.
Machine learning is part of the larger field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that in its broadest definition deals with mimicking human intelligence using a machine. This means that while current AI techniques do not accurately simulate human intelligence, it may be illuminating to draw parallels between human and machine decision making. Also, the decisions of AI have an impact on humans, sometimes directly in human-machine interaction and sometimes indirectly.
Truth and decision-making in humans
We demand machine learning algorithms make decisions given a particular situation parametrized as a set of input parameters. We also demand that the decisions be accurate, or more in human terms be truthful.
We can discern three interpretations of truth: factual, logical, and ethical (Hume, 1739). In correspondence theory, a statement is true if external reality supports it. Factual truths rely on historical or sensory data and depend on the world we live in. Instead, logical truth is true in all possible worlds. Using logical reasoning, new logical truths can be deduced. Yet other truths are neither factual nor logical, but are considered being true in a socially constructed manner. These social or ethical truths are widely accepted within a culture but are essentially freely chosen. Examples of these are many and range from strictly local or cultural rules (traffic regulations and signs, table manners) to highly personal or ethical rules (religious doctrines, utilitarian ethics).
In our decision-making process, we make use of all interpretations of truths; we balance factual knowledge and previous experiences with logical reasoning and are sensitive to our ethical framework. Our brains have a fast and intuitive system of making decisions based on how our brain is wired and trained by experience. But we also have a slower, rational system of making decisions that we can train by learning reasoning skills. Because this second system is slower and requires more energy, many decisions we take are made by the faster intuitive system that is based on factual truths and less by logical truths that can be uncovered by the slower rational system (Kahneman, 2011). Moral (or ethical) truths can be part of both systems. As social and culturally constructed rules, they are embedded in the factual experiences of the world. At the same time, we can use moral truths as ground truths in reasoning about new problems.
More often than we would like to admit, our intuitive system makes us pick the wrong choice from a rational perspective. Such deviating ways of thinking are called cognitive biases. We overestimate small probabilities, prefer statements that align with our present beliefs and so on. Other intuitive systems in our brain are also susceptible to being fooled, such as our visual system by optical illusions, although this occurs rarely in everyday life. More often, our logical thinking is flawed. Such errors in logical thinking are called logical fallacies from rhetorics. These errors occur from both lack of training in logic and interference of our logical thinking by the intuitive system.
Untangling arguments in public discourse becomes interesting. Imagine two people agreeing based on entirely different grounds: one using magical (irrational) thinking and the other dismissing rational arguments on moral grounds. While agreeing with each other, both disagree with a third person who appears to be the only one free from biases and logical fallacies but supports an ethically deplorable position. Which of the three would you trust?
Because we don’t have the time, energy, or will-power to make a balanced decision we may simply decide all politicians cannot be trusted, or we support one party no matter the discussion. Who we trust is then not fully determined on standpoints but other aspects that we will discuss later on.
Truth and decision-making in AIs
AI systems can be interpreted along similar lines considering the different forms of truth and levels of decision making. In the last ten years, machine learning classifiers are trained using ever more amounts of data. While the training of the classifier can take a long time, once it is trained it can almost instantly predict from new input data. These statistical algorithms are based on factual data. The choice of training data determines the truths it uncovers about the world. An AI system based on factual data can make accurate predictions on new input data that is not part of the training set as long as it originates in the same world as the training data. When the training data is biased, the predictions will be too.
Unfairness in algorithmic decisions can often directly be traced back to an imbalance or bias in personal data–for instance concerning gender or ethnicity–that are fed into these algorithms. Consider the news headline of October 10th, 2018: “Amazon scraps secret AI recruiting tool that showed bias against women”. The algorithm appeared to put women at a disadvantage compared to men. It was not rating candidates for software developer jobs and other technical posts in a gender-neutral way. The outrage was profound. Understandable, but also short-sighted, because discrimination in the Amazon case primarily showed Amazon HR’s prejudices against women. A fun read related to this is Hannah Fry’s Hello World: How to be Human in the Age of the Machine.
In summary, these machine learning algorithms learn from historical and factual data. They are characterized by slow learning, but fast decision making, and they are prone to biases. We can draw a parallel with our fast human intuitive decision-making process based on factual truths and proneness to cognitive biases.
During the AI winter of the 1970ies and 1980ies, much research has been conducted in AIs that try to analyze natural languages, so-called natural language processing. Such symbolic AIs use algorithms and programming languages such as Prolog and Lisp that are based on formal logic. Resulting systems are, for instance, expert systems that mimic the decision-making process of a human domain-expert. It does this by representing the knowledge of the human expert in a knowledge base and then applying a relatively slow inference engine to deduce new facts or rules based on the existing knowledge. Because knowledge bases had to be filled by human experts, expert systems that are trained by data instead have taken their place. (But often, in supervised learning, labels associated with data have to be provided by experts as well. This is costly and time-consuming.) Initiatives such as the semantic web or Google knowledge graph, which try to create a relational base of all knowledge, may eventually bring back logical inference AIs.
In summary, these algorithms use a fixed knowledge-base to deduce new logical truths using an inference engine. It is relatively slow and may fall to logical fallacies when the knowledge base or its relations are ill-defined or incomplete. Drawing a parallel to our slower, rational decision-making system is easy.
Moral truths are not an integrated part of AIs. Some moral truths are trained implicitly by the (morally biased) training data and may also be encoded in the knowledge base of symbolic AIs. Until, if ever, AIs are developed that can learn to be ethically acceptable citizens in our society, we can resort to manually applying a set of base moral rules on AIs as boundary conditions. Most famous are the Three Laws of Robotics devised by Isaac Asimov. More recently, others suggest that moral AI is feasible Pearl, J., 2018.
What is our reason for drawing parallels between human and machine decision making? It clarifies that there are multiple ways to represent knowledge, and in practical cases, there is no best way to represent knowledge. Just as we use multiple kinds of knowledge to solve commonsense problems, we should also seriously consider using multiple kinds of knowledge representation for machine decision making.
How can AIs induce trust in humans?
“Trust involves the juxtaposition of people’s loftiest hopes and aspirations with their deepest worries and fears.” (Simpson, 2007). This quote tells that trust involves intimate interpersonal relations that balance expectations with the risk and fear of betrayal of this intimate relationship. Fear and uncertainty are often seen as the opposite of trust. We do not trust people for which it is uncertain that they will say or do the right thing, nor do we trust people consistent in doing the wrong thing.
Simpson describes a two-fold model of trust. It describes that both parties in a trust relationship should be aware of each other’s disposition toward working together. To enter a trust relationship, there should be a willingness from both parties. Then they can engage in trust diagnostic situations. In trust-situations, both parties make decisions that are mutually beneficial and in this way build more and more trust, while decisions that only benefit one party will decrease trust. In stress-strain situations, trust can be lost or built when one party sacrifices, or refuses to sacrifice, his gain to benefit the other. The exact dynamics depend of course on the disposition of each partner, and attachment issues.
Statistical machine learning methods will make mistakes. Often, mistakes may not be a big problem for an end user, such as a misplaced recommendation in a movie recommendation engine. For other applications, accuracy is more critical. Either way, if an algorithm is consistently making mistakes, it will erode the trust of the end user (Stumpf et al., 2009). This erosion of trust can be mitigated by involving the end user in the entire decision-making process. Indirectly, the accuracy of the system will also improve and help maintain trust in the system.
Enhanced user interaction with a decision-making algorithm is key to building trust. This interaction can be broken down into three steps. First, the machine learning algorithm should be able to explain the decision it has made. Second, the user should be able to give feedback about the decision. Third, the system should be able to use the feedback to improve the system.
Implementing these steps is not trivial. Explaining the decisions of a machine learning algorithm is not trivial. Even decision trees, which allow for a clear insight into the decision-making process, are not easily presented to end-users. Opacity because of technical illiteracy and our limited mental capacity is a real concern here. Explanations by the machine learner must be usable and comprehensible by the end user. It should also be represented in such a way that the end user can give meaningful feedback and show where in the decision-making process a mistake was made (according to the user). Finally, the machine learning system should be able to translate the user feedback into trainable new information. This is also not trivial since the domain language of the end user may differ from that of the domain expert that trained the model and the training data it is used to train.
4. Strategies for increasing transparency
More accuracy
An engineer’s first response to increasing transparency and trust in machine learning models is simply to improve the algorithms to even better capture hidden patterns or generalize from a dataset. Our inquisitive nature fuels the quest for different and better algorithms almost automatically. Sadly, increasing accuracy and increasing the amount of data does not fully address the trust issue as explained in the previous section.
Fight fakes
Around the same time that the existence of adversarial attacks was discovered, defenses have been proposed. Hiding training data or the algorithm is not enough. One can try to detect when an adversarial network is probing its system, or provide misleading feedback. In the last few years, many defenses have been devised particularly for deep neural networks, ranging from blurring input images to remove the harmful perturbations in adversarial examples to using Principal Component Analysis to detect images that are not natural, or by looking at the internal structure of the networks. All these defenses were bypassed (Carlini & Wagner, 2017) showing that while looking for better algorithmic defenses, we should also consider other options at the same time. An arm’s race follows which has been going on for many years for spam filters. We see this now in efforts to fight fake news, although in practice such efforts still rely on human fact-checkers.
Remove biases and ensure privacy
A more straightforward task than staying ahead of bad actors is devising ways to decrease bias and discrimination in our machine learning models. While humans are susceptible to biases (and sadly often downplay that they are), computers can be programmed to detect and then mitigate biases in datasets. A good effort is done in the IBM AI Fairness 360 Open Source Toolkit that brings together 70 fairness metrics and multiple bias mitigation algorithms. In addition, privacy is a battleground fought with, for instance, the GDPR and ideas such as the decentralized web (Solid).
Explain decisions
The hardest route towards more transparency is finding out how a model decides by letting it explain itself. While in the previous solutions we can unleash the power of math and brute computational force, now we have to deal with the technical illiteracy and limited mental capabilities of humans.
First, we discern two different target audiences. They are the experts that have created or are auditing the quality of a specific algorithm and end users that are affected by decisions of the algorithm. The experts have enough technical knowledge to understand the working of the algorithm, and the quality of the algorithm can be assessed by statistics or abstract visual representations. Trusting the quality of a model will be a more rational decision based on these parameters. End-users cannot be assumed to have the same technical know-how and for them to understand the model a translation has to be made that befits their level of understanding. Also, trust to an end-user is based more on the interaction with the algorithm as described earlier. Models are easier to understand when they are linear and monotonic, because they can be translated into simple rule-based decisions.
Second, we can differentiate between understanding and trusting isolated decisions made by the machine learning model and understanding and trusting the model as a whole. This is often referred to as local interpretability and global interpretability, respectively. While experts will often consider global interpretability, by checking if the model as a whole seems sound, end-users will mainly be concerned with the decisions that affect them and demand local interpretability.
Third, some strategies are model agnostic and can be used independently of the underlying machine learning algorithm, while others are specific for an algorithm or type of input or output.
To test if a model gives sound and trustable output, experts can look at many parameters (Hall, 2017). They can look, for instance, at a 2D representation of the data using dimension reduction (PCA, MDS, t-SNE, autoencoder, SOM) to see if categories are smoothly distributed. They can look at partial dependence plots to see whether the response of the system changes smoothly for specific parameter changes. They can check whether the difference between predicted and recorded values (the residuals) is randomly distributed so that there are no hidden relations left in the model. They can do sensitivity analyses and check for basic measures to check for over- or underfitting. They can also check whether their algorithm can withstand documented forms of adversarial attacks.
Some machine learning methods are more straightforward to interpret than others. If possible, a decision tree or Naïve Bayes model should be used because it allows for direct interpretation. When problems become too complicated and need to be solved with Deep Neural Networks (DNNs), such solutions do not exist. The internal representation of the neurons often bears no contextual resemblance to features understandable by humans. One solution is to fit the model (locally) with another model that is easier to interpret such as a decision tree. This interpretable model will often be less accurate and only offers an alternative view of how the DNN can also be interpreted in cases where both models agree, not how the DNN actually interprets the input data to reach a particular decision.
Locally, however, this may be enough. Small parts of the input space around a given input can be represented by a simpler model. A decision tree or linear regression may work fine locally to explain an individual decision. For end-users, proper visual encoding and representation should be chosen so they can easily understand the local decision. A decision tree is already hard to read for a typical end-user. One can simplify the tree, called pruning the tree, or find smart other ways of representing the data. A particular model that can locally create interpretable insight into machine learning decisions is LIME (Ribeiro, 2016), and is compared to other methods (Budzik, 2018). While it chooses a simple list of keywords to explain an e-mail categorization decision, for complex image labeling LIME shows which pixels contribute to a particular label. This gives the user a direct insight into whether the algorithm bases its decision on the right data. For instance, users were shown that a model labeled an image containing a wolf (instead of a husky) because of background snow pixels and not inherent wolf features. The users decided the model could not be trusted to make correct decisions, even though the accuracy for the training set was very high.
In such local explanations, global understanding or trust can be achieved by taking a sample of representative inputs. However, for models with a large input space or concern less intuitive features than pictures of animals, this only gives limited insight.
5. Dealing with complex systems
So far, the different aspects of transparency, trust, and corresponding strategies have been discussed. Good progress is being made everywhere.
However, there is one elephant in the room that has so-far eluded the discussion and may cast a different perspective on the issue of transparency. Many machine learning systems and deep learning systems can be classified as complex systems. Here, we do not mean complex in the colloquial sense of being hard to understand but as defined in formal complex system theory. Such a complex system comprises interdependent small elements that are adaptive and have non-linear responses. We know that a deep learning neural network of small artificial neurons can be used for classification and prediction. But this is an emergent property of the network that is not obvious from the elements by themselves.
Complex systems share a few other properties that are worth noting. They are very stable for the known context, in our case, the trained dataset which makes them generalize well and so successful in modern AI systems. But their non-linear dynamical behavior allows them to be brought off balance into a very unstable regime. This is what adversarial networks exploit to obtain any desirable outcome.
Even worse, complex systems are known to produce extreme events. Often we expect a normal distribution of events, where outliers far away from the average can be neglected. Complex systems follow a power law instead, which means that extreme outliers can still occur. A strange and unforeseen combination of circumstances can cause a self-driving AI to make a fatal mistake. When such events seem impossible beforehand, they are sometimes called Black Swans. These Black Swans remain even if you try to exert more control on the system by increasing the amount of data or tweaking the hyper-parameters to improve accuracy (What are black swan events?)
This means that a machine learning system alone can never be 100% trusted to not make any severe mistakes or be immune to hacking. Efforts to prove the contrary can only lead to a false sense of security.
But hopefully, our efforts to better explain machine learning decisions are not in vain? A fundamental property of complex systems is their unpredictability. To understand and predict its behavior, you must compute every step of the system, which is basically what you do when you infer a classification from a deep learning model (Mok, 2017). You can, luckily, understand its general behavior by deducing basic laws. This is what physicists have done in describing gases in the laws of thermodynamics or complex flow dynamics in the Navier-Stokes equations. And while even these explaining models can become increasingly elaborate, they will only ever describe the system partially where behavior is idealized and predictable. They will be of limited value when the system classifies or predicts in unexpected ways.
Because complex systems are unpredictable by nature, any explanation of a deep learning decision is made after the decision was made and not 100% trustworthy. Compare this to our mind’s desire to think up explanations for the decisions and actions we take. We may be perfectly capable of coming up with plausible explanations for why we ate that scrumptious cookie while trying to follow that strict diet, but will those convince anyone else? We admit, in most current systems understanding a models’ behavior with tools such as LIME is very useful, but with increasingly complex models local explanations may only give a false sense of understanding why a decision was made. It will perhaps satisfy the need to find a scapegoat for a Black Swan event. However, the explanation may be understandable, it is not the full and true story.
The cry for more transparency in machine learning follows from the human desire to turn complex systems into simple models to give us the illusion of being in full control. The success of traditional hand-coded rule-based algorithms has been in the control that programmers have over them and that they can be relied on to always work as intended. With machine learning models becoming more and more complex we should not get too hung up on the fallacy that full transparency should be attainable, or that it is the definitive way to enhance trust by the general population.
6. Beyond the transparency fallacy
Progress on developing defenses in adversarial attacks and interpreting machine learning decisions should continue just as developing better algorithms and new types of networks that are better suited to specific tasks, but this should not get our only attention.
By realizing we are dealing with complex systems, we should embrace rather than work around their properties. Instead of trying to harness a specific machine learning algorithm to prevent Black Swan-like events, we should learn from how we deal with extreme events in other complex systems. This means adding fail-safes, redundancies, checks and balances. We should strive for even more complexity instead of less.
Combining strategies
Ensemble learning is a strategy where many models are trained and policies are used to combine the many outcomes into a final decision. An ensemble of decision trees is called a random forest, but it is also possible to stack or blend machine learning models of entirely different types. While transparency is not increased by increasing the number of models used, the amount of consensus between models can indicate the soundness of a decision. However, such ensembles are not better protected against adversarial attacks since they are all trained with the same data.
Taking it a step further, we should combine different types of knowledge to solve machine learning problems. While our visual cortex handles most image processing, we use rational thinking to not be completely fooled by optical illusions once we are made aware of them, and we use symbolic representations of objects and relations to assess what we see and explain why we see what we see. Minsky already said that there is no best way to represent knowledge. To solve most real-world commonsense problems, a mind must have at least several kinds of knowledge (Minksy, 1990).
Let’s propose a simple machine learning algorithm for detecting street signs. An adversarial attacker may fool a deep neural network into classifying a STOP road sign as a speed limit sign instead. However, a symbolic representation of the image should raise a red flag that a sign that is mainly red and octagonal cannot be a speed limit sign, or that logically a speed limit sign should not be spotted at an intersection where one would expect, among others, stop signs to occur. Such Deep Symbolic Networks (DSN) are proposed that would allow for image analysis based on a symbolic interpretation of the images which would be more easily interpretable (Zhang, 2017). Similarly, probabilistic logic reasoning has been proposed to allow for learning machine learning models with logic relations (Orsini et al, 2017).
It is not that we should focus only on symbolic learning because those systems are also prone to biases and mistakes. The main point we try to make is that we can increase stability and resistance against biases and attackers, and increase the explainability and trust, by linking several adaptive elements into a new whole. This can encompass: several machine learning algorithms able to decide based on different input and different principles, (ethical) ground rules, and adversarial algorithms trying to find flaws in the above algorithms and to check compliance to the ground rules.
The success of Alpha Go Zero is not solely in its sheer computational power and reinforcement learning algorithm, but also in its use of ground rules about the playing board and proven search tree algorithms. Critics may call this cheating or a weakness, but it is the strength of the system, that allowed it to be the most powerful and stable system thus far.
The human factor
Finally, as has been said already in the section on human decision making and trust: the relation between the complex dynamic system and humans is of utmost importance. The tendency is to put forward machine learning models as smart, more accurate than humans, and eventually infallible. If not now, then soon when we tweak the algorithms and add better data. Systems portrayed as omnipotent and omniscient will only scare us more and erode trust in the long run.
Instead, we propose to put forward developing humble AI: algorithms that try their best but know that they have biases and are prone to make ludicrous and potentially lethal predictions. Such algorithms exhibit doubt, ask (humans) for help, second-guess, allow to be reprimanded, and critically assess feedback to learn from their mistakes. But in essence, it is us that has to change. We should develop a different perspective towards AI, so we can build AI with a different self-image.
Conclusion
We have always struggled to make sense of the complex world around us, trying to create understanding by modeling and simplifying what we see around us. In the last century, we have been helped enormously by the advances of computers allowing us to compute, simulate, and automate a lot of the world with algorithms written using those simplified models. Our understanding of the physical world, economics, and societies have grown immensely because of it. But now, with deep learning algorithms, we are losing the control we thought we were gaining on the world by introducing inherently unpredictable complex systems into our software. Once again, we bump into the limits of our understanding. It is no surprise that we try to force these new models to become controllable again, demanding transparency: fairness, accuracy, confidentiality, and explainability.
Despite all good efforts into improving and constraining single machine learning models, we should not forget what makes us trust (properly organized) institutions, each other and in a possible far future AIs as moral agents. It is because they are all embedded in a stable, adaptive, network of moral agents.
Educating the best judges that can explain their decisions well is an asset to our judiciary system, but we trust the legal system for its hierarchy of appeal and its grounding in law and constitution. We should also still be wise to trust a democratic system of checks and balances over the rule of a genius and eloquent despot. Comparing the ways in which certain individual world leaders and governmental institutions react to a Black Swan event such as the covid-19 pandemic exposes where we should put out trust.
We should embed AI systems into AI-assisted institutions. We distribute responsibilities over several elements. Transparency is now required of the way this institution works, which is more compact and within our range of understanding, while relaxing the constraints on the individual AI elements that are now allowed to be humble and incomprehensible.
( This work was supported by NWO as part of the project “Verantwoorde Waardecreatie met Big Data (VWData)”.) | https://medium.com/@o.t.a.janssen/machine-learning-and-the-whole-transparency-thing-ac85577be382 | ['Olaf T.A. Janssen'] | 2020-05-11 08:31:13.629000+00:00 | ['Complexity', 'Transparency', 'AI', 'Machine Learning', 'Trust'] |
Binance to delist some cryptocurrencies including BCN, CHAT, ICN, TRIG | The renowned and largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, Binance, has chosen to delist some cryptocurrencies. These cryptocurrencies include BCN CHAT, ICN and TRIG. The step is taken to safeguard users from scams. Furthermore, Binance ensures that the project maintains quality on its platform, in the cryptocurrencies.
Binance conducts periodic reviews of quality on the listed cryptocurrencies, digital assets, and tokens on its platform. Furthermore, if the quality of any of these cryptocurrencies, or digital assets drop, they are subjected to review. Furthermore, if it fails, it delisted from the exchange.
About the Announcement
The announcement came from their official Twitter handle, and official website.
Binance stated on their official website about this. “Fellow Binancians, In order to protect our users, the Binance team conducts comprehensive and periodic reviews of each digital asset listed on our platform to ensure projects maintain a high standard of quality. In the event a coin or token falls below this quality standard, it will be subject to further review and potentially delisted.”
The company also informed about the factors on which they judge a cryptocurrency. Furthermore, they judge the cryptocurrency on the commitment of its team to the blockchain project. Also, they keep in the review, whether the project maintains quality and that the level of development activity going on.
Furthermore, coming to technical points, it takes in the review, the stability of the cryptocurrencies’ smart contract. It also judges the cryptocurrency project on social factors such as evidence of frauds or unethical activities or conduct. It sees how the project is helping the cryptocurrency ecosystem to become more healthy and open.
From 10:00 Am (UTC) of October 12, Binance will delist some of the existing cryptocurrencies on the platform. These cryptocurrencies include Bytecoin (BCN), ChatCoin (CHAT), Iconomi (ICN), and Triggers (TRIG). Moreover, users will be able to withdraw these coins till November 12, 2018. | https://medium.com/koinalert/binance-to-delist-some-cryptocurrencies-including-bcn-chat-icn-trig-61048061117a | [] | 2018-10-09 14:42:37.017000+00:00 | ['Bytecoin', 'Binance', 'Bitcoin'] |
Life and Leadership Lessons Learned In The Military: “The essence of integrity is what you do in and of yourself — you must be true to yourself.” with Patrick O’Toole and Marco Derhy | Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?
I grew up in West Central Florida with my younger brother and my disabled father who was a Navy veteran. I had a very humble childhood. My brother and I worked throughout our teenage years and had to contribute 25% of our income to help manage our household.
Throughout my childhood, I heard stories from my grandfather about various family members who came from Ireland and served in the military during WWII. I grew up in a family where being in the military and serving others was just part of our DNA.
And what are you doing today? Can you share a story that exemplifies the unique work that you are doing?
I left the military in 1994 and started working for an insurance company, thinking it would be interim. But I quickly learned that with insurance, you really help people. And now I’m a senior sales executive at HealthMarkets and our mission is to help people navigate the insurance landscape to ensure they have their health, wealth and family protected. It’s an incredibly noble purpose and I’m proud to have been a part of it for the last twenty-five years.
Can you tell us a bit about your military background?
I spent eleven years in active duty with the Army, with my first three years spent as a military policeman before I moved into the US Army Criminal Investigative Division (CID), which is a part of military law enforcement.
Can you share the most interesting story that you experienced during your military career? What “take away” did you learn from that story?
Twenty or so years ago, I was a CID agent in Colorado and two of our agents at the time were deployed to the Gulf War — living in a war zone, risking their lives. I remember one day hearing a commotion in the hallway. I walked out of my office and saw FBI agents hauling away one of our special agents and later learned that agent had been selling government evidence and sold one to an undercover agent, leading to his arrest. After this all went down, my chief said to me, “When you are serving in the military, you can lose your life, you can lose your limb — but the one thing that cannot be taken away is your integrity. That has to be given away.”
And that truly resonated with me then, knowing one of our guys had been arrested by the FBI and essentially gave away his integrity while two other colleagues were putting their lives on the line in Iraq. That notion continues to resonate with me today in both my professional and personal life.
I’m interested in fleshing out what a hero is. Did you experience or hear about a story of heroism, during your military experience? Can you share that story with us? Feel free to be as elaborate as you’d like.
When I was a young military policeman, we were deployed to Honduras and we had to man an observation post at the top of a mountain. During the summer months and drought season, wildfires were a big deal and I remember seeing one sergeant blaze through a fire to get his MPs out of harm’s way and I still recall that heroic effort I witnessed firsthand.
I also spent a good amount of time with Special Operations command and I was always moved and motivated by the special operators behind those missions, like Blackhawk Down. It is humbling to imagine the mindset of someone who embarks on a mission knowing they are putting themselves at grave personal risk to either accomplish a mission or save a team member.
Based on that story, how would you define what a “hero” is? Can you explain?
I believe a hero is someone who is willing to put his/her life on the line for the sake of someone else or for a purpose they perceive as greater then themselves.
Does a person need to be facing a life and death situation to do something heroic or to be called a hero?
I don’t think so. Obviously, when we use the term in the military or with first responders, we talk about the ultimate sacrifice — when someone does something knowing their own demise is apparent, but they still do it.
But I believe there are heroes out there every day. The men and women who choose to serve — and I’m proud to have a son as one of those men — they are willing to put country and purpose above their own selves. I think that is incredibly heroic.
Based on your military experience, can you share with our readers 5 Leadership or Life Lessons that you learned from your experience”? (Please share a story or example for each.)
1.When you join the military, you learn you are capable of so much more than you thought you were. The military really drives your inner self beyond any boundaries that may or may not have existed.
2. I think about my time in the military and one thing that I believe has helped me succeed in business is the ability to take that step forward. Again, it has to do with that notion of being more capable than you think. When you have that mentality in a team dynamic and as a team/unit, you have a mission and objective, I think your individual drive kicks into gear because you don’t want to let anyone down. You want to succeed along with everyone else.
3. I’ve heard a lot of sayings throughout my military and professional life and one that has always stayed with me is to “lead with character, courage, confidence and conscience.”
If you approach leading others with those traits in mind, I think you will undoubtedly build a culture of inspiration.
4. I think it is important to understand your team members and their strengths, which allows you to deploy people in a way that allows them to be their best selves. When you are trying to lead a team or a platoon — be it in the workplace or the military — being committed to the individual development of those on your team and encouraging others to excel where they thrive can help foster both a focused and positive dynamic.
5. Anyone can have position and power in the military or workplace, but great leaders inspire other people. It isn’t about, “I have the ability to tell you to do something because I have power” but more so, “I’m choosing you because you are the best person for the job and I know you won’t let your team down.”
Do you think your experience in the military helped prepare you for business? Can you explain?
I absolutely do. As I mentioned, I feel like serving others is a part of my DNA, and I was proud to do that in the military and I am proud to do that in my career everyday by helping millions of Americans get the coverage they need for themselves, their families, their businesses, their employees and more.
As you know, some people are scarred for life by their experience in the military. Did you struggle after your deployment was over? What have you done to adjust and thrive in civilian life that others may want to emulate?
I certainly saw terrible things during my military career. I saw death and combat, all the things you would expect to see in times of war and conflict. When I was a criminal investigator, there were a handful of things I saw that I found more traumatic, most notably due to the scenario. There are things you expect to see in war that simply seem so out of place in our own communities.
Fortunately, I’m someone who can compartmentalize. Yesterday was yesterday, and I focus on today and tomorrow.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Our company recently went through an acquisition and I’m focused on making sure my team is well-positioned for the future, which is exciting. I find the opportunity to position human capital and organizational capabilities to merge into a new organization very interesting!
What advice would you give to other leaders to help their team to thrive?
Make sure you have a strong personal brand and position yourself as someone who is beyond reproach. Communication is critical, and it is important to be committed to that. Also, as I mentioned earlier, the cornerstones of how I think of myself as a leader rely on character, courage, confidence and conscience.
What advice would you give to other leaders about the best way to manage a large team?
If you lead through inspiration and work to build a team and culture that can inspire others, I think your team can thrive.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I was fortunate to be around some very dynamic individuals during my time in the military. When I was a special agent assigned to the Department of Defense Protective Service Unit, we were charged with providing protection for key military leaders. I personally worked in that capacity for Vice President Dick Cheney, Colin Powell and General Norman Schwarzkopf, among others. Those experiences helped shape me as a person.
My former boss at Humana was a great influence on me. He was a “leader’s leader” if you will. and placed a great deal of emphasis on overall character and leadership qualities. He put a lot of faith in me and promoted me up the ladder a couple of positions at a time because he valued my leadership abilities more than my level of technical expertise. I also came to the business world with that “can do” sense of mission, and that was something he greatly appreciated. His belief, which we now mutually share, is that technical skills are far easier to teach than leadership skills and character.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
In a professional sense, HealthMarkets exists to help people make informed decisions about insurance products that can protect their health and wellbeing. And I believe that certainly brings goodness to the world.
From a personal standpoint, my wife and I have always supported various charitable organizations with our time and financial resources. I am also incredibly proud of my children, who have grown into young adults also focused on doing good by other people.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I love the theme of “pass it along” or “pay it forward.” If you think about it, we all have something to offer in terms of giving something of ourselves, whether it’s our time, skills, etc. If everyone positively impacted even one person in the world, and that person then positively impacted another, and so on — think about what that could do for our communities and our country.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I always go back to the story about integrity and how that can’t be taken but given away. I think of all the time I spent in the military and in law enforcement and the many times I saw someone do the right thing because it was the right thing to do. The essence of integrity is what you do in and of yourself — you must be true to yourself. If you cheat yourself, you’re likely to grow comfortable doing the same to someone else. Do the right thing simply because it’s the right thing.
Some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them :-)
I previously alluded to the time I spent in the Protective Service Unit and one of the details I was on allowed me the opportunity to spend a fair amount of time near Colin Powell. It was always at arm’s length and I would love to sit down and have a beer and a meal with him and just pick his brain about his life. I would want to talk about what he has seen and experienced throughout his life with the hope I might be reinvigorated to do more. I’ve always thought he was an inspiration and I would welcome the opportunity to sit down with him.
Thank you so much for these amazing insights. This was truly uplifting. | https://medium.com/authority-magazine/the-essence-of-integrity-is-what-you-do-in-and-of-yourself-you-must-be-true-to-yourself-574b6fbc57ce | ['Marco Derhy'] | 2020-10-25 23:54:12.959000+00:00 | ['Leadership'] |
Building a generic Swift Stack | Let's build a basic Stack data structure with Swift. We will have to cover a couple of core concepts: Generics in Swift, and Basic Stack operations. Let's get started!
First, let us create the basic data structure that we will add to
class Stack<T> { }
Things to know about the code above:
We define a new Swift class called Stack The Stack class is parameterized by some type T as denoted by <>
We will see shortly how the Type T is going to help us.
Now let us add the two basic operations of our Stack
class Stack<T> { private var rep: [T]! init() { self.rep = [] } public func push(element: T) { } public func pop() ->T? { }
}
Above we add two methods: Push and Pop. The push method adds an element to the top of the stack, and pop removes an element from the top of the stack.
As you can see in the definitions for Push and Pop that both accept a parameter of type T, and return a value of Type T respectively. What does this mean? Remember how we defined the class Stack to be parameterized by Type T? The <T> used in the class definition tells the Swift compiler that we are defining a class that will use some Type T that will be defined at runtime. After defining the generic class we can use the generic type T anywhere within the class definition. This means that methods push and pop can also return and accept parameters of some type T that we can define at runtime.
Let us see what our implemented methods look like
class Stack<T> { private var rep: [T]! init() { self.rep = [] } public func push(element: T) { self.rep.insert(element, at: 0) } public func pop() ->T? { if self.rep.count > 0 { return self.rep.remove(at: 0) } return nil } }
As you can see our implementations for push and pop are completely agnostic to the underlying type that they are operating on.
Now let us see how we can use our newly created stack on multiple different types.
var stack = Stack<Int>() stack.push(element: 1)
stack.push(element: 2)
stack.push(element: 3) stack.pop() stack.pop() stack.pop() // Output: 3, 2, 1
Here we are able to use our Stack to add and remove Ints, let us see if we can do the same with Strings
var stack = Stack<String>() stack.push(element: "1")
stack.push(element: "2")
stack.push(element: "3") stack.pop() stack.pop() stack.pop() // Output: "3", "2", "1"
See how we were able to utilize the same stack for multiple different data types? That is the value of generics, code reuse.
Homework: Create a similar generic data structure that implements a Queue | https://jaredjarviswilliams.medium.com/building-a-generic-swift-stack-7c20cd4f06b3 | ['Jared Jarvis Williams'] | 2020-11-02 16:39:34.104000+00:00 | ['Swift', 'Generics'] |
Similarities in machine learning — Dynamic Time Warping example | Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unplash
In machine learning we can realize clustering. Clustering is a way to group items that are similar.
To do it we need to compare the items between them.
Different types of data to compare
For instance, to compare 2 prices (100 and 200), we can do a substraction. 200 - 100 = 100.
The distance between the two prices is 100.
Computing a distance can be less trivial.
Suppose we have diamonds data. We have their prices, the day for each price and the brand which sells the diamond. We would like to know which brand is cheap, average or expensive.
We can make a clustering by comparing their prices. We group the diamonds according to their prices.
The problem is that a price can vary over time.
For instance, diamondsForEver, an imaginary brand sells a diamond during a week. The price is as follows:
Monday: 102
Thuesday: 150
Wednesday: 120
Thursday: 108
Friday: 110
Saturday: 109
Sunday: 135
Another brand named coolDiamonds sells the same diamond as follows:
Monday: 116
Thuesday: 143
Wednesday: 110
Thursday: 118
Friday: 101
Saturday: 122
Sunday: 138
Here it is more difficult to compare the prices for the two brands.
We are facing two time series.
The good news is there is a way to get the distance between time series: the Dynamic Time Warping.
With the Dynamic Time Warping, we can get a measure of similarity taking account the accelerations and decelerations. Then we could compare many websites between them to know which ones are closer than others.
Dynamic Time Warping (DTW)
I am going to compute it with three days to get an easier example.
To calculate it, we are going to construct a matrix.
We initialized the matrix with “Infinite” to signal the absence of value.
Matrix with initialized values
For each cell, the formula is the distance between (x -y) + smallest of some adjacent cells.
For example, we want to compute B3. A3, A4 and B4 are the adjacent cells.
Distance + min of adjacent cells
To compute B3, we are going to make the difference between 102 and 116, which is 14.
The adjacent cells for B3 are A3, A4 and B4:
Computing B3
So the result for B3 is 14 + nothing = 14.
B3 result 14 + nothing = 14
To compute B2, we make the difference between 150 and 116, which is 34. The adjacent cells for B2 are A2, A3 and B3:
Computing B2
The smallest of these cells is 14. So the result is 34 + 14 = 48.
B2 result = 34 + 14 = 48
We continue.
Fill some cells
Now, to compute C2, we make the difference between 143 and 150, which is 7. We take the smallest of the adjacent cells:
Computing C2
The smallest value is 14. So the result is 7 + 14 = 21.
C2 result = 7 + 14 = 21
We continue and return the last value 31 (D1).
Last value 31
We have a way to compute the distance between our values.
Note that the distance between x and y can be the difference between them. It can be something else like a squarred substraction |x -y|².
Conclusion
DTW was first used to recognize similarities in speech voice. But it can be useful in machine learning to compute distance between two time series. This way, we can group them in clusters the correct way for instance.
We can compute similarities in machine learning using several other ways like tanimoto distance or manhattan distance. | https://medium.zenika.com/similarities-in-machine-learning-dynamic-time-warping-example-cb4c74ee5885 | ['Nastasia Saby'] | 2019-09-30 12:07:54.248000+00:00 | ['Time Series Analysis', 'Data Science', 'Clustering', 'Distance', 'Machine Learning'] |
Your First Steps with AWS | Photo by Christian Chen on Unsplash
A recent tweet from Helen Anderson prompted me to think of a few things that I’ve done in the past when creating new AWS accounts for myself and others. So I’ve put together a list of five first steps — this is by no means an exhaustive list, but it should help those of you who now find yourselves with enough time and elbow room (I don’t know about you, but I prefer to experiment/fail in solitude) to finally play around with AWS.
Choose Your Services
Logging into the management console for the first time can be intimidating. At the time of this writing, there are a little less than 220 services available in AWS. You don’t need to worry about most of those services — you should only focus on the ones that are most relevant to you. If you’re new to AWS, you should review the free tier documentation to help you make a decision about the services you’ll be using. My suggestions for beginners: S3, EC2, IAM, CloudWatch, and Trusted Advisor (I’ll talk about the last 3 later on in this post).
You can modify your console experience a bit by pinning services to the toolbar at the top of the page. Here’s an excerpt from the console FAQs:
Select the pin icon beside the Resource Groups menu and drag and drop the service links you want to save as shortcuts. You have the option to display the service icon alone, the service name alone, or both together.
Focus!
Create an IAM User
When you’re starting out with AWS, it can be tempting to use your root account to manage all of your resources — don’t. You should use the root account sparingly, keep the associated credentials safe, and create an IAM user. Here’s an excerpt from the IAM Best Practices documentation:
Create an IAM user for yourself as well, give that user administrative permissions, and use that IAM user for all your work.
I recommend you stick to the advice detailed in the IAM Best Practices docs. If some of the concepts in that doc seem unfamiliar or daunting, then I suggest you focus first on these: grant yourself and others only the needed privileges, enable multi-factor authentication (MFA), and configure a strong password policy for all users in your account. Follow this guide to setup an admin user, then set up other users, groups, and roles whenever you can.
Identify yourself!
Install the CLI
You may not think you need to use the CLI initially, but I highly recommend installing it anyway. Once you get more familiar with AWS, you’ll find that it’s just more efficient to do certain things using the command line. For example: I sometimes have to create upwards of fifteen users for 757ColorCoded workshops. I could do that manually in the console, but it takes a fraction of the time for me to create those users with a simple BaSh for-loop. The CLI installation and configuration steps are well-documented. You might as well get it out of the way before you actually need to install it. That way you have it.
Create a Billing Alarm
Even if you’re using the free tier — actually, especially if you’re using the free tier — you should set up a billing alarm in CloudWatch to make sure you’re not unknowingly spending money. It’s pretty easy to accidentally exceed some of the free tier usage limits, or forget about resources you’ve created. You might, for example, set up some beefy EC2 instances in Oregon for a high availability experiment and, hypothetically speaking of course, forget to shut down those instances for a few weeks. Then, in theory, you might get a shocking bill, because you usually use other regions for HA and don’t see any EC2 instances when you log into the console and go to those regions (I mean why in the world would you randomly spin up 2 ridiculously over-provisioned servers in the west coast for no good reason????). That could possibly happen to someone.
Anyway, the aforementioned tweet that inspired this post provides a link to a pretty good guide put together by Joseph Whyle, so you should check that out. I’ve included one of my alarms below.
Watch your money!
Use Trusted Advisor
Trusted Advisor helps keep your account in line with AWS best practices. It makes recommendations about — among other things — security, performance, and cost optimization. The Basic Trusted Advisor support plan is included in all AWS accounts (read: IT’S FREE). I’ve found it to be especially useful.
Listen!
Get Going!
That’s all I’ve got for ya. I’m going to be playing around with Athena Federated Query a bit over the next few weeks. If you’ll be doing the same, or if you have any questions about anything I’ve written, you can comment here or ping me on Twitter. | https://medium.com/@guillermoandrae/your-first-steps-with-aws-cb88ccf454ca | ['Guillermo A. Fisher'] | 2020-08-20 14:03:01.844000+00:00 | ['Tips', 'Getting Started', 'First Steps', 'AWS', 'Aws Free Tier'] |
I love nature too & trees are wonderful. | Everywhere you look
Styled in color
The trees are in full bloom
A beautiful day begins… | https://medium.com/@preetisingh15/i-love-nature-too-trees-are-wonderful-c8d2774245df | ['Dr. Preeti Singh'] | 2020-12-07 01:48:34.756000+00:00 | ['Trees'] |
fall back | I feel lost without you tonight, even as I walk on familiar ground. No storms present overhead, but one swirls inside the mind. A full moon glow illuminates the smoky November sky, but it’s the most shifty of guides. I need your warm earthiness to ground me, to remind me of what is real. I feel lost without you tonight, as reality plays hide-and-seek with the imaginary. Return. Hold me in a calm embrace. Lead me home. | https://medium.com/chalkboard/fall-back-a5e462d172ac | ['Ernio Hernandez'] | 2017-11-06 02:07:41.140000+00:00 | ['Poetry', 'Haibun Poem', 'Haiku', 'Nature', 'Fiction'] |
Wrap your terraform code with terragrunt | Source: simpleprogrammer.com
Hello All !!! Welcome to my new story on terragrunt.
We all know what is a wrapper. In general, a wrapper is something which covers the underlying material. There are many examples we see in our daily life like pan masala wrapped with a tobacco leaf, potato masala inside a Roti and many others. Similarly, in IT there are called wrappers, which are functions written to execute one or more other subroutines.
In the DevOps world, the most commonly used tool for infrastructure is terraform, where you write the infrastructure as code and the language it uses is HCL. Terraform has many commands of which the commonly used are “plan”, “apply” and “destroy”. Every time when we plan an orchestration of terraform files, we need to take care of provider information, variable files and the static analysis before anything can be applied. To achieve this, we normally use any of the popular scripting tools like bash, PowerShell, Python, etc. This brings in another challenge to study the scripting language which may put you down.
A simple solution is offered by Gruntwork.io with a software called terragrunt, where you write your wrapper in HCL format which puts a smile on your face :)
Terragrunt
Imagine you have a repository with terraform files that will build infrastructure for various environments like Dev, QA, Stage and Prod. How are you going to manage the code? Are you going to write a repo/branch for each env? That make your work hectic. Terragrunt offers a solution where you can write terragrunt files for each env folder with different inputs
Think another scenario.
You were to execute tfsec or any other static code analysis before you execute terraform plan or apply, how will you enforce it. Auto init terraform Auto retry in case of a network failure Debug the terraform commands Avoid writing provider information into all terraform code
The above listed are a few of the solutions it actually provides. For more information, read the documentation at https://terragrunt.gruntwork.io/docs/features/debugging/#debugging
To explain the above solutions, I will provide you an example terragrunt configuration.
generate "provider" { path = "provider.tf" if_exists = "overwrite_terragrunt" contents = <<EOF provider "azurerm" { client_id = var.client_id client_secret = var.client_secret subscription_id = var.subscription_id tenant_id = var.tenant_id features {} } EOF } terraform { extra_arguments "common_vars" { commands = get_terraform_commands_that_need_vars() arguments = [ "-var-file=variables.tfvars" ] } before_hook "before_hook_1" { commands = ["apply", "plan"] execute = ["tfsec"] } }
The above script can run tfsec before any of the commands like plan or apply, it picks the vars file and provider file for any environment it is going to be deployed.
Let’s see how it executes when deployed
This also helps when creating a CI/CD with tools like jenkins pipeline
Thanks for reading this article. We will bring up more such valuable stories for you. | https://medium.com/cloudlego/wrap-your-terraform-code-with-terragrunt-73cda3edf3e5 | ['Raja Gopal'] | 2020-12-24 12:25:47.439000+00:00 | ['Wrapper', 'Terragrunt', 'Grunt Work', 'Terraform'] |
Assumptions | Are a trap
And we step in them daily
When Google launched
almost everyone asked “why do we need another search engine?”.
They assumed they understood Google’s game, value, and future. I seriously doubt any of them could have foreseen the Alphabet of today.
Assumptions can be useful — and they can also be traps.
The trap side is what scares me — when other people have assumptions that are seriously limiting.
For example — people who assume everyone sees the ocean as frightening while many of us see the ocean as a playground. Or my son who assumes he can’t apply to a job because he doesn’t have a good resume. Or the people who assume they are stuck in a job or company because they don’t know how to translate their skills.
Assumptions hit everyone.
Google assumed everyone would use their social media products (remember Circles), Buick assumed people would buy their cars, and Nokia assumed everyone would continue purchasing their phones.
check twice
The world is changing rapidly and assumptions should be checked regularly — because sooner or later, they will become false. That moment could have been yesterday or last month or the assumption may have never been true.
On the plus side
here are a few positive assumptions that still look valuable.
Daily exercise is good for our health. People are doing the best they can with what they know. Confidence is earned by learning more skills and overcoming obstacles. And fresh ground, small batch coffee is delicious.
My Mom
was an old-school journalist. She was a demon on research and fact checking. It made my school years torture. Happily that high school torture has transformed into better thinking patterns as an adult. You can always find opportunities where others see blocks (Elon lives for this).
As you go forward, take a lesson from Mom — cross check the facts. Experts are frequently wrong and over a long enough time span — experts are 99% wrong.
What are
your assumptions? How often do you check them?
I want to hear your stories :-) | https://medium.com/@billlennan/assumptions-3de5eac43f34 | ['Bill Lennan'] | 2020-12-21 08:04:38.182000+00:00 | ['Skepticism', 'Journalism', 'Thinking'] |
It's post partum, and it's alright. | I want to cry. I need a break alright. I have eaten 26 biscuits, half a kg plum cake, 2 soya lattes and a pound of peanuts, but I don’t feel a bit alright. My aching body gets the better of me. I am cramping, every part of my body hurts, and I need my 11 month baby to just stop the cries. I am tired. I need help. I really do. My husband is busy. I want to cry, as my eyes turn wet from dry, but my husband says be a rock please. Handle the home and the baby, and don’t tell me it’s hard, even if it is. Handle. Manage. But I’m failing, I’m too tired. I had therapy in the morning, but the only thing I thought of during my heavy load CBT NLP session was that I’m tired, god please help.
My mom lives around, but is too tied, always pre occupied, which is fine, but somedays oh how I wish she was more around.
The lotus biscoff isn’t helping anymore, I just wish the pain abats. Physical and emotional. My arms and legs and hips and glutes just hurt. I dont know what to do. I ask for help on the baby group, but here are some who +1 on the struggle too.
Hello mommy hood, I miss my old healthy body, athlete, eating anything and running on high..but now, eating the world, and still feeling bandaged.
I feel so drained. In my part of the world there is abundance of house helps, baby help, but I sadly have none. Some turned out to be like another mother in law, who seemed to know it all and listen to nothing at all. Some turned out to be too tardy, and maybe some I just didn’t get along with. My tendonitis seems worse off, it started by wrong posture of holding the baby and I’m unable to change diapers without excruciating pain.
My heart rate is high, means my anxiety has triggered by itself.. I am also stinking, I need to take a bath. I’m wondering when my jeggings will feel loose because now the elastic is pinching me. I ordered a new pair of jeans but I haven’t opened it, for the fear of it not fitting me.
I want to sleep, I want a spa, but thank you covid for making sure that I can’t get that massage that I really require.
We did take a vacation the last weekend, but it was endlessly handling an unsettled baby and mostly being in another room, with a super chef sending unlimited meals though. The bags still lay unpacked though, the laundry still to be done. Hmm. But thank you that the husband has shown patience.
There is always a silver lining.
Yes, I’m grateful for my home, my husband, my baby, my parents near by, the food( junk and good), but it’s not easy. It’s just not that easy.
This is for all the mothers, who are battling aches and pains, struggling with how their body looks and feels, those battling judgements, those getting unlimited free and unwanted advice, those trying to be all positive but are aching and hurting.
It will be okay.
I will take that shower if not today, maybe tomorrow. Maybe with the baby, but I’ll do it. For today, I want rest, but I will get rest, in an hour, in 2 hours or maybe a few more to go. It’s okay if I’m eating like a pig, and eating all the nasties, drinking the wine while I breast feed my kid, but it’s okay, I’m alive, I’m taking care as best as I can, I may not be there mentally or emotionally, but I’m there, I’m here, and this little one doesn’t know if we messing hehe… I will not be harsh on myself, I will be pliant, I will be agile, and I love myself and honour myself. I love me for the fighter that god is making me, this challenge will pass. It’s okay if there is no one appreciating me, I know I’m still worthy and totally 💯% worthy. It’s okay if my heart rate is still high, if anxiety is just happening, I will try my best to handle it. I want to breathe deep, but today I can’t, and it’s okay. I will deep breathe, meditate, yoga, in a few days, if not today. I will fit in the old and new jeans, but for today, I will take comfort in some sweats. ..
My baby is crying, needs my attention, and while the caffeine doesn’t have seemed to work, it’s okay. I count till 10. I pick the baby and while I’m typing, I put the baby in the pram and the baby refuses as always. I pick the baby, I have no energy, I have tears rolling down, every part of my body hurts, but I take my baby out. I step outside, the last of the bright rays fall on my face, the dusk is waiting to set in. But for now, before my mood takes on the duskier, my baby has settled and I too like the warmth of the sun on my face. I put my baby on the grass, and I sit on the most comfortable chair and wow, nature sets it’s healing. I breathe a sigh. I allow myself to cheer a high because I am feeling my heart rate pace to lower. I try not to think of those who could do more for me, but I think on what they have done for me. I feel rays of positives enter my mind. My baby is trying to stand, and I am trying to stand too. I lift myself, lift my heaviness, it’s slow, but it’s progress. The sun has started to set, and while mommy hood doesn’t rest, I must begin to welcome the moon abreast. I walk back to the within, slowly amidst the shadows by the leaves so thick, but I walk to the light that’s in, and I find my comely home, welcoming my return. Nothing has changed, but yet a smile comes in this despair, because some emotions have simply taken care, call it god’s grace. Isn’t this life, and it’s lies, give it some time and we find ourself adjusting to the lows and highs. We find beauty and love in ourself and around, even if it takes time. But such is life.
So here I am, rejuvenated, calmer, stronger, and ready for what the night has to bring. It will be fine, it is fine and it’s alright, as I’m breathing, well kept and alive.. but if only I could lay, dreaming in a dreamless space, going deeper and getting okay. . … If not today, tomorrow, I shall someday.
P.s.- Pen the emotions, cry the vice, let it loose outside, because inside it only creates havoc and cries.
P.p.s- Wrote and lost half the plot. Re- wrote & reminded myself of those thoughts that had crossed to address the plot. | https://medium.com/@priyanka88/i-want-to-cry-de886d62999c | ['Pri Tan'] | 2020-12-26 11:24:41.706000+00:00 | ['Pregnancy', 'Anxiety', 'Motherhood', 'Depression', 'Mental Health'] |
5 Business Models for Local News to Watch in 2020 | As the local news marketplace transforms, these new ways of doing business could take hold next year and beyond
Predictions are a tricky business, but there is one sure thing for 2020: local news publishers cannot depend on the old ways of doing business. The time for chain newspapers wielding a monopoly in communities is ending, and more independent and nonprofit news organizations are taking root around the country and making sure that watchdog journalism continues to thrive.
The old business model was largely dependent on print advertising and circulation revenues, and newer digital ads have been gobbled up by the voracious tech giants, Facebook and Google. That leaves local news publishers in a tough spot, but they’re increasingly finding new ways to serve the public while diversifying revenue streams. I previously highlighted “9 Great Local News Business Ideas” to show just how ingenious these publishers have become.
Now let’s dig a little deeper into some of the more interesting business models that are cropping up, from the co-op ownership model to government subsidies and “information districts” to state-level ecosystem support. There are pioneering efforts being made around the country, and while it’s hard to predict which models will win out, it’s important to watch them all to see which one is most relevant to your community.
The Cooperative
Many local news organizations talk about working more closely with their communities, listening to what they want, engaging over social media and at in-person events. But some have taken that idea much further, allowing community members to actually buy a stake in the publication. In 2018, Berkeleyside ran a successful “direct public offering (DPO),” raising $1 million from 355 investors, including author Michael Pollan. “The notion of free journalism is simply not sustainable, and if Berkeleyside is something we value then we should show that with our support,” Pollan said at the time of the DPO.
Other publications have gone further, becoming cooperatives where the readers become part owners and have a direct say in business decisions. The Bristol (UK) Cable has been run as a cooperative local news organization since 2014, with 2,000+ members paying £3 ($4.20 USD) per month to get a vote in major decisions of the publication; they also donate their skills and time to help out. A more recent entry in the cooperative field is The Devil Strip in Akron, Ohio, which lets people pay as little as $1 per month to join, but when they hit $330 in donations they become a fully vested “shareholder for life.” Those shareholders get a say in deciding on which investigative stories The Devil Strip will cover, as well as other business decisions, and they can run for the governing board of the publication.
There’s also the related idea of a multi-stakeholder cooperative, with readers and employees becoming owners. The Mendocino Voice in Northern California will be re-incorporating in the next six months as a reader-worker co-op, with readers paying a sliding scale monthly fee and all employees becoming members automatically. The co-op will have legal ownership of the publication and the members will elect a board to provide oversight of hiring and budgets, though the editorial staff will maintain day-to-day control of the newsroom.
“The beauty of the co-op is how it’ll allow us to work together with our readers to dial-in exactly how our publication can serve them, creating a more equitable and responsive distribution of news,” said Adrian Fernandez Baumann, managing editor of the Mendocino Voice. “Our model is centered on the idea of news as a public utility — particularly in rural news deserts like ours, where people rely on local news in emergencies like wildfires, to build community resiliency county-wide. We also want to incorporate the perspectives of underserved community members that have been excluded and fill their needs.”
Nonprofit Conversion
Can local news operations become known as a public good, a cause for philanthropy and giving, a non-partisan platform for communities? That’s the aim for local news publishers who are converting from a for-profit model to nonprofit. Just this year, publications as varied as the Salt Lake Tribune newspaper, Berkeleyside and alt-weekly Chicago Reader have announced their intention to become nonprofit ventures.
Why make the move to nonprofit status? Is it just about making less money? Not really. As Matt DiRienzo, former executive editor of LION Publishers, told MediaShift: “It’s a tax status, not a business model.” Nonprofits don’t have to pay taxes on their income, but their activities must serve the public interest rather than the interest of owners or shareholders and they can’t “participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates,” according to the IRS.
But they still have to make enough revenues to pay everyone and keep the lights on. It’s just easier to take in tax-deductible donations and raise grants from foundations. But nonprofits also have to create a Board of Directors that oversees the them, approves the budget and the hiring of the executive director. In the case of the Salt Lake Tribune, its owner had to give up control of the news organization for it to become a nonprofit. For Berkeleyside, it must get unanimous consent of all its shareholders from the DPO to convert.
“For the shareholders, it means they take a capital loss on their investment,” said Lance Knobel, who will be CEO of the new nonprofit. “It legally can’t ‘convert’ to a charitable donation (which many people have asked about) because at the point of conversion, the shares become valueless (nonprofits don’t have shareholders). So there’s technically no value to the shares post-conversion. All of our shareholders will remain what we’re calling Foundation Members. We’ll stay in touch with them and keep them as a vital group of supporters.”
In an era of newspaper chains being owned by hedge funds that have strip-mined local outlets, it’s a good change for local news publishers not to have to worry about voracious owners or shareholders.
“I hope to see more for-profit newsrooms considering and making the switch to nonprofit,” said Debbie Blankenship, director of the Center for Collaborative Journalism at Mercer University. “Communities need access to well-sourced, factual information and I think nothing shows a commitment to providing that kind of journalism better than saying we are going to do this as a service to our citizens. Nonprofit fundraising and support also gives community members a ‘buy in’ on your service without concerns or questions that the type of reporting you see is being influenced by outside interests. This model has worked well for public radio and I think more organizations should give it a serious consideration.”
Government Support
For a long time, the U.S. government has supported local news through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, mainly for the infrastructure of public media stations, even though funding has been threatened many times over the years from Congress. That support pales in comparison to other countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany and others in Europe that fund public media much more generously. But is there a way for local news to be funded by the public, through the government at the state or local level? The idea is starting to become more of a reality, with New Jersey — yes, New Jersey! — leading the way.
With a push from advocates at Free Press and the public, New Jersey passed a law creating the Civic Information Consortium, a nonprofit that will give grants to collaborative projects that improve access to information, nurture civic engagement and train community members in storytelling and newsgathering. While the initial law called for $5 million, the funding started at $2 million–which is still a great start, if the money gets released by the governor. “I’m speechless,” tweeted Josh Stearns of Democracy Fund. “Make no mistake, this victory is the result of thousands of NJ residents standing up for local news. That’s a message we need now more than ever.” According to Free Press, there is growing interest in this model in Colorado, Massachusetts and Ohio.
There have been some other ideas for government support of local media. In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio issued an executive order requiring all city agencies to spend at least half of their ad budgets on community and ethnic media. This could provide a real boost to smaller independent media in New York, as the city spends millions each year on advertising. And some academics, led by Guy Rolnik at the University of Chicago, suggested a check-off box on tax returns that gives U.S. citizens a $50 voucher to contribute to their favorite local news outlet. It would cost $13 billion, which would be a pretty big hurdle for Congress.
However, there’s another intriguing idea at the local level: creating information districts. The idea is modeled after business improvement or library districts in cities. Info districts would fund participatory media and civic communications projects to meet local info needs. Simon Galperin, who developed this idea with support from the Craig Newmark School of Journalism at CUNY and the Reynolds Journalism Institute, helps run the Community Info Coop to help communities create public-funded journalism projects.
“There’s broad consensus that the market failure in local news is having devastating effects on civic participation and community welfare,” Galperin said. “But it’s more than an economic failure. It’s a social one, too. So we need a holistic solution that’s broadly applicable but still adaptable enough to meet a community’s unique needs. That’s an info district. The process for setting up and governing a special district dedicated to local news and information requires the adoption of the best of journalism: community organizing, transparency, listening, and co-creation.”
Public Media + Digital Media Merger
Speaking of public-supported media, the legacy NPR and PBS local broadcasters are also starting to up their game when it comes to local and civic news coverage. There have been a series of mergers involving public media stations and digital media startups in their communities. Among the many mergers over the past few years: Colorado Public Radio bought Denverite, WAMU bought DCist, and most recently NJSpotlight merged with NJTV and WNET.
“Public media brings scale, a mature business model, and stable, diversified revenue,” said Melissa Davis, interim director of the Colorado Media Project. “Nonprofit digital startups bring new ideas, lots of energy, and younger and more diverse members. Because they share a mission to serve communities, it’s an easier move toward collaboration and a willingness to experiment. These innovations are going to be a huge win for the community — and it’s a direct result of public media’s public service orientation and the vision of local leaders.”
Rachel Sadon is editor in chief at DCist and she definitely has seen the light when it comes to merging digital media startups with public media.
“Synergy might be the most annoying word in the English language, but it’s really applicable here–and exciting,” Sadon said. “There’s no silver bullet for the local news crisis, but public media offers one important path forward, not only for financial stability, but for making our journalism more responsive to our audiences.”
So are these mergers working and really serving the public? Academic researcher Elizabeth Hansen will be focusing on this question with the new Public Media Merger Project. As she writes on Medium: “Addressing market failures in local journalism is not going to be an either/or proposition. When I say I lead the local news sustainability research at Shorenstein, people often ask me, ‘so what’s the solution to the local news crisis?’ My answer: there isn’t one answer, and it’s going to look different in different places.”
State-Level Ecosystem Support
Another promising approach is to support local news through state-wide initiatives. This includes the collaborative work of the Colorado Media Project (CMP), which has helped local media with research, events and a new coworking space next year in Rocky Mountain PBS. Following in the footsteps and model of CMP is the New Mexico Local News Fund, which will offer fellowships, training and events for local journalists.
Can this kind of ecosystem-building approach work in more states around the country? Nancy Watzman, former executive director for CMP, certainly thinks so.
“In today’s climate for local news, it’s hard for any one news organization to meet all the challenges alone,” she said. “State-based organizations that serve as hubs to support local news ecosystems can help local news organizations by fostering collaboration, exploring ways to generate more revenue together, build cost-saving infrastructure, and developing community support. With this kind of support, the sum is much larger than the individual parts.”
Another interesting state-level approach is SpotlightPA, a nonprofit collaborative funded by the Lenfest Institute for Journalism and place-based foundations around the state of Pennsylvania. The partnership includes reporting from newspapers such as The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the PA Post, the Caucus (in Lancaster) and Harrisburg’s Patriot-News, but is run as a nonprofit startup with 10 staffers in the state capital, Harrisburg.
“The revenue model for SpotlightPA is membership, foundation support, and civic-engagement driven events — similar to many other digital news start-ups — but the impact of the news has been maximized and the cost structure optimized by the use of the broad distribution of Spotlight’s partner network,” said Jim Friedlich, executive director of the Lenfest Institute. “There’s much to be said for the financial (and financing) appeal of hybrid business models and strategic alliances between like-minded start-ups and heritage news media.”
Finding the Way
That kind of collaborative spirit is what’s needed for local news publishers to truly find their way in a time of transition and transformation. Working together has never been more important, whether it’s collaborations between former competitors or local news publishers working in tighter connections with the community they serve. The idea of a cooperative alone is revolutionary for a news organization that always saw itself standing apart from the masses, penning the first draft of history. Instead, the business models to watch bring the community ever tighter, either as owner-readers, donors, members or even contributors.
A special thanks to all the people in the local news ecosystem who suggested ideas for the year-end roundups, especially Mara Jezior at INN, who helped shepherd more ideas my way!
Mark Glaser is executive editor of MediaShift.
Originally published at kf.org. | https://medium.com/trust-media-and-democracy/5-business-models-for-local-news-to-watch-in-2020-82223d856896 | ['Mark Glaser'] | 2020-01-08 21:15:22.036000+00:00 | ['Cooperatives', 'Local News', 'Knight Local', 'Business Model Innovation', 'Journalism'] |
‘CTRL ALT DELETE’: Normalizing abortion rights one laugh at a time | BY CHAUNCEY K. ROBINSON
A scene from an episode of CTRL ALT DELETE.
Originally published at People’s World.
An office comedy — set in an abortion clinic. That’s the main concept of the returning short form series CTRL ALT DELETE. The idea is extremely relevant in our current political climate, which features a full-fledged attack on reproductive health rights. The series, with its second season debut this year, seeks to normalize the idea of abortion with levity and balance, while incorporating the office comedy formula that is a beloved standard in mainstream entertainment.
Self-described as a pro-choice comedy, the series was co-created by Roni Geva and Margaret Katch. The first season of the series, which was independently produced, received a number of accolades and awards, including a 2018 Emmy nomination. Season two features Ed Begley Jr. (Ghostbusters), Naomi Grossman (American Horror Story: Apocalypse), Rosalyn Coleman (Vanilla Sky), Alice Lee (Take Two), Kate Duffy, Rachel E. Crane, and Ashley Rickards (Awkward).
Each episode of season one zeroed in on individual women and their stories of abortion, their common denominator being the abortion clinic they went to. The eight-episode season two gives viewers more of a look into the day-to-day antics of the staff of the clinic itself, while again highlighting a number of stories of the diverse women who come in for a procedure.
A number of aspects work well within the framework of CTRL ALT DELETE. The diversity of the cast, along with the different aspects of the characters they play, meshes together well to give a number of angles surrounding the issue of abortion access. Some of the staff treat working at an abortion clinic as any other job that comes with its trials, tribulations, and benefits. Other employees give mini speeches amplifying the reproductive rights advocacy intertwined in the clinic mission. There’s workplace drama, budding romances, and comedic antics that we get to witness as we journey through a day’s work at an abortion clinic. There’s even outside so-called “pro-life” protestor characters featured, and the threat of a bomb in the form of a pizza box.
The episodes also do well balancing the sillier moments with the more serious issues. Some of the conversations, such as the age at which a woman can still get pregnant, are played for more laughs than others, but each one is given some aspect of humor. The key way it is done is not to make fun of the scenario, or light of the abortion procedure itself, but to clearly showcase that these are everyday people in a variety of scenarios that actually do happen in reality. The approach gives permission to laugh with these characters at times — and cry with them if the emotion calls for it.
A standout performance of season 2 is given by Ashley Rickards, who plays a young woman who is fifteen weeks along in pregnancy and has found out that there is something wrong with the fetus. She and her partner visit the clinic in order to terminate the pregnancy due to the extremely low chance of survival if the pregnancy is brought to term. Rickards displays a wide array of emotions given the fact that her character wanted to get pregnant but now finds herself needing to have an abortion. Heartbreaking points but also moments of laughter break through, giving a different perspective on what might be seen as a tragic end to a story, rather than simply a detail of one’s life.
Another highlight of the series is the way it intertwines facts and statistics into the dialogue without coming off as a stoic educational video. The viewer is bound to learn things regarding reproductive health while watching, but it’s done in a way that doesn’t feel too on the nose.
The one drawback to the series, which doesn’t necessarily count as a negative but a testament to its value, is the length. Viewers will be able to binge the second season (and the first if they want to catch up) in under an hour, as each episode is no more than five minutes long. With interesting characters, fun dialogue, and truly funny comedy, the audience will want to sit with the staff of this clinic a lot longer than is allowed to see what else they get into.
A major trait of the series is the way tackles topics surrounding abortion, an approach that may come off as taboo. Although there’s currently a political fight surrounding a woman’s right to choose what to do with her body, moral arguments can get thrown in from both sides. While some advocate for abortion access, they may place conditions and restrictions on what is “allowed” or “right,” as well as how often or when a woman can get an abortion procedure. The series doesn’t treat getting an abortion as a tragic tale that should be allowed but also shamed and kept secret. Instead, it aims to portray the act of going to an abortion clinic as equivalent to any doctor’s office visit. The message is that abortion access is a form of healthcare and should be treated as a normal right rather than a special interest vulnerable to attack and debate.
As the new season of the show premieres, there have been 304 abortion restrictions of various kinds introduced in states across the country in 2019 alone. Louisiana has become the fifth state to pass a fetal heartbeat ban, joining Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Ohio, which have all passed bills seriously restricting a woman’s right to safely terminate a pregnancy. The last abortion clinic in Missouri, Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, is currently under threat of being shut down, while the state enforces unnecessary and intrusive pelvic exams for any woman seeking to have an abortion.
The assault on Roe v. Wade is no longer a will-o-the-wisp pipe dream of the “pro-life” crowd now emboldened by the hard conservative majority on the Supreme Court. A show like CTRL ALT DELETE is a necessary one as art is a means to bring messages to the masses. The message the series transmits helps to counter the rhetoric aimed at dismantling rights fought for over long decades by women and allies to decide what goes on with their bodies and lives.
Season 2 can be watched here. | https://medium.com/peoples-world/ctrl-alt-delete-normalizing-abortion-rights-one-laugh-at-a-time-3856e57b8fbb | ['Peoplesworld Social Media'] | 2019-06-11 19:13:54.575000+00:00 | ['Abortion', 'Womens Rights', 'Culture', 'Review', 'Healthcare'] |
College Basketball and NBA Bets for 12/23 | We returned yesterday with some college basketball bets and ended up going 3–0! We’re also going to dive into tonight’s NBA slate. Let’s review how it went and then try to ride our hot streak with tonight’s slate.
What Went Right?
We chose La Salle over Maryland yesterday due to recency bias. La Salle was 3–1 over their last 4 and Maryland was on a bit of a losing streak. Maryland won but didn’t cover and we had our first win of the day. Tennessee Tech got destroyed by 20 points. Luckily for us we had them +22 and picked up our second win. Our third win came from North Dakota St. I thought the Bison might pull off the upset but they lost by 7. Thankfully we had them +12.
College Basketball Bets for 12/23
The first basketball game that has my attention is the Northwestern State Demons taking on the Washington State Cougars. The Demons are only 1–9 but they’ve had a tough schedule as of late. The past two nights they’ve had to play Gonzaga back to back. Washington State is 7–0 mostly thanks to their defense. I see this being a low scoring game and that benefits the underdog. Northwestern State may not win but I like them covering the 18.5 points.
At 5:00 the Georgetown Hoyas will be traveling to Seton Hall to take on the Pirates. Seton Hall is 5–4 coming off of an overtime loss to Providence. The Hoyas are only 3–4 but they’ve kept their games competitive and have 4 players scoring over 10 points per game. If the Hoyas defense can get it together this game should stay close enough for Georgetown to stay within 9.5 points.
The last game I’m looking at for tonight is the DePaul Blue Devils hosting the Western Illinois Leathernecks. DePaul is certainly the better team here but this is their first game of the season. They haven’t played a game in 9 months after Covid has twice delayed their season. I’m not saying they’ll be upset tonight by the 2–4 Leathernecks but I do think the score will be within 16.5 points.
NBA Bets for 12/23
I’m not sure if betting the New York Knicks is the smartest way to start off my NBA betting season but here we are. The Knicks have played quite well together during the preseason. They have a new head coach and added two rookies in hopes that they’ll finally get back on the right track. The Indiana Pacers have a new head coach also and are dealing with injuries. Myles Turner was dealing with a concussion but returned to practice on Sunday. TJ Warren is day to day with his foot injury. I think 7.5 is too large of a spread for the Pacers to overcome.
The Detroit Pistons made quite a few changes to their roster during the offseason. Despite the new faces they still have consistency with their leadership with Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose returning. The Minnesota Timberwolves added rookie Anthony Edwards to their roster. Edwards should fit right in on the roster but it may take a few games for the team to gel. Unsure if they’ll be upset here by Detroit but I think the Pistons can cover the spread.
The Kris Bets This…
NCAAM (6–4) (60%) (+1.6 units)
Northwestern St +18.5
Georgetown +9.5
Western Illinois +16.5
NBA
New York Knicks +7.5
Detroit +6
Best of luck everybody. The lines are from Draftkings. Be sure to also shop lines with Fanduel. You can find the latest posts on Facebook. | https://medium.com/illumination-curated/college-basketball-and-nba-bets-for-12-23-2a0dbfc68107 | ['Kris Franklin'] | 2020-12-24 16:30:56.629000+00:00 | ['NCAA Basketball', 'NBA', 'Sports', 'College Basketball', 'Sports Betting'] |
Rising Star Kate Pazakis On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry | Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series Kate! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I am a former Broadway/Cabaret performer and lived/worked in NYC for 17 years. I created and hosted a late night cabaret show that ran in the village for a decade from 11pm-4am every Friday night. During that time I did many plays, musicals and concerts, yet I still felt as though something was missing. After my dream job of doing South Pacific directed by Bartlett Sher, I decided to move to Los Angeles and change my focus to producing and writing. Over the last 4 years I created the UMPO series. It is an “Unauthorized musical parody” series that lovingly pokes at cult films and their stars. When I moved here I met my husband on a dating site and now we have a son who is almost 2 and definitely destined to be a performer.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your acting/directing/performing career?
The second day that I moved to Los Angeles, I was sitting at Sunday brunch with friends when I got a text from my friend Stephen Oremus. He asked me if I was in Los Angeles yet and if I wanted to audition for South Park. Of course I said yes. He said that he would give my number Anne Garefino, the Executive Producer of South Park and to make sure to pick up any unknown numbers. 4 minutes later my phone rang. It was Anne. I ran into the bathroom at the restaurant. She asked if I had a smart phone and if she could email me audition sides. I said yes. She said to check my email and I confirmed that they were there. Then she asked me to start at the top. Cold Read. South Park. 2 mimosas. I laughed thinking she was kidding. She wasn’t. So I read them. She laughed and asked if I could come do the Broadway Bro Down episode written by Bobby Lopez. Oh and it starts Tuesday.
I said yes. It was probably the coolest gig that I have ever done.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I love the UMPO series. It is this funny little series with a hilariously small budget in a room with 4 poles that make the space difficult. Yet, it is like the the little train that could. People keep coming and the shows keep selling out. It has become a hot thing to do in Los Angeles. It is my baby and my passion. Aside from my son, I have never been more proud of anything that I have done.
Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?
I did a show in NYC called A BROADWAY DIVA CHRISTMAS. I was featured in the ensemble and understudied Ellen Greene. I shared a dressing room with her and loved hanging out with her. Two years ago she came to a show at Rockwell and loudly introduced me as Kelly and said we did Guys and Dolls together. She said she was tough and gave me notes every night.
haha. Note. I have never done Guys and Dolls and my name is not Kelly.
What do you do to “sharpen your craft”? Can you share any stories?
I try to write 50 words every day. Good or bad.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
I think the UMPO series and the Rockwell has become a home and a safe space for so many performers in Los Angeles. Community is so important and I strive to keep creating projects and building this crazy little family.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
I wish that:
1. Someone would have said that learning the business side of show business is just as important, if not more important than honing talent. I have found over the years that those skills have gotten me further than anything else.
2. I was encouraged to find a school or program dedicated to young character actors. It is a special and different skill that tends to get pushed to the side for leading men and women. I never felt that as a young character woman that the correct training was available. So many programs now try to create carbon copies and push everyone into a narrow box instead of embracing what makes them different.
3. I was encouraged to stay in dance class when I thought that 18 was too late to start. I still wish that now at 41.
4. I was encouraged to create my own projects from a younger age instead of waiting to fit into someone else’s vision.
5. I knew that it would all work out the way it is supposed to.
Some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might see this. :-)
Rachel Bloom. I love what she created with Crazy Ex Girlfriend. She is a powerful lady boss and nothing is getting in her way. | https://medium.com/authority-magazine/rising-star-kate-pazakis-on-the-five-things-you-need-to-shine-in-the-entertainment-industry-ba35572d6a1b | ['Authority Magazine'] | 2020-12-27 23:19:35.424000+00:00 | ['Pop Culture'] |
Rooting Out Conflict | Rooting Out Conflict
Photo by mcarrel on depositphotos
One of the most obvious ways of preventing conflict lies in attempting to eliminate the causes of conflict in the workplace. This simple recipe is based on the assumption that if you remove the causes of conflict, then it will not occur.
Causes of conflict
But despite its apparent simplicity, eradicating the causes of conflict is in fact a more complex process. As a manager, you need to be analytical and practical in deciding which causes of conflict you can and should attempt to remove.
The three categories of causes of conflict are:
causes that result in beneficial conflict, causes that you cannot control as a manager, and causes that you can control and do want to eradicate because they lead to negative conflict
The first two categories you either should not or cannot eliminate. You should not try to eliminate the causes of conflict that have a positive value. This sort of conflict, caused by high professional standards, for example, challenges complacency and slipshod working practices.
Some causes of conflict you cannot eliminate because they are outside your sphere of influence. For example, you cannot remove conflict caused by pay comparisons among workers if you do not set the company pay rates.
Eradicating negative conflict
Instead you need to concentrate on the third category: causes you control and want to eradicate. In this category, the major factor is role conflict. Role conflict occurs when duties performed by a worker clash with those of other workers.
1. Getting roles right
As a manager, you can expect to exercise a considerable amount of control over the roles your employees play, so you can have great influence in eradicating this cause of conflict. You need to avoid the following problems associated with roles:
Role uncertainty — role ambiguity occurs when workers are uncertain of their actual duties. A task may not be completed because no one knows who is responsible for it, or workers may argue with each other over who is responsible.
Role too demanding — when workers have either too many or too few expectations placed on them, they may end up in conflict situations because they cannot complete the tasks assigned to them or because they feel unchallenged.
Role incompatibility — occurs when contradictory expectations are placed on workers. They are expected to perform certain tasks, but at the same time conflicting demands are placed upon them. This usually results in poor performance.
As manager, it is your responsibility to sort out these problems.
2. Resolving role ambiguity
You can resolve role ambiguity by precisely defining all roles and making sure that individual responsibilities are clearly communicated. Roles develop spontaneously, so you need to update this information on a regular basis.
3. Resolving excessively demanding roles
To ensure that roles are not too demanding, you need to examine each employee’s quantity of work and distribute it evenly. You must explain the way that tasks have to be prioritized and insist that workers stick to this pattern.
4. Resolving role incompatibility
To safeguard against role incompatibility, you need to make sure that A always knows what B is doing — so get them talking about what they expect of each other. Then you will know what the hidden problems are, and you will be able to sort them out.
By tackling role conflict head-on, you can eliminate one of the major causes of conflict that lies in your direct sphere of influence as a manager. | https://medium.com/@sorin-dumitrascu/rooting-out-conflict-303e11b6b65f | ['Sorin Dumitrascu'] | 2020-12-25 19:02:14.577000+00:00 | ['Conflict Management', 'Management', 'Organization', 'Ledership', 'Conflict Resolution'] |
Giggles made my Day! | I never intended to be a teacher. I became One!
I never thought that my Students will love me. I Succeeded to win their hearts and this is what really matters at the end of the day!
A memorable day yet to be completed….
I started my English class every single day with a passionate heart to leave for them a take-home note or more accurately to give them a glance of hope or a recognition..My students needed to feel loved, assured, admired, valued, recognized, and accepted in a stressful life full of ‘ You have to Do this or you must do this…!
As a teacher, I feel so sad to see some of my students suffering from the mistakes if not the errors of their elders! I mean by that, their parents, neighbors, teachers, and society. My students needed their time to enjoy and feel the moment. They are innocent souls to embrace change, hope, and challenges! They need their time to grow, learn, and blossom. A stressful life embedded within a narrow-minded society is a real hindrance for them to bloom!
My story is different!
I wanted to be a new kind of inspirational teacher!
I wanted them to enjoy inside the monotonous 4 walls!
I wanted them to feel valued, loved, heard, and accepted like friends!
I wanted them to feel free and not caged inside a class!
Students are not machines to do whatever you like!
They are gentle Souls to be respected!
They are young dreamers to be encouraged!
They are very inspiring in what they may say, tell, share, or even teach all of us!
They are good-hearted if you learn how to nurture the kindness seeds inside them!
They are respectful if you learn how to respect their ideas, voices, and opinions!
They are talented, gifted, and passionate if you ignite their wills!
They are still kids to play and enjoy their infancy if you let them live their days naturally and peacefully faraway your rigid To-Do lists!
Inspire them!
Let them enjoy their hours with you!
Let them feel free!
Let them voice what they want to say!
Let them express what they want to share!
Let them take their chances!
Let them share with you the teaching roles!
Let them feel appreciated!
Let them take a rest, play, and be crazy for a while! it won't spoil your lesson!
Let yourself live their craziness and share their living childhood!
Seeing them giggling just made my day!
My students are my daily sunshine!
My students are my everything beautiful in 24 hours time!
My students are creatively talented and inspiring to draft a memorable day!
My students are soft-hearted and a great source of wisdom, love, and appreciation! | https://medium.com/@nesrinemejai/giggles-made-my-day-f701ca54e838 | ['Nesrine Mejai'] | 2020-12-04 19:59:19.120000+00:00 | ['Students', 'Student Voice', 'Passion', 'Teaching English', 'Teachers'] |
Bless Your Heart: A Review of The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires | This review discusses rape, abuse and racism. If these are topics you are sensitive to, please proceed with caution.
Title: The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires
Author: Grady Hendrix
Rating: 5/5
“This story ends in blood.”
Patricia Campbell may have lived the exciting life of a nurse, but now she’s just a homemaker and manages the lives of her rebellious children, workaholic husband and dementia-ridden mother-in-law.
So when she joins a new not-book-club dedicated to discussing the trashiest of crime novels — rather than high literature — she didn’t expect that her fellow book readers would become her closest allies when a vampire unexpectedly moves into the small town.
Set against the backdrop of the late 90s in suburban American, strange things have been happening in the neighbourhood and black children are steadily going missing or killing themselves for no reason, and Campbell suspects her new neighbour, James Harris, is at the center of it all.
But Harris is a respected figure among the town’s, and friends and family start to turn against Campbell for her campaign against him.
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires is not a novel for the lighthearted. Hendrix is talented at describing gore and horror; there were moments in the book where I found myself clutching at my own skin so I could be sure nothing was happening to me in real life.
And it isn’t just physical horror, the violence in this book touched me on both a physical and mental level, and there are moments that were hard for me to swallow. Survivors of rape and abuse should be aware there is content that could be triggering for them.
I had originally picked up this book for its seeming humorous premise, but Hendrix goes beyond any vampiric trope and builds a realistic universe that takes a hard look at the latent misogny of the 90s and the systemic racism black people continue to face to this very day.
The protagonists of The Southern Book Club are multifaceted but still likeable. In fact, I enjoyed Campbell’s protrayal so much — and found her so well developed — that I was shocked when I found out that the book was written by a man.
I vacuumed this book up while I was at a three-hour-long nail appointment (slightly ironic considering the themes of the book) and I definitely annoyed the person doing my nails because I refused to put it down. During the moments where both my hands were occupied and I was unable to turn the page, not gonna lie, I was tempted to remove my hand from the UV lamp just so I could keep reading.
But even throughout its horrific moments, the book still found its moments for softness and empathy and there are twists towards the end that tugged at my heart strings. I came extremely close to tears.
I think I can safely say as the year comes to the end, The Southern Book Club is the best book I have read in 2020. If this is the last book I read this year, I’ll be satisfied.
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix is available at Kinokuniya for $24.95.
This review first appeared on The Reader Who Came In from the Heat. Subscribe for more book reviews in your inbox. | https://medium.com/@otherdothy/a-review-of-the-southern-book-clubs-guide-to-slaying-vampires-5602d53ee913 | ['Hui Ying'] | 2020-12-26 15:03:26.911000+00:00 | ['Vampires', 'Grady Hendrix', 'Horror', 'Book Review'] |
Case study: Online banking application redesign | Case study: Online banking application redesign
I struggled with making the decision to write this case study mainly to avoid any controversy that may arise due to reasons I will explain below.
I was a former “Service Ambassador (SA)” at Fidelity bank and my role entailed onboarding walk-in customers at the branch level on the electronic channels (which include the mobile application) and helping these customers resolve any issues relating to these platforms.
Without going into too many details, this role enabled me to see how customers STRUGGLED with using the mobile application even from the onboarding process. Now, bear in mind that a lot of the issues faced cannot be resolved solely by even the best UX designer, and anyone who banks in Nigeria knows the “network issues” are pervasive and almost impossible to avoid.
I was hesitant to write this because, since I left the bank a few months ago, I have noticed that improvements are being made to the interface of the app, but I doubt that the insights of the Service Ambassadors who interact closely with the users of the app have actually been taken into consideration. I will urge Fidelity Bank to give more consideration to the requests, complaints, recommendations and valuable insights that these SAs bring to the table based on their first-hand experience with what amounts to a vast amount of “user testing” in UX design lingo.
Needless to say, the UX problems I will attempt to resolve are drawn from my nearly 2 years experience basically hand-holding customers while they tried to register and/or transact using the app.
In fact, it was my time at the bank that led me to delve into product design with the goal of using the valuable experience and the first-hand insights into customers pains, wants and behaviours, leveraging same to create better user experience on digital platforms.
Launch Screen
I really don’t have much to say here except that I feel that the background image is a little outdated and could do with some sprucing up with a more abstract image. I also changed the font of the slogan to look more contemporary and made the copy sound more refreshing and direct.
Log in Screen
Often times, new users will see the log in screen and would not be sure what to do next. The screen is jumbled and fails to offer clarity and clear direction, causing the user to be confused.
So I tried to give clear and direct instructions, made the screen less cluttered, and implemented a better visual hierarchy. This makes it easier for new users to figure out what to do to self-register, change their pin, enable biometric authentication etc
I positioned the ‘Log In’ card lower on the screen (slightly towards the middle of the screen) to improve usability so that users will be able to type better and more accurately without having to readjust their hand placement as would be required if they had to type at the top of the screen.
I observed that users seemed not to notice the switch to enable biometric (which in fact, has a low contrast to the background and is not clearly visible), as customers would still walk into the branch to ask how to do that. So, I added a tick box towards the left (a tried and tested heuristic technique), while also adding the fingerprint icon as a visual aid.
Another issue that majority of users struggled with relates to the password. This led to users frequently getting locked out of their online banking, and many, abandoning the app altogether.
The main issues are:
The password parameters are identical to that used on Apple iCloud and are rather complex for the average user, causing them to forget the password very frequently. If I had a dollar (about N500) for every customer that lamented as to why they couldn’t just use a pin instead I’d surely be at least N500,000 richer today lol. Because of this, I changed the password field to a 4-digit pin to improve accessibility.
Even users who are very tech savvy experience difficulties in entering the password correctly since they cannot see what it is they are typing and this is why I added the option for the user to be able to view the pin before they attempt to login. This would be really instrumental in ensuring that users don’t repeatedly mistype their password and end up being locked out of their internet banking profile due to the high security measures implemented by the bank.
Finally, I moved the ‘new user registration’ from the far bottom (where many users would not easily locate it) and placed it below the log in card to improve the information architecture of the log-in screen.
This is because in recent times, the bank, like many others has placed a lot of focus on on-boarding its customers on its electronic platforms so it is important for this feature to be more prominent on the screen.
I will conclude the case study here for today as I want to keep this detailed but short. However, I’ll be making this a series of posts to conclude with some other screens I feel could be better designed.
The aim of this case study is not to throw shade at the bank as I know they have invested heavily in their electronic channels, but to simply put my knowledge to good use by highlighting how the bank could create a far better user experience for their customers.
This is my first detailed UX case study and I would really appreciate your feedback, suggestions and comments. Thanks for your time. | https://bootcamp.uxdesign.cc/fidelity-bank-online-banking-application-redesign-540e56094ed0 | ['Iwalola Sobowale'] | 2020-12-22 03:09:05.293000+00:00 | ['UX Design', 'Product Design', 'Redesign', 'Product', 'Banking'] |
I’m not sure why he despised me, but his pit bull eyes came at me with a vengeance. | I’m not sure why he despised me, but his pit bull eyes came at me with a vengeance. I deflected his strikes until I fell backward over the curb.
He pounced on me, pushing his knees into my shoulders. And I knew what came next.
The first five blows felt like mallets cracking ice, and then paralysis. I was swelling in blood but wanted this hate out of him.
Then there was stillness.
Although I felt the weight of his body on my hips, his arched back lay between my legs. I pulled up to investigate and saw his eyes rolled back and a clump of pink fibrous tongue lying on the asphalt.
When I looked around, a husky dude with cowboy boots tipped his hat to me.
“Damit!” I said, throwing my arms up. “Now, this vendetta will never end.”
And it didn’t. | https://medium.com/everything-shortform/im-not-sure-why-he-despised-me-but-his-pit-bull-eyes-came-at-me-with-a-vengeance-d2ec165d5f81 | ['Kevin Ervin Kelley'] | 2020-12-19 19:15:18.798000+00:00 | ['Life', 'Storytelling', 'Nonfiction', 'Short Story', 'Men'] |
Cyberpunk in VR? | Hello! Good morning! Mahalo?
Since the Cyberpunk 2077 release there have been rumor surrounding the potential for VR Support in future updates. Admittedly the idea of playing another AAA title in VR has my attention too. Unfortunately we are unlikely to see native VR support for quite sometime — especially with the mountain of issues CD Projekt Red is currently tunneling out of. This leaves us with a handful of non-native options!
I want to preface this with saying that I have not personally tried any of these methods yet, but will update this post when I do try a few of these.
Google Stadia
Disclaimer: this method is playing a 2D game in a big screen mode on your headset, not actual 3D tracking.
This is the only method that does NOT require a VR-ready PC; instead, you will only need an active stadia account and a browser to stream it through.
For $10/month Stadia lets you stream its entire library on games through the compatible Google Chrome Browser or via the Stadia app. This means that the stadia method will allow you to play any game in its library on your headset. You will have to connect your keyboard and mouse or your game controller via bluetooth though as this does not allow mapping to the Quest hand controllers.
The stadia method also means that you will be able to play on your PC one moment, your headset the next, and even switch to compatible TVs.
To accomplish this you will need a computer/laptop to connect to for Sidequest. There are a million guides out on how to do this — including on Sidequest’s website, so I will not go into details on the initial connection.
Once you have Sidequest downloaded, you will need to side load the “Chomium-For-Stadia” APK. Once you have it loaded in, you simply launch the Oculus TV app inside the headset then use the Chromium channel to navigate to the Stadia website.
SideQuest
Virtual Desktop/ Big Screen
This is probably the easiest method but does require the user to have a PC capable of running Cyberpunk. Both of these apps deliver a similar 2D experience — again, not a 3D model, but playing a flat screen game within the headset.
Virtual Desktop (~$20) is my go to PC streamer app, but Big Screen can also work. Regardless, you will need to download their specific virtual streamer app to your computer. You will access both of these through the in-helmet application and once tunneled into your PC, you will simply launch the game normally.
Again, since this is a flat screen game, you will need to use your keyboard and mouse or a gaming controller to play.
vorpX
VorpX 3D Driver
Our last method is also the one that I will personally try first. It is also the most difficult and expensive to try.
VorpX is a 3D driver that you install and will allow you to experience non-VR games in a VR environment; giving you both head-tracking and mapping to your Quest1/2 controllers.
This method requires that you have a gaming ready PC, VorpX (~$40), your headset connected via Oculus Link (or VD), and a working game profile.
I first heard of this from the Paradise Decay Video below:
Paradise Decay plays Cyberpunk with VorpX
A $40 price tag might be steep (especially after purchasing Cyberpunk), but from the PD footage alone I am sold on this option. For more information regarding other gaming profiles built for VorpX, check out their supported games: here! | https://medium.com/@lexfisch/cyberpunk-in-vr-fa3fc5324215 | [] | 2020-12-21 18:59:17.505000+00:00 | ['VR', 'Virtual Reality', 'Gaming News', 'Vr News', 'Gaming'] |
Screen-Time Advice From the Before Times No Longer Applies | Screen-Time Advice From the Before Times No Longer Applies
Hi, we live here now
Photo: tommaso79/iStock/Getty Images Plus
In December 2019—or as we now refer to it, the Before Time — the online magazine Man Repeller predicted that 2020 would be “the year of being not extremely online, not extremely offline, but rather medium online.”
An oversaturated 2019 left many of us reflecting on how we could have a more wholesome, balanced relationship with social media and our rate of online consumption in the upcoming year. “Medium online” offered a moderated approach to technology, using it for only practical and purposeful tasks and rejecting the rest. As Edith Young wrote in her December 2019 piece, “In the age of feeling at once tightly wound and burned out, I’d like to imagine the near future will bring about some element of hive mind, where a collective intolerance for tech’s ubiquity and our desire to be constantly connected lands us somewhere in between the two.”
If only we knew just how burned out and reliant on technology we would become, merely months later.
This is not to say the concept of medium online wasn’t a hopeful response to improve our mental health. But 2020 had other plans.
Suddenly, we were using technology for everything. Work, play, family, friends, dating, and leisure. Before we even hit April, it was clear that 2020 would be the year of extremely online. As we were questioning how to navigate our new online lives, then came the biggest civil rights movement of our time. Signing off is a privilege when we are all being asked to show up.
So, of all the screen-time advice from the Before Time, what holds up?
Moderation
There’s a happy middle ground for those of us who are torn between the opposite demands of either extremely online or extremely offline. As with our diets, we know moderation should be the goal. However, no one knows what that truly entails.
In the Before Time, we limited our screen time as a signal of productivity. We were overwhelmed with new apps, most of us didn’t even know what TikTok was, and we maintained crisp digital versions of our personal brands.
What does a moderate online presence even look like now? It was easy to preach: Choose offline experiences for better connections and mental health, unplug from your digital life, and prioritize your in-person connections. But for the foreseeable future, those offline moments live entirely online. There’s not much we can do about it.
Most of us will be able to stay medium online by making small, daily decisions that edge us toward content and platforms that make us feel better when we are online.
Let go of the pressure to unplug, and reject the judgment surrounding your digital habits. Only you know what moderation means to you, if you’re even seeking it in the first place.
Technology isn’t inherently bad
Imagine telling your screen-time-obsessed 2019 self that every workday in 2020, you would wake up, take eight hours of Zoom meetings, doom-scroll social media, read the news online, and communicate with your friends only on FaceTime. Imagine imposing limits for technology use on your children. As NPR education reporter and author Anya Kamenetz wrote in the New York Times, “An immediate consequence of the pandemic is that strict screen-time limits — which were always largely the province of more privileged families, like mine — went out the door, everywhere.”
Screen time means nothing now.
Ask yourself: Do you really need to be on every single social platform?
Ten hours of screen time a day sounds less horrifying if five of those hours were spent reading on the Kindle app or listening to podcasts. We bought into the shame surrounding the time we spend on our phones without analyzing what we’re actually doing with that time.
The last thing we need is a form of calorie counting for our digital lives. Because for a lot of us, digital lives are all we have right now.
Everywhere, but nowhere
Ask yourself: Do you really need to be on every single social platform? I like securing the same username across various social media apps even if I rarely access them. But for many of us, unless our careers dictate it, we don’t need a half-baked existence across a dozen platforms.
I recently culled my Facebook friends list down to under 200 people. (In the past it had neared 800.) My Facebook wall is now happily a cemetery of “happy birthday” messages and the occasional photo uploaded to appease family members. It has slightly eased my anxiety knowing that among the creeping targeted ads, I now have 600 fewer acquaintances to keep up with.
A stricter strategy is one in, one out. Each time you wish to follow either a brand, friend, or celebrity, you must unfollow an existing account. Easy to remember, probably harder to maintain.
Keeping the personal private
Our lives are vast and nuanced, and we manage family, friends, work, and love in myriad ever-changing ways. As much as it relates to safety, we may also want our family time to remain sacred, and offline.
That was before we started getting married on Zoom.
We’ve been forced to cancel big in-person celebrations and memorials, so how do we share these moments? If we use Zoom, do we share the event broadly or through an invite-only link? We still have decisions to make on how our intimate lives are shared publicly.
Prioritizing our personal values and boundaries has never been more important. Conducting our work lives via Zoom has presented a strange dynamic where our co-workers are casually inside our home, sometimes even our bedrooms.
We quickly realized that when we truly managed our social lives through screens, even social gatherings became a burden.
All this doesn’t negate our ability to mostly keep our personal lives personal on social media. We can still create rich and interesting outward-facing digital lives that revolve only around our work or hobbies. For some, doing so is an act of self-preservation.
Fashion influencer and artist Amanda Shadforth shared her thoughts on the fine line between privacy and motherhood in the May 2019 issue of Vogue Australia. Shadforth’s online presence is largely dominated by her art and fashion photography, with a signature pose that obscures her face. “I had two parts of me at once: There was the person having the baby, which was a very personal experience, and then my public persona — my work life,” Shadforth told Vogue. She detailed the criticism she received from others for not sharing her personal life and family, even meeting people for the first time who mentioned that by keeping her private life hidden, she seemed “snobbish.” Shadforth reasoned that revealing her life as a mother would simply invite questions about her breasts, and birth — questions from strangers she didn’t feel comfortable answering. While she recognized that revealing very personal details can help others navigate their own difficulties, that kind of online sharing wasn’t for her. She was also keenly aware that if she shared everything online, she would quickly become like everyone else who held nothing back online. “It’s a paradox to me,” Shadford writes. “Why would I follow a formula if it’s the same formula everyone else is using.”
You are editor-in-chief of your newsfeed
There is still a plethora of positive digital content available to everyone on the platforms we already use. You have the choice to unfollow every influencer or celebrity who adversely affects your online experience, and therefore your mood. Even by following more accounts that post art and design imagery changes the way you are interacting with social media. By consciously choosing to consume better content, you are improving your visual diet.
Mimi Gray, formerly the head of visual content at M&C Saatchi London, describes how before 9 a.m. she has already consumed more than 500 images without even trying. Writing in Campaign, Gray describes the mental health disorders that social media has caused from constant comparison and living through false online identities. “As creative people, feast your eyes on more of the good stuff,” Gray writes. “Keep following Kimye if you must, but look to seek out positive, feel-good imagery and art to balance your visual diet. These are our visual greens; noodle soup for the soul.”
We are not passive consumers. While it’s true we exist in an echo chamber of our own opinions, designed by algorithms based on what you feed them, we have the ability to seek out new opinions and content.
It was once easy to suggest not reading the news if it made you depressed. Then came 2020 and the reliance on news to navigate our daily lives and keep up with the dramatic ways our existence was changing. However, we should stop doom scrolling. It’s eroding our ability to cope.
Know thyself
It’s true that for some, switching off completely is the only option. Some of us can’t even use the Alarm app, since it means having a smartphone within arm’s reach in the bedroom. The temptation to scroll remains too high. However, it has become a form of digital elitism to boast about your offline habits, the ways in which you switch off completely and drastically from the internet.
Whether it be deleting social media entirely or turning off all notifications — drastic boundaries are necessary only if you are truly devoid of willpower.
Our online habits don’t need to be carefully planned into moderation. We can easily curate a presence that accurately reflects our personality and reality but still protects our sanity and privacy. And if you need a day of doom scrolling, allow it. If you need a day unplugged, allow it. It’s 2020, after all—nothing is precedented. | https://onezero.medium.com/extremely-online-hi-we-live-here-now-53e5bc1b6ff6 | ['Jess Thoms'] | 2020-08-31 21:28:27.845000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Social Media', 'Life', 'Productivity', 'Self'] |
BUSTA OFFICIAL UPDATE. July 2nd, 2021 — with bonus Dev notes! | July 2nd, 2021 — with bonus Dev notes!
“Shoot a nuke down a bug hole, you got a lot of dead bugs”
- Ace Levy
Okey dokey folks, everyone here at BUSTA HQ is flat out busy and time is short, so let’s get right to the good stuff. Heaps of new content in this one!
Alpha Testing
Very soon (possibly today) we’re launching the Alpha version of our first game “BUSTA CRASH” on our internal test server and it should be no surprise that we team-Apes have been waiting for this glorious day either as much or more than all of you. We finally get to play the game! Albeit with fake play money for starters ;)
Once we’ve had a week or so playing it ourselves, we’ll be opening it up to the 20x winners of the Alpha Squad Competition — which is still ongoing by the way. Sign up here if you haven’t already and want to participate, entries close at the end of Wednesday the 7th of July UTC;
https://tinyurl.com/BUSTA-ALPHASQUAD
Also we’ve had a whole bunch of people sign up to the competition already so we’d like to say a quick thanks to you all for helping us grow our social channels and your interest in helping us perfect our product, we couldn’t do this without you :)
Stay tuned as we’ll be sure to post some updates from both the internal and public Alpha testing as it progresses
Enter the GitBook
For those of you not in the know, the BUSTA project is huuuuuge. It’s by no means a one-trick pony, it’s a multifaceted gem with a vast day one ecosystem and huge growth potential. This is all fantastic for everyone on the team and for the community, and it’s definitely the most fun and exciting project I’ve ever worked on, however it’s also a hell of a lot of work for us to put it all into a GitBook!
That said, we’ve managed to get enough information together in a (mostly) cohesive manner to publish our first iteration of the GitBook live, so here it is;
You’ll notice there are a few pages still awaiting content, and without being too much of a filthy teaser we can assure you that there are still a whole lot of pages to come, we’re just not giving away all our secrets quite yet :)
Marketing and BCU content
Now that we’re getting closer to the release of the BUSTA CRASH game and the full product suite that is the BUSTA platform, we’ve started making considerable progress on the marketing front
We mentioned in a previous article that the team has grown — specifically in the marketing department. We’ve got a solid plan in place for getting the word out about BUSTA with a decent size crew and budget behind it. Week by week we’re generating more and more content to put out there into the crypto/iGaming-sphere, and we’re super proud of what’s being created
Beyond that, you might have started noticing some more visuals and Banalien themed content popping up here and there. This stuff is more than just pretty visuals… it’s all part of the ever-expanding BCU, or “Banalien Cryptomatic Universe”!
From the beginning we knew we were building something unique, but we decided to take it to the next level by creating our own entire universe of content to connect with the core platform and games to make the whole experience more immersive and entertaining. You’ll soon be hearing about the adventures of myself — Neil ApeStrong, the Banaliens and their home planet of Peelion Four, and the dastardly Lord Ruggit and his cohort of no-good evil-doers..
Along with their regular duties, our talented designers just love spending any down-time creating amazing new artwork for the BCU. On top of that, some of our core team members actually write sci-fi in their spare time, now that’s pretty cool :)
Coin King | Banalien & Howard the Coin Appraiser | Star Strider
Sneak Peek and Dev Notes
As progress on the game and expanded ecosystem continues, we’re starting to get more cool stuff we can show you. So here’s a curated sneak peek at the game UI, rocket animation, and AMM wireframe, followed by the highly sought after dev notes. Keep in mind the images and video are all of work in progress and will change as we progress through development.
BUSTA CRASH Animation
BUSTA CRASH Mobile
Wireframe AMM Desktop
AMM Desktop
AMM Mobile
# Sprint 5
Goal: Complete the funds manager, get authentication working, and pay down some technical debt so that we can maintain a fast pace of development
Funds manager is completed, making the game 100% playable (with fake BNB… for now 😇)
Players can authenticate with MetaMask, place bets, and see their winnings go up (or down, depending on how well they play 😁)
Design is now fully responsive, sporting a sleek and comfortable UI for desktops, tablets, and mobile phones
Players can now pre-enter their bet amount for the next game round, so that they can plan out their strategy while the game is in progress
Improved the MetaMask connect experience for players
Laid early foundations for affiliate referrals
Refactored backend architecture and improved code coverage. Automated tests are like brakes on a car; they help you go faster safely… and we are zoomin’ 😎
# Sprint 6
Goal: Add support for depositing and withdrawing tokens on BSC testnet, improve auth security and player QoL
Upcoming AMAs
BOSS CRYPTO
08:00 Monday 5th July (UTC)
MULTICHAIN APES
00:00 Wednesday 7th July (UTC)
And don’t forget….
BUSTA
🌏 Website: https://busta.gg
📡 Twitter: https://twitter.com/BUSTA_GameFi
👽 Medium: https://bustaofficial.medium.com
📙 Gitbook: https://docs.busta.gg
💬 Affiliate Referral: https://dapp.busta.gg/referral
📺 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/BUSTA-YOUTUBE
🤖 TG Announce: https://t.me/BUSTA_OFFICIAL_ANNOUNCEMENTS
🏆 TG Quiz: https://t.me/BUSTA_QUIZ
🌊 Ecosystem Flow Chart: https://tinyurl.com/BUSTA-FLOWCHART | https://medium.com/@bustaofficial/bustabnb-official-update-968be069bd6c | [] | 2021-08-09 02:45:34.456000+00:00 | ['Cryptocurrency', 'Binance', 'Defi', 'Binance Smart Chain', 'Crypto'] |
About the hours spent outdoors | A picture I took on the same day mentioned in the story.
On a winter morning in late December, I woke up to the sunlight in my bedroom. Living in a part of the world where winter means either snowy days or rainy, if not then cloudy. Clear skies are a very rare sight. Having seen the sun after weeks, I woke up instantly and sat in the corner of the room which maximized my exposure to these bright scorching rays. I had returned from a trip a day earlier, despite this, I took my phone and messaged the first people in my mind, to go for a hike. Meanwhile, I dressed in my sports-wear and went for a walk outside. The heat I felt in my room was a deception, outside was as cold as yesterday, but at least the sun was out.
The sun’s light had brought in me a sense of happiness, joy and excitement. I didn’t do anything but walk around in the vicinity of my home, taking in all the cold winds and the beautiful sun. Listening to the downtown traffic I just walked uninterruptedly, blessing the goodness the day brought with it.
My happiness didn’t last very long, the clouds were back and the sun was shadowed for the rest of the day. Lucky for me, that I stepped out of my home as quickly as I could of waking up and I could steal some minutes for myself in the bright sunny hour. Before Vancouver, I have lived in places where sunlight was abundant but rains were scarce, I used to behave the same every time it rained. I would run out and just dance and play in the rain.
On another occasion this year, when the city was in lockdown as a defense mechanism against Covid-19. I had stepped out for some chores which involved going farther than usual distance. The simple act of walking to places, collecting mail from the post-office was so therapeutic. Back in 2019, I would have hated to go to a post office but this time it was a privilege. The amount of time I spend outdoors, walking, jogging, cycling, shopping forms the biggest part of my life. Some holidays, if I decide to stay in, end of the day, my state of mind rots. I wonder what it is about the outdoors, seeing new human faces, inhaling fresh oxygen, feeling the rawness of the weather on your skin, dressing up or it is just me. Such a basic act, yet the biggest privilege. | https://medium.com/@mehakaushik/about-the-hours-spent-outdoors-d9294ded9093 | ['Meha Kaushik'] | 2020-12-26 03:02:36.938000+00:00 | ['Emotions', 'Feelings', 'Outdoors', 'Life'] |
Lay the Groundwork for Organizational Learning | While the responsibility to learn belongs to each person, not to the organization, it is the responsibility of the organization to create an environment in which this can happen. Collective learning is needed to make an impact towards meaningful and lasting change.
For this, an organization must understand that individual change is a learning process. They must play a significant role in facilitating and enabling people undergoing change to learn as quickly and effectively as possible. Consider: How can I make my teams more innovative? How can I get them to really take on more responsibilities and be more autonomous? It’s necessary, assuming survival is necessary, to implement the competence of continuous learning to better prepare your people for change and to ensure organizational growth.
There are no magic wands to implement the organizational learning needed to transform your teams. However, there are several key areas of focus and specific actions that can be taken to lay the groundwork for a successful journey.
(Since I am going to cover a lot of information and tasks, I formatted this as a bulleted list to help make it more digestible.)
Identify Knowledge and Skills
The growth of the whole group will emerge as a spontaneous consequence of individual growth. And the baseline for that growth is directed and controlled by managers. It is their responsibility to focus on “managing the system” and making sure that all people have the necessary skills to achieve what we expect of them:
Evaluate the existing knowledge and skill level on an individual basis and collectively as a team.
Measure their performance.
Identify the necessary competencies for each team.
Identify the gap between the level of development that each team member has in each of these competencies and the level required in your organization.
Clearly define what makes your teams competent. Aim to structure your teams using a T-shaped competence model. Optimized teams include profiles with a high level of specialization, but with sufficient cross-cutting knowledge to be able to add value to other teams and other challenges (elimination of micro- or specialization silos).
Help each person be more productive by providing training actions that are specific to their needs. Define personalized, clear, and achievable learning paths. Help your people choose the best growth journey, but leave room for learning in other disciplines that might become of interest to the person and/or team.
Create an Environment that Fosters Learning
Focus on creating an environment that contributes to the effectiveness of learning and speed at which the learning is applied. An environment that enables learning and individual growth will provide the foundation to develop a continuous learning model for your organization.
Eliminate the fear of error. Enabling people to learn new ways of working in an organizational context is more successful if done in a safe environment that allows failure. Daring to change is easier when we are not afraid to fail. Hence the concept of ‘experimenting’. Experimentation in a safe environment is an inexhaustible source of learning. When faced with complexity, experiments are the only way to gain valuable insight to determine if what you are doing is right or wrong. Plus, if what you were doing was wrong, the impact to the business is minimal since you were “testing”. One of the best things about testing is that we can use experiments for any kind of change, including cultural changes.
Enabling people to learn new ways of working in an organizational context is more successful if done in a safe environment that allows failure. Daring to change is easier when we are not afraid to fail. Hence the concept of ‘experimenting’. Experimentation in a safe environment is an inexhaustible source of learning. When faced with complexity, experiments are the only way to gain valuable insight to determine if what you are doing is right or wrong. Plus, if what you were doing was wrong, the impact to the business is minimal since you were “testing”. One of the best things about testing is that we can use experiments for any kind of change, including cultural changes. Encourage peer learning. The ability to learn from someone else’s similar experience is powerful. Establishing an open form of communication between the people in your organization and across departments will provide a place for them to not only learn from others, but also to share and teach others. An organization that shares is an organization that doesn’t stop growing.
The ability to learn from someone else’s similar experience is powerful. Establishing an open form of communication between the people in your organization and across departments will provide a place for them to not only learn from others, but also to share and teach others. An organization that shares is an organization that doesn’t stop growing. Training actions must be “pull” and just-in-time. Develop a system that allows people the option to “demand” the training they need to improve their skills, in the moment that they really need it (just in time).
Develop a system that allows people the option to “demand” the training they need to improve their skills, in the moment that they really need it (just in time). Change how you use feedback. Instead of an annual event, encourage feedback as an on-going conversation between not only levels of management, but between the team members themselves.
Instead of an annual event, encourage feedback as an on-going conversation between not only levels of management, but between the team members themselves. Make transversal collaboration spaces available. If you want people to collaborate, give them the space to do so!
If you want people to collaborate, give them the space to do so! Start making data-driven decisions instead of making decisions based on assumptions. The first step in this is to make the data available to the people making decisions. My co-worker, Alfred, shares more on this in his Keep Your Eyes on the Data to Make Better Business Decisions article.
Implement Levers to Stimulate and Encourage Learning
Levers help to create an environment where organizational learning is possible and to facilitate the adoption of change. Let’s take a minute to look at a few of these levers and how they can be, well, leveraged.
Place Change Agents throughout the organization to promote and encourage others to change by framing the change as desirable, real, and achievable. Change Agents can emerge from any area of the business, at any level. The most important characteristics of a Change Agent are:
For more on how to become a Super Change Agent, each of the characteristics, and an infographic, see my Alfred’s article: The Super Change Agent: Making Change Contagious.
Encourage continuous challenge of the status quo. I recommend approaching challenges with an Observe, Challenge, and Experiment cycle:
Observe your environment, ask questions, and go deep into the reasoning for why your organization works the way you do.
Challenge the status-quos, make proposals, think about different ways of working and evolving.
Conduct experiments (in a safe environment) and measure the results, observe the outcome, and decide from there. If it worked, embrace that change and scale. And if it didn´t work, nothing happens. You were in a safe environment. Try a new experiment!
Training is a valuable lever to introduce and promote new behaviors or ways of working. As the training is implemented, change will continue to take place every day. However, training alone is not enough; it is important that any organizational change includes aspects to prevent the impact of training from being diluted over time. Some of these levers could be:
Ensure that the training is not just a one-shot, but that there are more opportunities over time to refresh and expand knowledge. Develop training programs that cover a long period of time (several months).
Offer coaching and mentoring to help solve difficulties encountered when applying changes.
Like we talked about above, this also helps create an environment of continuous learning; there are many benefits to sharing knowledge!
Build (or Adopt) a Framework to Facilitate Change
Building a Change Framework for your organization is an important element to ensure change is constantly happening and that the efforts you make are actually being implemented and improved upon. Additionally, a framework for change will influence you to consider how to measure progress of your organizational learning transformation from the beginning. Select the KPIs that will allow you to monitor both the execution and the impact on your organization.
We used the frameworks and elements of each listed below to develop our NextB Change Framework. These are a great place to start when developing your own framework (… or we can always help!)
The Kotter Model promotes a common vision and strategy to guide you towards change.
Establish a coalition for change made up of different areas and levels of responsibility within the hierarchy.
Define and communicate the vision.
Recruit volunteers for change.
Focus on producing quick wins by generating and maintaining an inertia of change.
Lean Change Management helps to ensure flexibility and learning by encouraging experimentation to validate hypotheses and learn continuously through proven techniques and practices.
Collaborative techniques and tools for the agile definition of change.
Approach based on experimentation and learning.
Focus on cultural change.
Agile Change Management uses an agile structure to drive the understanding of your problem or customer need and determine the best approach to change.
Agile structures drive change.
Structure change based on increments.
Adaptive benefit-oriented approach.
Systems Thinking is based on the idea to always consider the relationship of each component to the whole system.
Know how to identify the parts of the system and their interdependencies.
Always look at the system as a whole.
Don’t apply isolated solutions, because everything is connected.
Nurture the environment to enable learning, and change will emerge in complex systems.
Generate reinforcement cycles.
Time
Even though I’ll spend the least amount of time on this characteristic, it is the most important: time. Without time, all of the other characteristics (defined learning paths, an environment that encourages learning, effective levers in place, and a robust learning framework) are irrelevant. People HAVE to be allotted the time to learn, experiment, innovate, and continuously improve. Organizations need to make time a priority.
Time is tight. Use it in way that matters. Use it to learn. Because there is no change without learning. #alwalyslearning
Thank you,
-Belen | https://medium.com/@netmind-empoweringdigitalteams/lay-the-groundwork-for-organizational-learning-70960ab0991 | [] | 2020-12-02 16:21:40.385000+00:00 | ['Change Framework', 'Change Management', 'Collective Learning', 'Organizational Learning'] |
New National Space Policy Drives American Leadership in Space Commerce | New National Space Policy Drives American Leadership in Space Commerce
Originally published on Diaz Trade Law Blog
Co-Authored by Sharath Patil
National Space Policy Unveiled
On December 9, 2020, the White House released the National Space Policy of the United States of America. Among other objectives, the policy seeks to drive U.S. leadership in space commerce by encouraging the cultivation of U.S. industrial capacity in space innovation.
The new policy seeks to develop and protect the U.S. space industrial base by committing to:
Strengthen U.S. technological leadership in space-related technology
Enhance capabilities for assured access to space
Safeguard space components of critical infrastructure
Maintain and enhance space-based position, navigation, and timing systems
Develop and retain space professionals
Improve space system development and procurement
Strengthen interagency and commercial partnerships
Commerce Department Secretary Wilbur Ross said, “This new National Space Policy reflects the emergence of space commerce as a driving force for positive change in our economic and national security, contributing to America’s leadership in commercial space. The policy sets the stage for American businesses to thrive domestically and compete internationally as the global space economy grows into a trillion dollar market over the next two decades.”
Speaking at the National Space Council in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Vice President Mike Pence discussed the threats posed by China and Russia to U.S. strategic interests in space:
“…China and Russia are continuing to develop space weaponry. Russia demonstrated a space-based anti-satellite weapon earlier this year. China is developing a new manned space station, and its robotic spacecraft will return samples from the Moon in just a matter of weeks. In fact, China is increasingly emerging as a serious competitor in space, just as they are in other areas of the global economy and to the strategic interest of the United States.”
Vice-President Pence’s announcement coincided with the U.S. Space Force (“USSF”) announcing on its one-year anniversary that it has decided a moniker for U.S. military service members serving in that new branch: guardians. In a press release, the USSF said: “The opportunity to name a force is a momentous responsibility. Guardians is a name with a long history in space operations, tracing back to the original command motto of Air Force Space Command in 1983, ‘Guardians of the High Frontier.’”
This space policy is part of a series of actions of by the Trump administration focused on developing and protecting key critical industries. In recent weeks, the administration has also released a national strategy for promoting and protecting critical technologies, and the U.S. Bureau of Industry & Security is currently seeking comments on strengthening the public health industrial base.
Export Opportunities Abound
Boundless opportunities exist for U.S. businesses when they export their products and services to foreign markets. In fact, over 95% of the world’s consumers are located outside of the United States. Opportunities are particularly plentiful in the space economy. As Secretary Ross identified — the global space economy will grow into a trillion dollar market over the next two decades. The aerospace, defense, and space industry is particularly impactful in Florida and the Washington, DC area economies. According to Enterprise Florida, Florida exports more than $7.2 billion in aviation and defense goods annually. Meanwhile, companies in the Washington, DC / Northern Virginia (many of which are in the defense and aerospace industry) received $80 billion in federal procurement awards in FY 2019.
Export Compliance
Although export opportunities abound, U.S. companies in the space industry should have a process in place to ensure they diligently and effectively comply with U.S. export control laws under the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) and the U.S. State Department’s International Traffic in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”). A foundation of export compliance is developing an effective export compliance plan and holding regular export compliance training opportunities for your employees.
Contact Us
Diaz Trade Law has extensive experience in export compliance. We can help you develop or improve your export compliance plan, regularly train your employees, vet proposed transactions to ensure they do not violate U.S. export control laws, and develop a personalized export report card from your Automated Commercial Environment (“ACE”) data to ensure that you are proactive about your export and Customs compliance. Diaz Trade Law is also fully equipped during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide engaging online training. If you have questions about export compliance or any other trade or customs matter, reach out to us at [email protected] or call us at 305–456–3830. | https://medium.com/@info-56826/new-national-space-policy-drives-american-leadership-in-space-commerce-86315edf143a | ['Diaz Trade Law'] | 2020-12-30 19:06:41.018000+00:00 | ['Best Practices', 'Export', 'Trade', 'Import', 'International'] |
Voorhees Summer Twilight series kicks off next week | Voorhees Summer Twilight series kicks off next week
The 52nd Street Band will take the stage next Thursday.
The first show in the township’s 2018 Summer Twilight Series will be on Thursday, June 21, and will feature The 52nd Street Band, a six-piece ensemble recreating the performances of arguably the greatest rock and roll keyboard player ever, the Piano Man, Billy Joel.
The 52nd Street Band has become the ultimate tribute to the music of Billy Joel. The show is free and starts at 7:30 p.m. on the “Great Lawn” at Connolly Park.
A beer garden and food trucks will open at 6:30 p.m.
For more information, visit www.voorheesnj.com or call the show hot line at (856) 882-SHOW. | https://medium.com/the-voorhees-sun/voorhees-summer-twilight-series-kicks-off-next-week-7a5fb65a1058 | ['Grace Maiorano'] | 2018-06-16 16:01:00.864000+00:00 | ['Music', 'New Jersey'] |
Mastering Online & Virtual Meetings | Mastering Online & Virtual Meetings
What Gear to Buy, How to Set It Up, & How To Look Your Best
It feels like this a lot, doesn’t it?
This piece will provide you with some of the best tools and practices to help anchor your virtual meetings whether you’re a teacher, a manager, a technologist, or just a good worker bee. The goal is to set you up for success and to make you feel like you’ve mastered all of the basics and intermediate skills when it comes to being in front of a computer with a camera. So… let’s dig in!
The technology you own and use matters. So does the way you set it up. So let’s talk about what products you should consider owning AND how best to use it. Without further delay… let’s dive into the hardware.
THE HARDWARE TO USE
I’ll only focus on gear that’s affordable, portable, easy to set up, and fits on your desktop. If you were to buy all of the products I recommend here, you’d invest a total of about $200. That’s it. If you’re on a tight budget, I encourage you to view this gear as a reasonable investment to further your career and help you stand out from the crowd when it comes to virtual teaching, coaching, or facilitation. If cost is an issue, you can often find these products used or refurbished and in great condition. Also, consider using any professional development funds offered by your school to make the purchase.
Your Camera
First Choice Camera: Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920 — about $100
While the webcam on your Mac or PC might suffice for basic chats with friends and family, you’ll want a camera that works in full high-definition video (also known as 1080p) if you’re teaching, facilitating, managing, or counseling online. Go with what tens of thousands of people have reviewd as one of the best webcams on the planet: the C920 series from Logitech. It’s one of the most affordable options to make your image look crisp and professional. It sells currently for between $75-$125. It clips to the top of your laptop or desktop monitor. Most importantly, it’s one of the most beloved and well-reviewed webcams on the market. I use this model personally and LOVE IT.
2nd Choice Camera: the Amcrest 1080p webcam — about $40.
For less than HALF the cost of the Logitech, you can still get a great high-definition camera that’s amazing. I got my hands on one of these last week and am very impressed. Even the microphone it has on board is pretty decent.
Your Camera Setup
Whatever camera you decide to use, you’ll need to ensure that you’ve set it up correctly. Your camera should always be at eye level and not above or below you. That prevents others from virtually looking down at you (awkward) or virtually looking up at you (also, awkward).
That might mean that you need to put your laptop or desktop monitor on a stack of books so that it’s right at your eye-level. If that’s what it takes: do it. That immediate face-level interaction will help put others on your video calls at ease on a subconscious level.
Your Lighting
1st Choice Lighting: Mactrem 6 inch Selfie Ring Light — about $18
Making sure that you are well-lit is essential, even with the most expensive camera system. This low-cost but super effective lighting setup comes with an adjustable tripod, which most lighting rigs do NOT include. That means, you can place it on the desk next to you, adjust it to the right height, and then illuminate your face from the correct angle. Even better, the lights come pre-programmed with three lighting modes: white, warm yellow, and warm white. Pick a mode, then pick a brightness setting, and away you go! There are other fun gadgets that come with this setup, but you may or may not need a cellphone holder or remote control.
Your Lighting Setup
Light from in front, never from behind. That means you should always avoid having a window or bright light directly behind you. Instead, ensure that the brightest light sources in the room are in front of you. This might mean you need to reorient your office. Do it! Why not have a makeover?! Balance your light. The lighting rig I’ve recommended allows you to dial up the brightness AND the color to your choosing. That means humans of any skin tone can reliably ensure that they look good on camera. Watch your light position. Just like with your camera, your lights should be at the same level as your face, not above and most definitely not below! That way, you’ll avoid having large shadows behind you.
Your Sound
Your “In-Ear” Purchase: Anker Liberty Air 2 Earbuds — about $100
Many of us use wired headphones on our computers and smartphones. Having one or more wires hanging off our heads might be fine if we’re listening to music or on a traditional phone call, but if we’re on video, it looks awkward and unprofessional.
More importantly, being tethered to our computers with a wire prevents us from moving too far away from our computers. In my virtual classes, I almost always have my students get up out of their seats to do physical work with me, so being connected with a wire makes that impossible.
While I use a pair of expensive Apple AirPods Pro to connect me to my computer, you can skip the luxury tax and grab a pair of well-reviewed and affordable wireless earbuds like Anker’s. At $100 new (or $80 used), these earbuds are easy to pair with your computer or smartphone, sound great and do NOT cost $240 like Apple’s AirPods Pro.
Your “Over-Ear” Purchase: Plantronics BackBeat FIT 500 — about $99
Some of you absolutely cannot or will not use earbuds or in-ear stereo headphones for any of the usual reasons: they’re uncomfortable, don’t fit, etc. For those of you who seek an affordable over-the-ear set of wireless headphones, this pair by Plaintronics is very well-reviewed by The Wirecutter as well as having hundreds of positive ratings on Amazon. They’re sweat proof and should feel super comfy. Buy them new or refurbished (at $54) to save some extra funds!
Your Sound Setup: Pairing.
“Pairing” is the process of connecting your Bluetooth devices to your smartphone or computer. Both Plantronics BackBeat and the Anker Liberty Air 2 can be paired to two devices, which is awesome. That means you can use them to take calls on your smartphone AND use them for virtual meetings on your computer.
However, just remember: always pair your new sound device to your computer FIRST. | https://medium.com/swlh/mastering-online-virtual-meetings-578c7012f22d | ['David Koff'] | 2020-10-14 23:11:00.837000+00:00 | ['How To', 'Technology', 'Education', 'Community', 'Tech'] |
What is Serverless Microservices? | Microservices and Serverless architecture has been gaining a lot of traction in the recent past. While Microservices ensure fault isolation, continuous development & deployment, and manages codebase seamlessly; Serverless architecture takes care of infra, server, and cost optimization.
Although, both the architectures serve a different purpose, at a different level of development, they can be combined to have a performance-oriented solution, which is optimized for cost and infra efficiency. The architecture thus developed is known as serverless microservices.
What is the serverless microservices approach to development? What are the benefits of going serverless? What’s the difference between microservices and serverless? The later segment introduces you to serverless microservices architecture and its surefire benefits for software development.
What is Microservices Architecture?
Microservices is a modular approach to software development. Herein, the software is divided into an independent group of components that run each application process as a service. Microservices enables continuous delivery and deployment of large, complex applications. Because the size of service is quite small and loosely coupled, it is easy to test the service and deploy it faster, without affecting the rest of the services or application.
Another reason why Microservices is one of the major trends in the software development domain is improved fault isolation. Even if a service misbehaves or fails, the rest of the services will stay unaffected and will continue to receive /respond to user requests.
Microservices architecture eliminates dependency on a specific technology (languages or frameworks) to build an application. Thus, updating or rewriting service with different technology is possible.
READ MORE: Benefits of Microservices over Monolithic Architecture
What is Serverless Architecture?
Serverless, often referred to as serverless application is the one that doesn’t require you to provision or manage any servers. This shifts the focus on the core product and business logic instead of responsibilities like OS access control, right-sizing, provisioning, scaling and availability. When you opt for serverless architecture for software, the cloud service provider (AWS, Azure, GCP) manages these responsibilities for you.
In a traditional approach, you keep paying for dedicated cloud servers, even if they are running idle or not serving any traffic. And because you want to keep the application up and running, turning-off the servers is certainly not an option which ultimately adds up to the operational cost.
What is Serverless Microservices?
Consider an eCommerce platform built using Microservices. Different services, such as product catalogue, cart service, order management, payment etc. will work individually. While the traffic on website/app remains consistent in usual days, it shoots up during the sale days.
In this case, instead of managing the infrastructure, services, or servers to take the load and deal with continuous fluctuations, the better solution is to opt for a serverless architecture.
Relying upon serverless solution means your cloud service provider will take care of scaling the platform as the demand strikes. Also, you have to pay only for the services that are used by the customer on the platform. That means, no need to waste resources on services that aren’t used by the visitors on a website.
Planning to Rearchitect your Software Application?
So far, you must have acknowledged the benefits of adopting a serverless microservices architecture. If you’re planning to modernize your legacy software or build a new one following this development approach, connect to our cloud expert, Gaurav Sharma to know more. | https://medium.com/@daffodilsw/what-is-serverless-microservices-6ab0468a2517 | ['Daffodil Software'] | 2020-12-16 09:08:34.352000+00:00 | ['Software Architecture'] |
Yule Log It! | by Meredith Fay Lovelace
Why did I start making yule logs? Because they are hilarious. (Bûche de Noëls, on the other hand, are beautiful, French, and fine and not hilarious at all.) The idea of taking this wonderfully airy, yellow sponge cake, a delicate whipped filling and a rich, decadent chocolate frosting, and turning it all into a cake make to look like a rotting log covered in fungus is simply one of the most marvelous holiday traditions of all time. If you aren’t dead on your feet yet (if so, sorry! Just skip ahead to the drink at the bottom of the page!), grab your friends, and log away.
***
What You Need:
Non Food:
— 1 15” X 10” X Whatever Pan. (Most yule log recipes insist on a 15” X 10” X 1” sheet — commonly called a jelly roll pan, but as a founding member of No More Baking Pans of Annual Use — lookin’ at you, Bundt cake — I call bull on this. Regular roasting or lasagna pans are the same length and width, just maybe an inch or two taller AND you can buy cheap, disposable aluminum versions of them.)
— 1 Very Clean Dish Towel
— 1 Electric Mixer (There is a lot of stirring in this recipe. You may be dumb and stubborn like me and want to hand whisk everything, but it’s nearly 2013 and your wrists are precious to you.)
Optional Non-Food:
— 1–3 Friends/Roommates/Loving Companions Standing Around (For decorating/holding the electric mixer while you refill your drink.)
— A holiday soundtrack, (Look, by the time you’re making a yule log, you’ve gone All In on the Holidays. I recommend this one by my friend Joel.)
— A Drink (See below for recipe. Is it a party now? I think so!)
Actual Food:
Cake:
— 3 Eggs + 1 Egg Yolk
— 1 Cup Sugar
— ½ Cup Cold Water
— 1 Cup All Purpose Flour (If you have it lying around, use cake flour, but don’t add the baking powder.)
- 1 tsp. Baking Powder
— ¼ Tsp. Salt
— ½ Tsp. Vanilla
— ½ Cup Powdered Sugar
Optional:
— A Dash of Grand Marnier If That’s Lying Around Because Hey, It’s The Holidays
Filling:
— 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
— 2 Scant Tbsps. of Instant Espresso (Instant coffee works as well, but I like the finer grain of espresso.)
— 2 Heaping Tsps. of Sugar
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
— ⅓ Cup Unsweetened Baking Cocoa
— ½ stick Unsalted Butter (Always unsalted with baking! I will fight you on this!)
— 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
— 1 Tsp. of Vanilla
— 2 Tsps. of hot coffee
1. Are you listening to me? Do you hear my low, Okie-accent tinged voice in your head as you read this? Okay, here it is: PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 350 DEGREES. (And now you never have to think about it again!) Also get your half cup of water and pour it over ice and stick it in the freezer, along with an empty mixing bowl.
2. Now get your pan out and line it with foil or parchment paper, then spray that down with baking spray. Yes, you’re essentially double-bagging your cake sheet, because that’s how irritating shaking an upside-down pan until your cake comes half way out and then breaks is.
3. Crack the three eggs + 1 yolk into the bowl (suggestion for the extra egg white: half a batch of meringue mushrooms for final decorations), and beat with the mixer for five minutes. See why I told you to buy an electric mixer? Also right now is great for when you grab those nearby people I suggested and get them to either mix you up a drink or pass off the bowl while you make one yourself. Hard work, I know. The eggs should be this lovely, daffodil yellow and really thick by this point. Beat in, on low speed, your 1 cup sugar until completely mixed in, then gradually pour in your ice water from the freezer (see first paragraph!) and vanilla (and optional booze, of course!). Keep blending until it’s all consistently smooth and one color. Gradually add flour, baking powder, and salt until totally smooth. Pour the batter into your double bagged pan, tipping it this way and that until evenly spread to all corners.
4. Place cake pan into oven (oh, that’s where it goes!) and let it bake for about 13 minutes, and with 12 of those minutes, you can dance to three songs, watch someone else smoke a cigarette, check basketball scores, or call your mom and let her be SO proud of you for making such a complicated cake! (Her words, not mine.)
4.5 But before that final minute, lay down your Very Clean Dish Towel, and sprinkle your ½ cup powdered sugar all over it. Rub it around, covering every inch of the towel surface with the sugar. And like that, the time should go off on your cake. Take a knife and run it around the edges of the pan, and immediately invert the cake onto the prepared dish towel. Remove pan. It should look like the following image.
5. And now what you’re going to do, in front of your very impressed audience (they will be, watch), is take the short end of the towel and then start rolling up that towel — with the cake — like a carpet. Do it with great confidence. And boom! Rolled up cake in a towel! To remain perfectly moist until ready by which I mean 30 minutes until cool at least!
6. Take your chilled bowl out of the freezer, pour in your cup of heavy whipping cream and two tablespoons of sugar. Beat with your electric mixer until you can tell it’s thickening. Add your instant espresso or coffee and continue to beat until it’s very, very stiff. You know, like whipped cream. Put the whipped cream back in the fridge until you’re done/cake is cool.
7. In another bowl (a lot of dishes are used in this! But hey, don’t you have people just standing around? Tell them to get scrubbing if they want cake), we start our buttercream frosting. Beat your baking cocoa and unsalted butter on low until 2 become 1. Beat your powdered sugar into the frosting mix with the bowl pointed away from your face. You know why, Mrs. Doubtfire. Stir in vanilla and hot coffee until smooth and very, very, tantalizingly frosting-y. Put into fridge until needed.
8. By now, either your cake is cool enough for the filling and frosting, or else you can do one of things I listed above. So, unroll your cake from the towel and spread the whipped cream filling on. Leave either a half-inch border filling-less, or darn, eat whatever filling oozes out if you don’t. Roll back up without the towel.
9. Now you’re going to make your little log stump! It’s the cutest thing about this entire process! And so easy: Just diagonally cut off two inches of your log.
10. Now attach it back on to the side of your log with your buttercream, like you’d trowel mortar to a brick (I guess, I’ve never built my own wall. You should write that article), until it looks appropriately log-like.
11. Frost the whole thing with the rest of your frosting, reminding yourself that unlike most social situations, you can never lay it on too thick.
12. Now it’s up to you. Either stuff yourself with cake immediately or continue the process of making your log cake the most loggish it can be. I have the following suggestions for decorations:
1. The aforementioned meringue mushrooms.
2. Flaky chocolate bark.
3. Edible leaves (lemon, grape, etc.) dipped in chocolate.
4. Chopped pistachios used to simulate mold (hahaha, I love this cake so much).
BONUS DRINKS
Here’s my new favorite recipe that I got from my step-mother, but a little Googling tells me it originates from NYC bartender Phil Ward. You may not need it while baking the cake, but oh man, are you gonna love it when you’re done.
THE COOPER UNION:
(Optional) Rinse glass with Scotch
Then:
Pour into an ice filled shaker:
— 2 oz Irish whiskey
— ½ oz plus a touch more St. Germain
— Dash of Orange Bitters
Strain into tumbler filled with ice. Garnish a lemon peel (Oops, no lemon? Guess you’ll just have to drink it then.)
Previously: How to Throw a Shrimp Boil.
Meredith Fay Lovelace spelled meringue the following ways while writing this article: maringge, merange, muringue. She is a cartographer in Austin by day and a tipsy baker by night. She irregularly updates her Tumblr here. | https://medium.com/the-hairpin/yule-log-it-76bb8f428e06 | ['The Hairpin'] | 2016-06-02 01:06:09.980000+00:00 | ['The Holidays', 'Booze', 'Christmas'] |
5 Brene Brown Quotes for Vulnerable Writing | 5 Brene Brown Quotes for Vulnerable Writing
‘Don’t try to win over the haters; you are not a jackass whisperer’
Photo by DESIGNECOLOGIST on Unsplash
“Take a deep breath and tell us your deepest, darkest secret, so we can wipe our brow and know that we’re not alone.” Alan Watts
I have a problem. It’s very difficult to be vulnerable when I write. This is the most vulnerable post I’ve ever done. It’s holding me back. It’s not an ego thing — I don’t think. It’s a terrifying feeling to bare my soul and expose it to the world. Recently, I’ve been really inspired by Medium and excellent writers who reveal everything in their work.
I even had an epiphany.
When scrolling down Medium, I often click on articles that have raw and honest titles. When a writer is vulnerable, I don’t feel sorry for them. I don’t feel embarrassed for them or think less of them.
On the contrary, I admire their strength and courage. I admire that they embrace who they are and share it unapologetically. I can’t think of a better example than Medium’s own Shannon Ashley. Most of the time, the vulnerable parts of her stories are the most relatable.
If I admire vulnerability in other writers, why am I so afraid of it? Vulnerable writers give me a small glimpse into their authentic being. To tell others of their “deep and darkest secrets” is an act of bravery.
It is in these moments of vulnerability that writers connect with the most fragile parts of their readers. It is this connection that transforms lives. This is my ultimate goal.
In anticipation of writing this post, I stumbled upon Jane Harkness’s post Why Vulnerability is a Writers Most Powerful Tool. In it, Jane says “Making yourself vulnerable as a writer might be your greatest struggle, but it will also be your most important tool.”
I wholeheartedly agree.
In my quest to become a vulnerable writer, I’ve sought the guidance of the expert — Mrs. Brené Brown. Here are her top 5 quotes I hope will inspire us all to be vulnerable in our writing.
“Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”
As writers, we are called upon to express emotions many can’t even articulate. The ones who reach deep within and unmask their feelings. The best writers are the ones who articulate their secrets fearlessly. Glennon Doyle is a prime example of a vulnerable author. She talks about addiction, mental illness, motherhood, and finding new love with a woman. In her literature, she leaves it all on the table.
No shame or regret.
Because of her honesty, she has captivated millions and continues to inspire authenticity in her readers. In the end, I hope to be brave enough to reach this level of authenticity. To be able to be open and exposed is the purest act of courage. Being brave in our stories will give us the unbridled freedom we all long for.
“Staying vulnerable is a risk we have to take if we want to experience connection.”
As writers, we are the biggest risk-takers. Writing requires us to face the unspeakable risk — the risk of rejection. No, we aren’t trading millions in stock or jumping out of a plane. Instead, we are exposing chapters in our life that were difficult, weak, vulnerable, and even dark.
All humans have these parts of themselves hidden beneath a facade, an ego, or an agenda. Not writers. I’ve realized being an authentic writer means embracing this risk. As a writer, we are called to expose ourselves and teach others the freedom of expressing yourself fully — flaws and all.
“Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we’re all in this together.”
Perfectionism is boring in life, and especially in writing. Those who pretend to be perfect get lost in a fake life. There was a point in my life where I would hide all my difficulties.
Me? Struggling? No way.
The more I shared my weaknesses and vulnerabilities with others, the more they would open up to me. This created meaningful connections. When we are vulnerable in our writing, we give readers the space to reflect and share their own struggles. The more we share our stories and lessons, the faster we realize we truly are in this together.
“Don’t try to win over the haters; you are not a jackass whisperer.”
Some of the thoughts that creep in my mind while writing are the following:
What if I offend someone?
What if someone disagrees and comments on it?
What if they think I’m wrong?
I’ve learned that to get anywhere in life, I have to stop caring about what others think. This is the cardinal rule of living authentically. Perhaps this has been keeping me from reaching my full potential as a writer. At the end of the day, I am not responsible for everybody’s happiness. People will disagree, criticize, and judge. There will also be people who will be inspired and supportive.
As writers, if we spend our time thinking of haters and of how others will receive our message — we will never fulfill our potential. Writing is an art and vulnerability is the message behind our art. It’s what captivates and transforms.
“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.”
Writing is an act of courage. Plain and simple. They say courage is not the absence of fear, but doing things despite fear. In that case, I will have to stop waiting until I’m fearless.
If writing is an act of courage, I will write even when I have fear. I will express myself fully despite my negative thoughts. I will choose authenticity over fear and connection over perfection.
Wish me luck! | https://medium.com/inspired-writer/5-brene-brown-quotes-for-vulnerable-writing-a69166312800 | ['Jessica A. Pedraza'] | 2020-09-16 10:25:45.995000+00:00 | ['Life Lessons', 'Writing Tips', 'Self', 'Writing', 'Writer'] |
Biden’s Tough-on-Crime Mantra Led to School ‘Militarization,’ Critics Say. Why His Legacy on Campus Cops Matters Ahead of the SC Primary | By Mark Keierleber
John Moore/Getty Images
Just one month after the worst K-12 school shooting in American history, then-Vice President Joe Biden held back tears as he addressed a nation mourning the 26 people killed, most of them young children.
“We have a moral obligation — a moral obligation — to do everything in our power to diminish the prospect that something like this could happen again,” Biden said of the 2012 school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. “The world has changed, and it’s demanding action.”
Part of that action, the Obama administration announced, was a plan to use millions of federal dollars to hire an additional 1,000 school-based police officers.
Several years later, campus officers returned to the national spotlight when a viral video showed a South Carolina sheriff’s deputy throwing a black student across a classroom. The incident prompted a national conversation on the presence of police in schools, particularly their disproportionate impact on students of color.
Now Biden is heading into a South Carolina primary in which black voters are viewed as crucial to his presidential aspirations. Once the front-runner in a crowded field of Democratic hopefuls, Biden needs a resounding victory Saturday after an unexpectedly weak showing in early voting states.
Biden’s pitch to voters includes a plan to bolster gun laws, including an assault rifle ban. Yet his plans make no mention of cops in schools, though he’s been a champion of their presence since long before the mass shooting at Sandy Hook. Biden’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
“I’m hard-pressed to find someone who has embraced law enforcement for as long as he has,” said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum. After Sandy Hook, Wexler and other law enforcement leaders met with Biden at the White House to discuss ways to prevent gun violence. “He likes cops and firefighters, so when he came into that meeting after Sandy Hook, it was like he knew most of the people in the room. He didn’t need to be introduced.”
While mass school shootings have led to a surge in campus police over the past few decades, evidence that such practices curb campus violence remains startlingly thin. Meanwhile, a growing body of research suggests their rapidly growing numbers have unintended consequences.
Judith Browne Dianis, executive director of the Advancement Project, blamed Biden’s efforts in the early 1990s for getting “the ball rolling” on school “militarization” and called on him to offer an explanation as he seeks the White House.
“All of these years later, now we know that in communities of color those cops are not there to protect and serve, but they are there for law and order purposes,” said Browne Dianis, whose Washington-based nonprofit focuses on racial justice issues. “White kids get protect and serve. Black and brown kids get law and order.”
Crime bill
By the time then-President Barack Obama tapped Biden to lead his post-Sandy Hook gun safety task force, the vice president’s reputation in law enforcement was well established. As a senator from Delaware, Biden steered significant criminal justice legislation, with support for school police going back decades.
In 1990, Biden became the key author of the Gun-Free School Zones Act, which outlawed firearm possession on campuses. Four years later, he championed the most expansive law enforcement legislation in U.S. history. That law, signed by then-President Bill Clinton and generally known as the 1994 crime bill, included the Violence Against Women Act, funds for firearm background checks and a now-expired assault-rifle ban.
It also created the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services — known simply as the COPS Office — to distribute billions of dollars in federal money to hire thousands of police officers, including in schools. A second Clinton initiative, created in response to the 1999 school shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado, provided funds for thousands of additional school-based officers. Since its inception, the COPS Office has spent about $1 billion on campus safety efforts, primarily on school resource officers.
The initiatives came after decades in which very few campuses had any police presence. In the 1970s, just 1 percent of schools were staffed by police. By the 2015–16 school year, 43 percent of public K-12 schools — and 71 percent of high schools — had armed law enforcement officers on campus, according to federal data.
When federal grants lapsed under the George W. Bush administration, Biden offered a stern warning. In a 2006 press release, he argued in the face of scant evidence that the program had been successful in preventing school violence. “It is incumbent on the federal government to support programs that work — and this one does when funded — especially when the fate of America’s young people is on the line,” he said.
But those federal grants came with unintended consequences, according to a recent study published by the University of Texas at Austin. Federal funds to hire school resource officers in Texas school districts were associated with a 6 percent increase in disciplinary rates among middle school students, a change driven by low-level violations, with the largest increases among black children, according to the report. Meanwhile, the grants were associated with a 2.5 percent drop in high school graduation rates and a 4 percent decline in college enrollment rates.
Though overall federal aid for school police trails local spending, investment from Washington “sends a message that this is the approach that local governments should be taking,” said Sarah Hinger, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Racial Justice Program. School shootings are statistically rare, and federal data indicate that campuses have become safer in recent years, but the anxiety they cause frequently fuels public policy.
Parents want to know “that there’s something being done in a quick and immediate way,” Hinger said, and investment in law enforcement “seems like an easy and ready place to say, ‘We’re doing something.’”
Since the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, the COPS Office has spent more than $50 million on school safety initiatives, most of it on security technology like surveillance cameras and panic alarms.
Then-Vice President Joe Biden meets with officials from sportsmen’s, wildlife and gun interest groups in 2013. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
The task force
In the wake of Sandy Hook, Biden turned once again to the federal COPS Office as part of a broad response to preventing further carnage.
As chairman of a White House task force on gun violence, Biden held hours of meetings with leaders from hundreds of organizations, from the American Federation of Teachers to the National Rifle Association. He also sought advice from Mike Bloomberg, Biden’s rival for the Democratic nomination, who has faced his own criticism for aggressive law enforcement policies as mayor of New York City.
In a “very emotional, intense conversation” at the White House, Wexler of the Police Executive Research Forum said Biden “recognized how law enforcement could be an ally.”
In the end, Biden’s work informed Obama’s wide-reaching response to Sandy Hook, which included four legislative proposals and 23 executive actions, including an expansive overhaul to federal gun laws.
Barbara Boxer, then a Democratic senator from California, took credit for the proposal to expand the ranks of school police, telling the Washington Post at the time that Biden was “very, very interested” in the idea.
Boxer declined to be interviewed, but a spokeswoman said the former senator believes the long-term answer to gun violence is “to pass sensible gun laws.” Until then, she said, Boxer believes it’s “important to make sure our school campuses are safer.”
On the right, the National Rifle Association criticized the administration for rejecting a proposal to station armed guards at every school, calling Obama an “elitist hypocrite” because his daughters had Secret Service protection at school.
But the administration also faced criticism from civil rights groups like the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which issued a report arguing that proposals to hire more school police simply “satisfy our desire to appear secure” by relying on the theory that “the only way to keep us safe from guns is to have more guns.”
In a report post-Sandy Hook, the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service offered a sober analysis of the state of play. Though children were more likely to face arrest for minor offenses in schools with police, it found evidence of the effectiveness of school resource officers underwhelming. Crucially, it observed that existing research on campus officers “does not address whether their presence in schools has deterred mass shootings.”
Viral outrage
Nearly three years after Sandy Hook, a 2015 altercation between a South Carolina officer and a high school student led many to question the approach Biden championed.
A school resource officer employed by the county sheriff’s office was called to a high school classroom in Columbia, South Carolina, when a black student refused to put away her cellphone, resulting in a scuffle. The officer was filmed flipping the girl onto the floor and flinging her across the classroom.
In response, the sheriff said the officer’s actions made him want to “throw up.” The officer was fired from his job but did not face criminal charges. A Justice Department inquiry was settled after local officials agreed to provide training to officers on how to de-escalate tense situations and avoid racial bias.
Thomas Dixon, a South Carolina pastor who ran an unsuccessful Democratic bid for U.S. Senate in 2016, said the graphic video “forced an awareness that had been previously overlooked.”
“That was just indicative of a long-standing, ongoing problem that we’ve had with school officers,” said Dixon, who is also a member of the board of directors of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “There’s been a misuse of authority within the school system for a long time.”
The incident prompted a lawsuit from the ACLU, leading to the repeal of the state’s “disturbing schools” law, which allowed police to arrest students for issues like talking back to a teacher or being loud in class. Hinger said the law was “overly broad” and mischaracterized “typical childhood behavior as criminal,” with disproportionate effects on students of color and those with disabilities.
Mo Canady, executive director of the National Association of School Resource Officers, said the incident was “a bad day for folks that work in our field.”
“It’s not the first bad day that we’ve had and it won’t be the last,” he said. While his nonprofit provides training for school resource officers, most states and the federal government don’t require instruction on issues like how to interact with children.
The incident prompted a national dialogue on school police, with some advocates arguing that school police should be removed from classrooms altogether. Among them was Brown Dianis of the Advancement Project, who said police violence against students of color “was not a concern” for Biden.
“Black kids in particular receive the same treatment by cops in schools that they do on the streets,” she added. “We tie that right back to the responses to the crime bill, to the gun-free schools act, and that’s where it all got its start.”
Recently, criticism of campus police has been overshadowed by the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, said Anthony Petrosino, director of the WestEd Justice and Prevention Research Center.
The Parkland shooting prompted Florida lawmakers to require armed guards on every school campus. In South Carolina, the state responded to Parkland by spending $12 million to hire more than 200 additional school resource officers.
“The police are more entrenched than ever, and I suspect it is going to keep going in that direction,” Petrosino said. Meanwhile, “the research is not showing a safety effect but it is indicating some harmful effects.”
In South Carolina, state police arrested a school resource officer in September on assault and misconduct charges for alleged “excessive force” on a student. That officer, officials alleged, slammed a middle school student’s head into his patrol car and lied about it on an incident report.
Despite decades of support for school resource officers over the years, Biden does not mention the issue in his presidential platform. In his education plan, Biden argues against arming teachers, promising instead to enact “rational gun laws” to make schools safer.
But Dixon, the South Carolina pastor, said Biden should have “talked to enough people” after Sandy Hook to know that a ramped-up campus police presence “is not going to stop mass shootings” and to recognize their harmful effects on students of color.
Biden’s silence on school-based police is shared by most of the Democratic field. Only Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts senator, offers a plan on campus officers. In that document, Warren argues that “the militarization of our schools does not improve school safety” and that if officers “have to be in schools,” then “they should receive training on discrimination, youth development and de-escalation techniques.”
Citing the ACLU, Warren’s platform notes that 14 million students attend schools with police officers but lack a counselor, nurse, psychologist or social worker. Browne Dianis of the Advancement Project said Warren’s campaign reached out to her organization for advice on the topic, but none of the others did.
Biden, she said, should have to answer tough questions about his long embrace of school police before the Democratic primary in South Carolina.
“South Carolina, being the site of one of the most notorious school police assaults, should be a place for that conversation,” Browne Dianis said.
Sign up for The 74’s daily morning newsletter | https://the74million.medium.com/bidens-tough-on-crime-mantra-led-to-school-militarization-critics-say-5f8e3198d4ea | [] | 2020-02-27 21:16:34.689000+00:00 | ['Elections', 'School Safety', 'Joe Biden', 'Edlection 2020', 'Education'] |
10 Reasons to Thank Nature | As 2020 draws to a close, let’s take a moment to thank one entity that rarely gets the full measure of gratitude it deserves: Nature. Nature-based solutions to the global environmental challenges we face are at the heart of WCS’s mission to save wildlife and wild places.
Strategies designed to keep nature intact and undegraded help it to continue performing the many ecosystem services so critical to our survival — from storing carbon and protecting biodiversity to containing pandemic disease and sustaining the livelihoods of people in communities across the globe.
Here are just 10 reasons to express appreciation for nature:
SEQUESTERING CARBON
©DAVE HOEFLER/UNSPLASH
Globally, intact forests store store an estimated 139 billion tons of carbon — equivalent to 510 billion tons of CO2. Released into the atmosphere, this would equal 13 years of human CO2 emissions from all sources. Nature-based solutions, like avoiding deforestation and forest degradation and restoring forests, can provide one-third of the mitigation needed between now and 2030 to keep warming below 2°C.
PROVIDING ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER
CREDIT:JULIE LARSEN MAHER © WCS
At a time when close to a billion people on Earth lack access to clean water, watersheds supply water for drinking, agriculture and manufacturing, and recreation, while providing habitat for wildlife and plants. Wetlands and forests play a critical role in filtering water, while plants remove dangerous levels of nitrogen and phosphorus found in fertilizer runoff.
PROVIDING STORM, FLOOD, AND EROSION RESILIENCE
JULIE LARSEN MAHER © WCS
Species such as oysters both filter water and provide natural resilience to storms. Adult oysters can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day and oyster reefs provide a cushion against large waves and rising tides. In so doing, they reduce flooding and prevent shoreline erosion. Other coastal ecosystems such as coral reefs and mangroves likewise protect against storm surges and growing sea level rise.
PROVIDING FOOD SECURITY | https://medium.com/wcs-conservation-solutions/10-reasons-to-thank-nature-26d8071608e1 | ['Wildlife Conservation Society'] | 2020-12-05 15:37:57.381000+00:00 | ['Thanksgiving', 'Ecosystem Services', 'Environment', 'Conservation', 'Nature'] |
Why we invested in Spatial. We are excited to announce our recent… | We are excited to announce our recent investment in Spatial, which is advancing the world of augmented reality (AR) collaboration.
Tools for collaborative team communications have evolved from face to face to telegraph to phones and mostly recently onto digital mediums such as email, video conferencing, and messaging. However, what hasn’t been solved is the seamless merging of a real-life like experience with digital space.
For anyone who has tried to stay engaged using a 2-D, flat video conferencing system, you’ll know immediately what I mean. In contrast, Spatial is leading us into a truly global and immersive collaborative workspace era, one that will enable disconnected teams to build trust and work better together. With Spatial, you’ll feel as if a colleague who is physically thousands of miles away is simply right there in front of you. Mattel, Nestlé, BNP Paribas, and other Spatial customers agree.
Geographic distance and flight costs shouldn’t prevent your design and manufacturing teams from getting in sync until it’s too late. Globally distributed team members can now collaborate in virtual rooms that can ingest pictures, videos, 3D models from existing project folders or online; quickly enter, set up, customize, or tear down a virtual meeting room as needed from any headset, PC or phone, faster than what you’d be able to do in the real world. Location no longer needs to be a constraint in building great teams.
But we believe the opportunity is even bigger than simply replacing video calls or allowing for virtual collaboration. Spatial has created rich, interactive 3D environments that truly augment reality by allowing exploration that would be impossible in the physical world. In other words, Spatial is allowing for new types of machine-assisted collaboration that make reality even better than being in the same room, let alone being across distances. Over time, as glasses become lighter and better, Spatial can start supporting teams working together continuously throughout the day.
As hardware headsets become ubiquitous, more powerful, and more seamless, the value add will accrue to those who create the strongest applications on top of such distributed tools. We believe that Spatial is superbly positioned to dominate the sector of AR collaboration and we are excited to be on this journey with them! | https://medium.com/baidu-ventures-blog/why-we-invested-in-spatial-28038ad6b9f8 | ['Fang Yuan'] | 2020-02-20 15:31:18.223000+00:00 | ['Collaboration', 'Enterprise Technology', 'Fundraising', 'Startup', 'Augmented Reality'] |
MITI durante el Covid-19 | Thanks to Jose Luis Reyes and Ignacio Parada . | https://medium.com/mejorindustriati/miti-durante-el-covid-19-268156296243 | [] | 2020-04-09 13:48:57.958000+00:00 | ['It Industry', 'Covid 19', 'Technology', 'Miti', 'Remote Working'] |
“ATT&CK with Sub-Techniques” is Now Just ATT&CK | You can review the final change log here, which includes the changes from our last release (October 2019/v6.3) as well as some small changes since our beta (March 2020/v7.0-beta) release. If you have already been using our March beta, please take special note of the “Errata” and “New Techniques” in the “Compared to v7.0-beta” tab (nearly all of the “Technique changes” are due to the errata/new techniques and “Minor Technique changes” are generally small changes to descriptions).
ATT&CK change log
Back in March, we released JSON and CSV “crosswalks” to help people moving from the October 2019 release of ATT&CK to ATT&CK with sub-techniques. Since the beta, we have updated and refined the format of these crosswalks in order to reduce the amount of human intervention and text parsing required to use them programmatically (we explore more about how you can use these crosswalks below). We would also like to extend a special thanks to Ruben Bouman for his excellent feedback on the beta crosswalks.
Where to Find Previous Versions of ATT&CK
Before we dive into these exciting changes, we want to reassure you that previous version of ATT&CK (without sub-techniques) are still accessible. We respect and recognize that the addition of sub-techniques is a significant change and not something everyone will adopt immediately, so you’ll still have the ability to reference older content.
There are a few ways you can access previous versions of ATT&CK. The simplest is through our versions page, which links to versions of ATT&CK prior to sub-techniques (ATT&CK v6 and earlier) as well as the previous sub-techniques beta (ATT&CK v7-beta). It also contains links to the equivalent historical STIX representations of ATT&CK. You can also add “versions/v6/” to the beginning of any existing ATT&CK URL (for example, https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1098/ becomes https://attack.mitre.org/versions/v6/techniques/T1098/) in order to view the last version of a page prior to sub-techniques. If you have pre sub-technique layer files, the previous version of the ATT&CK Navigator can be found here.
Why Did We Make These Changes?
ATT&CK has been in constant development for seven years now. We work every day to both maintain and evolve ATT&CK to reflect the behaviors threat actors are executing in the real world largely based on input from the community. Over that time, ATT&CK has grown quite a bit (we hit 266 Enterprise techniques as of October 2019) while still maintaining our original design decisions. ATT&CK’s growth has resulted in techniques at different levels of granularity: some are very broad and cover a lot of activity, while others cover a narrow set of activity.
We heard from you at ATT&CKcon and during conversations with many teams that techniques being at different granularity levels is an issue — some have even started to develop their own concepts for sub-techniques. We wanted to address the granularity challenge while also giving the community a more robust framework to build onto over time.
This is a big change in how people view and use ATT&CK. We’re well aware that re-structuring ATT&CK to solve these issues could cause some re-design of processes and tooling around the changes. We think these changes are necessary for the long-term growth of ATT&CK and the majority of the feedback we’ve gotten has agreed.
What are Sub-Techniques?
Simply put, sub-techniques are more specific techniques. Techniques represent the broad action an adversary takes to achieve a tactical goal, whereas a sub-technique is a more specific adversary action. For example, a technique such as Process Injection has 11 sub-techniques to cover (in more detail) the variations of how adversaries have injected code into processes.
Process Injection (T1055) and its sub-techniques
The structure of techniques and sub-techniques are nearly identical as far as what fields exist and information is contained within them (description, detection, mitigation, data sources, etc.) — the fundamental difference will be the in their relationships, with each sub-technique having a parent technique.
We’re frequently asked, “why didn’t you call them procedures?” The simplest answer is that procedures already exist in ATT&CK, they describe the in-the-wild use of techniques. Sub-techniques on the other hand are simply more specific techniques. Techniques, as well as sub-techniques have their own sets of mapped procedures.
Procedure Examples of Process Injection (T1055)
Procedure Examples of Process Injection: Dynamic-link Library Injection (T1055.001)
Groups and software pages have also been updated to capture mappings to both techniques and sub-techniques.
Process Injection Procedure Examples of Duqu (S0038)
How do I Switch to ATT&CK with Sub-Techniques?
First, you’ll need to implement some changes to ATT&CK’s technique structure necessary to support sub-techniques. In order to identify sub-techniques, we’ve expanded ATT&CK technique IDs in the form T[technique].[sub-technique]. For example, Process Injection is still T1055, but the sub-technique Process Injection: Dynamic-link Library Injection is T1055.001 and other sub-techniques for Process Injection are numbered similarly. If you’re working with our STIX representation of ATT&CK we’ve added “x_mitre_is_subtechnique = true” to “attack-pattern” objects that represent a sub-technique, and “subtechnique-of” relationships between techniques and sub-techniques. Our updated STIX representation is documented here.
Next, you’ll want to remap your content from the previous version of ATT&CK, to this new release with sub-techniques. As with our beta release, we’re providing two forms of translation tables or “crosswalks” from our previous release technique IDs to the new version with sub-techniques to help with the transition. The CSV files are essentially flat files that show what happened to each technique in the previous release. We have one file for each tactic, which includes every ATT&CK technique that was in that tactic in the October 2019 ATT&CK release. We’ve also included CSV files showing what new techniques have been added in this release along with the new sub-techniques that were created. We have also created a JSON representation for greater machine readability.
Thanks to the excellent feedback from the community (thanks again to Ruben Bouman, as well as Marcus Bakker for the initial structure idea), we identified seven key types of changes:
Remains Technique Became a Sub-Technique Multiple Techniques Became New Sub-Technique One or More Techniques Became New Technique Merged into Existing Technique Deprecated Became Multiple Sub-Techniques
Each of these types of changes is represented in the “Change Type” column of the CSVs or “change-type” field in the JSON. Some of these changes are simpler to implement than others. We recognize this, and in the following steps, we incorporate the seven types of changes into tips on how to move from our previous release to ATT&CK with sub-techniques.
Step 1: Start with the easy to remap techniques first and automate
For content mapped to the October 2019/v6 version of ATT&CK, start by replacing the existing technique ID from the value in the “TID” column with the value in the “New ID” column if there is one. Next, update the technique name to match “New Technique Name”. For Remains Technique, Became a Sub-Technique, Multiple Techniques Became New Sub-Technique, One or More Techniques Became New Technique, or Merged into Existing Technique change types you will mostly be done. We’ll handle the remaining two cases in Step 2. In some cases tactics have been removed, so it’s also worth checking the “Note” field in the CSV and “explanation” in the JSON.
Remains Technique | https://medium.com/mitre-attack/attack-with-sub-techniques-is-now-just-attack-8fc20997d8de | ['Adam Pennington'] | 2020-07-14 18:46:52.279000+00:00 | ['Mitre Attack', 'Mitre Attck'] |
Does This Quiet Blue Tide In West Chester Offer A Path For Ohio Dems? | My grandfather settled in West Chester within what would become one of the townships oldest neighborhoods — though at the time, it was a few roads, a few farms, and a few homes. He built the house himself, and when his kids got older they would bike around the neighborhood watching new houses go up.
When my mom was young, she remembered the now endlessly congested Tylersville Road as a Pizza Hut, Long John Silver’s, and a gas station. The Dudley Farm was still a farm, and Voice of America was just a radio tower and not a shopping center — or even a metropark.
I have deep roots in West Chester. But I’m a little rusty. I moved out of state in 2017, and haven’t made any of my semi-annual pilgrimages back this year due to COVID-19. I’m going to try to dive into some pretty specific precinct-by-precinct data to try to explain a fairly remarkable electoral shift, but it’s possible some of my context might be old. Nothing would make me happier than other sets of eyes getting on this data and provide even sharper information—particularly any new housing development that might impact the numbers.
Okay, with more exposition than a foodie’s recipe blog post, here’s a look at the township in 2016 and 2020. I’ll try not to endlessly reference precinct numbers and talk more broadly, but dropping the precinct map below for reference:
For a township that’s supposed to be a Republican stronghold, Hillary Clinton has real areas of strength in the township. I’ll get into more precinct analysis later on, but she is competitive west of I-75 and wins two Port Union precincts—a region where Obama performed fairly, but failed to win any precincts in either 2008 or 2013 (West Chester redrew precincts in 2013, so it’s not a direct comparison).
Joe Biden flips three precincts from red to blue, and seems to make gains…almost everywhere. Literally. I won’t bury the lede any further, here’s the precinct-by-precinct swing just from 2016 to 2020 — and remember, Hillary did *okay* in 2016.
Quite literally the only precinct to not swing more blue in 2020 is WC39, which is the one Democratic stronghold in West Chester. It voted D+60.57 in 2016, and D+60.41 in 2020. | https://medium.com/@jacobgeers/does-this-quiet-blue-tide-in-west-chester-offer-a-path-for-ohio-dems-1d877db2db41 | ['Jacob Geers'] | 2020-12-09 01:33:03.235000+00:00 | ['Ohio', 'Democratic Party', 'Suburbs', '2020 Presidential Race'] |
A Times For Thanks And Blessings | A Times For Thanks And Blessings
A Thoughts And Ideas Newsletter
The pandemic seems to rage on here where I am from in New Jersey, USA. And this isn’t the only place where it’s happening. The election chaos has come and passed, however there is still plenty of drama going on in the political world.
Thankfully, I have my writing, and editing, and my commitment to my publishing community. I am quite pleased that it keeps me rather busy. It continues to be a wonderful gift, because it distracts me from the stress of the world, and it helps countless others, whether it is someone looking for something good to read, or helping an up and coming writer get their words out to the world in and out of Medium.
This continues to be a good path for me, especially my involvement with this Thoughts and Ideas publication. We have had a very busy month here, and we are quite close to reaching 23,000 followers/readers. The number of contributors and writers is over 300 right now, and it seems like everyone loves Thoughts and Ideas for different reasons. The more reasons, the merrier I believe.
I receive emails almost everyday from writers requesting to be added to this publication. It remains constant, and consistent.
While it’s originally, an India based publication, it has long since opened its arms to the entire world. The Indian community has played a great role, in making this publication global in its outreach. People from every continent want to be a part of this, and I continue to enjoy embracing professional relationships from one of the most diverse followings that there can be.
Recently articles about the celebration of Diwali, have been submitted to me for consideration and publication, and it ended up being a wonderful opportunity for me to learn more about that incredible holiday and joyous celebration. After publishing those pieces, I immediately found myself doing my own research of the holiday. It was a great learning experience for me, and I believe it was also vital for me to learn about such a huge holiday that touches so many thousands of my readers.
I am always glad to see that happiness and celebration can still exist and prevail even when a global pandemic still presents itself in many places around the world. It is a shining example that we can still find blessings and love, if we look further in life, than just in the negative and the pain.
I am quite thankful to have all of you, because this publication is one that prospers and succeeds only when we can all work together as a publishing family. Most of the readers and writers for Thoughts and Ideas speak so happily about being able to be part of what we have here. When I read the messages from all of you telling me how blessed you feel to be part of this, it makes me feel fulfilled, as I cannot feel my true sense of success as a Publisher and Editor, if I can’t be among the very best readers and writers here on Medium.
Until next time, I bid you all peace and prosperity.
Michael Patanella
is a Trenton, New Jersey Author, Publisher, Columnist, Editor, Advocate, and recovering addict, covering topics of mental health, addiction, sobriety, mindfulness, self-help, faith, spirituality, Smart Recovery, social advocacy, and countless other nonfiction topics. His articles, publications, memoirs, and stories are geared towards being a voice for the voiceless. Hoping to reach others out there still struggling. | https://medium.com/indian-thoughts/a-times-for-thanks-and-blessings-87555c49202b | ['Michael Patanella'] | 2020-11-15 19:25:34.424000+00:00 | ['India', 'Life', 'Life Lessons', 'Reading', 'Writing'] |
The Quiet Place of Peace | We’ve been at war as long as I can remember.
From the Cold War to Desert Shield/Storm to the War on Terror, the United States has been in deadly conflict my whole life. Longer actually. We have a history of conflict, war, and military action. It’s woven into our DNA as a free nation, a democracy, and as a world superpower,
All these wars in my lifetime have been in the name of peace. Peace by the sword, gun, missile, and bomber. It’s been a big, bloody quest for peace. I question its effectiveness. Just tonight, another possible war with Iran was started by US military decisions. The attack was preemptive, designed to deter any future attack plans from Iran. Preemptive killing to establish peace.
The truth is this isn’t a quest for peace. It’s a quest to remain in power. We may crouch it in the language of protecting our national interests and personnel in other countries, but really, it’s just about power plays that governments uses to show the other governments the toys, the might, the money.
War costs lives. War leaves a trail of dead and wounded, no matter which side wins — as if war is a schoolyard fight for respect and lunch money.
War will never bring about peace. War begets conflict begets battle. Times of prosperity and peace — if you want to use that word here — that are brought about by the mighty fist are temporary and tenuous at best. At worst, they are a dictatorship, colonizing and conquering to secure that there is no decent, no rebellion, no freedom.
Rome existed as a colonizing force, taking over countries and peoples as the glorious empire expanded in the name of Cesar. Judea was under Roman rule, under the leadership of this war machine that was bringing peace to the ends of the earth. No longer allowed its own government and leadership, Judea had a puppet king installed to keep the peace. Herod was there to make sure there was no revolt, that taxes were paid, and that the appropriate export of personal for the military might happened.
Three men entered his palace one day. They were foreigners, defiantly not from Judea. Maybe not even from anywhere in the Empire. They came before king Herod and asked a question that pierced his soul.
“Where is the one born king of the Jews?”
Turns out, these men weren’t just travelers. These were magi, magicians, astrologers, wise men. They were from the east, outside the Roman territory, and they had been led to Herod’s jurisdiction by a star. A star rising led these magi to seek out the one who was born king of the Jews. They came to pay him homage.
Herod was shook. Wasn’t he king of the Jews, appointed by Rome to rule this backwater state? Who were these men looking for? Who was it that threatened Herod?
The Chief Priests, lawyers, and scribes of the law Informed Herod that this king was probably the Messiah, god’s anointed one, the chosen one. The Messiah was supposed to come from Bethlehem. Herod now knew where his opposition was coming from. He now knew this other king of the Jews was coming from Bethlehem.
He told the Magi that the one they were looking for was in Bethlehem and that when they had found him come back to the place, the seat of power, and tell Herod, so he could go and pay homage himself.
The wise men traveled away from riches, away from government, away from the loudness of Herod’s grasping for power. They had come a long way already; what were a few more miles. They knew that they searched from someone worth of worship. They were probably confused at the fact they were traveling away from the palace and the capital city itself. But, the star led them onward.
Eventually, they got to Bethlehem, and there, over a humble home, the star stopped. Here was the one born king of the Jews, the one they had traveled mile after dusty mile to see.
Filled with joy, they came in and witnessed for themselves the one worthy of homage: Jesus there with his mother, Mary.
And they worshiped.
Their hearts thrilled and rejoiced. Here was the king the light of the star had led them to. Here was the light that illuminates the darkness of chaos, war, pain, and death that covers us all. Here, before their eyes, was the king whose coming had been foretold by a celestial body.
This is the moment the gentiles received the promise. The glory of the lord wasn’t only for the Jews; the gentiles were in on the boundless riches of Christ. The light that was rising to draw all nations to itself was not only for Israel. All nations were called to come, to seek, to find, to worship.
This baby they witnessed wasn’t powerful, wasn’t mighty, wasn’t rich. In fact, I imagine it was a bit of a shock to Mary and joseph when the Wisemen gave extravagant gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to their two-year-old. They were humble people. Joseph was a carpenter, not a prince, governor, or even a religious leader. Jesus didn’t inherit a life of strength, might, and power.
Jesus was given a quiet life. A humble existence. These gentiles sought him out where he was to be found, in the lowly, quiet places where peace does its work. They didn’t call for the child to be brought to the palace; they came to him, arriving at his humble home, and gave homage to the Prince of Peace.
Herod was afraid of a baby because his identity was wrapped up in his power. He could rule. Just like Caesar could bring peace to an empire. Just like our government brings peace and democracy to the world. Through the tools of war, money, and might, peace is extended and enforced. Yet, at what cost?
True peace is found in this light that is for all people. True peace comes from the one who can bind us together, not with military might, but with love, light, life. Peace and grace are found in Jesus’ arms. In his heart is the love of god for all god’s children. The light of the world shines upon each one of us, scattering the darkness, the fear, the need to prove ourselves.
This is our gospel, the very wisdom of god. Peace isn’t found in the mighty sword swinging to fell its enemies. No, peace is found in a quiet home where a baby lays who emptied himself of all that it is to be god, becoming frail and small, that we might all know that god loves all of us. That’s what will bring us peace, that’s what unites us. In Christ, there is no Jew or gentile. In Christ, there is only god’s beloved children, accepted and loved just as we are.
Jesus has come not to rule with an iron fist, but to shepherd, to tend, to care for us, gathering us up tenderly to his very heart. This is the one the star rose for, revealing Christ to the world that the world might know peace. He is here to bring about justice for the poor, the lowly, the marginalized. He is the defender of the needy and the rescuer of the poor, the crusher of the oppressor. All those governments that crush, kill, and maim in war upon war after war, they will be stopped and dismantled. In Christ, all is made right, and we are given peace. Peace is the result of true justice, not retribution. The way of war is not what we were made for, and the light of the world shows us that.
So, what will you do with the light of the world?
You have been called out of the darkness. You have been called into peace with your neighbor. Those around you, those you love, and those you can’t stand. You have been given peace with god, and now we can provide peace to others.
What grudges hold you back? What fears keep you from reaching out? What little wars are you waging in your heart? Are you living like Herod, so afraid of losing power that you miss the light of the world calling you, gathering you, bringing you into justice and peace?
Let us all examine our hearts. It’s not only governments waging wars that need to be set right by the justice of Christ. Come to the light, find Jesus in that low, quiet place where peace does its work. Come and pay homage to the one born king of the world. | https://culturalsavage.medium.com/the-quiet-place-of-peace-d9047c958e63 | ['Aaron J Smith'] | 2020-01-03 06:50:58.717000+00:00 | ['Jesus', 'Faith', 'Christianity', 'Epiphany', 'Peace'] |
Mengapa Anak-anak ? | in In Fitness And In Health | https://medium.com/etsah/mengapa-anak-anak-bafad4adfe65 | ['Obed Nugroho'] | 2018-10-01 03:30:15.021000+00:00 | ['Sharing', 'Anak', 'Education', 'Gereja', 'Anak Muda'] |
Obelus Oracles, a step by step conversation. | Obelus Dev, [16.12.20 00:08]
What if there was a token that was generated by a pyramid scheme. But the losers get most of the token
Obelus Dev, [16.12.20 00:08]
Just throwing an idea out there
Ataxia, [16.12.20 00:08]
you mean hex
Obelus Dev, [16.12.20 00:10]
Why isn’t hex used for oracles then? If that’s the case the supply of the token should be forcibly distributed
Obelus Dev, [16.12.20 00:10]
Hex also has a centralized component
Ataxia, [16.12.20 00:10]
yeah I’m half joking
Ataxia, [16.12.20 00:10]
[In reply to Obelus Dev] “What if there was a token…”
but what do you mean with this
Ataxia, [16.12.20 00:11]
pyramid schemes usually just collapse all of the sudden
Obelus Dev, [16.12.20 00:12]
Tbh. I am shilling. I can share the source code if that’s okay
The inverse token would be good for oracles. A pyramid is like a blackhole. The inverse of a blackhole is a forcefield
I’m working on communicating this idea. Because most people say it’s too complicated.
I think it’s simple. Super simple.
We all know pyramids pull money to the center. So if a token was created in inverse of that flow, you’d get an inverse gradient (or ring )
Ataxia, [16.12.20 00:14]
right and how does this pyramid operate
Obelus Dev, [16.12.20 00:15]
Similar to p3d.
except, when you sell. you get ETH & the inverse token. The more of a loss you take, the more of a multiplier you get
Ataxia, [16.12.20 00:16]
and it knows your PnL/
Ataxia, [16.12.20 00:16]
?
Ataxia, [16.12.20 00:16]
interesting
Obelus Dev, [16.12.20 00:17]
[ Photo ]
PnL?
cost per bond? yes.
Ataxia, [16.12.20 00:17]
[In reply to Obelus Dev]
nice
Ataxia, [16.12.20 00:18]
i idg
Ataxia, [16.12.20 00:18]
and how do you give value to the loser‘s token
Ataxia, [16.12.20 00:18]
LP incentive?
Obelus Dev, [16.12.20 00:19]
they earn on oracle verifications. (they can also earn by staking in the core contract for the “friction fee”)
but the entire idea is that the tokens are inherently distributed by market forces, which makes them great for governance.
Obelus Dev, [16.12.20 00:19]
in order for a whale to control the total supply. they have to buy back an entire pyramid and buy it to the ground floor
Ataxia, [16.12.20 00:21]
what does earn oracle verification mean?
Obelus Dev, [16.12.20 00:22]
everything the oracle verifies, those who have staked in the oracle get paid.
Obelus Dev, [16.12.20 00:22]
the oracle is made up of a “roundtable of watchers”
they are voted in by this inverse token.
and they can watch anything they want.
Sports, elections, weather, etc.
Ataxia, [16.12.20 00:32]
nice concept
Ataxia, [16.12.20 00:32]
are you just going to launch it?
Obelus Dev, [16.12.20 00:35]
it has been launched.
I am just trying to figure out how to explain it to people better.
We’re at 52 eth in the reserve & 140eth in the contract.
The majority of that eth is people not taking their dividends
The oracle is ready to be deployed too. | https://medium.com/@obelusvoto/obelus-oracles-a-step-by-step-conversation-9204444dc0de | ['Obelus Voto'] | 2020-12-16 17:23:49.450000+00:00 | ['Ethereum', 'Chain Link', 'Smart Contracts', 'Ethereum Classic', 'Bitcoin'] |
The Open Letter Response to Christianity Today: Dominionists, Arise! | If you follow in any way the American evangelical support for Donald Trump, then you can’t have missed the recent drama that consumed everyone’s attention shortly before Christmas. On the 19th of December 2019, Christianity Today (CT) published an article by editor-in-chief Mark Galli entitled “Trump Should be Removed from Office.” This article ignited a firestorm of controversy, and within a short time of the article appearing, CT’s website crashed due to the high volume of traffic of people wanting to read the article.
For the first time, it was felt, a prominent evangelical voice had finally spoken out about the damage that Christian support for Trump had done. Some argued that it was too little, too late; and of course, those who do support Trump immediately pushed back.
Mere days after the original article appeared, on the 22nd of December, nearly 200 evangelical leaders published an open letter to CT. These prominent leaders protested Galli’s article as “offensive” and “dismissive” of their point of view — and that of the millions of evangelicals who also support Trump.
Later that same day, this open letter of protest in turn prompted CT’s president and CEO, William Dalrymple, to respond by posting a piece defending Galli. Dalrymple’s article was entitled “A Flag in the Whirlwind: An Update from CT’s President.” Darymple claimed that far from attempting to be divisive, Galli’s article was intended both to “plant a flag” and “set a table” for further dialogue. Whether or not any respectful dialogue indeed takes place remains to be seen.
The Dominion Theology Connection
Whether or not you agree or disagree with Galli, Dalrymple or the signatories of the open letter is immaterial to the point I’d like to make here, which (as far as I’m aware of to date) nobody else has done. A critically-overlooked factor in this entire debate is as follows: many of the nearly 200 signers of the open letter to CT are known to advocate dominion theology.
Specifically, not only do many of the signatories belong to the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) movement, several are well-known, outspoken proponents of the “7 Mountains Mandate” of dominion theology. This teaching mandates that Christians not only should, but indeed must “climb the 7 mountains” of cultural influence: government, arts and entertainment, media, education, business, family, and religion. Once all 7 of the mountains are conquered — with Christians installed at the top of each — then Jesus can (or in some cases, must) return to earth to install his perfect kingdom.
Merely a quick scan of the list of individual signers immediately reveals a startling list of prominent dominionist speakers, authors and key leaders, such as: Cindy Jacobs of Generals International; former politician Michelle Bachmann (R-Min); Pastor Bill Bolin of Floodgate Church; Dr Lance Wallnau, author of God and Donald Trump; Anita Christopher and Dr Yolanda McCune of the Heartland Apostolic Prayer Network; Rev. Mark Gurley of the Michigan Oak Initiative; Rachel Dennis of Awaken the Dawn; Pastor Kris Valotton of Bethel Redding; Brian and Jenn Johnson of Bethel Music; and Pastor Paula White-Cain of City of Destiny Church (and Trump’s main spiritual advisor), and so on.
Dominion Theology and the Religious Right
Perhaps more puzzling is the fact that the letter includes multiple names of key conservative evangelical leaders who would not typically be associated with dominion theology — a teaching that mainstream evangelicals would most likely disavow. This includes key figures, such as: Dr James Dobson of Focus on the Family; Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council; Gary Bauer of American Values; former Governor Mike Huckabee of My Faith Votes; and Anthony Verdugo of the Christian Family Coalition, to name but a few. Also included on the list are a great many leading evangelical pastors, many of whom are not affiliated with dominion theology.
So what is the connection with this group of signatories and the more extreme dominion theologians named above? Admittedly, most (if not all) the signers fall on the more conservative end of the political spectrum; does this explain their shared support for Trump? If that were the case, why then would such Religious Right figures such as Falwell Jr., Perkins, Bauer, Huckabee or Dobson align themselves with known dominionists? Surely their theology doesn’t align…? Additionally, much of the NAR and dominion theology crowd espouses a more Pentecostal, charismatic version of Christianity, which most conservative or fundamentalist Christians would disavow. So why are these two seemingly disparate groups partnering together?
Importantly, the open letter claims that “we are not theocrats” — in other words, they say that they have no interest in setting up an earthly kingdom over which God rules: a theocracy. However, if one examines much of the teachings of dominion theology, this claim is highly dubious. Nonetheless, there are many signers of the letter on both sides who agree that Christians should be involved in government; and in fact, many of the signatories currently serve on Trump’s Evangelical Advisory board. Is this the connection between the two groups? At the end of the day, both groups may have different tactics and methodologies, but both are involved in heavily influencing not just the Trump administration, but also have a massive influence upon many levels of government.
Examining the Open Letter
I believe that the answer to this conundrum can be found by taking a closer look at the open letter itself. In its disavowal of Galli’s original article, the writers claim that they are not on the “far right” of evangelicals, as they believe Galli (unfairly) painted them. They go on to state to the contrary:
“Rather, we are Bible-believing Christians and patriotic Americans who are simply grateful that our President has sought our advice as his administration has advanced policies that protect the unborn, promote religious freedom, reform our criminal justice system, contribute to strong working families through paid family leave, protect the freedom of conscience, prioritize parental rights, and ensure that our foreign policy aligns with our values while making our world safer, including through our support of the State of Israel. We are not theocrats, and we recognize that our imperfect political system is a reflection of the fallen world within which we live, reliant upon the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is freely given to sinner and saint, alike.”
Unpicking the Loaded Language
My argument is that when the above paragraph is understood through the model of psychiatrist Dr Robert Jay Lifton’s notion of “loaded language,” the true purpose of the open letter becomes much clearer. Lifton argued that cults, or groups with undue influence, use “loaded language” — in other words, phrases and concepts that many people use, but only the “in-crowd” of the group understands. Using esoteric in-house language, key words are “loaded” with the ideology of the group or the leader — just like empty containers filled with a certain substance chosen by the group or leader. Only those in the know, the “in-group,” understands the use of code-words or jargon, the true meaning of which “outsiders” perhaps would not understand. In short, although they use common words, they in turn pour their own hidden meaning into them.
Unpicking the loaded language of the above paragraph reveals the use of code-words or insider jargon. Speaking from their lofty point of view as Trump’s evangelical advisors, they admit that they are quite happy that Trump has “sought their advice” – of course they are. But they humbly refer to themselves merely as “patriotic Americans” doing their civic duty, as “Bible-believing Christians.” However, I believe that both the phrases “Bible-believing Christians” and “patriotic Americans” are examples of loaded, or coded, language.
For example, when they say “Bible-believing Christians,” implicit in that statement is a particular view of the Bible: the Spirit- inspired, inerrant, infallible, and authoritative Word of God. The basic argument is as follows: “God said it, so if it offends you, don’t be angry with me. It’s in the Bible.” Many evangelicals, for example, frame their pro-family, anti-LGBTQ argument this way. This stance fits another of Lifton’s categories of cults, that of “doctrine over person.” One can take refuge in what the group’s doctrine states, and thereby exalt the doctrine over another person’s feelings or emotions. What the other person feels is of no consequence: “I’m only speaking the truth.”
A second example of loaded language is the use of the phrase “patriotic Americans.” These code words mean they are investing the phrase with a well-known revisionist history of America promoted by such dominionists as David Barton of Wallbuilders (who co-wrote a book with Jim Garlow of the org “Well Versed,” who also signed the open letter).
This revisionist history, widely promoted by Barton, follows a well-known Christian nationalist line that proceeds as follows: “Originally, America was founded as a Christian nation, intended by our staunchly believing forefathers to be established on Judeo-Christian principles. America has since lost its way, falling into corporate sin by allowing the encroachment of secularism, atheism, ‘kicking God out of the squares and public schools,’ allowing abortion and same-sex marriage, pluralism, and multitudes of other sins. However, by repenting as a nation for these corporate sins, America can regain her status as God’s covenant nation — and be blessed once again.”
Dominionists frequently cite such biblical texts as 2 Chronicles 7:14 as biblical warrant for such a needed outcome: repentance and prayer as a nation, expressing sorrow for allowing such evils as abortion, same-sex marriage, and so forth, will return America to a place of God’s blessing originally once enjoyed in the past. America will someday resume its exalted status as “the shining city on a hill” from which the light of the Gospel will shine to the rest of the world, thereby transforming nations. This is a line frequently cited both by dominionists, as well as those key leaders on the Religious Right, as the cure for America’s spiritual sickness — and the ushering in of God’s kingdom.
Advancing Key Policies
Finally, the letter gives away the game completely by revealing the ultimate reason so many evangelicals not only voted for Trump in 2016, but continue to support him as President. Not only that, a huge number plan to vote for him again in 2020, arguing that they face an “all-or-nothing” scenario in terms of their own religious freedoms should Trump lose (or be removed from office via impeachment, as Galli’s article advocated).
Listing the “accomplishments” the Trump administration has achieved since he took office reveals not only why they voted for him in the first place, but why they continue to support him. Just look at the following list, taken from the above paragraph, of “promises kept,” an agenda for which evangelicals have long lobbied the government, but had been unable to achieve in such stunningly quick fashion.
The letter argues that Trump’s administration has advanced policies that:
“Protect the unborn” — by which they mean abortion. Uniting both dominionists and Religious Right leaders is this issue of abortion as a “national sin” preventing America from being blessed by God. “Promote religious freedom” — by which they mean “promoting white Christianity.” But this religious freedom doesn’t extend to other religions. For example, many dominionists and Religious Right leaders share a major aversion to Islam, viewing it as a “false religion” bent on destroying everything for which they as Christians stand. “Reform our criminal justice system” — by which they mean the Trump administration’s appointment of a record number of conservative judges to Federal courts. They are exceedingly ecstatic about the SCOTUS appointments of both Gorsuch and Kavanagh, seeing these last two as an eventual win to overturn Roe v Wade in the courts. “Contribute to strong working families through paid family leave” — when they say “family,” or “pro-family,” this is loaded language for “one man, one woman, monogamous heterosexual marriage.” In other words, these are code words for an anti-LGBTQ agenda, on which both sides agree: homosexuality, like abortion, is a national sin for which America must repent corporately to ensure God’s blessings. “Protect the freedom of conscience” — similar to “religious liberty,” this phrase is code for “the freedom to practice Christianity according to one’s own private dictates.” Orgs like the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and the Pacific Justice Institute (whose founder, Brad Dacus, signed the open letter), fight court cases representing Christians who feel that the government has overreached into their private lives and denied them their religious rights. “Prioritize parental rights” — by which they mean the legal protection of Christian parents to home-school their children, force their minor children to attend their church (despite what the child may want), and also to discipline them in ways they believe are consistent with a “biblical worldview” (which often includes corporal punishment). “Ensure that our foreign policy aligns with our values while making our world safer, including through our support of the State of Israel” — this final one is a big one. Both dominionists and Religious Right figures agree: America’s support for Israel is critically important. Not only does it a) align with their reading of biblical prophecy — the end-times scenario of Armageddon takes place in Israel, followed by the return of the Messiah, b) Trump’s support for Israel means that God will bless America, as promised to Abram in Gen. 12.3: any nation that blesses Israel will be in turn blessed by God.
Support for Israel
This final point explains how the signers of the open letter to CT can set aside their doctrinal differences, and both dominionists and conservative evangelicals come together. The diverse nature of signers of the letter include such pro-Israel, but diverse orgs as: pastors Mario Bramnick and Pasqual Urrabazo of the Latino Coalition for Israel, together with Juan Rivera of the Hispanic Israel Leadership Coalition. Both orgs encourage Hispanics to pray for and cultivate relationships with Israel.
A third pro-Israel org is Schindler’s Ark, a Christian Zionist foundation founded by Rosemary Schindler Garlow that puts together trips to Israel, and also promotes relationships between Jews and Christians. (Incidentally, her and her husband Jim Garlow, both signers of the letter, are the SoCal presidents of Christians United for Israel, CUFI, the largest evangelical org supporting Israel in the United States).
More pro-Israel evangelical entities who signed the open letter include: former governor Mike Huckabee of My Faith Votes, which devotes a section on their website to exploring their support for Israel; pastor Michael Vinson, pastor of the CA-based Canyon Hill mega-church, which is decidedly pro-Israel; Dave Donaldson of CityServe, who is an associate of Vinson’s; Pastor Becky Keenan, founder of One With Israel, an evangelical pro-Israel org; and finally, Gary Bauer of American Values, whose site has a section explaining their pro-Israel stance.
Space does not permit me to expand on this final point in more detail, but suffice it to say that the signers of the letter have been ecstatic over two decisions demonstrating Trump administration’s support for Israel. First, he removed America from the Iran nuclear deal, and second, he made the controversial 2018 decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem. Both were hugely popular among American evangelicals. At the event honouring the move of the US embassy, major evangelical leaders, such as pastors Greg Laurie of Harvest Christian Fellowship in CA, and Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church of Dallas, both spoke in praise of Trump’s decision; dominionists present at the ceremony included politicians Ted Cruz and Michelle Bachmann.
Pro-Israel fundamentalist preacher, Rev John Hagee of Cornerstone Church in Houston, in his closing prayer, encapsulated the reason that both dominionists and conservative evangelicals were happy about Trump’s controversial decision. Not only did it “prove” beyond all doubt that Jerusalem was indeed the capitol of Israel — regardless of the fury it caused in both Palestinians and Arabs alike — more importantly, it aligned with biblical prophecy. Hagee summed it all up nicely with his closing prayer at the ceremony when he stated: “Jerusalem is where Messiah will come and establish a kingdom that will never end.”
Conclusion
Ever since it became clear that a majority of white evangelicals (81%) voted for Trump in 2016, and have continued to support him throughout his increasingly troubled presidency, much has been written attempting to explain this apparent phenomenon. Why would Christians, who claim to stand for truth, integrity, morality, and leaders of virtue support such an obviously deeply flawed figure such as Trump? In their view, character and integrity of public leaders is hugely important. So why the disconnect?
In no way can it be argued that Trump embodies truly any value evangelicals claim to stand for: it’s well established that he is a serial liar and adulterer, a proud boaster about sexually assaulting women, a crooked businessman who cheated on his taxes, declared bankruptcy multiple times, refused to pay his subcontractors, and on and on.
But the truth is that the evangelical support for Trump has been a very long time coming. Peter Montgomery makes the case that the Trump presidency, and concurrent evangelical support for him, has been a long time in the making. Montgomery points out that “Conservative Christian leaders are nursing a more-than-half-century grudge against the federal courts for rulings on school desegregation, separation of church and state, abortion, equality for LGBT people and more.”
Furthermore, what they saw as their decades-long plight was exacerbated by 8 years of the Obama administration. Dominionists and conservative evangelical leaders alike argued throughout his tenure that there was a ceaseless “war on religious freedom” and their cherished Christian values. They had long yearned for a candidate to right all of Obama’s many wrongs.
In the runup to the 2016 election, therefore, both camps rallied behind Trump, since they viewed him as the best candidate to enact their agenda, reversing Obama’s policies on contraception, abortion and same-sex marriage. Beyond their moral outrage, they view these horrific activities as “corporate sins” that block God’s blessings to America, and stop the nation from being a “light on a hill,” extending salvation to all nations, and establishing the kingdom of God. Appointing numerous conservative judges has been a huge boon to their cause; add to that Trump’s pro-Israel stance, and there you have it.
The open letter to CT, therefore, reveals exactly that line of logic — and explains exactly why they will continue to support Trump going forward. Literally, in their view, the stakes are incredibly high, all-or nothing; Christians literally have “no choice” but to vote for Trump in 2020, according to Stephen Strang, founder of Charisma magazine.
In the words of the 7 Mountains dominionist Dr Lance Wallnau, Trump is “God’s man,” divinely ordained by God “for such a time as this”. Trump is viewed as a Cyrus figure, prophetically foretold prior to his candidacy. Just as King Cyrus allowed the exiled Jews to leave Persia and return to Israel, Trump’s presidency functions in the same way. His divine destiny is to lead persecuted believers “out of the captivity of 8 years of the Obama administration” and into a glorious future — taking dominion over the various mountains of cultural influence, thereby bringing about the kingdom of God.
Therefore, as long as Trump continues to advance their agenda as listed in their open letter, it will not matter what he does or says; it will never sway their fervent support for him.
------------
Follow me on Twitter @MindShift2018, and catch the MindShift podcast on iTunes, PodBean, Spotify or Stitcher. I’ve done 2 episodes exploring dominion theology, and have more planned for 2020. | https://mindshiftpodcast.medium.com/the-open-letter-response-to-christianity-today-dominionists-arise-efa7ac92595a | ['Clint Heacock'] | 2020-04-12 18:12:54.749000+00:00 | ['Christianity', 'Evangelicals', '2016 Election', 'Trump Administration', 'Trump'] |
Travel Light: the Ultimate Guide to Travel Packing | 2021 | “Who travels sees more.”
Nowadays, more and more people pick up their backpacks and walk straight into the outside world. They could be a backpacker, carrying a loaded bag and exploring from place to place; They could be a photographer, packing up all their “weapons” and recording the world seen with their own eyes; they could be you or anyone who enjoys traveling and experiencing our planet in their own way.
“Less is more.”
To make travel easier, traveling light is a necessity. Lose the stress, lose the weight, and lose the burden.
There’s less chance of theft or damage when you travel light. With only the essentials in your backpack, you can always keep an eye on it by carrying it wherever you go. You’re keeping your stuff well guarded and safe.
Having a lighter bag on your back keeps your hands free while you travel. You’re able to check a map, take photos or message your family. It’s much easier to catch a bus on the street or get a quick pass for the airport check-in.
Without a doubt, compared with keeping an eye on multiple cases and bags, having one bag can definitely save a lot of your time and energy. When others leave the plane and crowd to get their battered luggage, you can simply take your bag and be the first one out to catch the next taxi, bus, or train.
The Ultimate Guide to Travel Packing
Before discussing packing tips, I want to highlight that what you pack is situational. Always consider the situation you’re traveling into, such as the weather, transport links, and political situation, to name a few. It is essential to gather enough information about where you’re going beforehand to focus on the purpose of your travel, whether it’s civic tech research, taking scenic photos, or simply traveling around.
Start your packing a few days in advance to prepare all your things without overfilling your bag. Don’t forget to leave space for things you might need to purchase when you’re traveling.
When you’re packing, choose versatility over special-case items.
NOW, let me share some tips!
Tips for packing your clothes
Generally speaking, unless you’re going into the wilderness, you’re able to do laundry. With this in mind, the following should be enough for almost everyone:
4 sets of clothes and a coat or jacket. Choose items that best suit the weather, but remember long pants and a sweater for cool evenings
2 pairs of shoes: one to wear and one to carry
4 pairs of socks
4 pairs of underwear or a pack of disposable underwear
A hat or cap, depending on the weather.
Then, pack your items in a way that reduces creases and make the most of your packing space. Rolling pants instead of folding helps with this, as well as storing your socks in shoes. Use small bags to keep shoes separate and prepare a bag for dirty laundry.
Tips for personal accessories
This part will be widely dependent on the individual, but the following list should be enough for most people and travel destinations.
Medicines, such as painkillers and indigestion tablets
Toothbrush and toothpaste (travel size)
A small pack of detergent
Small toiletries (shampoo, shower gel, etc.)
Small nail scissors or clippers
Travel first-aid kit
Tissues and wet wipes
You might also get some small resealable bags to store liquid containers while you travel.
Of course, there’re lots of personal things you might take, but it’s all about your travel style and needs, just make them travel size. Keep all your small personal items in a multi-functional bag, such as a hanging toiletry bag to store everything neatly.
Tips for tech items
No matter where you go, in the 21st century, tech items such as your phone and camera are on the must-pack list. An essential rule for packing tech items is to keep them as light as possible.
You might need the following items:
Laptop, if you’re a freelancer
Phone and earbuds
Camera, if you’re a frequent traveler and photographer
Selfie stick or tripod
Cables for charging
Storage (USB keys, SD cards, card readers)
The tech items I listed above are the most common, but you might not need everything listed.
Let’s start packing the things above:
For laptops, there’s usually a specific space in the back of a rucksack that has additional padding.
Most of the time, your phone and earbuds will be in your pocket, but you may need a protective case to prevent any accidents while you’re traveling.
All the other items can pack conveniently into a camera bag. Apart from protecting the camera, there are extra pockets for storing cables, memory cards, and more. If you’re not carrying a camera, a small bag for digital items will work, too.
To keep my tech stuff tidy and secure, I use a PITAKA Digital travel Kit , a compact, lightweight carbon fiber wallet that holds ten mini charging and data storage essentials. With the Type-C charging cable and three adapters, you can charge almost any device. You can easily store and transfer data using the built-in memory card reader and USB flash drive. There are designated slots for storing your spare SIM card, Micro-SD, and a SIM ejector tool. The MagEZ Digital Travel Kit also holds up to three Chip and PIN cards or business cards in an RFID protected module, so you don’t need to worry about losing your cards.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, these tips will help you when you’re preparing for your next big trip. Without a doubt, packing light requires us to be selective about what we pack while keeping things organized, making sure every cubic centimeter is fully utilized.
In other words, try to be a minimalist when packing!
Travel lighter and live easier. writing hundreds of online articles over the past few years, mainly about technology. If I’m not writing, you can probably find me reading or playing video games. | https://medium.com/@ffengsli/travel-light-the-ultimate-guide-to-travel-packing-2021-65e7f748f9a8 | [] | 2021-01-23 02:12:54.597000+00:00 | ['Backpacking', 'Photography', 'Photographer', 'Travel Tips', 'Traveling'] |
Language detection strategy in server-side rendered JavaScript | Language detection strategy in server-side rendered JavaScript
Building a web app that requires handling different languages is a good opportunity to sharpen your skills in software architecture, especially while using server-side rendered JavaScript. This article will show you briefly (with simplified code snippets) how we at Onefootball serve our users relevant content in their own language.
Here’s an illustration of the request’s journey and every main operation involved in our language detection strategy.
Node server
As you can see, the first part is pretty straightforward: the user makes a request to “onefootball.com/\*”, and it is received in our node server, which is using express.
Note: “\*” is used to denote a wildcard path.
Middlewares
If this request is asking for a specific view instead of a static asset, it will go through the following middlewares related to our language strategy: initDataObject, assignLanguage and translationsRedirect.
1. initDataObject
This middleware initializes an object in the request, which is passed and read by the next middlewares.
export function initOFData(req: OFReq, _: Response, next: NextFunction) { req.OFData = req.OFData || {}; next(); }
2. assignLanguage
Here is where all the magic happens. This middleware is in charge of extracting and assigning the UI language from the request.
First, we try to get our locale from the path found in the request. This function checks if the string after the first “/” is a valid and supported locale. In this case, the user is requesting “onefootball.com/es” or “onefootball.com/en/\*”. If this operation returns `undefined` and the path is pointing somewhere other than “onefootball.com/”, we immediately return 404. We do this because all of our supported URLs must contain the locale just after the root domain.
Then we set the property `UILang` in our OFData object (the object was generated in our previous middleware) to the locale found. However, as this could be `undefined` because the user could going to “onefootball.com/”, we need to find the locale using another strategy.
The most exciting logic happens at this point. First, we check if the request contains a cookie set by us called UILang. If the cookie isn’t present, we try to match the `accept-language` headers with our supported languages. While parsing these headers we check them against our supported languages and regions. We assign `UILang` property the most convenient language that we support. For example, if a user has set the preferred languages in their browser’s language settings like this: `1. Turkish (preferred) 2. Brazilian Portuguese 3. Korean`. We will assign Brazilian Portuguese. Finally, if our system doesn’t support any of the user’s preferred languages we will assign our default language, which is English.
Here is how this middleware is coded:
export function assignUILang(
req: OFReq, res: express.Response, next: express.NextFunction ) { const localeFromPath = getLocaleFromPath(req.path);
if (req.path !== ‘/’ && localeFromPath === undefined) { send404(res); // unsupported language in URL return; } if (req.OFData) { req.OFData.UILang = localeFromPath || getLocale(req); } next(); }
function getLocale(req: express.Request): Locale { if (isSupportedLocale(req.cookies.UILang)) { return req.cookies.UILang; } if (req.headers[‘accept-language’]) { // parser comes from ‘accept-language-parser’ library for (const language of parser.parse(req.headers[‘accept-language’])) { const supportedLanguage = parseLanguage(language); if (supportedLanguage) { return supportedLanguage.locale; } } } return DEFAULT_LOCALE; }
function parseLanguage({ code, region }: parser.Language): SupportedLanguage | undefined { if (!isSupportedLanguageCode(code)) { return undefined; } const languageConfig = environment.languages.config[code]; return ( (region && languageConfig.regions[region.toLowerCase()]) || languageConfig.default ); }
function isSupportedLanguageCode(code: string): code is SupportedLanguageCode { … }
3. translationsRedirect
So far the content has not been sent to the user. The reason is that we need to redirect the user to a valid URL containing a supported language in its path if “onefootball.com/” was requested. This middleware is as easy as the following:
if (requestedLang !== undefined && req.path === ‘/’) {
// temporary redirect res.redirect(302, `${req.path}${requestedLang}`); res.end(); return; }
Javascript server-side engine and Setting “lang” attribute in <html> tag
After performing our language detection strategy we generate the HTML response that we are sending to our user using the JavaScript engine, Angular Universal in our case. Just before we send the response, we assign the lang attribute to the <html> tag `lang=”${requestedLang}”`. SEO rocks!!!
Browser
Once the user has got the HTML response the usual happens. We serve the JavaScript files and once JavaScript is loaded the web application is fully interactive. Finally, as soon as the client-side app is loaded, the first thing we do is set the UILang cookie in our user’s browser. This is done so that we avoid performing the entire language detection strategy if the user requests “onefootball.com/” again.
P.S. It is worth noting that on every language change we perform a request to our server. This simplifies our lives as we don’t need to worry about updating the state of every operation that relies on the current locale and we can optimise locale-specific data served to the client.
Conclusion
Having a proper language detection strategy with server-side rendering is vital to every multilingual application. Once this is set up properly you can forget about this code (assuming every corner case has been considered). It is very important to state that even though this technical implementation is fairly easy to put together, the most important part of the strategy is the planning job done beforehand (Thanks Jim). Having defined with your project manager all the supported languages, locales and regions is crucial for having a reliable and extendable local detection strategy.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my entire Consumer Web team at Onefootball for this amazing experience. Big shout to our engineers Julia Rozenthal, Eugene Stativka, Valentyn Kremeshnyi and Andrea Dessì. | https://medium.com/onefootball-locker-room/language-detection-strategy-in-server-side-rendered-javascript-201d5b35c75b | ['Diego Mosquera Soto'] | 2020-02-04 11:21:51.588000+00:00 | ['Nodejs', 'JavaScript', 'Angular Universal', 'Language Detection', 'Server Side Rendering'] |
Do You Want To Grow Your Own Food? Here Are Three Tips To Help You Get The Best Produce From Your Garden | Do You Want To Grow Your Own Food? Here Are Three Tips To Help You Get The Best Produce From Your Garden Alexa Dave Dec 19, 2020·2 min read
You might be tempted to scroll past because you live in the city and there is absolutely no way that you can grow your own food.
Think again.
Having the capacity to grow your own healthy food has more to do with technique than land space — and the best part is that it doesn’t cost much to get started.
For years food security has been a global concern. There are still millions of people around the globe that suffer from hunger. In fact, 822 million people suffer from undernourishment and statistics say that a child dies from hunger every 10 seconds.
While these statistics might not hit home or stir any emotion in your heart, it may be only a matter of time before it does.
Photo by veeterzy on Unsplash
The earth’s population has continued to grow but the rate of food production has not. In fact, technology has stepped into the limelight and some governments haven’t been investing enough resources into their agricultural sectors.
Having the skills needed to grow your own food is essential. The following are three tips to help you get on the right track.
Get the right soil
Depending on what you’re trying to grow, the right soil is important. You can do some research on your intended product, and then head down to your nearest plant store to get some if you don’t have space in your backyard.
If you’re using the soil in your backyard, get soil testing kits to help you determine how much fertilizer or compost you need to add to optimize your harvest.
Plant a variety of foods
You want to maximize the soil you have and plant a variety of fruits and vegetables. Not only will this give you a variety of food but it will expand your knowledge base and make you a seasoned gardener.
Schedule your crops
Many fruits and vegetables have a season in which they flourish. As such, you must take the time to familiarise yourself with the season and the turnaround time so that you can get the best harvest of every food in your garden.
Photo by freestocks on Unsplash
These three tips aren’t the only effective ways of growing your own food.
You can invest in agro-businesses too.
If you reside in Cradock, South Africa and you want to increase food security in your community, Amali Farming Enterprises is ready to partner with you to grow healthy food! | https://medium.com/@alexadave/do-you-want-to-grow-your-own-food-6b366e61a33f | ['Alexa Dave'] | 2020-12-19 15:53:02.689000+00:00 | ['Tree Planting', 'Agriculture', 'Crops'] |
The Universe Would Be Very Different Without Dark Matter | One of the most puzzling and counterintuitive facts about the Universe is that all of the “stuff” that’s familiar to us in our day-to-day lives on Earth makes up just 5% of all that’s out there. The protons, neutrons, and electrons that make up all the normal matter found in our bodies, the planet, the Solar System and throughout the galaxy make up only a fraction of what’s out there. Even when you budget in everything else that we’ve ever detected — neutrinos, light, even black holes — it leaves out 95% of all that must be out there: dark matter (27%) and dark energy (68%).
Dark matter, in particular, is one of the greatest mysteries of all. Astrophysicists are practically certain it must exist, as the indirect evidence for it from a whole suite of independent measurements is overwhelming. Because we’ve never directly detected whatever particle might be responsible for it, many people — experts and laypersons alike — remain skeptical of its existence. But if our Universe didn’t have any dark matter, it would be a very different place. Here’s how.
In the earliest stages of the hot, dense, expanding Universe, a whole slew of particles and antiparticles were created. As the Universe expands and cools, an incredible amount of evolution happens, but the neutrinos created early on will remain virtually unchanged from 1 second after the Big Bang until today. (BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY)
13.8 billion years ago, the hot Big Bang would still have occurred. Particles and antiparticles would have been created and destroyed in great abundances, leaving a tiny amount of protons, neutrons, and electrons left over amidst a sea of radiation. In the early Universe, it’s so hot, dense, and energetic that protons and neutrons can fuse together to form heavy elements for the very first time, with energetic particles and photons working against that process, blasting fused atomic nuclei apart again.
With no other ingredients at play, there’s only one factor that will determine what sorts of elements the Universe — before it ever forms any stars — will be filled with: the ratio of how many photons (or quanta of light) there are for every baryon (protons and neutrons combined) in the Universe. Whether you have dark matter or not is irrelevant; this is the one factor that determines how much hydrogen, helium, lithium, etc., are created in the hot Big Bang.
The predicted abundances of helium-4, deuterium, helium-3 and lithium-7 as predicted by Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, with observations shown in the red circles. Note the key point here: a good scientific theory (Big Bang Nucleosynthesis) makes robust, quantitative predictions for what should exist and be measurable, and the measurements (in red) line up extraordinarily well with the theory’s predictions, validating it and constraining the alternatives. The curves and the red line are for 3 neutrino species; more or fewer lead to results that conflict with the data severely, particularly for deuterium and helium-3. (NASA / WMAP SCIENCE TEAM)
But once the first few minutes have gone by, the presence or absence of dark matter becomes enormously important. The early Universe is almost perfectly uniform, with roughly the same average density everywhere in space. But there are minuscule fluctuations — imperfections in the Universe — that will gravitationally grow with time, eventually giving rise to stars, galaxies, clusters of galaxies, and even larger structures.
Gravitation works to collapse the matter in the Universe, while radiation pushes back against these dense structures, working to drive them apart. If all you had in the Universe was normal matter and this radiation, this would lead to an enormous amount of structure on certain scales, while simultaneously wiping out all structures on other scales. This effect is maximized in a Universe with no dark matter.
An illustration of clustering patterns due to Baryon Acoustic Oscillations, where the likelihood of finding a galaxy at a certain distance from any other galaxy is governed by the relationship between three ingredients: dark matter, normal matter, and radiation. If there were no dark matter at all, the correlations between where galaxies are and aren’t would be much stronger, as illustrated above, than they actually appear in our Universe. (ZOSIA ROSTOMIAN)
The Universe would still expand and cool while all this occurred, which means that the smallest cosmic scales will experience this collapse-and-pushback phenomenon at earlier times than the largest cosmic scales. This effect is extremely important before the Universe has cooled enough for the Universe to form neutral atoms, which means that a map of the fluctuations in the Big Bang’s leftover glow — the cosmic microwave background — will reveal these oscillations.
In particular, you can measure the temperature differences between any two locations, and see how the average difference varies dependent on the distance between those two locations. The effects of this collapse-and-pushback, what scientists call baryon acoustic oscillations, will appear in this pattern of fluctuations.
The simulated temperature fluctuations on various angular scales that will appear in the CMB in a Universe with the measured amount of radiation, and then either 70% dark energy, 25% dark matter, and 5% normal matter (L), or a Universe with 100% normal matter and no dark matter (R). The differences in the number of peaks, as well as the peak heights and locations, are easily seen. Note the scale differences on the y-axis between the two graphs. (E. SIEGEL / CMBFAST)
Once neutral atoms form, the pushback from radiation stops, and gravitation is free to do what it does best: attract every mass in the Universe to every other mass in the Universe. Clouds of gas would form, collapse, and create the very first stars in the Universe, same as they do in our dark matter-rich Universe.
But without the additional gravitational effects that dark matter adds, those first stars would cause a catastrophe. Stars don’t just emit visible light, but large amounts of ultraviolet, ionizing radiation as well. They emit jets of particles and blow off large amounts of fast-moving matter in the form of stellar winds. And for the first stars of all, which are much more massive than today’s stars, these effects are even more severe.
Ultra-hot, young stars can sometimes form jets, like this Herbig-Haro object in the Orion Nebula, just 1,500 light years away from our position in the galaxy. The radiation and winds from young, massive stars can impart enormous kicks to the surrounding matter. (ESA / HUBBLE & NASA, D. PADGETT (GSFC), T. MEGEATH (UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO), AND B. REIPURTH (UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII))
Without dark matter, the joint effects of stellar winds and ultraviolet radiation would impart such a strong “kick” to the surrounding matter that it wouldn’t just get blown back into the interstellar medium, but would become entirely gravitationally unbound from the massive star cluster that just formed.
When these stars further evolve and die, which likely means a supernova for most of these early-generation stars, the ejecta from these stars moves so quickly that — again, without dark matter — they become gravitationally unbound from the remaining material that collapsed to form these stars in the first place. Unlike our Universe, where material that was fused in one generation of stars gets recycled into the next generation, this first generation of stars might well be the end-of-the-line without dark matter.
The Crab Nebula, as shown here with data from five different observatories, shows how material gets ejected from a supernova. The material shown here spans about 5 light-years in extent, originating from a star that went supernova about 1,000 years ago, teaching us that the typical speed of the ejecta is around 1,500 km/s. (NASA, ESA, G. DUBNER (IAFE, CONICET-UNIVERSITY OF BUENOS AIRES) ET AL.; A. LOLL ET AL.; T. TEMIM ET AL.; F. SEWARD ET AL.; VLA/NRAO/AUI/NSF; CHANDRA/CXC; SPITZER/JPL-CALTECH; XMM-NEWTON/ESA; AND HUBBLE/STSCI)
On smaller cosmic scales, that means that the only solar systems that exist will be enormously simplistic. Without the ability to recycle the elements from one generation of stars into the next, that means that you won’t have the heavy elements needed to form rocky planets in your protoplanetary disks. Without large abundances of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and even heavier elements like silicon, phosphorous, copper and iron, not only would life be an impossibility, but the only planets you could form would be gaseous worlds composed of hydrogen and helium.
Moreover, without these heavier elements to help cool proto-stars as they form, the stars that exist will be much fewer in number but larger in mass. Today, the average star in the Universe is about 40% of the Sun’s mass; without dark matter, the average star would be approximately 10 times as massive as our Sun is.
In a Universe with no dark matter, the stars and planets would be overwhelmingly different from the ones we see and know today. The average star would be much more massive than our Sun, while typical planets would only be gas giants, without heavy elements capable of forming rocky cores. (NASA/AMES/JPL-CALTECH)
On the scales of Milky Way-like galaxies, there would still be large collections of mass that formed disks, and those disks would still rotate and be littered with stars. But without dark matter, these galaxies would exhibit two major differences from the galaxies we see today.
Without dark matter, galaxies would lose a large fraction of the gas that forms new stars immediate after the first major star-forming event they experienced. Gas could still funnel into them from minor mergers and the surrounding intergalactic medium, but they would possess much less of the material that forms new stars than modern galaxies do. Spiral galaxies, without dark matter, would rotate like our Solar System does: with the inner objects rotating much more quickly around the center than the outer objects do.
The fact that the overwhelming majority of galaxies have flat rotation curves, where the outer objects move with the same speeds as the interior ones, is another consequence of dark matter in our Universe.
A galaxy that was governed by normal matter alone (L) would display much lower rotational speeds in the outskirts than towards the center, similar to how planets in the Solar System move. However, observations indicate that rotational speeds are largely independent of radius (R) from the galactic center, leading to the inference that a large amount of invisible, or dark, matter must be present. What isn’t greatly appreciated is that without dark matter, life as we know it would not exist. (WIKIMEDIA COMMONS USER INGO BERG/FORBES/E. SIEGEL)
On larger cosmic scales, there would be dramatically less structure overall. In a Universe without dark matter, there is no unseen “skeleton” to the cosmic web; instead, structure forms based on the strength of normal matter alone. This means that instead of a cosmic web, where you wind up with galaxies dotting the filaments that connect the great clusters of the Universe together, you’d just wind up with isolated islands of mid-sized galaxies, with not much else.
Sure, some galaxies would still group and cluster together, but there would be far less of them that do so in a Universe without dark matter. Observations of the large-scale structure of the Universe would be enormously different by every measurable metric, from weak and strong gravitational lensing signals to galaxy group collisions to the power spectrum of the Universe.
The formation of cosmic structure, on both large scales and small scales, is highly dependent on how dark matter and normal matter interact, as well as the initial density fluctuations that have their origin in quantum physics. The structures that arise, including galaxy clusters and larger-scale filaments, are indisputable consequences of dark matter. (ILLUSTRIS COLLABORATION / ILLUSTRIS SIMULATION)
Finally, the smallest galaxies of all — the ones that contain only hundreds or thousands of stars — wouldn’t be able to exist at all. In our Universe, they arose from a clump of normal-and-dark matter of approximately 100,000 solar masses, where an episode of star formation ejected the gas. Still, the dark matter persisted, and holds the stars together in their own bound structure even to the present day. In a Universe without dark matter, that same episode of star formation would blast the proto-galaxy apart entirely, leaving only a slew of individual, unbound stars behind.
There are many different lines of evidence that point towards dark matter’s existence, but it’s perhaps a little more interesting to consider all the ways our Universe would be different — and inconsistent with what we observe — if it had no dark matter at all. If you enjoy the fact that the Universe is held together as well as it is, you have dark matter to thank for it. Even if you don’t believe in it, it’s a key ingredient in the Universe that led to you. | https://medium.com/starts-with-a-bang/the-universe-would-be-very-different-without-dark-matter-109a58c20a1c | ['Ethan Siegel'] | 2020-02-21 15:01:01.467000+00:00 | ['Dark Matter', 'Physics', 'Astrophysics', 'Universe', 'Galaxies'] |
“Pear Woman” | The artist was inspired by the different human body types and especially the so-called “pear” shaped body.
Now people work hard on their body image and everyone wants to look fit and ‘skinny’. No-one tries to love themselves just the way they are.
Fashion dictates and imposes how women should look. No one ever tells us how to ‘love yourself ‘and think about what is the most important to the self.
In this artwork I wanted to show the beauty of women who are perfect and sexy in their natural look.
-Krystsina Lukyanchyk- | https://medium.com/the-scene-heard/pear-woman-2496a9ec714f | [] | 2017-11-14 15:27:54.787000+00:00 | ['Art', 'Self-awareness', 'Thesceneandheard', 'Beauty', 'Autodidacticism'] |
And the beauty of this is that it literally isn’t possible to build a less reliable or more… | And the beauty of this is that it literally isn’t possible to build a less reliable or more problematic vehicle than Tesla! Look forward to seeing the real manufacturers take the air out of Tesla’s tires. Bring on the EVs and PHEVs that actually work!! Bravo to GM! | https://medium.com/@lost-in-translation/and-the-beauty-of-this-is-that-it-literally-isnt-possible-to-build-a-less-reliable-or-more-c9bef1a8e985 | [] | 2020-12-23 04:01:14.598000+00:00 | ['Toyota', 'Tesla', 'Ford', 'Honda', 'GM'] |
I Wish I Have Known You First … | Source Photo by fotografierende from Pexels
This story is about a woman who wishes to meet the love of her life earlier but the time is no right, destiny does not belong to her this time.
She never expects to fall in love with the man who she’s been in touch with as a colleague and continue to be a dear friend for the last two years. They are so very close, she cares about him so much, maybe too much. But so does he. They are colleagues, in fact, he is her mentor at the office. They need each other, they are meant to be together. Everybody knows that they are close, but she never expects that that man is a man who changes her dream forever.
He knew whenever she fell in love with someone at the office, and she knew whenever he fell disappointed or mad about something at the office. they are talking so intensely. Everything looks so easy to talk and share with, about everything. They have chemistry, they are natural bonding. They have shared the same story about how they grew up.
She remembered when she fell in love with a man at the office, she was acting so weird and he knew how much she loved that man. He shared everything to her, she is the only one who knows who he is, all the facts about him. what people said about him and his past, he doesn’t care as long as she knows the truth.
What kind of bonding is that? they are talking intensely, they are sharing every story, but they never say the real feeling to each other. They realize something happens between them both but they cannot say it to each other. He already has someone in his life. The fact, the relationship they have is wrong. they weren’t supposed to be this close.
And now, she realizes that she loves him. And the feeling is growing day by day. Maybe he knows that she loves him, the affection was real. He knows there is something she hides from him. For the last 3 weeks, she tried to stay away from him. She avoids him, she tried to limit the communication. She replies to the text as simple as she can, maybe with a little bit rude to him. and now they communicate with so formal, not like they used to be. But one thing she knows, she cannot tell him what she feels, she has to hide for herself only.
The red line was there, since day one. But, they crossed the line already, and now, it will never be the same between them. She cries all the time because she has to do something that she doesn’t like. She has to hide the fact that she has feelings for him. How about him?
It was wrong what they did with cross the red line which exactly in front of them, it is wrong in fact that they still going further from that red line. So she stays her way out of him as much as she can. and So does he. Now not only her, but he also tries to stay his way out of her.
This mistake belongs to both of them. She misses him, she needs him. She knows it’s wrong. How about him? He always walks through her, and so does she. Everyone who saw her, worried, but him, he just silently walk through her without any single word.
They knew they cannot be together. It looks cruel what they are doing to each other, but this is for the greater good. She holds the feeling no matter what he feels.
if you were the woman, or if you were the man of this story, what would you do? and what do you suggest them to do? | https://medium.com/@pratiwigit/i-wish-i-have-known-you-first-e779be2a310c | ['Gita Pratiwi'] | 2020-10-07 08:15:38.072000+00:00 | ['Lovestory'] |
How digital wellness is bringing mindfulness to design | Illustration by Shai Glickman
Digital technologies have taken the world by storm, giving us more ways to connect and express ourselves than ever before. We can tune into news from all over the world, or discover answers to any questions that might come to mind. Yet, with so much information available to us, it’s incredibly easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of time, energy, and attention we spend looking at our screens.
That’s where mindfulness comes in.
As part of a recent movement towards digital wellness, mindfulness is one of the many skills that can help us thrive in the modern world. It gives us the ability to use technology in a more balanced way, in which we appreciate the benefits, while staying attentive to the elements that may lead to unhealthy behaviors.
By cultivating mindfulness in our own use of technology, we can become better advocates and builders of products and services that contribute positively to our wellbeing.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the ability to pay attention to what’s going on in the present moment. As meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg says in a Mindfulness in America Summit interview, it’s the capacity to look nakedly at our own experiences.
When we exercise mindfulness, we’re paying broad attention to what we’re thinking, feeling, and sensing in our bodies. It’s a type of mindset that’s characterized by openness, curiosity, and acceptance, as opposed to the laser-focused attention that drowns everything out. We might notice thoughts as they come and go, or sounds and smells that elicit a certain feeling.
We simply observe what’s going on around us, without being swept away by any single thought or emotion.
Another way to understand mindfulness is to look at what it’s not. Much of our daily behavior consists of automatic responses, writes psychology professor Ellen Langer in her book, Mindfulness, such as apologizing when you bump into an inanimate object or habitually reaching for your phone. She calls this mindlessness, as it contrasts with the awareness and reflection that surrounds mindful behavior.
When we’re mindful and attentive to our own experiences, we can take better charge of our health and wellbeing. Through exercises like meditation, mindful movement, or mindful eating, or simply introducing small moments of contemplation into our daily lives, we can train ourselves to be more present and engaged in the moment. However we choose to practice mindfulness, the important thing is to create space for learning and growth as it relates to our own experiences of the world.
Bringing mindfulness into design and technology
When it comes to digital technologies, we can embrace a more mindful approach to how we design and use products in our daily lives. We can start by reflecting on our own technology use, through the following qualities of mindfulness:
Openness. When we direct our attention to what’s going on, it’s important to remain open to whatever your current experiences might be. As you’re reading this article, what do you notice about the words and type on your screen? What subtle feelings do you observe? How does this translate into your posture or your breath?
When we direct our attention to what’s going on, it’s important to remain open to whatever your current experiences might be. As you’re reading this article, what do you notice about the words and type on your screen? What subtle feelings do you observe? How does this translate into your posture or your breath? Non-judgment. When things come into your attention, it’s important to hold them there without judgment. Say you’re feeling overwhelmed by the amount of fun people seem to be having on Instagram. You notice that you’ve started comparing your own life to that of others. When we ruminate or make these sorts of judgments, we can end up feeling stressed and disconnected. It’s therefore extremely important to recognize your thoughts and feelings as they are, without labelling them as being good or bad.
When things come into your attention, it’s important to hold them there without judgment. Say you’re feeling overwhelmed by the amount of fun people seem to be having on Instagram. You notice that you’ve started comparing your own life to that of others. When we ruminate or make these sorts of judgments, we can end up feeling stressed and disconnected. It’s therefore extremely important to recognize your thoughts and feelings as they are, without labelling them as being good or bad. Compassion. When we take moments to observe ourselves free of judgment, we can become more compassionate toward ourselves and others. As you’re scrolling through your news feed, you might suddenly wonder where the time has gone. Instead of viewing this as a personal failure, you can take a more compassionate approach, realizing that a news feed might be engineered to hold your attention for long periods of time. By exercising self-compassion, you’ll be able to take a more balanced look at how you can adjust your behavior next time.
When we take moments to observe ourselves free of judgment, we can become more compassionate toward ourselves and others. As you’re scrolling through your news feed, you might suddenly wonder where the time has gone. Instead of viewing this as a personal failure, you can take a more compassionate approach, realizing that a news feed might be engineered to hold your attention for long periods of time. By exercising self-compassion, you’ll be able to take a more balanced look at how you can adjust your behavior next time. Non-attachment. Part of being mindful is letting things go, even if it’s something great. Let’s say your newly posted video just got tons of views and a handful of encouraging comments. You’re feeling fantastic and validated. When you take a mindful approach towards this moment, you acknowledge that feeling of exhilaration, yet don’t stay attached to it for very long. Letting go of a feeling means we don’t let it define us or control our behavior in the future.
By examining our personal experiences with technology, we can gain awareness into how we relate to digital products in our daily life. To go even further, we can take these insights and extend them outward into our design practice.
When we exercise mindfulness, we’re paying broad attention to what we’re thinking, feeling, and sensing in our bodies. It’s a type of mindset that’s characterized by openness, curiosity, and acceptance.
Transforming how we design
Bringing mindfulness into our work can enrich the ways in which we design, and the products and services that we help to build.
We can start by asking ourselves these questions: What do you notice in your own use of technology that you’d like to change? What promotes your wellbeing? How might you take mindfulness principles and build them into a product or service?
Let’s explore some possible answers to these questions:
Giving people more choices to interact with information
A lot of mindless technology use stems from a constant reaction to what’s in front of us, especially when it demands our immediate attention. We fear that we’ll miss out on something important or that we’re failing to fulfill our social obligations. We don’t feel quite in control of the space that technology occupies in our lives.
One way to design for more mindful technology use is to give people thoughtful options for interacting with technology. This means providing options that are well-considered, rather than just more options.
Apple’s Screen Time feature offers added options to users by helping them improve awareness of their behavior. This feature tells you how many times you’ve picked up your phone, how much time you’ve spent on your device, and which apps you spend the most time using. It allows you to set limits for how long you want to spend on certain apps. Similarly, Google’s Wellbeing tools allow you to view your digital habits and pause apps and notifications in order to minimize constant distractions.
Taking cues from Apple’s Screen Time and Google’s Wellbeing, we can brainstorm similar ideas for helping users regain control of how they spend their time. For example, what if you could also set gentle reminders for when you’ve spent too much time scrolling aimlessly in a certain app? Or what if you could schedule non-urgent notifications to be delivered only when you’re ready to engage in certain activities, such as responding to email or engaging in social media?
Some existing products that provide options to encourage balanced and mindful integration of technology into daily life include f.lux, Pocket, and the use of grayscale mode. F.lux adapts your screen display to match the time of day, so that you don’t feel the added disruption of a harsh screen display that contrasts with your environment, especially at night.
Pocket lets you save articles and videos to come back to later, while removing digital clutter around the articles, so that you don’t feel the pressure view everything right at the moment you come across it. Grayscale mode, an accessibility feature on many mobile phones, can help minimize visual distractions that seem overwhelming at times
The key here is not to provide more choices for the sake of variety, but to offer more intelligent choices that allow people to use technology in a more mindful way. Rather than determining what mindfulness looks like for their users, manufacturers can give people the tools they need to set their own boundaries based on their unique needs and lifestyles.
Designing space for people to contemplate their actions
Beyond just providing options for people to interact with information, we can look at designing gentle nudges that give users space to contemplate their actions.
One way might be to introduce a bit of friction into products. Part of using technology mindlessly is that we have instantaneous access to almost anything. Because of this, we can put up a post or send something out without a second thought. That’s why we can look into buffers that help create space for people to pause for a moment of contemplation before acting.
Twitter is testing a feature that sends users a prompt when they try to reply with offensive or hurtful language, and Instagram similarly asks users to reconsider before posting unkind comments. Just Not Sorry is a Gmail Plugin that identifies words and phrases, such as “sorry” and “just,” which could undermine the sender’s stance and needs over email.
The important thing is designing pauses or moments of reflection in such a way that doesn’t feel too forceful or intrusive for people using the technology.
Finding meaningful things to measure
It may be challenging to integrate aspects of mindfulness into existing products and services, especially when business models depend on profits from engagement metrics, such as likes, comments, shares, and clicks.
We might explore new metrics that promote mindful use and meaningful engagement. According to co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology Tristan Harris, Couchsurfing established a measure called “net orchestrated conviviality,” which measures the net hours spent with others that wouldn’t have existed if couchsurfing didn’t exist. And Hinge dropped their swipe feature to encourage more significant connections among its users.
As designers, we can look for ways to contribute to both the customer’s wellbeing and the business’ bottom line. And we can advocate for these changes within our own industries and as users of technology.
Seeking design standards that you believe in
As we become more aware of how technology impacts us, we can consider what it means to design ethically, based on the beliefs that guide our work and our lives.
These values can be adopted from our own organization or industry, or they can be values that we’ve identified for ourselves. One example might be taking a stand against dark patterns that trap or trick users into taking actions they wouldn’t otherwise take. Or designing technologies for kids in the same way that we design for adults.
Being mindful allows us to observe what we value in the use of technology, alongside aspects that we feel can be improved. There are many ways to design something, and when you’re mindful of what you believe in, you can choose the rules and goals that guide your work.
Final thoughts
Mindfulness is a significant skill for navigating the modern age of being always on and connected. By exercising mindfulness, we can build our awareness in order to design products that people can use in a more balanced way.
We can contribute to the digital wellness of our society at large by first expanding our own understanding and compassion as it relates to technology, and then extending that wisdom outward into the work that we do. | https://medium.com/shaping-design/how-digital-wellness-is-bringing-mindfulness-to-design-608b7c4a07b0 | ['Lillian Xiao'] | 2020-12-20 11:21:18.186000+00:00 | ['Mindfulness', 'Digital Wellness', 'Wellbeing'] |
Coronavirus Is Bringing Back the Forgotten Tech Trends of 2012 | Coronavirus Is Bringing Back the Forgotten Tech Trends of 2012
MOOCs, 3D printers, and smart thermometers are having another moment
Photo: James Leynse/Getty Images
Eight years ago this month, Udacity CEO Sebastian Thrun brashly prophesied that education as we know it would be upended by massive, open, online courses, or MOOCs. That same month — March 2012 — a startup called Kinsa invented a “smart thermometer” that would tap “big data” to track health trends. In September, the Brooklyn startup MakerBot unveiled a new, home 3D printer that a Wired cover story said “will change the world.” In the skies high above Kentucky, Google X was secretly testing giant balloons to beam internet service to rural areas.
Over the years, these stratospheric hopes have been punctured. With few students successfully completing courses, Thrun declared MOOCs “dead” in 2017, and Udacity pivoted to paid vocational training. Kinsa has survived, but its dreams of revolutionizing personal health have gone unrealized amid a backlash to big data and internet-connected gadgets. MakerBot sold to additive manufacturing firm Stratasys, which soon abandoned the notion of putting a 3D printer in every home. Google spun off the balloons into a small Alphabet subsidiary, Loon, whose business has yet to take flight.
Ideas that had been dismissed are getting another look — this time, not out of rose-tinted optimism but something more like desperation.
Then came a global pandemic, disrupting society more suddenly than any startup could. Suddenly, big ideas that had been dismissed as overhyped or unworkable are getting another look — this time, not out of rose-tinted optimism but something more like desperation. Even as it sidelines large swaths of the economy and puts millions out of work, Covid-19 seems to be reinvigorating a technology sector that had been dulled by monopolistic consolidation and deflated by disillusionment with its promise of “making the world a better place.”
MOOCs may still be dead, but with campuses closed due to Covid-19, online education has been thrust abruptly into the leading role that Thrun once envisioned. Teachers and professors across the country are scrambling to put their classes online, much as colleges in 2012 tripped over each other to partner with Coursera, the Udacity rival that promised to make an Ivy League education accessible to all.
The brief, disappointing history of virtual classrooms would suggest that many educators will be clamoring to return to their classrooms and lecterns as soon as the virus recedes. Already, the crisis is highlighting inequalities in students’ access to online experiences and materials. Still, being forced to learn online teaching will imbue teachers around the world with a new skill set they might draw on in the future. In some cases, it may not be a choice: As with remote work, there is a risk that remote instruction emerges as a cost-cutting option for schools that are strapped for money or space. It might also become more firmly ensconced as a fallback option for snow days, temporary building closures, or future outbreaks.
Who will capitalize is not yet clear. Coursera is making its higher-ed platform available for free to universities around the world while enrollment surges in classes on the science of well-being, English as a second language, and the coronavirus itself. Schools are signing up for Zoom accounts. But the real winners might be the big textbook publishers, such as Pearson, which were already pushing coursework online and now have the demand to justify their supply.
Tech that tries to harness big data to predict outbreaks is also having a moment. Kinsa, the smart thermometer company, had been selling its data on customers’ location and temperature readings to help commercial clients such as Clorox target their ad spending. It was revenue, but it was hardly a revolution. And while Kinsa said it was careful to anonymize the data, privacy advocates worried about the widespread collection of such sensitive information.
Suddenly, that data has value to people far beyond the bleach business. Kinsa has launched a nationwide “health weather map” that shows where fevers are spiking, likely in advance of testing data that would confirm a coronavirus hotspot. Even the popular Twitter account Internet of Shit, dedicated to parodying silly “smart” gadgets, broke character to acknowledge it as an example of “connected stuff actually… maybe… helping.”
Kinsa is just one example. To flash back to 2012: That was the last year that Google Flu Trends, a tool for predicting the severity of the flu season based on search queries, was taken seriously by the public health world. Wired declared it an “epic failure” after it grossly overestimated both the 2012–13 flu season and the one that followed. Fast forward to 2020, however, and Google is being enlisted as a prominent part of President Donald Trump’s coronavirus plan as it races to stand up websites to connect people with Covid-19 tests and public health resources.
At the same time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is partnering with Microsoft to build a Coronavirus Self-Checker Bot that asks people questions about their symptoms and dispenses advice ranging from “stay home and take care of yourself” to “call 911.” This at a time when chatbots — once a hot tech trend — had seemed to be falling out of favor. Not to be left out, Apple has built a Covid-19 app in partnership with the CDC and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
A ubiquitous marketing buzzword in 2012 was “SoLoMo,” short for social, local, and mobile. The idea was to harness data from people’s smartphones about their location and social networks to target them with ads. Amid growing public concern about online privacy, the companies that sprang up to traffic in such data ducked out of the spotlight, but they never stopped collecting it.
Now they’re creeping out of the woodwork to recast their secretive surveillance as a public good. A company called Unacast unveiled a “social distancing scorecard” based on its database of cellphone GPS data. Another one called Tectonix GEO tweeted a visualization of how New Yorkers have fanned out across the country since the outbreak there, potentially exacerbating its spread.
Before the coronavirus, scandals over such data had given Congress an impetus to develop tougher federal privacy regulations. Now privacy concerns are being cast aside in the name of containing the pandemic. That’s understandable in the short term: Surveillance has reportedly been a key measure in some countries’ relatively successful responses. The worry is that, like the threat of terrorism after 9/11, the United States and other countries will use the emergency as an excuse to undermine civil liberties.
The word on 3D printing circa 2012 was that it could spark a “third industrial revolution.” Manufacturing would no longer need to be centralized in factories, futurists proclaimed, when people could simply print the things they needed in their own homes. Yet in the seven-plus years since MakerBot cofounder Bre Pettis made the cover of Wired, 3D printing has turned out to be good for mostly the same things it was good for at the time: rapid desktop prototyping of design ideas and smaller-scale manufacturing without the need to build a conventional assembly line.
A critical shortage of personal protective supplies, from masks to face shields to hospital ventilators, has highlighted another essential role for the technology: as a life-saving stopgap when demand temporarily outstrips conventional production capacity. A Czech 3D printing maker uploaded a design that lets anyone with a 3D printer make their own face shields. An Ohio company is putting its machines to work cranking out 100,000 nasal swabs. Stratasys, the company that bought MakerBot in 2014, has launched a Covid-19 response website and is co-sponsoring an innovation challenge by Massachusetts General Hospital to design printable ventilators. On a more personal scale, even desktop hobbyists can print things like hands-free door openers to help with social distancing.
None of this gets us any closer to a radical reinvention of manufacturing. But it reinforces the value of distributed manufacturing and reminds us that home 3D printers can be more than just a toy.
And as for Loon, the internet balloon project from Google’s parent company Alphabet? After eight years of development, it had yet to gain final approval for commercial testing anywhere in the world — until this month. Citing the need for better communications infrastructure to fight coronavirus, the Kenyan government fast-tracked Loon’s approval. Given the several other countries that had been in a wait-and-see holding pattern, that could mark the shift in the wind that gets the entire project off the ground. That is, assuming it proves its worth.
These inventions sprang not from necessity, but from the exuberance of a time and place where anything seemed possible. With the exception of Loon, which was always billed as a moonshot, they did not seek to address clear or urgent societal needs but to create and fill new ones. At this, they largely failed.
But the thing about solutions in search of a problem is that, sometimes, they eventually find it. “Kinsa was founded with this exact mission — to help stop the spread of illness through early detection and early response,” company spokesperson Nita Nehru told OneZero in an email. “We are proud to be putting that mission into action.”
That doesn’t mean that smart thermometers, online education, home 3D printers, or internet balloons will ever reach the heights that their creators, or the digital “evangelists” of 2012, envisioned. To forget the reasons they faltered would be a mistake. In particular, we shouldn’t allow a temporary crisis to permanently erode our personal privacy via ubiquitous digital surveillance or our health and location.
Still, at a time when so much isn’t working, it’s nice to see that a few things that never really worked before, finally — sort of — do. Even if we can’t wait to move on from them again. | https://onezero.medium.com/coronavirus-is-bringing-back-the-forgotten-tech-trends-of-2012-2f80132daabf | ['Will Oremus'] | 2020-03-31 13:51:16.750000+00:00 | ['Mooc', 'Pandemic', 'Online Education', 'Loon', '3D Printing'] |
How does a Real-Time Face Recognition work with OpenCV? | An eazy code from eazy ciphers
Are you keen to learn about the implementation of Real-Time Face recognition? Here eazy ciphers came with an innovative and eazy way to run a simple Real-Time Face Recognition code where you can predict the face of an individual.
When I talk about the real-time you might get confused about what I am going to discuss here it’s nothing but the implementation of the model which detects faces that appeared on the webcam.
If you want Hands-on experience on this model then go ahead and step forward in its implementation.
In day to day life, facial recognition became a part of the things. So, here is a quick example of Real-Time face recognition before getting into the topic.
When you start registering your face for a smart lock in your phone, tablet, or laptop it asks for the person’s real-time image to capture and that is stored in the database for further clarifications in recognition of that particular person.
This process of approach is done through many iterative ways of prediction with the input image. Similarly, Real-time face recognition works with the implementation of the OpenCV framework python.
These together packed in one combo level to implement a model for the Real-Time purpose. | https://medium.com/eazy-ciphers/how-does-a-real-time-face-recognition-work-with-opencv-ddd4c1cd4b43 | ['Eazy Ciphers'] | 2020-08-20 13:38:15.201000+00:00 | ['Machine Learning', 'Face Recognition', 'Opencv Python', 'Deep Learning'] |
Everything I Wish I Knew When I first used Procreate. | Everything I Wish I Knew When I first used Procreate.
Since getting my iPad Pro, I have been a big fan of Procreate, its where I do all of my illustration now, it’s so clean and smart, but there is some assumed knowledge that should be in some sort of tour (or maybe there was and I skipped it 🤷♂).
Typography
Who’d have known you can add text to your document in Procreate, it’s tucked away in the add menu, but is super powerful, and lets you import custom fonts, and do all the usual text trickery you would expect.
Colour Picking from your document
Using your finger, hold it on your Artboard where you want to pick a colour. A round colour picker will appear and let you select, at this point you can drag around to get the right colour.
Fill a space using the picker
If you drag a colour from the top corner of procreate it will fill the area you drop on with your chosen colour. If you hold before dropping, you can change the threshold of where you are dropping the colour.
If your pen isn't tracking after a while, check the nib
Sometimes the nib slowly unscrews so it doesn't track your movement, or only sometimes tracks creating dashes. Simply twist the nib back in place, and crack on as you were.
Easy switch from Pen to Eraser
Simply double tap the side of your pen to swap between Pen and Eraser mode, you can stop this in the iPad Settings if you don’t want this behaviour
Draw a perfect circle, shape or line.
Hold your pen in place after drawing a shape or line and Procreate will magically create the perfect version of your shape, while still allowing you to edit it a little more after, plus it will keep your brush texture while doing it.
Merge your layers with a pinch
If your layers are getting out of control, you can smush them together easily, simply use two fingers and ‘pinch’ the top and bottom layers you want to merge together. All layers in between (and including)the two you have picked will be combined into a single layer.
What did I miss?
What features do you wish you knew when you first started illustrating with Procreate? | https://medium.com/@tristolliday/everything-i-wish-i-knew-when-i-first-used-procreate-4133b225634a | ['Tristram Tolliday'] | 2020-12-23 10:17:41.553000+00:00 | ['Procreate', 'Apple Pencil', 'iPad', 'Graphic Design', 'Illustration'] |
You can Now Publish with us! | Hello and Welcome!
Photo by Jon Flobrant on Unsplash
I am Aditya, the Editor of Architectonics. I created this publication to encourage open discussions on sustainability in built environment space. The publication is now open allowing you to publish your articles with us. If you have an idea, a thought or view that you would like to share on the following topics, please feel free to get in touch with us. | https://medium.com/architectonics/you-can-now-publish-with-us-855cc37ee6fc | ['Aditya Vinod Buchinger'] | 2020-11-16 14:14:59.527000+00:00 | ['Write With Us', 'Architecture', 'Writers On Medium', 'Sustainability', 'Environment'] |
Practical tips for creating equitable designs | If you are someone who totally understands why we need to shift our practice, but you are stuck on how exactly we do this, this article is for you. I have outlined the following tips under categories ranked from most important to least. I have also offered some examples so you have a better idea of what it can look like.
Like all of us, I am still learning, and especially because I am a white person I am committed to doing so publicly in order to demonstrate how important this learning is. I think it’s too easy for those of us who identify with dominant cultures to think it’s not “our” business to discuss these topics, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Inequity is a problem that exists because of dominance — as a white person, I remain committed to fully engaging in and even initiating these conversations, however imperfectly. I fully admit that I don’t know everything when it comes to this topic and I seek to share what I have learned as someone who has been deeply committed to equity over the long term. I invite you to leave comments with your own questions and experiences.
Focus on the process
Listen to feedback from people who are often oppressed and excluded.
Listening to this feedback requires both asking for it and also then being willing to do things differently because of what you heard. This won’t be easy if you pride yourself on being an expert, as you may have to acknowledge how much you really have to learn.
If you think this sounds simple enough, ask yourself how many projects you’ve worked on where this was included as a critical part of the process. For me, it’s been too few. What this has often meant is that the decision-makers don’t get this feedback until after production is complete, and this creates a lose-lose situation: There may be harm caused to people (this harm is often repetitive and therefore re-traumatizing), and decision-makers don’t have the opportunity to make changes that would reduce such harm before potential criticism reaches a higher volume (this embarrassment can lead to the project being subsequently hidden and essentially moot).
This is why this is the single most important tip here, one that essentially can eliminate all those that follow. There are more tips about asking for and receiving feedback in another article I’ve written here.
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
Collaborate with difference.
Naturally, a prerequisite for this is appreciating difference and understanding that the goal is not to have one standard set of rules for anything, including how to best design or visualize data! Our diversity is our strength in every way, and this can be applied to our everyday professional work too.
Recognize your own individual social locations, and then identify what locations are different from yours. Now this is important for it will feel so incredibly uncomfortable: reach outside of spaces in which you know you belong to connect with people who are different. (Also, remember that our intersections are so complex that chances are that no matter how different someone may appear to be, you have something in common with them.)
If you are someone with a location that is dominant in our culture (white, male, cisgendered, able bodied, middle to upper class, etc.), please be mindful of the power dynamics in your collaborations and of the share of the load and of the recognition that’s being carried by various involved parties. Please don’t ask people who are oppressed to educate you about oppression, to listen to or care for your complicated feelings, or to engage in vulnerable conversations with you — allow them to do these things only if they want and choose to.
Lastly, consider that there are varying degrees of “collaboration,” from informing to consulting to involving to empowering, and significant shifts happen the more we move from the former to the latter.
Give credit where it’s due.
Whether people are offering you their thoughts on your design drafts, contributing data sets, helping craft language, or something else, this is part of the labor that goes into the work, so it needs to be named.
In my opinion, data stories especially are always the result of many hands, so they are less private property and more public domain. Ask yourself how this perspective might change your relationship to them and their expression.
One more thing on process: Shifting culture is a long game, period. So give yourself credit for being willing to jump into the messiness of it all and to change your own behaviors without any guarantees of success.
Mind the story
Always consider who might be harmed by the story being told.
The stories we tell, including and perhaps especially data stories, can affect a person’s safety, privacy, livelihood, health, and relationships. For example, one of my colleagues was working with data about employee demographics and attitudes, and because most employees were white and straight they had to be careful about how they talked about the data so that those who were BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+ wouldn’t be targeted for expressing their contrary opinions in an apparently-anonymous survey.
We may not always be able to see the harm, which is why the aforementioned practices are so critical. A few common examples I have found in my work are:
Discussion of changing demographics with an implication that it’s a change to be concerned about. For example, the fact that this study looked at attitudes about increasing diversity I think says a lot. Discussion of systemic harms in a way that makes it seem like they are individual failures. Two common examples are gang violence and rates of type 2 diabetes. Discussion of policies or practices that disproportionately affect or impact certain populations without mentioning that that is the case. Yes, it’s harmful to not name harms, which I’ll discuss further shortly. COVID-19 rates are a very timely example of this.
Often what is needed to minimize harm is more than data, which never speaks for itself. By offering plenty of contexts, including by using qualitative data if at all possible, we can help audiences build a clearer understanding. Furthermore, sometimes including alternative or conflicting viewpoints helps audiences get that it’s a complex issue with multiple narratives.
For example, one project I worked on was helping people understand data related to LGBQ youth and substance use. My client responsibly included both language and data to explain that these youth experienced worse outcomes because of a variety of factors including less access to resources, lack of protective factors like a sense of belonging at school and trusting relationships, and struggles with mental health.
Use direct, plain language and avoid words that judge, minimize, misrepresent, are insensitive to, and exclude differences.
This includes being multilingual if appropriate. At the very least, don’t use jargon if you can avoid it (here’s a helpful tool).
Another common and very regrettable error I’ve seen in my work is people avoiding or “sugar coating” words instead of directly mentioning race, systemic racism, systemic oppression, white supremacy culture, etc.
For example, the dashboard shown here talks about social determinants of health (SDOH), but there is no mention of racism. This not only keeps people from understanding fully SDOH and how systemic racism shows up in people’s daily lives but consequently this lack of understanding doesn’t move people toward the development of solutions that address racism directly. (Side note: it’s very telling to me that the term SDOH has existed since 2005, if not before, and yet it’s taken until just last week for the AMA to acknowledge racism as a SDOH.)
Words like “underrepresented,” “underserved,” “marginalized,” “minority,” and “non-white” are deficit-based and belittling, and words/phrases like “Blacks” and “Hispanics,” “Latinx,” and even “People of Color” can be too reductive. The word “diverse” is often entirely misused: it means there’s a wide range of differences and should not be used to refer to people who are different from what might be considered “normal” or dominant.
As of this writing, the preference of the communities referenced is either “BIPOC” (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) or the actual names of the nationalities, ethnicities, or other specific identities that the referenced people themselves claim (each of these should be capitalized too).
Also, let’s use them/they instead of he/him or she/her whenever possible. It’s easy, not confusing, and inclusive of the many gender identities people claim. Pay attention when referencing people with disabilities too.
The power of language is so easily underestimated, and, as any good editor or writer will tell you, having a variety of readers throughout the iterative process is invaluable. It all comes back to the process!
Include clear calls to action that lead to a positive impact.
This is another seemingly simple practice that is often overlooked or side-stepped. Including these calls creates many wins, though: Audiences are left not merely able to know better but also to do better, their actions contribute to real tangible change, and the creators of the work know they didn’t merely add to the noise we are all overwhelmed by, they took a stand and sent a powerful signal. Again, let’s use our power as designers and data storytellers consciously!
Don’t forget design details
Consider visual hierarchy: Are certain stories and experiences being more emphasized?
I recently noticed a social media post about health equity leaders who’d received an award — a large photo of a white woman recipient was at the top and smaller photos of three women of color were side-by-side underneath (shown at left).
One project I played a part in included a visual hierarchy of users, and I found it troubling that the wealthy white man persona was positioned at the top.
Chances are that in both of these cases the creators’ implicit biases influenced them, but these sorts of subtle design decisions reinforce existing messages, however unconscious they may be.
When it comes to ordering labels in legends, the same rules apply. Start with the people most relevant or impacted rather than dominant groups.
Use colors appropriate for color blindness as well as race and culture.
There are many free online tools (some examples are here and here) that can help you check whether the colors you are using are accessible for those with visual impairments, but there are surprisingly fewer resources that address the racial implications of color. If there is a racial component to the data (and there very often is), I suggest using a palette with blues and/or secondary colors (oranges, purples, and greens) and avoiding colors associated with skin tones as well as reds which generally connote danger.
Conscientious use of color helps reduce the likelihood that audiences’ own implicit biases will affect how they connect with and understand the data. So, please avoid “standard” patterns like pinks for women and blues for men too.
Also be aware of the cultural implications of colors, especially if audiences are multicultural. For example, in Chinese culture red signifies fortune, but in the Middle East it connotes evil and danger.
Think about the accessibility of your design for people with varying physical and mental abilities.
Are people with low vision or dyslexia able to use assistive technology like text-to-speech software, for example? Be sure to use graphics and illustrations in ways that help anyone focus and avoid distracting or moving content if possible.
Use images very intentionally
Use photos or drawings of people to help audiences connect with lived experiences and avoid any imagery that enforces stereotypes.
Hint: run-of-the-mill stock images might not cut it. You might have to look further and farther (or better yet, hire/pay a photographer or illustrator who is BIPOC) to find imagery that speaks to the experiences at hand and, importantly, in a way that does not reinforce power dynamics. One organization I worked for included images of Black people only on the marketing materials that targeted low-income families — this is a major no-no.
The key thing is to make a point to use this imagery along with any data visualizations as it can help emphasize the people behind the numbers. One report I helped design neglected to do this, and I was left feeling that for all the thorough research and focus on precise language, the overarching messages about inequities fell a bit flat because the report seemed to be more about percents than about real life people.
I know as professionals we tend to be big-time thinkers, but if we look at our own lives I think we can admit that our hearts generally change before our minds do. So we culture shifters need to consider how we can use design to appeal to people’s values and needs, especially those related to connection, cooperation, community, kindness, fairness, and integrity.
Photo by Gemma Chua-Tran on Unsplash
Use visuals that are inclusive and non-binary.
If you use any imagery, photos or icons for general purposes be sure they represent a diversity of races, genders, generations, abilities, family compositions, etc. to make sure every viewer feels included.
I think the best icons for gender-neutral people are limited to head and shoulder outlines in an appropriate solid color.
Do not use symbols or styles from, or otherwise reference, cultures without deeply understanding them.
This is known as cultural appropriation, the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of aesthetics of oppressed people by dominant groups.
A client I once worked with preferred using their brand colors that connected to their cultural identity, which I happily obliged, but if they had been wanting to reference another culture’s colors, I’d have had a conversation with them about ethics (yes, I do that with my clients).
If you ever aren’t completely sure and want to know if you’re out of line, you will need to, circling back to item number one, ask for feedback.
Focusing on process makes it easier to mind the story, double check the details, and ensure images intentionally include. If you want to dive deeper, I highly recommend the resources created by the people mentioned in this related article.
If, like me, you are a designer who wants to live in a more equitable, fair and just society, then making sure your creations are helping everyone envision and create this society is as important as any other design decisions you make.
All earnings paid to the author for this article will be donated to Data for Black Lives. | https://uxdesign.cc/practical-tips-for-creating-equitable-designs-4c616fdddf33 | ['Lydia Hooper'] | 2020-12-03 12:00:42.249000+00:00 | ['Social Justice', 'Design', 'UX', 'Data Visualization', 'Ethics'] |
How to build management skills before you’re a manager | Giving effective feedback
Your success as a manager is measured by the outcomes of your team; giving your direct reports feedback is a critical way to drive better outcomes.
Feedback should tell you what to do in the future to get a successful outcome. This excellent anecdote from Sunstein & Thaler’s book Nudge explains how simple yet critical feedback is:
Suppose you are practicing your putting skills on the practice green. If you hit ten balls towards the same hole, it is easy to get a sense of how hard you have to hit the ball. … Suppose instead you were putting the golf balls but not getting to see where they were going. In that environment, you could putt all day and never get any better.
As a manager, you are the one with visibility into how well your directs are “putting.” By giving frequent feedback, your directs will have more ability to improve over time.
But giving feedback can be tough. As a manager, you’ll need to do it often, but at least from my experience, it’s not something I practiced as an IC. When my role changed, I struggled with feeling like the judge of others — I worried my directs would find me mean and dislike me. I really hated the mental image that someone who reported to me would go home to complain about me over dinner that night.
So if you see management in your future, practice giving feedback, and practice often. Books like Radical Candor can be a great guide on the theory and best-practices of giving feedback, but the more practice you can get now, the more comfortable you will be when you do make the switch to management.
How to practice giving feedback as an IC
Use your 1:1s
Tell your manager you want to build this skill, then use your regularly scheduled 1:1 as a safe space to practice. (Are you sensing a theme yet?) Ask your manager to give you one piece of feedback a week; write it down and consider the words used, the structure of the delivery, and your reactions — think about what made it effective or weak, and discuss that with your manager. Practice repeating the feedback given to you out loud to get comfortable with speaking the words. If they are open to it, give your manager one piece of feedback each week, and discuss the delivery the same way.
Making your 1:1s work for you is a great way to fit in time for your own growth and development each week. | https://medium.com/envoy-design/how-to-build-management-skills-before-youre-a-manager-a63fc6992822 | ['Katie Riley'] | 2020-08-27 17:01:01.645000+00:00 | ['Product Design', 'Management', 'Design', 'Promotion', 'Startup'] |
Defeating Racial Injustice Requires Everyone Becoming an Ally | by Courtney La Bau
If the measure of a society is how it treats its least fortunate members, then ours resembles a society in decline. Ahmaud Arbery — gunned down in Georgia. George Floyd — manhandled to death in Minnesota. Meanwhile a deadly virus is stalking us all but taking its most brutal toll out on people of color, people who look like Arbery and Floyd.
Any collective hope we had of increasing justice in our society is being dashed by the realization that racism is still strong enough a force to snuff out human life. Not all of us are capable of such depravity, but enough Americans are that it should shock all of us into taking a stand like we never have before.
I’ve worked for years in the counter-extremism space, and I know that the burden of stomping out racially motivated injustice cannot be forged by minorities alone. This type of change requires the surging energy of united allies. Being an effective ally requires knowledge of the problem, realization of the privilege held, and a deep personal conviction to do the work until the virus of racial hatred is eradicated.
In this cultural moment when the volume is on high, we see too many people with my skin tone sitting unknowingly on the platform of privilege while people of color are forced to defend their existence on a daily basis. What I hope to see is more people who look like me recognizing the privileges in the normalcy of whiteness and using it to fight for the humanity and equality of those without it.
There are tangible steps we can each take in our daily lives to stop the spread of hate before someone else is killed, or before justice is delayed or denied to another victim of racial bigotry, but it requires us all to be courageous, introspective, and diligent. Here’s how you can do it.
Monitor Social Media
Hate rhetoric can be overt, but it is often embedded into disinformation or conspiracy theories that circulate online, so be aware when scrolling. These have become so common online — educate yourself on what these subcultures believe and perpetuate. For the more direct racist posts or comments, do not be afraid to call out intolerance when you see it. Remind a friend or family member that these posts cause far more harm than good. A single conversation with one person may be the most powerful thing you can do. Lastly, do not hesitate to report dangerous hate speech to platform administrators when you see it.
I recently appeared with my dear friend Lisa Ling on CNN to discuss why people pursue paths of extremism and hate. Since the pandemic began, Lisa has received numerous hate messages over social media, one wishing harm on her children, and demanding Lisa apologize “for giving us the virus.” We should break out of the habit of brushing these off and expecting others to call them out.
Use Your Platform for Good
The Spider-Man comic series popularized the phrase “with great power comes great responsibility.” Whether you are a social media influencer, singer, actor, politician or casual user — use your platform to call out racism and intolerance. Bring awareness to the hate speech that you are seeing, and that others are experiencing. If you’ve got a platform — use it. Be willing to do the right thing.
Educate Yourself
If you look around your friend groups or social media posts and see that everyone in your circle looks like you, you have the responsibility of privilege to educate yourself on the plight that many people of color have to navigate daily. It is not a person of color’s responsibility to educate you — do the research and invest the time in becoming an ally. Be more than just well-intentioned and make the commitment to “not be a racist” but to firmly plant your feet in the “anti-racist” camp.
Organize & Diversify
Think of the groups you belong to — a house of worship, a gym, a book club, a workplace, a friend group, a family — and assess where you can create a dialogue around these issues. Keep diverse company and create a culture of tolerance wherever you go. Assess the thought leaders you listen to and choose to expand the leaders you learn from.
Whatever you do, don’t be apathetic. Don’t be silent. Just because racism is not happening to you does not mean you don’t have the moral responsibility to call injustice and intolerance out when you see it. This is a human, collective responsibility.
We are all beneficiaries of a resilient and cohesive community, so let’s use this moment in history to ask ourselves — what type of society do we want to create? I know the traits of the one I’ve fought for my entire career — love, kindness, tolerance, and activism that makes a difference.
Courtney La Bau is a current fellow with the Truman National Security Project, co-head of the Homeland Security & Community Resilience Group, and frequently writes on issues around hate, intolerance, and extremism. She is a former senior advisor and federal contractor on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Community Partnerships. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @courtneylabau. | https://medium.com/truman-doctrine-blog/defeating-racial-injustice-requires-everyone-becoming-an-ally-11f679aac2c9 | ['Truman Project'] | 2020-10-30 14:46:41.846000+00:00 | ['Racism', 'Racial Justice', 'Ahmaudarbery', 'Allyship', 'George Floyd'] |
How Becoming Daddy’s Little Girl Made Me Strong | How Becoming Daddy’s Little Girl Made Me Strong
Exploring BDSM and power exchange enhances my life and my relationship
Photo purchased from Body Liberation Stock
Full disclosure: it wasn’t that long ago that the thought of referring to a romantic partner as Daddy really squicked me out. I didn’t understand why anyone would want to associate such a familial word with anything sexy or erotic. I was judgmental, and very sure that I would never!
Of all the surprising things I’ve discovered while exploring my sexuality, my love for Daddy/girl power exchange is one of the least expected. It’s also one of the things I’ve talked about the least. Sure, I’ve talked about having a Dominant/submissive (D/s) dynamic. But delving further into the specifics is trickier. Opening up to ‘vanilla’ folks about floggers, spankings, or rope bondage feels safer than delving into the more misunderstood corners of kink.
Sitting on a bench facing the gently lapping water, I knew we had something; but I never could have imagined the depths of the power exchange relationship we’d develop.
When I met my future Daddy, the attraction was immediate and magnetic in a way I’d never experienced. PG emails quickly gave way to in-depth conversations exploring non-monogamy, sexuality, BDSM, and kink. He was already involved in the local community, and his interest in helping me explore was one of the foundational blocks of our relationship.
I’m so lucky that my first forays into the world of BDSM happened with someone with a good base. He was thorough in leading me through negotiations about our relationship, and it didn’t feel like work. Our first meeting happened on a blazing June morning, eating and talking on the patio of a local café then walking in the park. Sitting on a bench facing the gently lapping water, I knew we had something; but I never could have imagined the depths, pleasures, and connection of the power exchange relationship and partnership we’d develop.
What is power exchange?
BDSM and kink are huge and varied categories covering an infinite number of relationship models and activities. Power exchange is the overarching term for relationships that include one partner giving over control or authority to the other. These relationships are often referred to as Dominance and submission (or D/s).
Delving further, you’ll find many different types of power exchange relationships, from in-depth, hard-edged Master/slave relationships to simpler top/bottom dynamics. Also included are Caregiver/little relationships, which include various combinations of Daddy/Mommy Doms and littles ranging from Adult Babies to people who identify as Middles.
The types of relationships included in power exchange are widely varied, and at face value may not seem similar. Each dynamic is unique, but ultimately they’re about power and control between the participants.
But… why Daddy?
Following the end of my marriage, I entered a phase of blossoming. I was discovering a new confidence and power, and taking what I wanted. This new relationship? It felt different.
Almost immediately, there was an energy exchange that brought out my shy side when it came to initiating anything. He was low key, but grounded and commanding, and his demeanor made me want to wait for him to ask me. I started to submit to him before we were ever alone in private. He surprised me, his presence strong and quietly dominating. It felt incredibly natural to fall into a D/s dynamic with him. It felt right.
Before long, it was time to figure out what I would call him in the context of our D/s relationship. Having designated names or titles in a power exchange relationship is part of getting into the roles, and reinforces the dynamic. The most common titles in the BDSM world are Master, Sir, and Daddy. I knew immediately that Master didn’t feel right for the connection we were building. Sir was closer, but not quite right either. Both felt too stiff, too formal, too hard for what was developing.
At first the idea of calling someone Daddy felt super strange. But it flowed from my tongue easily when I felt bashful, unsure, or inexperienced, and he made me feel all of those things.
I had almost no experience with the Daddy/girl (D/g, or DD/lg for Daddy Dom/little girl) dynamic, aside from limited role-playing with a long-distance boyfriend over texts and phone calls. I knew I felt safe with him, protected, but at first the idea of calling someone Daddy felt super strange. As I mentioned, before getting involved in kink and power exchange, I was sure saying Daddy in the context of a sexual or romantic relationship was not for me.
Yet there I was, heavily drawn to it. Daddy. The person who would watch over me, look out for me, and set me straight when I’d lost my way. He was becoming someone who told me what to do, but also someone who sheltered and protected me. It flowed from my tongue more easily when I felt bashful, unsure, or inexperienced, and he made me feel all of those things.
I started out in texts and emails, calling him Daddy and signing off as his little girl. He called me his sweetheart or good girl. At first, I was very shy about calling him Daddy out loud, but the more I did, the easier it became.
Doesn’t calling him ‘Daddy’ remind you of your actual Dad?
In a word, no. For one thing, I have never in my life called my father Daddy. At least not that I can remember. I called my parents by their first names until high school, and then switched to Mom and Dad. Even if I’d called him that as a small child, that was decades ago.
People love nicknames and pet names. Baby is used as a term of endearment all the time, and no one asks “doesn’t that remind you of an actual baby?” Sweetheart, honey, my girl, babe, papi, pretty momma, and baby are all commonly used in the context of romantic relationships, and this isn’t all that different.
My D/g dynamic isn’t about incest, it’s about emulating the power dynamic between a nurturing but firm man, and a sometimes-rebellious, often younger girl who needs guidance.
Calling your partner Daddy has nothing to do with visualizing your literal father. Power exchange relationships often emulate a power dynamic, whether it’s a Master or Mistress or a Daddy. My D/g dynamic isn’t about incest, it’s about emulating the power dynamic between a nurturing but firm man, and a sometimes-rebellious, often younger girl who needs guidance. It works because it incorporates elements of authority, nurturing, teaching, protecting, and sometimes punishment.
Each set of labels used by kinksters practicing power exchange captures unique nuances about the dynamic they’ve chosen. Using Daddy as a title on the dominant side of the equation implies that the Dominant takes care of the submissive, acting as a provider who gives guidance to an innocent.
Doesn’t age play sexualize children?
Again, no. In fact, it’s possible to have a D/g or Cg/l relationship without participating in age play at all. Many who identify as Daddies and girls play in a sort of grey area where an age difference may be implied, but the submissive does not identify as an under-18 persona.
Even for those who do participate in age play, whether it’s very young or college-aged, age play kinks have nothing to do with incest or pedophilia. When we build these relationships, we are not craving a sexual relationship with one of our actual parents, nor do we wish to return to our past in real life.
From age play to pet play to mistress/teacher or boss/subordinate, roleplaying is about escape; it’s a big, amazing game of pretend, grown-up style.
This type of play is about feelings: feeling supported, taken care of, free to indulge in activities or interests that grown-ups are supposed to be too mature for. From age play to pet play to mistress/teacher or boss/subordinate, roleplaying is about escape; it’s a big, amazing game of pretend, grown-up style. Being in little space is about going into the head space and safety of a careless life away from the responsibility-laden adult world.
How old is your little?
I consider myself more of a middle than a little. Littles and middles come in all ages, from babygirls who enjoy binkies and adult-sized-cribs to people like me. I identify more in the realm of a naive-but-curious bubble-gum teenager. This type of role-play is perfect for letting your inner child out to be nurtured and taken care of by someone who enjoys a caregiver role.
I’m not little all the time, and sometimes it’s hard to get there without a lot of intention. Rather than a totally alternate personality, it’s more an aspect of myself that shows through more at some times than others; for example if I’m stressed at work and my kids are being needy, it gets pushed down.
When I’m feeling tired, sad, or vulnerable, I feel more little.
I like being cute, and I got excited when my hair got long enough for pigtails and bows, and love unicorns and sparkles and ruffles. I love to color and cuddle with stuffies. When I’m feeling tired, sad, or vulnerable, I feel more little. I feel like I need to be taken care of, to be sheltered a bit more from the world. There’s an immense security and feeling of being seen in knowing I can send a text that says, I’m feeling little. And he gets it.
When I’m in little space, things can be playful, with tickling and teasing each other, or nurturing and soft. She also comes out when I get into trouble, and need my behavior corrected. When we move into things that are more physically intense, like rope or impact play, my little doesn’t show herself as much.
Why don’t you just keep this behind closed doors, where it belongs?
Simple: I don’t believe that sex and sexuality belong behind closed doors. Sex and pleasure are normal, natural things and we need to talk about them a lot more. Because of the repression and shame around sexuality in our culture, so many people end up feeling like they are abnormal or that something is wrong with them.
The sex-positive movement is important to me. Working towards a culture where sexuality and sexual expression are not swept under the carpet is a mental health issue, and a plain old happiness issue. Feeling togetherness, feeling empowered, and feeling accepted are important. I’d like to leave this world a better place than I found it, for my kids and their kids, and using my voice is one of the simpler ways to be able to do that.
By sharing my knowledge and experiences, I hope to contribute to greater understanding and acceptance of things that people misunderstand and look down upon.
Not everyone is in a place where they’re able to talk about these things out loud, and I want to lend my voice to those people. By sharing my knowledge and experiences, I hope to contribute to greater understanding and acceptance of things that people misunderstand and look down upon. Education is important!
Being sex-positive is also a feminist issue. Men are still seen as conquistadors for exploring sexually, while women are labeled sluts. If I share that I’ve slept with 50 people, it’s more shocking and reviled than if a man says the same thing. In her article, My Daddy Fetish Has Nothing to do With My Father, Emma Austin writes:
Men don’t have these same issues. The fetishization of MILFs has full-blown cultural currency, right down to hit pop songs. It’s seen as an entirely ordinary manifestation of male desire and no one ever worries that confessing to a MILF fetish will be tantamount to admitting to some oedipal complex.
The fact that people still look on the daddy fetish with suspicion just shows that we still have a long way to go to normalizing women’s sexual desires. We need a broader, more open conversation about what we really want (and not just fantasies of Fabios on horseback — the pervy stuff, too).
Sex and sexuality carry so much shame, misunderstanding, and stigma in our culture. The only way that we are going to change that is by talking about it, and normalizing all the types of relationships that people have. Everyone deserves love and the opportunity to explore the things that make them happy, as Emma said, even the pervy stuff! What are we here for if not to live in joy?
How has your DD/LG dynamic helped you heal from trauma?
I spent the majority of the five years before finding my Daddy feeling small, unloved, and unworthy. I became invisible. The one person in my life who was supposed to be there for me, to hold me when I cried, to support me, to help me when I was trying to better myself, to love me and generally take care of me when I was in need was not there for me. He was another person in my life I was responsible for taking care of, without the type of reciprocity a healthy relationship provides. I lost myself, and I needed someone to help me find me again.
Sometimes, the universe drops just what we need right in front of us. At the end of a first meeting, you already feel that it’s important. That click can happen with friends or with lovers, the hint of something bigger to come. We filled a spot in each other’s lives that needed just the right piece. Our relationship has been a gift in many ways from the very beginning.
He makes me feel special, and reminds me that I am worth loving and worth wanting.
Being little with him has meant figuring out how to be vulnerable again in a safe place. It means I never have to be anybody but who I am. It provides one place (at times the only place) in my life where I don’t have to be the one taking care of everything.
When Daddy tells me what to do, I don’t have to think about it, I just have to do it. He spoils me, and I remember that I do deserve happiness. He makes me feel special, and reminds me that I am worth loving and worth wanting. His love is truly unconditional, which has helped me learn to advocate for myself. I get to embrace every part of myself, share hidden parts with someone who receives them appreciatively. He recognizes the value of my submission, of trusting him to have power over me. | https://medium.com/sexography/how-becoming-daddys-little-girl-made-me-strong-c58fb2da21e8 | ['Rachael Hope'] | 2020-12-05 13:42:25.076000+00:00 | ['BDSM', 'Sexuality', 'Sex', 'Relationships', 'Feminism'] |
An argument against transmasc and transfem labels | As promised, here are a few thoughts about transmasculine and transfeminine as labels. Disclaimer: if you are a person who uses these words to describe yourself and you find it empowering, I’m glad for you. This piece does not apply to you. As with most content I have up so far, this is explicitly for cisgender people and their relationship with these terms.
Here we go, time to make this personal again.
It took me a very long time to come out. I began to think of myself as nonbinary almost as soon as I learned the word, probably late 2014 or early 2015. I had a good friend who was nonbinary and we had so many talks about what it meant and I found myself really identifying with it.
But, I let popular logic about the topic get to me and told myself, “You just want to fit in. You have this new friend that you adore and you just want to relate to them more. You’re projecting. You don’t get dysphoria, shut up and be a good ally instead.”
So I was. I started talking to my cisgender friends and advocating to the extent that a younger, shyer me could.
In 2016, I took a course at my university about Buddhism and sexuality. It seemed like I was the only person in the room who definitely wasn’t straight and who knew anything about trans* issues, so I found myself speaking up a lot in class (and getting a lot of weird looks from my classmates). During that class, the professor informed us of a performer called Yozmit. The professor really struggled with describing her and using her pronouns because her philosophy of gender was incredibly abstract. In class, we listened to her song Sound of New P*ssy (censored because I’m not sure what the rules are on Medium for that kind of language).
It would take a lot of space to describe why that song had such a profound effect on me, but as we watched it together, I cried in class. Almost ugly cried. In front of over 20 people. We had spent so long talking about her philosophy, how it related to my religion, the symbolism in the video, her personal struggles, and I remembered that time I dared question my own gender for the first time and… phew. I just broke down. The professor noticed, and I am eternally grateful that he didn’t make it a big deal in front of the others.
I walked out of class that day knowing I was nonbinary. For sure. I told one person. I was scared to come out, I didn’t know what that would look like for me, so I kept up my cisgender façade. But I was comfortable with that, because I knew who I was finally.
I stayed in the closet until 2018. I didn’t choose to come out. By this time, I was beginning to feel dysphoric about my cover persona. I had also discovered that certain things I took for granted as normal, run of the mill self hatred were actually dysphoria that I had been experiencing for years.
When I couldn’t hold it in anymore, I told my partner at the time… who then proceeded to tell our entire friend group in the most confusing way possible, forcing me to come out to them and clarify things. It ended up working out in the end because it meant I had the confidence to come out during grad school and create a professional social circle for myself that was accepting, but those were very dark days for me.
Suffice to say that most people in the social circle I was outed to were not the most accepting. I was called names. Jokes with slurs were thrown around. I was interrogated about issues like “trans women in women’s sports.” It was heavily implied that I was mentally ill or confused. They didn’t know how to see me as nonbinary so I was misgendered constantly (I still am sometimes, to be honest).
And it was so frustrating because the only terms I could get them to understand were in the binary. They weren’t great about binary transgender people, but they at least had a frame of reference for what “man” and “woman” were, socially, and how a binary transgender person could exist.
So I started defining myself in those terms. I started trying to alter my voice to be more consistent with the “opposite” gender. I bought gear that would flatten things that needed flattened and bring out aspects that needed to be brought out on my body to present more typically for the “opposite” gender.
Like a light switch had gone off, I was suddenly being gendered correctly. The cisgender people in that social circle were complimenting me, telling me how much they were starting to read me as the “opposite” gender. They started using compliments that were stereotypically used for people of that binary gender.
Suddenly, I was a transmasculine/feminine nonbinary person. Sorry if that’s confusing, but I’ve said that I will not be disclosing my assigned gender at birth (agab) and I plan on sticking to it- fill in the previous with either transmasculine or transfeminine and you get the idea.
And at first, that went really well with me. I’m not an agender person, I do definitely have a feeling of gender (even if it isn’t much of one), and it definitely leans a little bit towards either masculine or feminine. I actually felt empowered by it for a while. I was being recognized! I wasn’t being misgendered really anymore! I had found phrases that they understood!
Then the invasive questions started. Was I getting surgeries? Was I starting hormones? In social situations I was still considered “one of the girls” or “one of the guys” (the one that correlated with my agab). It felt like I was being treated either as a spicy version of my agab or a lite version of the “opposite” gender.
I started feeling tired. I remembered what it was like to pretend to be cisgender for those years that I knew I was nonbinary initially and this feeling was exactly the same. I was pretending so much to be so like the “opposite” gender for their comfort that I wasn’t being myself.
So, cis people. Please be aware of this implicit bias you have. There is no “opposite” gender. There is no correct way to look nonbinary. There is no correct way to sound nonbinary.
It is actively nonbinary-phobic to try and force nonbinary people into binary boxes for your comfort.
There are nonbinary men and women, and I don’t mean to discount them, but that experience is not all of our experience. If a friend comes out to you as nonbinary and you automatically start using “opposite” gendered words for them you are not being a good ally. You are preserving your own comfort at the expense of ours.
Ask us how we would like to be described. Have a conversation with us about what words are comfortable and which ones aren’t. And then respect that. Not every nonbinary person who was assigned female at birth is transmasculine. Not every nonbinary person who was assigned male at birth is transfeminine.
Anyway, that’s it for today. I hope me talking about my experiences has helped someone understand what it can be like to be nonbinary in this world. I’m thinking about talking about tokenization in the next one or about queer characters in popular media. We’ll see.
Anyway, that’s it for today. I hope me talking about my experiences has helped someone understand what it can be like to be nonbinary in this world. I’m thinking about talking about tokenization in the next one or about queer characters in popular media. We’ll see. | https://medium.com/@leecrwll8/an-argument-against-transmasc-and-transfem-labels-d2f3f8c5b5e6 | ['Lee Crowell'] | 2020-12-08 22:42:00.705000+00:00 | ['Gender Identity', 'Transgender', 'Nonbinary', 'Transphobia', 'Gender Equality'] |
10 Ultimate Tips and Tricks on Data Visualization in QlikView | Introduction
QlikView is a popular and simple to learn tool for data visualization. Its simple interface makes it a favorite among newbies in analytics. I loved it too. In fact, my journey in business intelligence began with QlikView. As from a non-programming background, I couldn’t have asked for a better start.
Over the years, I’ve discovered some ways of becoming productive at QlikView. I found these ways after spending endless hours working on this tool. Finally, I ended up finding these 10 tricks which can help you work faster. Without these tricks, I was almost spending 15 minutes in a task which can now be done in less than 3 mins.
In this article, I’ve shared these 10 ultimate tips & tricks which can save your time and increase your productivity while working on this tool.
List of Tips and Tricks Covered
Copy Objects Copy Expression Move chart components Select multiple objects Limit dimensions of a chart Adding Visual elements to table Conditionally show or hide objects Use comments in scripting Use tabs in scripting Keyboard Shortcuts
Copy Objects
We often create objects which are similar to one of existing objects with minor changes in dimension, expression or any other parameter(s). It’s a time taking process.
But, you can do it much faster now. Simply, copy the existing object and make the necessary changes. You can copy sheet and chart object both. Method is as follows:
Chart object: Right click on the chart title and then select command “ Clone ”. This will create a copy of chart objects. Alternative method is to click on chart title by holding CTRL key and drag the object to different location and release mouse button.
Right click on the chart title and then select command “ ”. This will create a copy of chart objects. Alternative method is to click on chart title by holding key and drag the object to different location and release mouse button. Sheet object: Right click on sheet tab and select command “Copy Sheet”. This will create a similar sheet with name as “Copy of <current sheet name>”. This new sheet will be created at the end of all sheets.
Copy Expression
During dashboard development, we write multiple expressions (simple and complex). There are situations when we end up writing similar expressions for different chart objects. To make it efficient, we can re-use our existing expressions. Let’s look at the methods:
Open expression. Copy and paste it into a new expression
Right click on expression. Select “Copy” command. Then, paste it to expression window. Here, you do not only copy the expression code. The new column that is created has exactly the same properties as the source expression. This includes column width, alignment, number format etc.
In dashboard development, there are some expressions which are common to different chart objects. In this case, we can store the expression in a variable and access it with variable name using a dollar expansion. To do this, first store expression in a variable (Go to Settings -> Variable Overview and store expression).
To access it in any chart objects, write expression as $(Variable_Name).
This improves the accuracy and similarity across the dashboard as we are using same expression.
Move chart components
By default, position of chart components are fixed at the right hand side. But, in some cases we are required to change the position for better visualization. For which, there is no direct option available. I too didn’t have any solution of this issue initially. But, with time I found out a way. This can be done by using combination of keyboard shortcuts. Here is the trick:
Let’s say, we want to move the chart legend to left for below pie chart
Now, select the chart and press Ctrl+Shift. You will see a red border around every chart object
Now, drag and drop the individual component to left position (or required position).
Above, you have seen that chart legends moved to left side. You can also re-size the individual component using double headed arrow.
Select Multiple Objects
Sometimes we want to perform similar operation such as changing font size, layout, deletion with multiple objects. In such cases, we select all objects and perform the required operation. For selection, initially, we select one object then press SHIFT key. Then, click on the title of other objects. Now, you can perform group operation (applicable) on these objects like delete, using properties option (right click on any selected object) change the layout, font and caption.
Adding Visual elements to Table
Usually, we show only numbers in tabular representation. However, we can make the table more informative by adding visual elements to table. In Qlikview, we can apply three visualization techniques to table:
Limit Dimension of a Chart
Look at the below chart, it has too many dimensions making it difficult to make inferences about data.
We can solve this challenge by:
Limiting Dimension: In properties window of chart object, you can find a for “Dimension Limits”, where you can restrict dimension based on value such as show only largest 10, first 10, smallest 10, show values greater than or equals to 5% of total, show values those accumulate to 80% of total.
Enabling scroll bar for dimension: This option is available on Presentation tab of chart properties window. You can enable scroll bar on x-axis and set limit for number of items to show (look at below snapshot). This is one of the less known useful feature of Qlikview. Here, you can also show top 10, bottom 10 by sorting the chart based on expression in descending or ascending order.
Conditionally Show or Hide Objects
We can show or hide Qlikview objects based on the requirement. It helps to optimize the area of sheet object effectively. Under layout tab of properties window, there is an option to show or hide the sheet object (always or conditionally). Here you can write expression or use variable to control it. Generally, developers use “Buttons” to change the value of variable such as one button assigns value 0 to variable and another assigns 1.
We can also show or hide dimension and expression of chart object and best use of this feature is “ Adhoc reporting” or “ Customized reporting”. You can refer article “ Customized reporting in Qlikview “.
Use comments in Qlikview scripting:
Great programmers always add comments with different segment of code. It makes easier to read and debug the code. In Qlikview scripting also, this practice is highly recommended. There are several ways to create comments in your script.
// is for single line comments
/* …*/ is for a block edit
Use script tabs in Qlikview scripting
To keep scripts maintainable, we do follow modular structure in coding. In similar line, we should use scripts tab to standardize our scripts. It helps in faster script editing and debugging. Qlikview scripts are run top to bottom on each tab, from the left most tab to the right.
Above, you can that different tabs for XY Example, FilmsDatabase, Rating and Dictionary.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Before checking these shortcuts, first turn on “ Show Shortcut keys in ScreenTips “ option. With this, it will show shortcut keys whenever we hover the mouse pointer over menu icons. Just like Microsoft Excel does. This helps a lot in memorizing keyboard shortcuts.
To enable it, right click on toolbar area -> select command “Customize” -> Go to Options tab ->Check box on for “Show shortcut keys in ScreenTips”. Below are some useful keyboard shortcuts:
End Notes
Not only these tips will make you work faster. But, you’ll also get more time to explore new things at your end. Visualizing data is equally important as analyzing data. Hence, you should strive to become better day by day in data visualization.
In this article, we looked at QlikView tips and tricks which will enhance your dashboard development experience. Here, I have mostly covered tips and tricks related associated with front end or designer point of view like copying objects & expression, work with chart components, selecting multiple objects, limit dimension, visualization with table, conditionally show or hide objects, scripting best practices and finally keyboard shortcuts.
Did you find this article useful ? Do you want to add some more tips and tricks ? Feel free to share your experience with us, I’d love to hear you.
Originally published at https://www.analyticsvidhya.com on December 9, 2015. | https://medium.com/analytics-vidhya/10-ultimate-tips-and-tricks-on-data-visualization-in-qlikview-6fc7f186676e | ['Sunil Ray'] | 2019-08-12 04:07:11.580000+00:00 | ['Analytics', 'Data Visualization', 'Analysis', 'Visualization', 'Design'] |
No Batteries? No Sweat! Wearable Biofuel Cells Now Produce Electricity from Lactate | It cannot be denied that, over the past few decades, the miniaturization of electronic devices has taken huge strides. Today, after pocket-size smartphones that could put old desktop computers to shame and a plethora of options for wireless connectivity, there is a particular type of device whose development has been steadily advancing: wearable biosensors. These tiny devices are generally meant to be worn directly on the skin in order to measure specific biosignals and, by sending measurements wirelessly to smartphones or computers, keep track of the user’s health.
Although materials scientists have developed many types of flexible circuits and electrodes for wearable devices, it has been challenging to find an appropriate power source for wearable biosensors. Traditional button batteries, like those used in wrist watches and pocket calculators, are too thick and bulky, whereas thinner batteries would pose capacity and even safety issues. But what if we were the power sources of wearable devices ourselves?
A team of scientists led by Associate Professor Isao Shitanda from Tokyo University of Science, Japan, are exploring efficient ways of using sweat as the sole source of power for wearable electronics. In their most recent study, published in the Journal of Power Sources, they present a novel design for a biofuel cell array that uses a chemical in sweat, lactate, to generate enough power to drive a biosensor and wireless communication devices for a short time. The study was carried out in collaboration with Dr. Seiya Tsujimura from University of Tsukuba, Dr. Tsutomu Mikawa from RIKEN, and Dr. Hiroyuki Matsui from Yamagata University, all in Japan.
Their new biofuel cell array looks like a paper bandage that can be worn, for example, on the arm or forearm. It essentially consists of a water-repellent paper substrate onto which multiple biofuel cells are laid out in series and in parallel; the number of cells depends on the output voltage and power required. In each cell, electrochemical reactions between lactate and an enzyme present in the electrodes produce an electric current, which flows to a general current collector made from a conducting carbon paste.
This is not the first lactate-based biofuel cell, but some key differences make this novel design stand out from existing lactate-based biofuel cells. One is the fact that the entire device can be fabricated via screen printing, a technique generally suitable for cost-effective mass production. This was possible via the careful selection of materials and an ingenious layout. For example, whereas similar previous cells used silver wires as conducting paths, the present biofuel cells employ porous carbon ink. Another advantage is the way in which lactate is delivered to the cells. Paper layers are used to collect sweat and transport it to all cells simultaneously through the capillary effect — the same effect by which water quickly travels through a napkin when it comes into contact with a water puddle.
These advantages make the biofuel cell arrays exhibit an unprecedented ability to deliver power to electronic circuits, as Dr. Shitanda remarks: “In our experiments, our paper-based biofuel cells could generate a voltage of 3.66 V and an output power of 4.3 mW. To the best of our knowledge, this power is significantly higher than that of previously reported lactate biofuel cells.” To demonstrate their applicability for wearable biosensors and general electronic devices, the team fabricated a self-driven lactate biosensor that could not only power itself using lactate and measure the lactate concentration in sweat, but also communicate the measured values in real-time to a smartphone via a low-power Bluetooth device.
As explained in a previous study also led by Dr. Shitanda, lactate is an important biomarker that reflects the intensity of physical exercise in real-time, which is relevant in the training of athletes and rehabilitation patients. However, the proposed biofuel cell arrays can power not only wearable lactate biosensors, but also other types of wearable electronics. “We managed to drive a commercially available activity meter for 1.5 hours using one drop of artificial sweat and our biofuel cells,” explains Dr. Shitanda, “and we expect they should be capable of powering all sorts of devices, such as smart watches and other commonplace portable gadgets.”
Hopefully, with further developments in wearable biofuel cells, powering portable electronics and biosensors will be no sweat! | https://medium.com/@tokyouniversityofscience/no-batteries-no-sweat-wearable-biofuel-cells-now-produce-electricity-from-lactate-5e87800c97fc | ['Tokyo University Of Science'] | 2021-04-13 12:14:55.514000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Battery', 'Biofuels', 'Wearables', 'Science'] |
A Message to Jeff Bezos and Amazon on Addressing the Climate Challenge | Photo by Porapak Apichodilok from Pexels
I read today that Jeff Bezos announced he will establish a fund of $10 billion to address the climate challenge. This is good news. Few details about the “how” were included, but in my view adding this amount of capital — as well as the personal engagement of a proven leader like Jeff Bezos to the climate fight — is a very positive thing, indeed.
In the announcement, Bezos noted that, “It’s going to take collective action from big companies, small companies, nation states, global organizations, and individuals.” So Mr. Bezos, I have a better idea for you Amazon: please get your own company more engaged on climate. Amazon is incredibly powerful, and it can be doing so much more. Bigger, bolder action on climate likely will be very positive for your shareholders if the company chooses to do this.
Business leaders are generally much too cautious in tackling climate with a business mindset. Who better that Jeff Bezos and Amazon to challenge this conventional thinking?
Here’s one easy idea that a great company like Amazon could make work fast. As an alternative to Amazon Prime, start offering a new subscription choice to your customers: “Amazon Sustainable.”
Here are some illustrative ideas about how Amazon Sustainable might work:
· Instead of guaranteeing purchases are delivered same day or overnight, customers, are promised that their purchases will be collected over a designated period of time and sent in one much more efficient delivery. (Who said we needed everything overnight anyway?)
· Instead of guaranteeing delivery speed, customers are assured that the transportation mode with the lowest greenhouse gas emissions is selected.
· Instead of these extraordinarily tough, individually-wrapped, battle-ready packages, minimal packaging is provided. Amazon Sustainable customers agree that they can live with a few nicks on some purchases.
· Instead of listing products on the Amazon website by customer review ranking, price, or other factors, products can be filtered by a ranking of their environmental practices — conducted through an independent assessment.
· As ESG appraisals of producers become more prevalent and sophisticated, Amazon provides these assessments to Amazon Sustainable customers, helping us to be smarter about who we buy products from.
· Offsets. I know offsets can be very controversial. But the core idea is a good one. Wouldn’t it be great to have Amazon get in the business of assessing and ranking offsets by their quality? Amazon Sustainable could purchases carbon offsets on customers’ behalf, so that the greenhouse gases associated with physical delivery are abated. Amazon could provide additional offset purchase options so that we, as customers, might address greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of the product.
I could go on and on, but I will spare you. It may be obvious — I’m not an expert in online retailing. But from the conversations I have with smart business leaders, CEOs, and government officials, it seems clear to me that there is a lot of upside for Amazon to start thinking along these lines. And that will be only truer over time as more and more customers become very concerned about climate change.
And it’s not just customers who care:
· Young people today want to work for companies whose values align with theirs. Amazon needs to hire smart, creative young people who want to channel their passion for the planet into business profits.
· Amazon wants loyal shareholders. Have you noticed the huge growth in shareholders who care about ESG considerations?
· Don’t forget government relations. Tech companies with huge market shares are getting a lot of attention and criticism from various watchdogs and governmental bodies. Don’t wait for a wrist-slap. It’s a good idea to show policy leaders and concerned stakeholders you can make positive contributions (for both the environment, and the bottom line).
· And what about future business opportunities? It simply must be the case for a company with huge ambition like Amazon that being a highly-engaged leader in the fight to address climate change leads to big new opportunities.
So, in conclusion, thank you Mr. Bezos for your huge, personal commitment to fund the battle to address climate change. I’m very optimistic that your personal engagement will make a positive difference. Thank you.
But what we really need is for business itself to be more proactive and ambitious in this arena. I’ve long been puzzled why so many of your fellow CEOs seem so timid on this front. I can’t think of any CEO better than you, or any company better than Amazon, to show the way forward
And yes — please convert this Amazon Prime customer to Amazon Sustainable. | https://medium.com/@marktercek/a-message-to-jeff-bezos-and-amazon-on-addressing-the-climate-challenge-e1c6e4b9d0e0 | ['Mark Tercek'] | 2020-02-18 03:51:09.528000+00:00 | ['Sustainability', 'Esg', 'Amazon'] |
I come to praise Bezos, not to bury him | The Bezos Earth Fund May Be Just What NGOs Need to Reach the Next Level
The Quick Rundown:
The Instigator champions private sector environmental leadership. But we also believe that NGOs are critical players. For NGOs to achieve their full potential, they need two things. First, they need more and better funding. Otherwise, NGOs take the “lean and mean” concept too far. Second, NGOs need to offer greater disclosure so that their performance can be better understood. The Bezos Earth Fund can address both of these needs.
(Full disclosure: I served as CEO of The Nature Conservancy — an Earth Fund grantee — from 2008 to 2019.)
Last week, I wrote that I was excited about Jeff Bezos’s initial Earth Fund grants. Looks like I might be in the minority. Or maybe it’s a silent majority. Either way, the Twittersphere was ablaze, and it wasn’t exactly praising his decisions about where to allocate capital. What I read was surprising to me for two reasons. First, the criticisms were pretty weak. Criticism is valid and important. But we can and should do better. Second, they reveal a lack of appreciation of NGOs as capable and important organizations.
When Jeff Bezos originally committed $10 billion to a new climate-focused philanthropic fund, environmental journalists and podcasts immediately began to discuss and debate where the money should go. (See here, here, and here).
While lots of interesting and cool ideas were proposed — investments in education, new far-out technologies, ambitious R&D programs, efforts to build stronger, bigger, and more diverse political coalitions — none of these smart and well-intended commentators (so far as I could find) suggested that the money go to funding the big NGOs so they could build on their success and do more of their important work.
But that’s just what Bezos did. Bravo, I say.
Unsung Heroes
NGOs are the “essential workers” of the environmental movement. They know and can do things that neither the government nor the private sector know or can do. So why is their value so underappreciated?
Back in 2005, after 20+ years as a mainstream investment banker, I was asked to lead Goldman Sachs’s brand new environmental initiative. I immediately did what we always did at GS. I reached out to the world’s best experts to ask for help. That meant calling environmental NGOs. My colleagues and I were amazed. The people and organizations we turned to were great — smart, creative, full of ideas backed by strong science and substantive experience, savvy about evaluating our new environmental business strategies. In short, they knew their stuff. Even us arrogant Wall Street bankers knew right away that the NGOs would help us get off to a much stronger start than we would get to on our own.
What the NGOs had in smarts, however, they lacked in capacity. They had a difficult time keeping up with us. Their teams were too lean and had too much work. In hindsight, we should have provided them more funding. And the NGOs should have asked for it. We’ll come back to this point. As for me, I was so enthusiastic about what NGOs could accomplish, I decided to leave my comfortable perch on Wall Street and join the fray.
Target Rich, Short on Troops
I was enormously fortunate to serve as CEO of the Nature Conservancy for 11 years. Being there gave me a front-row seat into how talented and productive the staff of NGOs really are.
Hands down, the hardest part of my job at TNC was saying no. We were overwhelmed with worthwhile project opportunities — opportunities that would have had a big impact and that aligned with our capabilities.
For better or worse, there is just too much to do for environmental organizations. As military types like to say, it’s a “target-rich environment.” The limitations are on the supply side, not the demand.
Even at TNC, the largest of the environmental nonprofits, we had to painstakingly prioritize and do our best to maintain laser focus. We didn’t want to spread our resources too thin. Just because a project looked worthwhile, and just because we probably could execute it well, didn’t mean we should do it.
Our Board supported us in this effort, but it was difficult to sustain. Sometimes even they got excited about new, attractive but off-plan opportunities. I remember one Board member urging us to tackle the e-waste challenge — a noble cause, but definitely not on our priority list. And this happened immediately following a full Board discussion about the need to stay focused. I declined (politely, I hope). It was right to say no but difficult. NGO leaders always want to please their supporters.
Sometimes project-specific funding would be offered for the new opportunity, making it even more tempting to say yes. But the incremental funding was usually insufficient to cover the full organizational cost of taking on a new initiative.
I admit, I often made the same mistake too. I’d come back to headquarters after a business trip excited by many great ideas and initiatives. My excellent and more disciplined team would stop me by quoting me. “No,” they’d say. “Remember what you said — we need to stay focused.”
Why does this matter? It’s simple. Environmental NGOs are under-resourced relative to the huge, important, and urgent opportunities they face. And they stretch their resources too far too often.
Along Comes Bezos . . . and the Critics
NGOs may be under-resourced in many respects, but one thing they don’t lack is critics. There are lots of them. And that’s a good thing.
When I was at TNC, I always said: “Our critics are our friends. They usually want the same environmental outcomes that we want. If they see something they don’t like about how we are going about our work, let’s pay close attention to them. They might see something we miss. We might learn something.”
But this time around, I think it’s the criticisms that can be improved.
Let’s look at the initial reactions to the recent Earth Fund grants. Take this commentary from The Atlantic’s Robinson Meyer. Meyer is a very good environmental journalist. I subscribe to his excellent newsletter, “The Weekly Planet.” But I’m underwhelmed by his arguments against Bezos’s grant allocations.
“Bezos’ gifts indicate that he isn’t trying something new on climate so much as boosting an ancien regime“ [emphasis mine].
I’m not sure exactly what he means, but my Google dictionary says “ancien regimes” are “political systems that have been displaced typically by one more modern.” Ouch. Is there any evidence that’s true here?
Meyer goes on to write:
“…these first grantees represent an older and some would say [ed. nice hedge;who in fact says this?] — outdated [emphasis mine] approach to the problem of climate change.”
Outdated? Really?
Take another look at some of the Earth Fund’s grantees.
The Environmental Defense Fund is getting $100 million to launch a satellite to monitor methane emissions. Sounds like a cool project to me. Perhaps there are some shortcomings, but I don’t think we can reasonably call this strategy “outdated.” It’s never been done before. The World Resources Institute is getting $100 million to develop a satellite-based network for monitoring carbon emissions, as well as changes to forests, wetlands, and farms. Sounds worthy to me. The Salk Institute is getting $30 million to advance work in plant genetics to increase the ability of crops to capture and store atmospheric carbon via their roots in the soil. Who thinks that is an outdated approach?
Does Size Even Matter?
Meyer is not an outlier. Turning to other journalists, many emphasized that some of the grant recipients are the biggest NGOs. They imply that’s a bad thing. But before we address whether their size should be a disqualifier, let me first ask the question, is it even true that they are so big?
Yes, by the standard of NGO size, some of the Earth Fund grantees are big. But by almost any other benchmark, these organizations are not really big at all.
For example, compare the size of the biggest environmental NGOs to the companies that they engage with on the climate front. It’s tricky to do this comparison because good data is not readily available when it comes to NGOs. And, of course, it’s somewhat of an apples to oranges comparison. But it doesn’t matter. Take a look at these bar graphs in comparison to corporations. NGOs are by all measures tiny.
(per Charity Navigator) vs total revenue for the biggest companies (per Fortune 500)
Think revenue is the wrong way to assess relative size? Okay. How about the number of employees? That’s who does the work at both companies and NGOs, right? See below. Again, NGOs are not big.
Are there too many NGOs?
People also complain that there are too many NGOs and they all do the same thing. This really seems silly to me. NGOs are very few in number relative to companies, not to mention the size of the planet they are trying to protect. And they each have their unique strengths and areas of focus. Of course, if some of them were to consolidate the field by merging, they’d be vulnerable once again to the critique that they are too big. They can’t win.
Wait — I Thought You Said that The Instigator Welcomes Criticism
We do. I don’t want to overstate this pushback. And I will also note that there were other balanced analyses about the Earth Fund grants.
Critics and analysts of NGOs have a valuable role to play. But they need to play it fairly. Criticism should be based on facts and careful analysis, not hearsay, or rumors, or general impressions. In fairness to the commentators, their task is not easy. Good information on NGO performance is lacking. See for yourself. Try doing some Google research to determine which of the environmental NGOs are most effective. You’ll be frustrated. It’s not easy to do. You’ll find some opinions, but not much based on rigorous analysis on who gets what done. We need more data and more accurate information on who is doing what.
Therefore, One More Ask of Bezos
The Earth Fund can help us solve this problem. What if Jeff Bezos and his team committed to a new level of transparency? They could set a new standard for NGO disclosure. Here’s my ask. Please report publicly every year on how each of the grants is doing.
What’s going well?
Where are the NGOs behind schedule and why?
What can we learn from any setbacks or better than expected progress?
Please guide the grantees to report on a standard basis so that:
1) we can compare progress on one Earth Fund recipient’s project to another; and
2) other philanthropists can use the same format for their grants.
This should be easy. It’s exactly the kind of information that Jeff Bezos must be asking for when monitoring his businesses, whether it be Amazon, the Washington Post, or Blue Origin. It may not be quite as easy to report on NGO progress as it is in business. But there are many ways to measure progress. Start — say — with five-year goals and clear annual milestones to assess progress along the way.
By requiring his grantees to track and disclose this type of information, Bezos would be acclimating these organizations to a new way of tracking and reporting on their work, while paving the way for others to follow. And it would not only help ensure he gets a better return on his investment, but it might also help NGOs more clearly demonstrate their value.
Subscribe here to The Instigator, a bi-weekly newsletter that will change the status quo and push business and environmental leaders to work together for change. Subscribe today if you’re up for the challenge. | https://medium.com/@marktercek/i-come-to-praise-bezos-not-to-bury-him-441f3747dcfb | ['Mark Tercek'] | 2020-12-22 15:31:39.782000+00:00 | ['Environment', 'Ngo', 'Philanthropy', 'Business'] |
hard hat zone. | It’s not only what he said, it’s how he said it too. He’s the quiet type, you know, he speaks quietly, too, almost too quietly, with very little intonation. Long and beautifully constructed sentences with a rich vocabulary, except that when you hear the words, it’s all a bit monotonous, not unlike a medieval chant repeated over and over in some monastery by guys in cloaks made out of potato sacks and having invisible faces. That kind of chant. And I’m not saying that what he was talking about was boring or irrelevant – and of course I’m not implying that monks are boring or that they don’t make sense, but that’s beside the point – no, on the contrary: I used all my concentration to follow him, because I knew he was making a delicate argument. One that I found fairly difficult to decipher, to be frank. But I listened and did my best to make sense of it. And then all of a sudden he stresses that word. He stressed it so hard he almost raised his voice. “Wavering,” he said and paused for dramatic effect. Actually, he used the words “wavering disenchantment” repeatedly, for a good part of his explanation. Explanation or diatribe – depending on how you look at it. In any case, hard as I was concentrating on each word he said and was trying to keep as close as possible to the meaning of his words, expressions and concepts coming through his unrestrained flow of consciousness, I was completely thrown by the emphasis he put on “wavering disenchantment.” It was my duty, in a way, to make sense of what later turned out to be his parting message and that responsibility weighed on me. But hearing the words so prominently accentuated – “wavering disenchantment!” – I could no longer pay attention. I was in my own universe, probably just as confused as him, feeling like a piece of rock happily shooting through vacuum and suddenly bouncing into another thing travelling across space, a pure accident or a premeditated act, assuming you are willing to attribute the capacity of premeditation to inanimate masses of matter loitering in space. And I began to wonder: was this really the first time I was not sure I understood what he was saying? Or did I miss other bits before? Perhaps I got him wrong on more occasions than I was aware of. Or perhaps I never understood him at all. That certainly was a possibility. “Do you see my point?” he asked just after I realised I no longer did. I was unable to respond. And I don’t think he expected a response. The question “Do you see my point?” was just as impossible to comprehend as the concept of “wavering disenchantment.” Then I nodded. And I immediately realised that my nod might have meant “Yes, I see your point,” just as easily as it might have been an admission: “No, I have no clue of what you’re going on about.” My nod was acknowledged by the blankest stare. As if a blind man was looking at me and I knew he cannot see a thing. And after that there was no more conversation. He was silent, because he was finished. He wasn’t aware of the fact that most of what he’d said fell on deaf ears and not because I wasn’t interested or lacked the capacity to understand, but simply because we were a complete failure at communicating. And I said nothing because I knew that the best I could do was to not increase the level of confusion. The confusion of a perceived and assumed understanding, one that never existed between us. But I’m not answering your question. At that point what he way saying was pretty much irrelevant. He was desperately trying to keep the status quo. What was between us was his cocoon, his padding, his buffer zone. His one and only objective was to protect that and curl up in that warm and relatively safe place for one more week, one more day, for just one more hour. So that he doesn’t have to think, communicate or indeed feel for that one more week, day or hour. That was his strategy. Dig a ditch, bury himself, and wait for time to pass. And that was precisely why his words no longer meant anything to me. And that is precisely why those two words that he stressed more than the other one hundred thousand made it impossible for me to focus on whatever I heard after. Words, sentences, syntax, meaning – none of those existed any more. He was bare muscle obsessing on making me believe something I had doubted from the very beginning. His effort was futile. Completely. And it was those two words that made me realise it. That’s all I can offer as a response. I’m sorry if you were expecting something clearer, something more specific. Specific is not what that evening was all about, I guess. “Wavering disenchantment.” What does it mean, anyway? | https://medium.com/@tibor-radvanyi/its-not-only-what-he-said-it-s-how-he-said-it-too-8e4447f81c1b | ['Tibor Radvanyi'] | 2021-06-08 11:28:33.263000+00:00 | ['Monologue', 'Couples', 'Photography', 'Prose', 'Short Story'] |
Permissionless Professors #5: Nat Eliason | We believe monetization is a hidden secret. Secrets hiding in plain sight. From the psychology of anchoring, the mathematics of power-law pricing tables, the application of demand elasticity, and the market positioning of your price — your path to better monetization awaits.
Follow | https://medium.com/monetization-manifesto/permissionless-professors-5-nat-eliason-b4a72f8edd2d | ['Gary Bailey - Monetization Manifesto'] | 2020-12-17 14:56:35.631000+00:00 | ['Growth', 'Marketing', 'Entrepreneurship', 'Startup', 'Monetization'] |
The Best Google Assistant Headphones | The Best Google Assistant Headphones
From a statistical perspective, these are the best Google Assistant headphones for the money. Several were priced under $100 in the past year.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I might earn a referral fee (at no expense to you) when you click a link.
There are two kinds of “Google Assistant headphones” on the market, and while they are similar in many ways, there are key differences:
Google Assistant Compatible — Most Bluetooth earbuds and headphones support Google Assistant as long as they have a microphone and are connected to an Android phone. Long-pressing the play button or saying “OK, Google” activates the Assistant. Then, spoken commands are relayed to a smartphone; the phone sends a response back to the headset that it is paired with. Integrated or Built-In Google Assistant — Earbuds or headphones with a full Google Assistant integration don’t rely on a smartphone to execute voice commands because they run Google Assistant natively, allowing special features like live notifications and realtime foreign language translation.
How Much Do Google Assistant Headphones Cost?
A good pair of earbuds that are compatible with Google Assistant are relatively inexpensive (see these guides to cheap AirPod alternatives and Bluetooth earbuds). With them, you can make calls, send texts, set reminders and control smart home devices like a Wi-Fi thermostat or smart LED bulb.
However, headphones and earbuds with Google Assistant integrated are generally more expensive. A good pair of headphones with integrated Google Assistant (and verified, above-average reviews) costs approximately $134, according to a 12-month analysis of price trends. Those same earphones cost around $102 while on sale: an average discount of 24%. Here are the best affordable Google Assistant headphones:
Methodology for Selecting Products
I use data science to discover above-average products that are selling for below-average prices. To find Google Assistant headphones with below-average prices, I first assemble a list of candidates, then organize those products by their 12-month average sale price, determine the median value and then exclude any headphone with a price above the mid-point.
To find Google headphones with above-average reviews, I measure the relationship between 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 star ratings and flag outliers that fall outside of a normal statistical distribution. I also discount paid, sponsored and unverified reviews as well as unhelpful review behaviors from verified customers. Models with an average adjusted rating of less than 3.9 out of 5 are excluded; in the end, fewer than 15% of the analyzed products remain.
What Is Bluetooth Multipoint?
Bluetooth multipoint is a convenient feature for those who plan to use their Google Assistant headphones with multiple devices (for example, an Android phone and a Wear OS smartwatch). Multipoint allows a pair of headphones to connect to two Bluetooth sources simultaneously and to hand off the connection as needed.
Marshall Major III Voice Wireless On-Ear Headphones
Major III Voice Wireless On-Ear Headphones (1002764) — Image Credit: Marshall
Good Value: $170 | Great Deal: $140
Check Current Price on Marshall | Check Current Price on B&H
Bluetooth Multipoint: No
Marshall’s Major III voice-assistant headphones have a solid build, classic design and great battery life, according to several customers. Some reviewers say these on-ear headphones are tight fitting (and grow uncomfortable during extended wear); others were disappointed with the quality of the onboard microphone.
Sony WF-1000XM3 Noise Canceling Truly Wireless Earbuds
WF-1000XM3 Noise Canceling Truly Wireless Earbuds — Image Credit: Sony
Good Value: $213 | Great Value: $168
Check Current Price on Amazon | Check Current Price on Kohl’s | Check Current Price on Adorama
Bluetooth Multipoint: No
These earbuds have excellent battery life, sound quality and noise cancellation, according to several online customers. Some reviewers warn that Sony’s software is buggy and non-intuitive; others were disappointed by the earbuds’ controls and connectivity. Many customers say the oboard microphone is bad for phone calls.
Note: This item was heavily discounted on Black Friday.
Google Pixel Buds 2
Pixel Buds 2 GA01470-US — Image Credit: Google
Good Value: $179 | Great Deal: $159
Check Current Price on Google | Check Current Price on B&H | Check Current Price on Verizon
Bluetooth Multipoint: No
Google’s second-generation Pixel Buds fit well and have balanced sound, according to several online customers. Some reviewers say these earbuds have weak bass; others wish that battery life was longer.
JBL LIVE 400BT On-Ear Wireless Headphones
JBL LIVE 400BT On-Ear Wireless Headphones (JBLLIVE400BTBLKAM) — Image Credit: Harman International
Good Value: $84 | Great Deal: $70
Check Current Price on Amazon | Check Current Price on JBL | Check Current Price on B&H
Bluetooth Multipoint: Yes
These inexpensive JBL headphones have great sound quality and long battery life, according to several online customers. Many reviewers say these headphones are tight and feel uncomfortable after extended use.
Google Pixel USB-C Wired Earbuds
Pixel USB-C Wired Earbuds (GA00485-US) — Image Credit: Google
Good Value: $30 | Great Deal: $20
Check Current Price on Google | Check Current Price on Target | Check Current Price on Walmart
Bluetooth Multipoint: N/A
Google’s USB-C Pixel earbuds have good sound quality for the price, according to several online customers. Some reviewers were disappointed by the non-adjustable fit; others complain that noise bleeds through.
JBL LIVE 500BT Around-Ear Wireless Headphones
JBL LIVE 500BT Around-Ear Wireless Headphones (JBLLIVE500BTBLKAM) — Image Credit: Harman International
Good Value: $120 | Great Deal: $100
Check Current Price on Amazon | Check Current Price on JBL | Check Current Price on Walmart
Bluetooth Multipoint: Yes
JBL’s affordable over ear headphones are comfortable and have excellent battery life, according to several online customers. Many reviewers wish these headphones had more bass and a louder volume.
LG Tone Flex HBS-XL7 Bluetooth Neckband Earbuds
Tone Flex HBS-XL7 Bluetooth Neckband Earbuds — Image Credit: LG Electronics
Good Value: $123 | Great Deal: $103
Check Current Price on Amazon | Check Current Price on B&H | Check Current Price on Best Buy
Bluetooth Multipoint: Yes
LG’s neckband-style earbuds are light and flexible, according to several online customers. Many reviewers warn that this headset picks up too much background noise during calls; others say these earbuds are best suited for sedentary indoor activities. A few customers had trouble configuring the Google Assistant button.
Jabra Elite 65t Earbuds
Jabra Elite 65t Earbuds (100–99000000–02) — Image Credit: Jabra
Good Value: $124 | Great Deal: $70
Check Current Price on Amazon | Check Current Price on Best Buy | Check Current Price on Walmart
Bluetooth Multipoint: Yes
Jabra’s sport earbuds have excellent Google Assistant integration, great sound and long battery life, according to several online customers. Some say these earbuds are uncomfortable and bad for calls.
Note: This item was heavily discounted on Black Friday.
Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones WH-CH700N
WH-CH700N Noise Cancelling Headphones — Image Credit: Sony
Good Value: $128 | Great Deal: $88
Check Current Price on Amazon | Check Current Price on Best Buy | Check Current Price on B&H
Bluetooth Multipoint: Yes
These Sony headphones have long battery life and sound great for the money, according to several online customers. Many reviewers were disappointed with these headphones’ noise cancellation and plastic build.
Note: Sony’s newer WH-CH710N headphones use smaller, 30mm drivers (instead of 40mm drivers).
Jabra Elite 85h Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones
Jabra Elite 85h Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones (100–99030004–02) — Image Credit: Jabra
Good Value: $250 | Great Deal: $150
Check Current Price on Amazon | Check Current Price on Best Buy | Check Current Price on Walmart
Bluetooth Multipoint: Yes
Jabra’s noise-cancelling headphones are good all-around performers, according to several online customers. Some reviewers say these headphones glitch when connected to multiple Bluetooth sources; others complain of intermittent static or crackling. A few customers wish that the Google Assistant spoke more loudly.
Note: This item was heavily discounted on Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day.
JBL LIVE 650BTNC Noise-Cancelling Over Ear Headphones
JBL LIVE 650BTNC Headphones (JBLLIVE650BTNCBAM) — Image Credit: Harman International
Good Value: $166 | Great Deal: $100
Check Current Price on Amazon | Check Current Price on Best Buy | Check Current Price on JBL
Bluetooth Multipoint: Yes
JBL’s noise-cancelling headphones have crisp sound and phenomenal battery life, according to several online customers. Some reviewers wish these headphones had more bass and less sensitive touch controls.
Note: This item was heavily discounted on Black Friday.
About the Author: John DeFeo is an avid audiophile, a one-time A/V salesman, and more recently, he was the head of insights for Tom’s Guide. | https://medium.com/@johnwdefeo/best-google-assistant-headphones-5ce78943b8d3 | ['John W. Defeo'] | 2021-01-27 18:37:49.839000+00:00 | ['Smart Headphones', 'Google Assistant', 'Headphones', 'Earbuds', 'Pixel Buds'] |
Highly Impressive Glenview Jewelers deals | Women of the most elegant kind, and the smart nature, are sure to dress up well all throughout the day and night. They understand the importance of presenting themselves better in front of all of the others. That is one something that is not understood well by majority of the others though. Awareness is coming in the minds of the women of all the levels in the society to use the remarkable Merry Richardson Jewelers offers and astonishing Naperville Jewelers deals from this jewelry store.
Women are using the deals to buy some precious jewelry that they can be wearing to any part of the world with immense pride. It shows that they are some superior personality altogether compared to the rest of the ordinary. Therefore, you can trust on this Tempting Glenview Jewelers digital store as well. You can trust on the most impressive Northbrook Jewelers in total confidence now to place orders from the Naperville Jewelers supplies instantly.
Guess what happens when you are wearing something special always? People understand your importance and respect you better as a prominent personality in the surroundings. This is what we need at the end of the day to gain respect and good will of the others by one means or the other. So, visit the unsubstantial Hinsdale Jewelers lounge now.
There is so much to see from the Merry Richardson Jewelers’ store and buy right away from this staggering Northbrook Jewelers online distributor. There is so much to talk and recommend about this best Naperville Jewelers online seller too. If you keenly notice the varieties out there then you are sure to recommend this outlandish Hinsdale Jewelers online store to the others who are soon to be wedded or soon to celebrate some grand events of the other kind too.
Festivals are good enough to wear something special in occasions. When you are buying a latest and the trendy jewel then you are going to be envied by the others around. To start to flaunt what you have bought recently, visit this exemplary online store.
There are unthinkable discounts and the stupefying sale offers for you to not to miss from this online store of Merry Richardson Jewelry Store. There are hundreds of satisfied customers who have saved money already by using the striking festival offers from this store. They have purchased the stupendous Glenview Jewelers’ latest launches. | https://medium.com/@triosuvisgrise/highly-impressive-glenview-jewelers-deals-ea89dff3e137 | ['Travis Grise'] | 2016-10-14 07:36:05.193000+00:00 | ['Jewelry', 'Ecommerce'] |
My Boyfriend Dreams of Food: The Second Taco | by Alice Rutherford
Alice Rutherford is an illustrator and designer living, working, and bicycling in Los Angeles. She recently got a twitter (@TheRealAlicke) and isn’t sure how she feels about it yet. | https://medium.com/the-hairpin/my-boyfriend-dreams-of-food-the-second-taco-2c0cb51b603a | ['The Hairpin'] | 2016-06-02 00:28:28.292000+00:00 | ['Donuts', 'Alice Rutherford', 'Food'] |
An in-depth introduction to SQOOP architecture | Apache Sqoop is a data ingestion tool designed for efficiently transferring bulk data between Apache Hadoop and structured data-stores such as relational databases, and vice-versa.
As part of this blog, I will be explaining how the architecture works on executing a Sqoop command. I’ll cover details such as the jar generation via Codegen, execution of MapReduce job, and the various stages involved in running a Sqoop import/export command.
Codegen
Understanding Codegen is essential, as internally this converts our Sqoop job into a jar which consists of several Java classes such as POJO, ORM, and a class that implements DBWritable, extending SqoopRecord to read and write the data from relational databases to Hadoop & vice-versa.
You can create a Codegen explicitly as shown below to check the classes present as part of the jar.
sqoop codegen \
-- connect jdbc:mysql://ms.jayReddy.com:3306/retail_db \
-- username retail_user \
-- password ******* \
-- table products
The output jar will be written in your local file system. You will get a Jar file, Java file and java files which are compiled into .class files:
Let us see a snippet of the code that will be generated.
ORM class for table ‘products’ // Object-relational modal generated for mapping:
Setter & Getter methods to get values:
Internally it uses JDBC prepared statements to write to Hadoop and ResultSet to read data from Hadoop.
Sqoop Import
It is used to import data from traditional relational databases into Hadoop.
Let’s see a sample snippet for the same.
sqoop import \
-- connect jdbc:mysql://ms.jayReddy.com:3306/retail_db \
-- username retail_user \
-- password ******* \
-- table products \
-- warehouse-dir /user/jvanchir/sqoop_prac/import_table_dir \
-- delete-target-dir
The following steps take place internally during the execution of sqoop.
Step 1: Read data from MySQL in streaming fashion. It does various operations before writing the data into HDFS.
As part of this process, it will first generate code (typical Map reduce code) which is nothing but Java code. Using this Java code it will try to import.
Generate the code. (Hadoop MR)
Compile the code and generate the Jar file.
Submit the Jar file and perform the import operations
During the import, it has to make certain decisions as to how to divide the data into multiple threads so that Sqoop import can be scaled.
Step 2: Understand the structure of the data and perform CodeGen
Using the above SQL statement, it will fetch one record along with the column names. Using this information, it will extract the metadata information of the columns, datatype etc.
Step 3: Create the java file, compile it and generate a jar file
As part of code generation, it needs to understand the structure of the data and it has to apply that object on the incoming data internally to make sure the data is correctly copied onto the target database. Each unique table has one Java file talking about the structure of data.
This jar file will be injected into Sqoop binaries to apply the structure to incoming data.
Step 4: Delete the target directory if it already exists.
Step 5: Import the data
Here, it connects to a resource manager, gets the resource, and starts the application master.
To perform equal distribution of data among the map tasks, it internally executes a boundary query based on the primary key by default
to find the minimum and maximum count of records in the table.
Based on the max count, it will divide by the number of mappers and split it amongst each mapper.
It uses 4 mappers by default:
It executes these jobs on different executors as shown below:
The default number of mappers can be changed by setting the following parameter:
So in our case, it uses 4 threads. Each thread processes mutually exclusive subsets, that is each thread processes different data from the others.
To see the different values, check out the below:
Operations that are being performed under each executor nodes:
In case you perform a Sqooop hive import, one extra step as part of the execution takes place.
Step 6: Copy data to hive table
Sqoop Export
This is used to export data from Hadoop into traditional relational databases.
Let’s see a sample snippet for the same:
sqoop export \
-- connect jdbc:mysql://ms.jayReddy.com:3306/retail_export \
-- username retail_user \
-- password ******* \
-- table product_sqoop_exp \
-- export-dir /user/jvanchir/sqoop_prac/import_table_dir/products
On executing the above command, the execution steps (1–4) similar to Sqoop import take place, but the source data is read from the file system (which is nothing but HDFS). Here it will use boundaries upon block size to divide the data and it is internally taken care by Sqoop.
The processing splits are done as shown below:
After connecting to the respective database to which the records are to be exported, it will issue a JDBC insert command to read data from HDFS and store it into the database as shown below.
Now that we have seen how Sqoop works internally, you can determine the flow of execution from jar generation to execution of a MapReduce task on the submission of a Sqoop job.
Note: The commands that were executed related to this post are added as part of my GIT account.
Similarly, you can also read more here:
If you would like too, you can connect with me on LinkedIn - Jayvardhan Reddy. | https://medium.com/free-code-camp/an-in-depth-introduction-to-sqoop-architecture-ad4ae0532583 | ['Jayvardhan Reddy'] | 2019-02-26 17:53:46.794000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Data Science', 'Big Data', 'Hadoop', 'Architecture'] |
Review on Smart Blood Sugar : Guide By Dr. Marlene Merritt | What is Smart Blood Sugar?
Smart Blood Sugar is the complete diabetes book written by Dr. Marlene Merritt. The guidebook includes many methods to regulate blood sugar, diabetes reversal diets, and 5 handy health books for diabetes like the 99 foods for diabetes, carb count cheat sheet, and much more. The Smart Blood Sugar is the product of Dr. Marlene Merrit’s training, practice, and research for 30 years.
Smart Blood Sugar is a simple and efficient diabetes guide and program to stay healthy. It provides natural ways on how to manage and lower blood sugar levels, such as when you indulge yourself in sweets and sugary snacks, you can use the 60-second cheat trick and not worry about your blood sugar level rises. Smart Blood Sugar is a complete program that will efficiently provide the science behind essential information and resources to avoid confusing statements and arrive at the right solutions to diabetes problems.
You can visit their website
How does Smart Blood Sugar work?
Smart Blood Sugar works by targeting your body’s natural methods of regulating sugar health. This process is done by turning on your body’s healthy sugar switch. This mainly focuses on your lifestyle and diet. Smart Blood Sugar guides you by providing healthy practices to have a healthier lifestyle and paired with clinically proven recipes. The precise calibration of nutrients in the Diabetes Reversal recipes and correct exercise turns on the blood sugar switch in your body, making the body burn up sugar again.
Brief of Dr. Marlene Merrit’s words :
Hi, my name is Doctor Marlene Merritt. And while it may seem incredible, I’ve developed a 100% natural “Diabetes Reversal Recipe.”
The key is to say “no” to restrictive diets. They’re impossible for most people to stick with.
Instead… my revolutionary “Diabetes Reversal Recipe” enables you to enjoy the food you and your body crave… food that flips your blood sugar “switch” back ON… so your body quickly and efficiently burns up all the sugar in your blood stream… like striking a match to gasoline!
Smart Blood Sugar Pros and Cons
Pros:
Smart Blood Sugar is a 100% natural program
No expensive drugs, medicines, and insulin injections required
Easy to understand and easy to follow guides
Comes with a 100% money-back guarantee
Cons:
Internet connection is needed to access the e-book online.
Any missed steps may result in not getting your desired results.
You can check their website for more details
What do we get with this book?
They provide you five free gifts that make the Diabetes Reversal Recipe even easier!
7 Day Meal Plan —
you will get 7 days of these recipes for free — with Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. this is the easiest way to put the Diabetes Reversal Recipe into action.
And to make these recipes even more of a no-brainer, you also get a complete “Grab it ’n’ Go” Ingredient Shopping List for every ingredient you’ll need for the meals.
2. “99 Foods for Diabetics” —
These 99 foods have been shown in several studies to reduce insulin resistance, lower blood glucose levels, strengthen your immune system, and prevent diabetes-related complications like neuropathy, kidney failure, and blindness. Plus, you’ll see why these 99 foods work: each food comes with a list of its key macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals and a concise explanation of how these specific nutrients lower high blood sugar.
3. “How To Read a Food Label” — Food companies have invented all sorts of sly ways to sneak in junk ingredients… but they won’t make a fool out of you! With this handy guide, you’ll be able to spot blood sugar-raising ingredients at a glance.
4. Carb Count Cheat Sheet” — This list of over 40 restaurant and packaged foods shows how you can safely eat yummy treats from Krispy Kreme, Subway, Olive Garden, and others.
5. Alcohol That Works” — You’ll see how you can lower your blood sugar and still enjoy alcohol — even everyday if you choose. (Plus you get a bartender’s guide to 5 decadent, blood sugar-safe cocktails — including whiskey sours, cosmopolitans, and margaritas.)
You can visit their website to get the e-book | https://medium.com/@sang.vid/review-on-smart-blood-sugar-guide-by-dr-marlene-merritt-6dec43f6918a | [] | 2021-12-21 08:29:17.945000+00:00 | ['Health', 'Books', 'Diabetes', 'Smart Blood Sugar', 'Doctors'] |
Hollywood’s Future Comeback | As in years past, Hollywood has dealt with various types of disruption. Sagging economies, World War II, and now a pandemic. One of our most resilient and determined industries, The Movies, will survive. And once again, find a way to thrive and prosper.
Despite the recent sea changes, the masses will always seek entertainment. Yes, the movie portal has evolved. From Nickelodeons to the movie theater. The drive-ins to the Internet. From single-screen movie theaters to the multiplex. The multiplex morphing into the IMAX with digital projection and stadium seating.
All playing into the hands of Hollywood.
As consumers evolve, Hollywood pivots. As tech progresses, Hollywood delivers. Pound for pound, the best counter puncher in business.
As more people skip the theaters and opt to remain home, they still seek and yearn content. To answer this trend, more films have premiered faster or right away. From Pay-Per-View to Video-On-Demand. The industry answers. In our I want it now culture, more and more content is premiering online. Again, as the public demands, Hollywood provides.
Among many things, Hollywood is smart and resilient. It always keeps the pulse of the wider audience. What they want.
Hollywood answers with both devised and revised schedule slots. Days, evenings, and nights. Fall versus mid-season runnings. Renewals, cancellations, and cast changes.
Hollywood listens and responds. It practices the ultimate customer service model with the money, talent, and will to satisfy the public. | https://medium.com/cinemania/hollywoods-future-comeback-8a21a79c20a1 | ['Phil Rossi'] | 2020-07-05 13:00:22.519000+00:00 | ['Television', 'Film', 'Culture', 'Entertainment', 'Coronavirus'] |
NFTs in Esports History | NFTs (non-fungible-tokens) may be the biggest invention of our time. When it all started most people were really suspicious about it. So what, you can just download the picture online with the click of a button. After some time — it started to blossom and this year we are actually having an NFT BOOM!
Gaming is one of the main pillars of the NFT revolution. When we take a look at games like Axie Infinity we can see that many gamers love playing these games. The number of players is constantly growing, and this is giving a fantastic boost to the NFT community. But Axie Infinity is not a AAA game title. The big developers and publishers have yet to enter blockchain technology, but they are starting to gradually see the benefits. Recently we saw Ubisoft coming forward and stating that they will develop blockchain games, shortly after that EA whispered those magical words that they will develop new innovative ways to use NFTs within their games.
There is also one other industry that is slowly taking advantage of blockchain technology. Esports is in front of traditional sports by a mile when it comes to blockchain technology adaptation. The real boom started during the pandemic. Due to the pandemic — they were forced to look at new ways to generate revenue so they looked into the fantastic way NFTs could be a huge benefit to their business models, and overall company moving forward.
It does look like a match made in heaven, on one hand, we have esports. Completely based on computers and on the other hand we have NFTs and blockchain technology that is also built on computers. This is a natural match and IKONIC will be a pioneer in combining esports and NFTs.
Beginnings
Earlier this year popular streamer “Tfue” came up with his very own NFTs and they were sold out in a matter of days. Soon afterward the infamous esports organization Ninjas in Pyjamas introduced their digital jersey’s as NFTs. These limited-edition jerseys sold out in under 120 seconds. The fans were extremely happy with these creations. Hicham Chahine, CEO of NIP, stated “We were beyond excited to bring digital apparel to our fans all across the world.” This was groundbreaking for esports and blockchain technology.
Following these accomplishments, other teams started to look into NFTs in a different way. Several teams also launched their very own NFT collections for their fans. But afterward, something interesting happened. Tournament organizer — WePlay revealed that they will also release NFT collections for esports tournaments. Over the last week, ESL Gaming also partnered with a marketplace to launch their own NFT collection for events, but this is only the beginning.
What can happen in the future?
There are many possible applications of NFTs in gaming. For example — weapon skins within games will be tradeable NFTs, or characters. This has already begun, but the applications will soon spread across the globe.
On the esports level, this is a fantastic opportunity for the whole esports community to embrace the NFTs. Most probably we will see NFT tickets created soon by tournament organizers. Teams will launch more collections and fans will have access to all of these creations.
Still, this does not solve the problems within the industry on a fundamental level. Players are unable to capitalize on their gameplay moment. That is why — with the help of IKONIC players will create their own NFTs, grow their fan base, and earn from their creations like never before. IKONIC is going to solve the problem within esports on a basic fundamental level.
An IKONIC Solution
The question is not “How can we implement blockchain technology into esports?”. The real question is, “How can we solve the issues within esports with blockchain?”
The events are at the mercy of publishers. If publishers want they can cancel an event or block it. Last year even The International event was canceled. The esports events prize model only benefits the winners therefore the system punishes weak teams. Many fantastic gameplays do not even make it to highlights because they are not broadcasted. IKONIC will be the solution to these issues.
The esports industry can break its shackles finally with the help of blockchain technology and IKONIC will help players and fans to “OWN THE MOMENT”. | https://medium.com/ikonic/nfts-in-esports-history-5f7d0905b8dd | [] | 2021-11-29 20:08:52.355000+00:00 | ['Cryptocurrency', 'Nft', 'Blockchain', 'Esports', 'Crypto'] |
Post-Pandemic Music Ecosystems: How They Could Be Better in 2021: Part 2 | This is part 2 of a series of articles about the future of music ecosystems in a post-pandemic world. The objective is to demonstrate that no matter where you live, 2021 can be a great year. Here’s Part 1, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5.
Civic regulation — policies that govern the built environment — impact all of us despite few showing any interest in it. Music ecosystems present a unique case in civic regulation. Most rules that govern music in cities and places have little to do with music. At the same time, specific rules that could be in place to better support music are often absent. One may need a dozen permits to stage live music in a city that has no formal music education policy. This is because music is impacted by, and impacts most built environment policy areas. Housing, regeneration, health and safety, equity, education, licensing, tourism, permitting all have a relationship with music. But few cities have music or cultural planners in their office of planning, or an artist-in-residence on the licensing committee, or a sound designer on their regeneration team. All are worth doing, by the way.
Because of this, there’s a lack of understanding that thriving music ecosystems are best when their component parts are arranged together. When it comes to music in this context, we give from one hand and take from the other. For example, the Michigan State Teachers Pension Fund is an investor in Concord, an independent label and publisher. Yet, music education in Michigan is facing severe budget cuts. It’s like investing in a bottled water company and claiming that ‘pond over there’ is fine in terms of getting all the water it needs. Once again, we disassociate the creator (the songwriter) from the created (the song) in how we manage music ecosystems in the built environment.
taken from https://www.borgenmagazine.com/music-education-fight-poverty/
We all use mobile phones, but few of us understand how they are built. There are over 300 parts to a phone, but all that matters is that it works. If the Michigan state teacher’s pension fund is returning a consistent yield, no problem then. It doesn’t matter that music lacks structural, on-the-ground investment in Michigan. That’s tomorrow’s problem.
If we think about regulation differently — how we incorporate music into civic life — I feel we can create far better music ecosystems in 2021 as we recover from the pandemic. Here are a few ideas and examples to demonstrate that this is worth pursuing. | https://medium.com/@shainshapiro/post-pandemic-music-ecosystems-how-they-could-be-better-in-2021-part-2-df166875ae35 | ['Shain Shapiro'] | 2021-03-02 10:52:45.900000+00:00 | ['Cities', 'Recovery', 'Covid 19', 'Music', 'Development'] |
WOAH! You look just like this one MAJOR CELEBRITY. | Well, I’m an idiot. At least I was. Let’s just be clear on that before we begin.
Ok, so — roller disco, birthday party, Los Angeles, lots of people, lots of people I don’t know, slightly dim lighting, and me.
We’re skating, we’re skating. The 80's are blaring, people are loving life. If you’re not having a good time you’re not here. And I was there, making laps and collecting helium balloons whose strings hung from the ceiling, tying them all to my back belt-loop and making a big show of myself. And I wasn’t going to stop until I started flying. But then I saw a girl.
She zipped past me like a bird in the night, wings and all—an angel on skates with the most truthful hips I’ve ever yet seen. I dropped the excess balloons and took just one in my hand. Well, I shouldn’t say I dropped the excess balloons because I didn’t, but I tried. I had tied them very tightly to my back belt loop and I couldn’t get them off by myself.
So, off I went, grabbing a single green balloon on my way. I glided up next to her and offered the gift. She laughed.
We began talking and skating around the rink together. She told me her first name, but it’s a common one. We talked about each other’s 80's outfits and the cloud of balloons trailing me. We bantered about skating skills—she’s incredible. She skates backwards faster than I skate forwards, probably because she grew up in the 80's and I grew up in the 90's, but I didn’t know that at the time—you see I thought she was 22 or so. I was 23. Roller skating is, after all, for youthful spirits.
“So, where are you from?” I ask.
“Toronto,” she replies.
“When did you move here?”
“Oh, no, I still live in Toronto. I’m just here visiting my sister and she took me to this birthday party.”
“Oh. Oh then. That’s cool. I don’t really know anyone here either, my friends Austin and Ryan brought me. I don’t even really know the birthday girl.”
“Neither do I,” she said. We laughed. “What do you do?” She asks.
“Well,” I say, and tell her what I hope are a few mildly impressive things, thinking a 22-year-old from Toronto visiting her sister in Hollywood might be entertained by my completely trivial attempts in the film industy.
And we’re having a nice time, we really are. It’s simple, she’s just a cute girl with extraordinary skating skills, cruising through the night as the outfits and the music whisper wonderful lies about what decade we live in, and I’m confused but I know for certain we’re living in the USA.
I grab her hand. It’s not such a big thing on a roller-rink, but I like it, and I have the impression that she may be enjoying it as well. Who knows. “So what do you do?” I ask.
“I’m an actress,” she says, like it’s nothing at all.
“Oh, awesome,” I say, and in my head I’m putting 2 and 2 together, but in exactly the wrong way, thinking, ‘A young actress who lives in Toronto but hasn’t moved to L.A. yet? She must not be that serious, just starting out.’ And gently I ask, “How’s it going so far?”
“It’s going really well actually,” she smiles.
“Nice,” I say, thinking, ‘Nice, she’s an optimist,’ then ask, “Think you’ll ever move to LA?”
“I like Toronto.”
“Cool.” I said this earnestly, and it meant, ‘you really don’t care about acting all that much, but that’s totally ok, I think you’re swell and I like you.’
We roll onward. Hypnotic jams populate the bubbling silence between us, and overwhelmingly I know—we are back in the USA.
And in the glorious flash of a disco-light or the glowing reflection of someone’s neon jumpsuit, I look over at her and for a moment catch a glimpse of reality.
“Woah,” I say, “you look just like this one really famous actress, um, shit—totally blanking on her name. Ah, I know this. She’s in…she’s in The Notebook, um…Sherlocke Holmes, tons of stuff. Oh, Wedding Crashers! Literally one of my favorite movies, can’t think of her name though. Can you?”
“Oh,” she coos, “I know who you’re talking about too, but man, I can’t think of her name either.”
“Well, you look just like her. Do you get that a lot?”
“All the time,” she confirms. We chuckle, for different reasons, and keep gliding. We’re five or ten minutes in. The small-talk stage is all gone; conversation flows naturally. That’s when I make a huge mistake.
HUGE.
I don’t remember why the conversation moved this way or why it slipped from my mouth so naturally, but it did: “Oh, so then how old are you?”
Fucking huge.
“34,” she replies naturally.
“What!?” I’m shocked. She looks so young. She’s funny, she’s very charming—she must be pulling my leg. “No way, you’re like…22.”
“Ok ok…” she relents, “I’m 23.”
“Hey, so am I.” Yet another commonality, I think. This is fantastic. I even spotted her lie/joke/sarcasm thing about being 34. Everything is going great. I really like this girl so far. I’m gonna get her digits for sure.
It couldn’t have been longer than 30 seconds after revealing my 23-hood, an age forever toddlerized by Blink 182, that she skated swiftly and unapologetically away, melding into the blurry lights and the music and the crowd and the excitement of a decade beyond my backward reach. And she’s still just crushing it, I mean owning the rink, as graceful on 8 small wheels as a ballerina in a bubble-bath. Thought about it for a while — that’s the best metaphor.
The moment she left I realized, ‘Ah…she’s really 34.’ And so I mourned the let-down, but for only a moment, because I’m thinking, ‘In all honesty, I’m 23, I should be going for girls in my own decade.’ All good. And all might have been lost too. I might have never known I even met her, but for an hour later.
We’re cutting the cake outside the rink. Everyone circles around a table and there she is again in that glittering silver-scaled skirt. She lets down her bright red hair and it’s curling and bouncing all over the room. The resemblance becomes even more striking.
I turn to my friend, “See that girl? What’s the name of the actress that she looks just like?”
“You mean Rachel McAdams?”
“Ah, finally. Yes—that girl looks exactly like her.”
“Sam. That is Rachel McAdams.”
“Fuck!”
I believe I had the grounds to exclaim such a thing, but I soon realized what to do. After we all sang happy birthday I approached, pretending I still didn’t know who she was. “Hey,” I said, “I think I figured out who you look like. I mean, I remembered the name. You look just like Rachel McAdams.” Her face turned as red as her hair and she started cracking up. “But I think you kind of, pretty much are…Rachel McAdams.” We died of laughter.
Let’s keep in mind the overall image here—I still have about 20 helium balloons tied to my back belt loop, floating up above and behind me like a colorful cloud or a big sneaky clown. I am ridiculous in every way, so absurd I’m not even embarrassed in this moment at all. It’s too far gone.
She’s very sweet. I tell her I can’t get these balloons off of me—she begins to untie the balloons. It’s difficult. It’s just not working. Why did I tie them so tight? How did I even manage to tie them so tight? Why did I tie them on at all? What’s going on? Where am I? Where are scissors?
This takes an awkward amount of time. She has to enlist help in the effort. My friend comes over, and with more time and elbow grease, the balloons come off.
I didn’t talk to her again until the party was wrapping up. Everyone’s saying goodbye, and I’m getting ready to make my last ditch effort. I have to, I tell myself. I know full well that I’m no longer cloaked in the alluring ambiguity of a dim disco dance floor, or empowered by the loop of pretty lights drawing us round and round against the linear grain of time. I know full well that I am a childish 23–year-old hustler and she is an ageless movie star. I know full well it won’t work, but I just have to, for me, for everyone.
We hug goodbye. “You know,” I say, “I actually wish I had never found out you were Rachel McAdams, and that you had never found out I was 23.”
“Why?” she wonders.
“Because then I might have asked you for your number.”
“Well, I might have given it to you,” she smirks, “but it’s too late now. We already know. It’s ruined.”
That was it. I haven’t seen her since. In a moment she swiftly moved into the realm of memories and dreams. Have I remained in the McAdams dream zone as well? The answer is no. No, I haven’t. I can only hope. I’ve tried and tried, but no matter what I do, she remains 11 years offshore, on that boat up there.
But in a dimly lit skating rink, in a dreamlike place where ages are not real and the only thing that matters is roller boogie, she held my hand for a minute, and that is the only thing that really matters. That —that is love on wheels. | https://medium.com/this-happened-to-me/woah-you-look-just-like-this-one-major-celebrity-8f5c9a905517 | ['Sam Hayes'] | 2016-05-03 00:17:06.140000+00:00 | ['Writing', 'Short Story', 'Media'] |
My Design Thinking Experience. | Hearing the word design thinking itself confused me at first sight. however, it excited me because I thought oh well I get to learn designing after all. you see, I always wanted to learn something related to designing whether it was interior or fashion. the day we began our classes I was surprised to understand what ‘design thinking studio’ course actually meant. this course actually made me reflect on how far our world has come. designing was not limited to drawings and moldings anymore, it was now improvised to design the way we think and shape our ideas and how we put them into action. this really excited me to be very honest because this was something new, something out of theories, something creative and explorative.
When we started with learning about the 5 important steps of design thinking studio keeping in mind the balance of these 3 things; desirability, feasibility, and viability in each step and thought that we process. this is where I learned how important it is to remind ourselves to think in a SMART way. To begin with when we were assigned with a group and a sector to work with, I was not as comfortable since i was assigned into a group of strangers and a sector i never was interested it and we were told that we will be having design challenges step by step where we will imply everything we learn. We started with empathizing, defining, ideating, prototyping and testing.
When we started enculcating these steps into our challenge and we were given the sector of agriculture, we started to realize how much of thought process goes into small details such as even understanding the user’s story, perspective, problems, how the user is moving while explaining the problem and so on. But above all we realize how much of importance these small details hold and hid. Hid because we discovered a lot of insights and stories within those details itself. In addition, we got to learn various new ideas, information and issues of the sector that represents our country itself. the most difficult part was to define one main problem by discovering it from the various stories we listened to. along with this we worked as a team to collect and analyse our ideas to move on to making a prototyping. however, due to the on going pandemic we could not build a realistic prototype and try out actual testing.
Moving on, out of all this the major experience was to learn new techniques, concepts and challenges of developing or creating a product or service. for me it was a whole new idea to be thinking of the problem first when in actual i already had a solution in my head. all of these little things and steps we took and at last looking back makes me see of how much we as youths can contribute if we try. all of our ideas, concepts and prototypes actually have the potential to be further polished and executed for real. I guess we would have never made it this far with our idea or even thought of these solutions if it was not for our challenge. It pushed us to think out of the box but staying empathetic and realistic and presenting a feasible solution and its prototype. this experience as whole was challenging yes, yet it gave me a huge boost to be confident with my ideas and to not be afraid to try out new things. This experience made me gain many new and sustainable concepts and ways I can create products and services in the future. Design Thinking Studio is a concept much needed for today’s youths to realize their ideas are the potential solution and building lock for the community around them. | https://medium.com/@cindybajracharya/my-design-thinking-experience-f73af3e67f4f | ['Cindy Bajracharya'] | 2020-12-05 18:10:44.893000+00:00 | ['New Concept', 'Prototyping', 'Design Thinking Exercise', 'A Learning Experience'] |
A boy and his father | The day of Mha: Puja, 4th day of Yamapanchak. This day also marks the New Year of Newar ethnics, Nepal Sambat. The country was celebrating one of the biggest festivals, Tihar. The Newar people were celebrating their New Year and preparing for the Mha:Puja in the evening. Mha:puja is an act of worshiping your own body. Where the whole country was celebrating the festival in their own styles, a tragic event was about to strike a boy who lived in the city of Kathmandu.
Krishna, a boy born in a middle-class, just about to turn 7 years old in 2 months’ time. But the boy had neither any idea of his birthday nor the tragedy that would strike him on that very day. As usual, the family and the boy had a normal morning. Although it wasn’t normal for the rest of the family, for a 6-year-old boy, it was a normal morning for him. After all the morning routines, done with the lunch and everything, the little boy went for a nap, as every other kid’s mother and aunts would like them to do during the afternoon.
That afternoon when the boy was taking the nap, the phone rang and suddenly his aunties started crying. It was the phone call to inform them that the boy’s father is no more. The boy woke up when he heard his aunties crying and from distance, he heard the news. However, the boy pretended to not hear anything and just sat in surprise, why his aunties were crying. Upon one of his auntie’s insisting, he had to go to the hospital where his father had taken his last breath.
Upon arriving at the TU Teaching Hospital, there he saw all his family members outside the hospital’s emergency unit. As far as he remembers he saw his aunties from his father’s side, his maternal uncle, a grandfather from his mother’s side, uncles from his father’s side, and a couple of his uncle’s friends. Each and every one of them was in shock when they saw the boy on the hospital premises. The boy’s other aunties were sad and upset and were asking why they brought the boy to the hospital.
No one told the boy what was happening, but because he overheard his aunties earlier and with some hints, the boy clearly knew that his father has died. But surprising the boy held his emotions and without showing them to anyone he just kept wandering around as if he does not know anything. The other family members didn’t allow the boy to look at his father’s body and the boy returned home with his uncle and a few of the family members.
Back at home, there were other relatives who had arrived as soon as they received the news. His mother was laid unconscious in one of the rooms and there also the boy was kept away from the scene. Soon, the boy let all the things go and went on to play with his cousins. The cousins, who were elder to the boy knew everything about the situation but also aware that they don’t mention anything that was going around in front of the boy. They were also trying their best to keep the situation secret from the boy. They kept the boy busy with few games and played with their bicycle in their backyard.
The sky was clear and there was no trace of clouds in the sky. On this beautiful day, who knew it would be a tragic day for an innocent boy. The boy and one of his cousins went up the terrace and were enjoying the clear sky and flock of birds passing by. At that moment, the cousin sister might have been devasted from inside that one of her uncles have passed away, but she might have held her emotions in front of the boy and kept distracting the boy with random talks. Soon on the ground floor, the family was preparing to go for the funeral. The dead body was taken straight to Pashupati from the hospital for the funeral. The crying of some of the family members started and when the boy tried to look down the terrace, his sister pulled him back and didn’t allow him to see downstairs. She didn’t want the boy to watch his mother in misery.
A few hours later, all the family members returned from the funeral, and soon after the boy was taken back to his maternal uncle’s house. The boy couldn’t meet his mother on that day. He just saw his mother for a brief moment from a distance when they were returning back from the funeral down the footpath. The family continued to grief on the loss of their family members, but the boy was kept unaware of all those things going around, however, the boy was fully aware of what had happened on that day.
From that day, the little boy of 6 years old decided not to mention and discuss that day with anyone and kept all those things and feelings locked deep down inside his heart. Maybe because of that incident, the boy slowly turned to be an introverted person and started keeping his emotions and feelings to himself. | https://medium.com/@saniolshrestha/a-boy-and-his-father-ad464354eb2e | ['Mr. Shrestha'] | 2020-12-25 23:42:28.669000+00:00 | ['Storytelling', 'Heartbreak'] |
3 Reasons Why You Don’t Get Things Done With Your To-Do List | 3 Reasons Why You Don’t Get Things Done With Your To-Do List
And how to fix them.
Photo by Breakingpic on Pexels
To-do lists are one of the most popular productivity tools ever, and that is for a good reason. It’s crazy simple, you write your tasks and then you check them off after you finish them, but the question is are they really effective in helping you get your tasks done? Well the answer depends on who you are asking.
There’s really a mixed consensus, there are people who view to-do lists as pointless because it is much more effective to schedule your time using a calendar. Although these people are not wrong in any way (because what’s important is what works for you) there are just ways that make to-do lists better and not at all futile.
On the other hand, there are people who actually use to-do lists and get a ton of stuff done, and they cite reasons on how it works for them. | https://medium.com/the-innovation/3-reasons-why-you-dont-get-things-done-with-your-to-do-list-338f11bc6312 | ['Ronald Mathew'] | 2020-07-13 13:29:43.055000+00:00 | ['To Do List', 'Productivity'] |
Taipei Story | Edward Yang’s ode to a city lost in dreams.
The longstanding Japanese occupation followed by Mainland China’s tug has Taiwan in the centre of a geopolitical and social identity crisis. This sense of crisis pervades the majority of Edward Yang’s short but illustrious career. Taipei has been the epicentre of cultural dissociation, marked by its transition from a conservative to a progressive urban hub in the early 80s. Yang’s sophomore feature is an endeavour to capture the differences between the waning past, rooted in tradition and the speeding changes, necessitated by rapid modernisation.
The two characters- Chin (Tsai Chin) and Lung (Hou Hsiao-hsien) are situated on the far ends of a spectrum. Lung, basking in the glory of his yesteryear as a baseball player, seeks every opportunity to cling back to his homeland. Chin, however, is an ambitious woman looking to settle in the US by steadily climbing the corporate ladder. These alternate principles reflect and in turn, represent the vastly differing identities of Taiwanese microcosm.
Yang constructs every scene with a keen sense of physical existence. His characters dwell in the silences and inhabit the spaces, providing us to contemplate and feel, instead of responding to the acts. Cinematographer Yang Wei-han composes a Taipei with an altering palette of warm and cold colours. The outdoors spiked with high-rises drenched in deep blue contrasts with the interiors soaked in warm colours. Along with the spaces- blank doorways, empty corridors, stairways and hollow elevators; the colour saturation provides a visual counter-cue to the characters’ emotions.
“Taipei Story” in essence is also deeply reminiscent of an Ozu film (not just by its English title) in terms of its stance. Being an astute observer of the unfolding events in the Metropolis, Yang keeps a steady hold of the chord. Although the film is an unyielding critique of the urban middle class, Yang refrains from exercising the moral compass in tandem with the characters.
Just as I was approaching a new lane of cinema, re-inventing it with every passing film of Tarkovsky, enters Edward Yang in all sublimity. While Tarkovsky was like a guardian, who took me by the arm, guiding through the path, Yang feels more like a buddy. One who puts a hand on your shoulder and smiles reassuringly. There is an increasing feeling of resonant connection with Yang, whom I’ll never meet, but who gets inside my head and leaves behind bits and pieces of experiences with every film. It is almost like he leaves a mark at every checkpoint for me while I tread through this uncharted territory. | https://medium.com/@aninsignificantdrifter/taipei-story-dd37c9b82a3 | ['Arijit Paul'] | 2020-12-14 15:50:26.345000+00:00 | ['Film Reviews', 'Taiwanese', 'Cinema', 'Articles'] |
Making hackathons more inclusive, pt2. | Testing engagement using different platforms
Sometimes the best way to find out what works is to try a few things. I created a number of methods across different platforms of delivery to increase engagement for hackathons in general.
Podcasts
A short podcast about hackathons and my personal experiences; attending, organising and judging them.
Using my existing Podcast channel talking about hackathons and my own experiences with them. Note, if you’re planning to do a podcast with someone else make sure you get them to complete a concent form. Something like this one is great, Podcast guest release form template.
The main purpose of this podcast is to support social media campaigns with rich media accessible to different audiences and by other means, such as smart speakers and music streaming services.
Using rich media, such as Podcasts can increase engagement rates upto three times than that of text only posts (Venkatachari, 2013).
You could experiment with episodic content and a live broadcast during the hackathon itself. Podcasts are also a great way to reach different audiences over the more visual platforms of Instagram, Snapchat, Pintrest and TikTok — which are based around images and short-form videos. Remember if your images have any text on them be sure to provide alt-text. For more information about alt-text and inclusivity in social media, visit https://blog.hootsuite.com/inclusive-design-social-media/
An example tweet of the Podcast to gain interest.
Instagram teaser campaign
Different social media channels have different audiences, as such demand alternative treatments to engage their respective audiences.
According to Statista, 35% of US teens rate Instagram as their favorite social network, second only to Snapchat. In terms of gender, 43% of women use Instagram while 31% of men use it.
Instagram audience demographics (https://sproutsocial.com/insights/new-social-media-demographics/)
Learn to automate Instagram posts, in alternative colours to test response rates.
Learn to automate Instagram post — more pictorial, in alternative colours to test response rates.
Twitter teaser campaign
The gender breakdown for Twitter users among US adults shows that 24% of men use Twitter while 21% of women use the platform. Within the platform on an international basis, the breakdown is 66% men and 34% women.
Twitter audience demographics (https://sproutsocial.com/insights/new-social-media-demographics/)
Hackathon Twitter posts — using different videos posts to test response rates.
A social registration page to capture how the attendee found out about the hackathon and how they’d prefer to be kept informed.
Post registration
After registering the intention is to give the attendee as much pre-event information as possible. This includes a PDF to download with how the attendees can participate in the hackathon.
Example PDF welcome pack, cover
Example PDF welcome pack, introduction — outlining the expectation on participants.
Example PDF welcome pack, introduction — defining the brief that participants should solve.
Example PDF welcome pack, outlining the participants journey — creating output.
Example PDF welcome pack, outlining the participants journey — learning pathway. | https://medium.com/@paulwilshaw/example-of-a-creator-hackathon-journey-making-hackathons-more-inclusive-4a7147cb6150 | ['Paul Wilshaw'] | 2021-03-06 14:50:54.122000+00:00 | ['Event Planning', 'Design', 'Hackathons', 'Marketing', 'Technology'] |
A Real-life Take on the Cyber Security Skills Gap | The security industry must rebuild its narrative to attract more raw talent at all levels
You don’t have to go far these days to find security professionals complaining about skills shortages, and countless media outlets relaying their views.
But there are at least two sides to this argument and the situation requires a more balanced approach.
There is no doubt — first of all — that the cyber security industry still has an image problem. It often carries a dated tech-heavy narrative and ends up being perceived as an obscure and complex technical niche, something reserved to nerds and geeks: When the excellent ladies of the CEFCYS in Paris published their first guide to the cyber security professions earlier this year, they titled it “I don’t wear a hoodie, yet I work in cyber security”… (“Je ne porte pas de sweat à capuche, pourtant je travaille dans la cybersécurité”)
In fact, the security industry has never managed to make itself attractive and in turn, the lack of awareness around the diversity of security roles breeds a lack of relevant training courses and educational opportunities.
The absence of clear security career paths is also a real problem at all levels when it comes to attract new talent: What do you do once you have been a security analyst in a SOC for a few years? (or a CISO for that matter?) … you should not have to be condemned to hopping across to similar roles all the times, but credible alternative role models are cruelly missing: How many CISOs have actually become CIO? or COO, or CRO?
However, this is rarely what people refer to when they talk about the “cyber security skills gap” …
They often refer to problems in staffing large security initiatives or security operations centres, and here the so-called skills gap is often a fig leaf hiding different problems.
Many security leaders — in particular in large organisations — are stuck with legacy operational processes — around identity management, security monitoring, incident handling or threat intelligence — which are mostly manual, labour-intensive, repetitive and built around countless tools (20 on average according to a recent Cisco report). Attracting — and retaining — young professionals in such jobs can indeed be hard — even harder in absence of clear career paths and role models as we highlighted above.
Also many large organisations, faced with large scale maturity problems and urgent security transformation challenges, are trying — unrealistically — to fix all their problems at the same time. But building a monstrous programme of work requiring in theory tens of additional FTEs, and ignoring all dependencies between tasks and cultural aspects, is not how you change things. You would struggle to staff it in any specialised industry — and to deliver it. This is just bad planning, and it is fuelled by the tech industry and large consultancies.
So does all this reflect a real shortage of skills? or a shortage of appetite from the leadership to tackle the re-engineering of legacy security processes, to make them attractive and better suited to the expectations of a younger workforce? or is the alleged shortage of skills simply an excuse to hide poor management and the greed of the security ecosystem?
Ultimately, all those aspects are just the different sides of the same problem: To attract more raw talent into the security industry (at all levels, security management included), you have to make it more attractive, in a credible and meaningful way — at all levels.
To help with that at analyst level, the leadership should focus on decluttering the cyber security estates and automating processes intelligently to allow a smaller number of analysts to work more efficiently, creating a more stimulating — and less boring — environment for them.
At middle and senior level, the focus should be on building role models and career paths, showcasing real, meaningful and credible bridges across cyber security roles and other roles, at least across the broader GRC spectrum, but ideally across the entire management spectrum. Looking beyond tech is absolutely key in that space. There is no reason why a CISO would not come from a business role.
Professional bodies and industry bodies have a role to play here to rebuild that narrative and help the security industry become more attractive and move forward.
These are the themes I have been exploring with techUK since the spring and which will be developed in a forthcoming report.
Click here to join our newsletter for more Cyber Security Leadership insights.
Contact Corix Partners to find out more about developing a successful Cyber Security Practice for your business.
Corix Partners is a Boutique Management Consultancy Firm, focused on assisting CIOs and other C-level executives in resolving Cyber Security Strategy, Organisation & Governance challenges. | https://medium.com/security-transformation-leadership/a-real-life-take-on-the-cyber-security-skills-gap-1547e3329c5d | ['Jc Gaillard'] | 2020-09-19 07:33:58.416000+00:00 | ['Management', 'Leadership', 'Skills', 'Cybersecurity', 'Security'] |
Your Lenovo laptop will soon double as an Amazon Echo Show | Your Lenovo laptop will soon double as an Amazon Echo Show Karuna Jan 11·2 min read
Have an idle laptop sitting on your desk on a kitchen counter? Lenovo has a novel idea: Turn it into an Amazon Echo Show, complete with Alexa.
Mentioned in this article Amazon Echo Show 5 Read TechHive's reviewMSRP $89.99See it Slated to debut on various Lenovo Yoga and IdeaPad laptops later this year, Lenovo’s Show Mode brings the Echo Show interface to a Lenovo PC, complete with support for voice commands and smart home control.
With Show Mode enabled, a Lenovo laptop or desktop system would essentially act as an Echo Show smart display. Just as with a standard Echo Show, you could ask Alexa questions, command her to turn your lights on and off, get weather reports, play music, read your schedule, or make calls to other Echo speakers.
[ Further reading: The best smart speakers and digital assistants ]Lenovo released images showing the familiar Echo Show display on a Lenovo laptop, complete with a clock, an upcoming event, and hourly weather conditions. Lenovo says you can also set the Show Mode interface to cycle through news headlines, Alexa tips, and upcoming agenda items, just like on a regular Echo Show.
Of course, you won’t be able to use Show Mode on any Windows system. Initially, Show Mode will only work on “select” Lenovo PCs, including laptops from the Yoga Slim 9i, Yoga 9i, Yoga 7i, Yoga AIO 7, and IdeaPad 5 lines.
Also, while typical Echo Show displays are intended to be left on all the time, a laptop would (of course) need to be open, booted up, and active (i.e., not in sleep mode) for Show Mode to work.
Still, Show Mode makes for an interesting way to make the most of your PC when you’re not actively using it. We’ll be eager to try it once the feature debuts in the second quarter of the year.
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/@karuna68119606/your-lenovo-laptop-will-soon-double-as-an-amazon-echo-show-e409bbd75cd1 | [] | 2021-01-11 18:21:31.379000+00:00 | ['Home Tech', 'Consumer Electronics', 'Chargers', 'Services'] |
About winning and losing, competition, rejection and heartbreak | Who are those judges? What gives them the right to destroy someone’s dream?
By Israela Margalit
I walked down the long hallway to the jury room. Aspiring pianists tried to read their fate in my face. Did she smile? Did she frown?
We’d just heard the twenty-four quarter-finalists, and in a few minutes we’d weed out half of them and announce the dozen semi-finalists. The failure to make it to the semis can mean the loss of a scholarship, the erosion of family support, a devastating blow to self-confidence. The jury’s decision is final, its power absolute. There are no appeals.
I savor the opportunity to discover new talent, but I don’t relish playing God in other people’s lives. Most of all, I dread the chats with the losers. They say they want the truth no matter how painful — “Tell me why I was eliminated and how I can improve” — but what they really want is validation, something to assure them their talent has been recognized. I could say I enjoyed their performance and was surprised when we tallied the votes and I saw their names at the bottom. That would give them hope but wouldn’t help them grow. I could say they played beautifully but that the level was just too high. That would be cruel. We educate our children to work hard, we praise them for putting in effort, we assure them that if they apply themselves they’ll be rewarded. Then they go into the world and get crushed by rejection for not being as good as the next guy.
What can I say to sustain their self-esteem without hyping futile expectations? I remember well my younger years when harsh criticism could pierce my heart. Who are we, the judges? What gives us the right to destroy someone’s dream?
•••
The first jury I served on, I was determined that only the best would win. I suggested to my fellow jurors that we select somebody who could shine in Carnegie Hall rather than play like a well-schooled student. Everybody agreed. We all ranked each pianist and tabulated the results not once, but twice. The pianist who got the most points won. Nevertheless the outcome was disheartening. I thought the silver medalist was outstanding. After the award winners’ gala, I remarked that the second prizewinner would probably become world famous while the recipient of the jury prize might be forgotten. I glanced at my fellow judges — all seasoned musicians — hoping to provoke strong reactions that would betray the culprits who’d propelled the winner to the top. Instead, everybody laughed, and some said, “We’ll see.” And, “Don’t be so sure.”
•••
The voting system is carefully structured to prevent bias and undue influence. The highest and the lowest marks are thrown out. No deliberation is allowed until the votes have been cast. And yet, mediocrity often wins. Here is how it can happen: I’m a judge from the fictitious state of Transatlantica. My government has sent me to the competition and paid for my airfare. I give the Transatlantic contestant high marks, but not so high as to stick out and get discarded. Then I identify the pianist who poses the biggest threat to the Transatlantic contestant’s standing, and I give him consistently low marks. Multiply me by five, and his chances of winning are null, while my guy may just sneak up to the podium.
There are also unimpeachable motives that propel judges to vote for average performers. What’s pedestrian to my ear may be enthralling to another’s. One judge may disapprove of an interpretation he deems unfaithful to the composer’s intentions, while I may view it as original and fresh. I once served as an observer at a famous competition. Six of the jury members rejected flair, preferring a strict adherence to tradition, while the other six celebrated virtuosity, imagination, and personality. In the end the scores of each group offset those of the other, and the most lackluster pianist, who hadn’t offended either camp, was declared the winner.
•••
Competitions came and went, and my preferred pianists sometimes won and sometimes lost. In one competition, the organizers campaigned for their favorite contestant, a rather ordinary performer who hadn’t distinguished himself either technically or artistically. Their actions were an affront to fair process, quashed only when some of us in the jury threatened to go to the press. Those of us who’d led the revolt were not invited back.
In another competition, a Russian judge told me on day one that he had been on a hundred fifty-nine international juries — only to add on the last day that a hundred fifty-nine of his students had won awards. One of them got the third prize in our competition. There was nothing remotely remarkable in his performance and I gave him very low marks. Somebody must have liked him a great deal to counterbalance my score.
•••
My favorite first-prize winner was an American male pianist of boundless sensitivity, who could turn a musical phrase into magic and lose himself in the indefinable. I looked forward to his New York debut recital, a decisive first introduction to the music world’s opinion makers, and an indicator of things to come. Even I, who had championed him throughout the competition, could not be certain that he had the chops for a successful international career until I saw him handle the pressure of a make-or-break concert.
A few weeks after he won he called me in despair: after graduation, he no longer qualified for a scholarship. His family was unable to pay for his lessons, and his teacher wasn’t willing to work with him for free. I assured him he was ready to do it on his own. He had to be, if he planned to embark on an international career. I knew all too well what could happen to a performer who failed in New York. Two of my friends, both excellent pianists, had been relegated to regional careers because they choked on the stage of Lincoln Center. Why a totally in-command pianist, capable of playing to perfection with his eyes closed, would fail to deliver at a crucial moment, is a subject of endless analysis.
Think of Andy Roddick. He would have been placed on a pedestal had he won the fifth set in his Wimbledon final with Federer. I watched that match like a laser, willing him to take that one extra daring shot. Close-up, I could see his eyes spelling caution, and I knew he wouldn’t make it. The line separating the champions from the runners-up is the thinnest of all lines known to man.
•••
However, the brilliant young pianist I so appreciated withstood the pressure. His prizewinner New York recital was nerve-free and inspiring, the hall was full, the applause enthusiastic. He was on his way to stardom but for the wrinkle of a mixed review in the Times. The reviewer — just like his teacher — failed to recognize his exceptionalism, or he was not in the mood to use big words like “phenomenal” or “one of a kind” that can propel a career into the stratosphere. Some people cry for a few days, then move on. Not the young pianist in question. He viewed the review as the ultimate verdict of his chances, became overcome with doubt, and took a teaching job somewhere far away. Soon after that I lost track of him.
Years later he befriended me on Facebook. His timeline was filled with links to his performances on iTunes. I listened to some of them. Magnificent. He never lost that unique ability to arrest your attention with phrasing that came straight from the depth of the soul. It made me think of Paula Fox, the writer no one talked about until, when she was already over sixty, Jonathan Franzen stumbled on one of her books while browsing at the Yaddo library. You’d think such poignant elegance as, “I often thought of killing myself but then I wanted lunch,” would have caught attention, but no. Her prose was either ignored or unappreciated until the famous Franzen said the word.
•••
One can resurrect the career of an older writer, but classical music performers must make it at an early age of boundless potential, before the muscles begin to atrophy, the body resists the stress of globetrotting, and promoters turn their attention to the new kids on the block. My beloved pianist has missed the moment, and there was nothing I could do to rejuvenate his career. We, the jury, can only hand a young talent an Andy Warhol fifteen minutes of fame, and the rest is history. That’s what my first agent said.
“What do you mean, history?” I asked.
He laughed. “You’re a huge success and we make history together, or you’re history.”
••• | https://medium.com/@m.israela/about-winning-and-losing-competition-rejection-and-heartbreak-1469356a6618 | ['Israela Margalit'] | 2021-07-30 13:46:34.426000+00:00 | ['Competition', 'Winning And Losing'] |
2020, as told by Flying Object Freelancers | 2020 hasn’t been your run of the mill twelve months and, in a year of bleak headlines, one in particular has stuck out to us. The freelance industry have had to deal with the double hammer-blow of diminishing work opportunities and an economic plan that had something of a blind spot where freelance work was concerned.
At Flying Object, freelancers are unquestionably essential. As well as allowing us to scale up quickly to meet larger projects, working with our ever-growing pool of freelancers allows us to make incredible work with highly talented people. Bringing in new voices adds diversity in opinions and style, and prevents us from producing the same work over and over again. Not only that, but the relationships we’ve built with our amazing freelance pals have introduced all of us to new friendships, opportunities and the odd obscure band or five.
We’ve been fortunate enough to take on some really exciting projects this year. We’ve worked with plenty of our regulars, and some new faces too. Since we couldn’t stick to the script at Christmas this year by getting people round for a drink and a mince pie, we wanted to check in with everyone to see how they were doing — and how this year has changed their working lives.
We were gratified to hear that some aspects of working life had managed to continue, and even thrive. Editor Carly Brown (@CarlyEvaBrown) reflected on the fact that “So much of what we do as editors works well when we are left with some peace and quiet to get on with it… so I am not disputing that WFH has its perks in that sense! For me, this has been an exciting year professionally, from delivering two episodes of The Crown as Assistant Editor to editing the Life In A Day launch films for Flying Object (which have got 36million views on YouTube!) — all from home and during lockdown.” Like so many of us, though, Carly has missed communal creative experience: “Nothing can beat the shared experience of watching cuts together, and the instantaneous and more impromptu discussions that follow. I hope it won’t be too long before that returns.”
Carly with the bike she got during lockdown.
It seems that pretty much everyone has had to adapt their practise in light of the new living and working conditions we all face. Creative Director and friend of FLO Seb Koseda describes the challenge that creatives face when it comes to experiential advertising: “Due to Covid restrictions we can no longer bring people together to engage with these experiences in reality … During lockdown I have been focusing on creating hyper personalised intimate experiences, creating interactive digital soundscapes for the Somerset House experimental sound and music festival, Assembly. I have also been on a residency with Snapchat creating an augmented reality experience, The Zoo of Extinct animals, whereby the user can interact with extinct animals at life-size scale using AR technology. During lockdown our worlds have become smaller, spatial experiences are no longer an option right now, but with AR/VR we can create hyper localised intimate experiences that achieve maximum impact.”
The Zoo of Extinct Animals.
Taking the opportunity to experiment and try new things was a theme amongst the colleagues we chatted to. So many of them have found great success down new professional avenues. Assistant Producer Emma Fine says: “I’ve felt quite frustrated and this year has been a rollercoaster of emotions. Despite this, it has motivated me to think more about my career and the changes I wanted to make; I had felt myself in a rut. So I reached out to some friends I knew in the film industry and over the summer months I co-produced a short film which we will be entering into film festivals. This has given me such a boost and I’ve now been trying to switch into the scripted film and TV world.”
BTS of Emma’s short during filming.
Photographer Francis Augusto (@franxisaugusto) had a similar experience: “I had to rethink the year and make time to do new things. I picked up film photography, and worked on adding that to my service offer. Thinking about the year so far, it feels weird to say that the pandemic presented opportunities to me that I may not have had if this was a “normal” year. It’s a mental gymnastic routine that I may never completely understand. Mentally adapting and practically tinkering has been the things that have pulled me through.”
A photo from one of Francis’ current projects.
Meanwhile, Producer/Director Jess O’Toole says: “The pandemic saw me pick up a screenplay I started writing last year … I’ve been enjoying immersing myself in this now much more structured personal piece, set in Cornwall, exploring ancestral timelines, as I have more focused creative time around part time work.” Jess spoke eloquently about the clarity she was able to find in this year’s tough challenges: “the pandemic has caused a big global pause on the rush of daily life and this has been a respite, despite the chaos. I was lucky enough to work on one of the few features going back into production during the autumn … After the stillness I was able to glean from stopping work completely, I was able to bring this through to set and really enjoyed pursuing the sense of live action working from that newly discovered space.”
Stills from a 48 hour film project Jess produced and starred in before lockdown.
Others had experienced something similar. Sound designer and composer Rob Taliesan-Owen (@bobbytaliesin) reflected on the ways in which an enforced slower pace of life helped him reconnect to his early practice: “I had time to daydream about the projects — to immerse myself in them and get totally lost in those creative worlds and realms — rather than factoring in a couple of rigid days in the diary. That made the world of difference. And really when I look at it — that was where it all began for me with regards to my relationship with sound. Especially back when I was an early teen — daydreaming and getting lost in imaginary sonic worlds — pure escapism, really. So it felt like everything had come full circle — back to where it began.”
A still from a 3D animation Rob created with fashion brand David Koma.
This sense of returning to the essence of the creative passions that drive us was shared by Dom Ellis (@_domellis) a Director and DOP who describes how his early love of filmmaking turned into “the best part of a decade chasing commercial job after commercial job, with all hopes and dreams of being a horror film-maker out the window … Once covid struck however, and the office blocks of the city of London emptied for the year, I discovered there was no one in the corporate world left for me to film, and no one in the marketing room writing new commercials to shoot.” With time on his hands, Dom was able to take up a number of less lucrative opportunities to work on independent feature films in the genre he loves: “At some point in the last decade I forgot why I make films. It became a business, a source of income … This year I’ve made about 30% of my usual annual income, and have suffered financially and personally accordingly. However, I’ve also shot 5 horror feature films this year, and am signed on to direct my second feature.”
Dom on set this year.
Hearing these insights has been entertaining and moving in equal measure, reminding us one again how privileged we are to have such a brilliant network of talented individuals. If you’re looking to meet some new talent to work with in the future, we can’t recommend this bunch highly enough. And if you’d like to collaborate with Flying Object as a freelancer why not drop Jade a line — we’re always keen to make new friends.
Merry Christmas to all of our freelance friends — here’s to more adventures together in 2021. | https://medium.com/flyingobject/2020-as-told-by-flying-object-freelancers-89c7a625dbeb | ['Flying Object'] | 2020-12-21 12:52:10.781000+00:00 | ['Video Production', '2020', 'Experience', 'Freelancers', 'Covid 19 Crisis'] |
5 Best Mobile App Development Frameworks Businesses Need to Consider Using in 2019 | Over the past recent years, cross-platform app development has gained notable momentum and the majority of its credit goes to the various mobile app development frameworks that are out there.
The mobile app development frameworks not only offer a cheaper option to build mobile apps, but they also deliver native-like user experience, which is what a business or a company with strict budget needs.
Although, it is critical to choose the right mobile app development framework, as the choice of framework can make or break the success of your mobile app.
What is a Mobile App Development Framework?
A mobile app development framework is a library that is designed to help developers in building mobile apps. It basically provides a fundamental structure that not only supports mobile application development, but it also boosts the process while reducing the costs at the same time.
In this article, I have listed the 5 best mobile app development frameworks that we highly recommend to all of our clients.
5 Best Mobile App Development Frameworks in Detail
Choosing the right mobile app development framework depends on a number of factors.
That’s being said, let’s understand the best 5 mobile app frameworks individually that make the mobile app development simple.
1 — React Native
React Native was launched by Facebook in 2013, and since then it has become the prime choice of mobile app developers.
React Native is a Javascript-based, open-source cross-platform app development framework that allows developers to build high-performance mobile apps with shorter development cycles and faster deployment times.
The best part about React Native is that it’s a JSX-based (JavaScript-XML) framework, which means developers need not learn any complex programming languages such as Swift or Java in order to build mobile apps.
The framework takes care of converting the React Native code into native views before rendering so that grants a native-like experience for its end-users.
Advantages of React-Native:
Optimal Performance
Reusability
Proficiency
Lots of third-party plug-ins
Modular architecture
2 — Flutter
Flutter was launched by Google and is basically an open-source software development kit (SDK) for developing mobile apps. Unlike React Native apps or Hybrid Apps, Flutter is capable of fully compiling to native code.
This compilation allows mobile app developers to give not native-like but truly-native feel. Google made this possible through its graphics engine called Skia, which is a popular 2D graphics engine built by Google.
Flutter uses Dart as its primary programming language and it can construct cross-platform mobile apps for both iOS and Android that can run on any device.
In a nutshell, Flutter is considered to be the best mobile application development framework amongst all frameworks available in the market.
However, you should utilize Flutter only for a certain type of mobile app projects. And this is why you must consult with a mobile app development company if you’re not completely confident about the framework you’re planning to use.
Advantages of Flutter:
Flexible UI
Light-weight components
Lighting fast speed
Native performance
3 — Ionic
Ionic is free, open-source, and also one of the most widely used mobile app framework for building mobile apps.
Ionic basically enables mobile app developers to build native-based apps for various platforms with the combination of HTML, CSS3, and JavaScript.
It uses minimal DOM to maximize performance and better efficiency and also provides native APIs like Ionic Native and Cordova.
Apart from this, the element of HTML5 in Ionic also allows developers to build hybrid apps.
Advantages of Ionic:
Fast Execution
Near-Native Performance
Cordova Plugins
Easy to adopt
4 — Xamarin
Microsoft bought Xamarin from its founder in 2016 and they made it open-source ever since.
Xamarin is basically a cross-platform app development framework based on C# programming language that takes a slightly different approach than the rest of the mobile app frameworks.
For instance, Xamarin allows code sharing, which ultimately saves a lot of developers’ time in building mobile apps for multiple platforms.
In addition, Xamarin also comes with an excellent native UI, which allows businesses to build truly-native apps to give the best user experience to their customers.
Advantages of Xamarin:
Native UI
Easy API Integration
Shared Code Base
Huge Community
Less complex development environment
5 — Adobe PhoneGap
Adobe PhoneGap is another popular mobile app framework that uses HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript to build mobile apps.
One of the main reasons why it’s in the list of best mobile app development frameworks is its best-in-class performance, which enables mobile app developers to build apps without facing any hardware restrictions.
Apart from this, PhoneGap also supports using inbuilt hardware features such as Storage, Phonebook, Accelerometer, Camera, GPS, etc.
In fact, unlike most hybrid mobile app frameworks, PhoneGap can build mobile apps for almost all major operating systems including Blackberry, Windows, Ubuntu, Firefox OS, Mac OS, and of course, Android & iOS.
Advantages of Adobe PhoneGap:
Supports most major OS
Based on HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript
Uniformity across platform
Robust support
Flexible with web technologies
Conclusion
Mobile app development frameworks are basically driving tools to build mobile apps. And the above-mentioned 5 frameworks have proved to be the best mobile app development frameworks in the market.
Although, the choice of a mobile app framework largely depends on the type of app your building and its specific requirements. So, if you’re planning to build a mobile app, it’s best to consult with a mobile app development company to maximize the outcome of your app idea. | https://medium.com/quick-code/5-best-mobile-app-development-frameworks-businesses-need-to-consider-using-in-2019-68e8ae9877bf | ['Sandeep Agarwal'] | 2019-12-09 11:02:11.969000+00:00 | ['Mobile App Development', 'Hybrid App Development', 'App Development', 'Cross Platform', 'Mobile App Framework'] |
A Genius Robs a Bank | A Genius Robs a Bank
Mohamed_hanssan/Pixabay
When I lived in Louisville, Kentucky, I would often take my laptop to the local McDonald’s to have breakfast or lunch and write. One day, as I sat writing, a group of policemen came in and started going around from table to table talking to people. One of them came to my table and asked me if I’d seen a woman wearing a black shirt eating lunch. I replied no, thinking that was strange.
The next day, I went to McDonald's again to eat and write. As I paid for my meal, I asked the cashier what the police were all about the day before. The girl told me that a woman robbed the bank next door, casually walked over to McDonald’s, ordered her meal, and sat down to eat it. After she finished, she went outside and got into the get-a-way car that drove away slowly.
That’s what I call the perfect bank robbery. I have no idea if they ever caught her. | https://medium.com/@brendareeves-20923/a-genius-robs-a-bank-2ce1440a89ca | [] | 2021-01-26 02:42:26.799000+00:00 | ['McDonalds', 'Police', 'Money', 'Crime', 'Banking'] |
Best Baby Bottle Feeding Tips | Transitioning your baby to the bottle after breastfeeding can be a difficult task. Some babies take to the baby bottle well even after only being exposed to breastfeeding. Other babies have a harder time adjusting.
Whether you’re a first-time parent or a more experienced parent, transitioning from breastfeeding to bottle-feeding is tricky. To help your baby make the transition with ease, be sure to continue reading below.
1. Try Out Different Bottle Nipples
If one type of bottle nipple doesn’t work, you should continue to try out different kinds of bottles or bottle nipples. Bottle nipples come in a variety of sizes, flows, and shapes. You can find one that works best for your baby by doing the trial and error method.
Most breastfed babies will initially need a slow flow to match the flow of breastfeeding.
2. Hold Bottle Close to Your Chest
If your baby is accustomed to breastfeeding, then he or she is used to being held up against mom’s chest. Try your best to maintain this same position when bottle feeding. A good technique is to place the bottle where the breast would be and have the baby believe that he or she is breastfeeding.
3. Having Other Family Members Offer the Bottle
A good solution is to have another family member offer the bottle to the baby. This way, the baby won’t be able to smell the mother and her breast milk. In some cases, the mother may even need to leave the room or house during feeding time.
4. Occasional Switching Between Breast and Bottle
If your baby isn’t taking to the bottle right away, try to switch back and forth between the breast and the bottle during the middle of feedings. This will help develop the baby’s feeding skills.
5. Practice Pace Feeding
Pace feeding with a bottle will help your baby transition from breastfeeding because this is the familiar pace when breastfeeding. To pace feed, you’ll need to allow your baby to eat a little bit from the bottle at a time. Let him or her suck on the bottle for a few moments and then pull the bottle away.
6. Place Breast Milk on the Nipple
If your baby doesn’t want to take the bottle, you can try placing breast milk on the bottle’s nipple to coax the baby into sucking on the nipple. The baby will smell and taste the breast milk and will want to drink from the bottle.
7. Test Different Temperatures
Another reason why your baby might have a hard time feeding on a bottle is if the temperature of the milk is not what they’re used to. To fix this problem, you can try warming the milk for longer or not as long to find a temperature that your baby prefers.
Remember to be patient and give your little one time to make the adjustment. Want to read more interesting articles? Visit Perry Mackin blog & start exploring. | https://medium.com/@sumit_94133/best-baby-bottle-feeding-tips-1b9b26f1cd01 | [] | 2020-05-12 16:52:53.427000+00:00 | ['Silicone Baby Bottles', 'Perry Mackin Bottles', 'Babycare', 'Baby Bottle'] |
The Best Online Business to Start With No Money? | The online business world is ripe and ready for business with consumers spending approximately $2.5 trillion on an annual basis. And affiliate marketing is one online business model you can start with no money. Well, very little money.
All About Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is essentially promoting your passions. Referring people to brands, companies, products and services you like and trust. You earn a commission from anything sold via your referral link.
You do not need to stick to one type of product or service. In fact, you can explore as many like and even test out new markets or what’s trending in different seasons. You also have exposure to unlimited buyers as each business will have its own customer base and target markets in countries the world over.
The process of learning about affiliate marketing with the proven method we’ve employed goes like this:
1. Attend online workshops that give you hands-on skills. The workshops are available from anywhere, anytime and won’t interfere with your schedule
3. Learn about high in demand products and how to sell them to the right buyers all over the world
4. Learn what it takes to make your first ten sales
Low Overheads/High Margins
The costs of starting an online business are exceptionally low. A laptop and an internet connection are all you really need to get started. Forget pricey office equipment and traveling expenses. The margins are also very high because you do not have to manufacture the goods or buy them from a supplier and apply a mark-up. You simply market on behalf of other businesses. It is a unique venture for a person who wishes to earn profits without spending much money.
Financial Freedom
Did you know that you can attain financial freedom without incurring any cost? All you need is passion and dedication in whatever you set to do. An online business model such as affiliate marketing is a great way to achieve this. There is uncertainty in daily lives, let alone the future. Peace of mind comes with financial freedom. But in the digital age, it isn’t necessary to earn what you need to 9 to 5. Having enough funds for you and your dependents from your own online business is so freeing.
Location Independence
There is no need to tie yourself to the ordinary routine of the same office base. You can work from any location, which also creates room for you to engage in other profit-generating activities.
Escape The 9 To 5
There are many disadvantages to the 9 to 5, including underpayment and boredom that comes with monotony. Following the rules, lining your bosses pockets, following a set routine, and so on.
You can change all of this with an online business model such as affiliate marketing. Have fun earning money doing what you enjoy by promoting your passions.
Secure Your Future Today
Start an online business now to enjoy financial freedom, location independence and an escape from the 9 to 5. No investment needed! | https://medium.com/@katherine-bennett/the-best-online-business-to-start-with-no-money-5adda044bc8c | ['Katherine Bennett'] | 2020-12-21 16:53:08.654000+00:00 | ['Affiliate Marketing', 'Online Business Marketing', 'Location Independence', 'Affiliate', 'Financial Freedom'] |
The Night Before My First Strip Club Audition | The Night Before My First Strip Club Audition
Thoughts of an almost stripper.
Photo by Renata Schaitza on Unsplash
The night before my first strip club audition, I was as nervous as I could be. The following day, I would have to walk into a strip club that I’d only ever driven past and tell them I was there to audition as a dancer. I’d have to meet with the club manager and walk into the locker room while the rest of the girls who already worked there watched me undress out of the corner of their eyes.
I’d have to make my way down the long gothic staircase in seven-inch heels that I’d only been breaking in for a few days, and dance on stage for a full three minutes in front of strangers and the other dancers. Then, I’d have to take my bra off for the second song, place the bra on the staircase, and dance topless for another full three minutes.
It could go really well — I could be a natural seductive dancer. Or it could go so very wrong.
I’m going to be okay, I said to myself as I sat in my bed, unable to get some sleep. But damn it, I was desperate to abandon my traditional life and travel the world as a stripper. I wanted to meet new people just as sexually liberated as I was. I wanted to make love in new cities and never worry about having enough money or requesting time off from work. I wanted to pay off my loans quickly without asking for help from anyone. Stripping was my ticket to this type of never-ending freedom.
The nerves I felt about auditioning to be a stripper made everything about this process so very real.
I wanted this audition (and this job) to work out even more than I thought I did. Of course, I had a back up plan if I wasn’t hired at this specific strip club where one of my best friends worked. My Plan B was auditioning at another club down the street. And another.
And if I didn’t get hired at any of them, I would take it as a mighty sign from the universe to rejoin corporate America. I was an MBA graduate and had a job offer that I turned down, one that they’d offered me a higher salary if I reconsidered.
They had no idea that I was planning to become an exotic dancer and leave a sex-negative society behind. But, I would need to be hired as a stripper first. | https://medium.com/erin-taylor-club/the-night-before-my-first-strip-club-audition-700cd04c4fde | ['Erin Taylor'] | 2020-11-08 23:58:33.644000+00:00 | ['Sexuality', 'Confidence', 'Feminism', 'Self', 'Sex Work'] |
Similar Texts Search In Python With A Few Lines Of Code: An NLP Project | Similar Texts Search In Python With A Few Lines Of Code: An NLP Project
Find similar Wikipedia profiles using count-vectorizer and nearest-neighbor method in Python, a simple and useful Natural Language Processing (NLP) project
Photo by Anthony Martino on Unsplash
What is Natural Language Processing?
Natural Language Processing (NLP) refers to developing an application that understands human languages. There are so many use cases for NLPs nowadays. Because people are generating thousands of gigabytes of text data every day through blogs, social media comments, product reviews, news archives, official reports, and many more. Search Engines are the biggest example of NLPs. I don’t think you will find very many people around you who never used search engines.
Project Overview
In my experience, the best way to learn is by doing a project. In this article, I will explain NLP with a real project. The dataset I will use is called ‘people_wiki.csv’. I found this dataset in Kaggle. Feel free to download the dataset from here:
The dataset contains the name of some famous people, their Wikipedia URL, and the text of their Wikipedia page. So, the dataset is very big. The goal of this project is, to find people of related backgrounds. In the end, if you provide the algorithm a name of a famous person, it will return the name of a predefined number of people who have a similar background according to the Wikipedia information. Does this sound a bit like a search engine?
Step By Step Implementation
Import the necessary packages and the dataset.
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
from sklearn.neighbors import NearestNeighbors
from sklearn.feature_extraction.text import CountVectorizer
df = pd.read_csv('people_wiki.csv')
df.head()
2. Vectorize the ‘text’ column
How to Vectorize?
In Python’s scikit-learn library, there is a function named ‘count vectorizer’. This function provides an index to each word and generates a vector that contains the number of appearances of each word in a piece of text. Here, I will demonstrate it with a small text for your understanding. Suppose, this is our text:
text = ["Jen is a good student. Jen plays guiter as well"]
Let’s import the function from the scikit_learn library and fit the text in the function.
vectorizer = CountVectorizer()
vectorizer.fit(text)
Here, I am printing the vocabulary:
print(vectorizer.vocabulary_)#Output:
{'jen': 4, 'is': 3, 'good': 1, 'student': 6, 'plays': 5, 'guiter': 2, 'as': 0, 'well': 7}
Look, each word of the text received a number. Those numbers are the index of that word. It has eight significant words. So, the index is from 0 to 7. Next, we need to transform the text. I will print the transformed vector as an array.
vector = vectorizer.transform(text)
print(vector.toarray())
Here is the output: [[1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1]]. ‘Jen’ has index 4 and it appeared twice. So in this output vector, the 4th indexed element is 2. All the other words appeared only once. So the elements of the vector are ones.
Now, vectorize the ‘text’ column of the dataset, using the same technique.
vect = CountVectorizer()
word_weight = vect.fit_transform(df['text'])
In the demonstration, I used ‘fit’ first and then ‘transform’ later’. But conveniently, you can use fit and transform both at once. This word_weight is the vectors of numbers as I explained before. There will be one such vector for each row of text in the ‘text’ column.
3. Fit this ‘word_weight’ from the previous step in the Nearest Neighbors function.
The idea of the nearest neighbor’s function is to calculate the distance of a predefined number of training points from the required point. If it’s not clear, do not worry. Look at the implementation, it will be easier for you.
nn = NearestNeighbors(metric = 'euclidean')
nn.fit(word_weight)
4. Find 10 people with similar backgrounds as President Barak Obama.
First, find the index of ‘Barak Obama’ from the dataset.
obama_index = df[df['name'] == 'Barack Obama'].index[0]
Calculate the distance and the indices of 10 people who have the closest background as President Obama. In the word weight vector, the index of the text that contains the information about ‘Barak Obama’ should be in the same index as the dataset. we need to pass that index and the number of the person we want. That should return the calculated distance of those persons from ‘Barak Obama’ and the indices of those persons.
distances, indices = nn.kneighbors(word_weight[obama_index], n_neighbors = 10)
Organize the result in a DataFrame.
neighbors = pd.DataFrame({'distance': distances.flatten(), 'id': indices.flatten()})
print(neighbors)
Let’s find the name of the persons from the indexes. There are several ways to find names from the index. I used the merge function. I just merged the ‘neighbors’ DataFrame above with the original DataFrame ‘df’ using the id column as the common column. Sorted values on distance. President Obama should have no distance from himself. So, he came on top.
nearest_info = (df.merge(neighbors, right_on = 'id', left_index = True).sort_values('distance')[['id', 'name', 'distance']])
print(nearest_info)
These are the 10 people closest to President Obama according to the information provided in Wikipedia. Results make sense, right?
A similar texts search could be useful in many areas such as searching for similar articles, similar resume, similar profiles as in this project, similar news items, similar songs. I hope you find this small project useful.
Recommended Reading: | https://medium.com/towards-artificial-intelligence/similar-texts-search-in-python-with-a-few-lines-of-code-an-nlp-project-9ace2861d261 | ['Rashida Nasrin Sucky'] | 2020-11-12 18:57:47.657000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Machine Learning', 'Data Science', 'Programming'] |
Scrum History — The evolution of the Sprint Review | Scrum History — The evolution of the Sprint Review
Scrum then and now, part 9
Scrum has been around for years. Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber presented it to the world at OOPSLA in 1995. They based it on “The New New Product Development Game“ (1986) by Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Nonaka.
Since 1995, many elements of Scrum have not changed at all. By contrast, some other parts of Scrum have continued evolving. With this series I aim to show you how radically Scrum has changed over the years. Through this I wish to achieve transparency on why certain ideas about Scrum materialised and help raise understanding on the current definition of Scrum.
With this article, it is my goal to give you an overview of the evolution of the Sprint Review throughout the years. This important event always had a significant purpose but, the implementation to inspect the Increment, and adapt the Product Backlog has evolved a lot.
The New New Product Development Game
The paper that started the ball rolling — ‘The New New Product Development Game’ — doesn’t discuss regular feedback moments. However it does bring forward interaction with the customer, as one of the ways to build in “subtle control” (as opposed to rigid control by management):
“Encouraging engineers to go out into the field and listen to what customers and dealers have to say.” — Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Nonaka 1986
It doesn’t say how this should be established but the interaction with the user is brought forward.
The first Scrum paper — 1995
With the OOPSLA paper in 1995, Sutherland and Schwaber introduced their own adaptation of Scrum. The Sprint Review immediately got a prominent spot:
“Each Sprint is followed by a review, whose characteristics are : · The whole team and product management are present and participate. · The review can include customers, sales, marketing and others. · Review covers functional, executable systems that encompass the objects assigned to that team and include the changes made to implement the backlog items. · The way backlog items are implemented by changes may be changed based on the review. · New backlog items may be introduced and assigned to teams as part of the review, changing the content and direction of deliverables. · The time of the next review is determined based on progress and complexity. The Sprints usually have a duration of 1 to 4 weeks.” — Ken Schwaber 1995
The Sprint Review is already established quite well here. Note that the length of the Sprint can differ based on progress and complexity! And that this is determined during the Sprint Review.
SCRUM: An extension pattern language for hyperproductive software development — 1998
Oddly enough this 1998 document stepped away from the term “review”:
“At the end of each Sprint, there is a Demo to: 1. show the customer what’s going on; […] 2. give the developer’s a sense of accomplishment […] 3. integrate and test a reasonable portion of the software being developed […] 4. ensure real progress — reduction of backlog, not just more papers / hours spent […]” —Mike Beedle, Martine Devos, Yonat Sharon, Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber 1998
Although called a demo there’s more brought to the table than a demo only. It is interesting to see that it was renamed to “demo”. Also interesting: the part about ‘what’s next’ is absent.
First Scrum Book 2001
The book “Agile Software Development with Scrum” spends 2 full pages on the Sprint Review. It discusses the reason for the event but also describes in detail how this event should be conducted. The book is a step-by-step approach of how to do Scrum and the part about the Sprint Review is no exception.
Notable snippets are:
“The Sprint Review meeting is a four-hour informational meeting. During this meeting, the team presents to management, customers, users, and the Product Owner the product increment that it has built during the Sprint.” — Ken Schwaber and Mike Beedle 2001
Interesting is that the team (Development Team) drives this event. Also, the introduction only emphasises the demo part of the Sprint Review. But there’s more:
“The Sprint Goal and Product Backlog are compared to the actual results of the Sprint, and reasons for any discrepancies are discussed.” — Ken Schwaber and Mike Beedle 2001
And then there’s the focus on what’s next:
“During the meeting, everyone visualizes the demonstrated product functionality working in the customer or user environment. As this is visualized, consider what functionality might be added in the next Sprint.” — Ken Schwaber and Mike Beedle 2001
The Sprint Review is (again) the place where stakeholders chip in to discuss what to do next.
First edition of Scrum Guide — 2010
The first Scrum Guide discusses the length of the Sprint Review:
“This is a four-hour time-boxed meeting for one-month Sprints. For Sprints of lesser duration, this meeting must not consume more than 5% of the total Sprint.” — Sutherland and Schwaber 2010
So the Sprint of a month has a four-hour Sprint Review, shorter Sprints are more up to the teams, as long as it doesn’t take more than 5% of a Sprint.
Then the guide discusses what is done during the Sprint Review:
The Scrum Team and stakeholders collaborate about what was just done (and what hasn’t been done);
The (development) team demos the work that is done and answers questions;
The Product Owner discusses the current Product Backlog and likely completion dates “with various velocity assumptions”;
Based on that and changes to the Product Backlog during the Sprint, they collaborate about what are the next things that could be done as input for the next Sprint Planning.
It clarifies that it’s an informal meeting to foster collaboration on what to do next. It also brings forward that this is an event where the whole Scrum Team (including Product Owner) drive the discussion. This is different than discussed in the 2001 Scrum book.
The first Scrum Guide doesn’t discuss the PURPOSE of the Sprint Review, only what is being discussed. This is a subtlety resolved later.
Second edition of Scrum Guide — 2011
It is here, in the second edition of the Scrum Guide, that we see the purpose of the Sprint Review being addressed.
“A Sprint Review Meeting is held at the end of the Sprint to inspect the Increment and adapt the Product Backlog if needed.” — Sutherland and Schwaber 2011
It then mentions the length:
“This is a four-hour time-boxed meeting for one-month Sprints. Proportionately less time is allocated for shorter Sprints. For example, two week Sprints have two-hour Sprint Reviews.” — Sutherland and Schwaber 2011
It is basically discussed in the same way as the first Scrum Guide, but with different wording. However, the second version is much more rigid about the length. Teams can’t choose to have shorter Sprint Reviews.
What is being discussed during the Sprint Review is largely the same as mentioned in the first Scrum Guide. There’s one major exception though: the Product Owner no longer is supposed to discuss likely completion dates based on velocity. Instead it is discussed based on progress to date. The term “velocity” is removed from the Scrum Guide.
Fourth edition of Scrum Guide — 2013
In 2013 there are some subtle changes in the Scrum Guide:
“This is an informal meeting, not a status meeting, and the presentation of the Increment is intended to elicit feedback and foster collaboration.” — Sutherland and Schwaber 2013
Sutherland and Schwaber felt it important to note that the Sprint Review isn’t a status meeting and stressed that feedback is key.
There are also subtle changes regarding the length:
“This is a four-hour time-boxed meeting for one-month Sprints. For shorter Sprints, the event is usually shorter.” — Sutherland and Schwaber 2013
One-month Sprints are still 4 hours, but for shorter Sprints it can now be anything less than 4 hours. The rigidity length in the first 3 versions of the Scrum Guide is removed for shorter Sprints.
It’s also interesting to note that this version discusses the role of the Scrum Master during this event:
“The Scrum Master ensures that the event takes place and that attendants understand its purpose. The Scrum Master teaches all to keep it within the time-box.” — Sutherland and Schwaber 2013
But there’s more, besides a few clarifications a number of additional topics are to be addressed:
Attendees are invited by the Product Owner;
During the Sprint Review changes to the marketplace or potential use of the product are discussed as they can impact what is the most valuable thing to do next;
Timeline, budget, potential capabilities, and marketplace for the next anticipated release of the product is discussed.
With this the Sprint Review becomes even more important than it already was as it now also touches upon strategic product decisions. With the Product Owner inviting the participants it’s the Product Owner in the driver’s seat of the event.
Sixth edition of Scrum Guide — 2017
There’s a subtle change of the length of a one-month Sprint:
‘This is at most a four-hour meeting for one-month Sprints.” — Sutherland and Schwaber 2017
Now the flexibility that was there for shorter Sprints is also there for a one-month Sprint.
There’s also a subtle change in the quote below:
“Review of the timeline, budget, potential capabilities, and marketplace for the next anticipated releases of functionality or capability of the product.” — Sutherland and Schwaber 2017
Now that the Scrum Guide widened the scope to be a framework for any complex work this change was apparently required to make sense for non-software related Scrum teams.
Conclusion
Sprint Reviews were introduced in 1995 and have had the prominent place ever since. However, just like the rest of the Scrum framework there have been many changes to this event over the years, like:
the length of the Sprint Review;
the topics to discuss during the Sprint Review;
the ownership of the Sprint Review (Development Team vs Scrum Team vs Product Owner);
the name (it was called “demo” for a brief period!).
It makes very clear how important it is to be on top of the Scrum changes. Scrum evolves. | https://medium.com/serious-scrum/scrum-history-the-evolution-of-the-sprint-review-ad2a262c845a | ['Willem-Jan Ageling'] | 2019-10-01 07:19:20.861000+00:00 | ['Scrum', 'Agile', 'Product', 'Scrumhistory', 'Serious Scrum'] |
Five Books to Read in These Trying Times | Life in the time of Covid-19 can be challenging — for some much more than for others. However, it’s also an excellent opportunity to reflect and read more — if you can afford the luxury of reading, that is. For those who can, in this article I want to recommend five books that I believe are essentials in trying times like these. If you also want to support those who can’t, please consider donating to an organization that promotes literacy, so that they can enjoy these wonderful pieces of literature as well sometime.
So, to cut to the chase, if you’re annoyed and frustrated by having to cover your mouth and nose with a piece of cloth, by those who constantly complain about that, or simply by the whole pandemic situation in general, I can highly recommend reading the following five books. They provide a great deal of positivity and help to reflect and put things in perspective. Or, at least they did for me, and I hope they can do the same for you. | https://medium.com/from-the-library/five-books-to-read-in-these-trying-times-3b4c8724df80 | ['Max. Speicher'] | 2020-12-23 15:32:34.129000+00:00 | ['Reading', 'Stoicism', 'Books', 'Reflections', 'Positivity'] |
Turnersville native, Emilee Schipske, initiated into prestigious honor society | Turnersville native, Emilee Schipske, initiated into prestigious honor society
Schipske was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi at George Mason University
Emilee Schipske of Turnersville, New Jersey, was recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Schipske is pursuing a degree in Criminology at George Mason University.
Schipske is among approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.
Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 under the leadership of Marcus L. Urann who had a desire to create a different kind of honor society: one that recognized excellence in all academic disciplines. Today, the Society has chapters on more than 300 campuses in the United States and the Philippines. Its mission is “To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.” | https://medium.com/the-washington-township-sun/turnersville-native-emilee-schipske-initiated-into-prestigious-honor-society-28d8dbe6afe1 | ['Anthony Mazziotti'] | 2018-05-17 19:45:55.942000+00:00 | ['College', 'Community', 'Education', 'Local'] |
10 Changes Leaders Must Make to Truly Address Diversity and Inclusion | As a leader, I consider it my highest priority to ensure that my employees are happy. They invest more than eight hours a day, five days a week in my organization; it’s almost like their second home, so, they deserve to feel at home.
An employer’s responsibility does not end with issuing the paychecks on time, giving pep talks, or holding monthly status meetings; it is their duty to plan and establish a work culture that does not inhibit, exclude, or discriminate against employees.
Addressing diversity and inclusion in the workplace is important because it not only enhances employee experience, but also drives innovation and change across the organization. Simply having physical diversity within the workforce can help improve performance and motivation, as it presents an opportunity for employees to look at things from a different point of view and learn something new.
Why Diversity and Inclusion?
A 2018 research conducted by McKinsey confirms the link between workplace diversity and company financial performance. According to this study, organizations that are in the top quartile for gender diversity and ethnic diversity are more likely to outperform the companies in the fourth quartile by 21% and 33% respectively on EBIT margin (earnings before interest and taxes).
While this is excellent news, leaders should be excited by diversity and inclusion initiatives for reasons beyond the incentive of an increased financial margin. This requires that they be mindful enough to take the necessary steps for uprooting bias — regardless of gender, race, sexuality, age, religion, disability, marital status, or court records — that levels the playing field for every employee to have a chance at equal opportunities. In my experience, having a solid diversity and inclusion strategy helps attract top talent to the organization, and most importantly, makes them want to stay.
Here are 10 changes to make for an effective diversity and Inclusion initiative:
Instill a Sense of Belonging Mold Empathetic Leadership Focus on Connections not “Culture Fit” Re-examine Evaluation Processes and Recruitment Policies Shape a Multigenerational Workforce Revisit and Reinforce Anti-discriminatory Policies Build Inclusive Workspaces Conduct Pulse Surveys Within Minority Groups Have an Open-door Policy Understand that This is an Ongoing Exercise
To Read Full Article Visit HERE... | https://medium.com/@ptpchicago/10-changes-leaders-must-make-to-truly-address-diversity-and-inclusion-935296d4bab3 | ['Peterson Technology Partners'] | 2020-12-09 21:52:26.123000+00:00 | ['Inclusion', 'Diversity', 'Diversity And Inclusion', 'Thought Leadership', 'CEO'] |
How I get the copy righted cartoon videos like twinkle twinkle little star, johny johny yes papa and abc songs? | Hi hope you are doing well . I will tell you how i get cartoon videos like johny johny yes papa, twinkle twinkle little star and abc songs for my kids and you can use these videos in any online platform you want because you will own them and you will have the copyright of them. No youtube channel on your site , viemo , OR any other online platform no one can claim a copy right . The site i am going to tell you is the best site on internet you can get here video like you want they are totally customized .
Like you want your character to animate in a video or your kid Favourite cartoon character , OR if you have your custom sound ,song you can get animation on that song . the delivered work is just crazy professional and unique. Give it a chance at least .yo can find the site here.
Cartoon videos are the best for your kids to learn .Because when the kids look at there favourite characters they will learn fast . The site you i showed you is best you can get here most engaging videos for your kids. | https://medium.com/@aroojishaq25557/how-i-get-the-copy-righted-cartoon-videos-like-twinkle-twinkle-little-star-johny-johny-yes-papa-706cfa0a8ade | ['Arooj Ishaq'] | 2020-12-21 22:00:03.061000+00:00 | ['Kids', 'Cartoons For Kids', 'Abc Song', 'Twinkle', 'Johnyjohnyyespapa'] |
Heterodox Economics And The Rise Of The Blockchains | a technological, legal, and monetary innovation through the lens of Perez, Jacobs, and de Soto.
photo by Tim Mossholder, via Unsplash
The fastest and most decentralized build-out of infrastructure in the history of economic development is not being covered by the mainstream financial media in the slightest. Even this is a charitable summary that allows for the interpretation that they deem other news to be more important. They don’t; they have no idea what is going on here or why it matters.
To whom then do we turn? I have in the past referenced Chris Dixon, Fred Ehrsam, Ben Thomson, and Marc Andreessen, and they certainly do know a thing or two. But I have a more fun idea. Satoshi Nakamoto invented blockchains based in part on wanting to disprove widespread economic delusions, by example rather than argument, and embedded in the Bitcoin genesis block a reference to mainstream economists having no idea how anything really works. To stay true to this strain of autodidact arrogance I do not intend to summarise contemporary commentary on blockchains. I intend instead to dig up the work of equally arrogant autodidacts from well before blockchains existed and see what they might have to say about it.
My plan is as follows: I will review three brilliant books from decidedly heterodox economists: Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital, by Carlota Perez; Cities and the Wealth of Nations, by Jane Jacobs; and, The Mystery of Capital, by Hernando de Soto. I will then briefly draw ties between the three, and finally I will attempt to extrapolate the thinking of all three authors to what I can only imagine will be some of the consequences of the rise of the blockchains.
photo by Tim Mossholder, via Unsplash
To the best of my knowledge, none of the three reference each other. But to my mind, they are kindred spirits, and their works complement one another wonderfully, not just in what they propose, but what they oppose. In all three, there is a delicious strain of contempt for the mainstream of economic thought, most of all its adoption of pseudo-mathematical reasoning rooted in physics envy. As a mathematician, I found this part of the reading experience to be particularly delightful. If physics is applied mathematics, then twentieth century economics is misapplied mathematics.
But this attitude is not just an excuse for sarcastic quips, on their part or on mine. It is precisely because these authors’ thoughts are so original, so abstract, and so removed from the blind historicism of the dominant paradigms of academia that they can be so naturally extended to the next great revolution in finance, technology, and economics. Nobel Prize winning economists call Bitcoin evil and needing to be banned, while Perez, Jacobs, and de Soto are intrigued. Stigliz, Shiller, and Krugman are moved to whine; Perez, Jacobs and de Soto are moved to think.
So think we shall.
Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital, by Carlota Perez
This book could perhaps be thought of as a sociological theory of the interplay of capital markets and technological development. Perez uses extensive historical analysis to back up axiomatic social theorizing as to which people are likely to do what, when, and why. There are no equations, no models, and no absurd idealizations of economic phenomena that leave twenty assumptions at the door; markets are not efficient and capital is not a homogenous lump of potential utility whose price reflects its risk. Capital is wielded by different people with different bases of knowledge, objectives, opportunities and access to it in the first place. It is therefore not surprising that certain patterns tend to repeat in the financing of foundational technologies; not because the solution to the differential equation of the economy is sinusoidal, but because large enough groups of people in similar enough circumstances are relatively predictable.
Perez begins by making a distinction between financial capital and production capital, which is key in setting the stage for the emergence of a new technology. “Financial capital represents the criteria and behaviour of those agents who possess wealth in the form of money or other paper assets. In that condition, they will perform those actions that, in their understanding, are most likely to increase net wealth.” By contrast, “production capital embodies the motives and behaviors of those agents who generate new wealth by producing goods or performing services.”
We might wonder from this definition whether this is not just a verbose articulation of lenders and borrowers. In a sense it is, in accurately describing the transfer of capital, but not at all in describing the roles and behaviours of those involved. It is the role of financial capital not just to save and lend, and of production capital not just to borrow and invest. It is arguably the role of both to aim to seek out the best return for the very different sources of capital they control, given the very different circumstances in which they find themselves. Perez teases out how the existence of these differing aims balance and enable mere finance to be channeled to production. Her argument in essence is that this channeling is neither a smooth nor obviously rational process, but one of experimentation, discovery, and “irrational exuberance,” and that the stages of a capital cycle can be largely captured by observing the interaction of the two groups: “the object here is to clearly distinguish between the actual process of wealth creation and the enabling mechanisms, such as finance, which influence its possibility and shape the ultimate distribution of its results.”
Perez identifies four stages interspersed with three key events. The first event is the ‘big bang’, in which the industrial potential of a new technology becomes clear. This leads to the ‘irruption phase’, in which financial capital senses the above-average returns potential of the novel production capital relative to anything else on offer and in turn gives the new technologists the means to attempt to realize the potential of their inventions.
As these above average returns become well known, we enter the ‘frenzy phase’. Nothing necessarily changes with the technological advance of the production capital, at least at first. The phase is defined by a steady decoupling of financial and production capital, that ends with financial capital run amok and a crash that forces the recoupling in the next phase. The frenzy starts from the realization that the new technology, highly returning as it is, forms only a very limited portion of the overall economy and will continue to do so for quite some time. And yet the high yields from its nonetheless rapid growth become addictive. Perez sums up with a touch of gleeful sarcasm, “in order to achieve the same high yield from all investments as from the successful new sectors, financial capital becomes highly ‘innovative’.”
This forces a decoupling. “After the growing confidence in the previous phase, financial capital becomes convinced it can live and thrive on its own. Brilliant successes in a sort of gambling world make it believe itself capable of generating wealth by its own actions, almost like having invented magic rules for a new sort of economy. Production capital, including the revolutionary industries, becomes one more object of manipulation and speculation.”
And, “the entrepreneurs of the new firms as much as the management of the old (whether modernizing or not) are forced to do whatever is necessary to attract the players in the casino and then worry as much — or more — about the performance of their stock valuations as about their actual profits. Financial capital reigns arrogant and production capital has no alternative but to adapt to the new rules; some agents with glee, others with horror.”
This may sound familiar to readers of, among many possibilities, Capital Account, by the managers of Marathon Asset Management, describing the ‘frenzy’ of the fifth technological revolution (more on what the different revolutions were shortly). “Increasingly, companies presented investors with another measure of earnings — EBITDA, or earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation — so stripped of the ordinary expenses of business that it became known jokingly as ‘earnings before bad stuff’. Chief executives justified the massive corporate takeovers of the era on the grounds that they were earnings enhancing. They also spent hundreds of billions of dollars during this period on buying back their highly priced shares. Why? Because share repurchases boosted earnings-per-share (EPS). In Enron’s last annual report to shareholders before its bankruptcy, the pioneering energy company claimed to be ‘laser-focused on earnings per share’.” Financial capital begins to treat its own numbers as a closed game, without any reference to the actual productivity of production capital. Any accounting trick to get the numbers up will do, because the numbers are no longer representations of what is important in the real world; only the numbers are important; the numbers are the real world.
Over and above simple accounting fraud, however, is the effect on production capital, which has to play to this tune whether it wants to or not. The typical example from the dot com bubble has entered folklore: add ‘dot com’ to your name and your stock price will quadruple overnight despite scarce other changes.
After some point of mindless asset price inflation and capital gains divorced from productivity gains, the bubble must pop. This is the second key event Perez identifies, ‘the crash’. It is simple enough to grasp: financial capital has, for a long time, appreciated solely on the expectation of future capital gains, thoroughly decoupled from the real gains only production capital can bring. This cannot continue forever, and, moreover, once it starts to reverse, it will likely reverse very quickly. When it is clear that there are no capital gains to be made, the gamblers will cash out, accelerating the process of decline.
The time in between the crash and Perez’s next event, ‘the recomposition’, will see a number of changes. The practices of financial capital will likely be reformed to protect investors from the scams that were inevitably willed up in the frenzy to meet its impossible demands. The potential of the technology will nonetheless be appreciated and industry standards and regulations will be drawn up to ensure sense and cooperation in its future deployment. But ultimately what each of these achieves is to embed this technological revolution in the economic, legal, and cultural fabric.
Perez argues that this sets the stage for a ‘synergy’ phase of recoupled financial and production capital and harmonious growth of both. The key to avoiding the absurdities of the frenzy, as has been established in the gap between the crash and the recomposition, is that financial capital is no longer under delusions of wealth creation. Production capital is now in control, with financial capital merely facilitating its needs. Regulation of the new industries is clear and the relevant infrastructure is understood, meaning that real long-term planning can begin. Free of the burden of ridiculous expectations for short term growth inflicted by financial capital, firms can, ironically, secure real growth in a sustainable manner. Fresh from the memory of the ruinous crash, financial capital is happy with its supporting role since the capital returns it facilitates now reflect real returns, and paper wealth is largely real wealth. Perez makes a crucial point that this phase is likely to be thought of as more harmonious than all others, since there will be a more equitable distribution of the benefits of the new technology. Its productivity enhancement will seep into more and more industries and deliver a more evenly distributed increase in real wealth, as opposed to the prior enormous fake returns to whoever happened to arrive at the frenzy first and enormous real losses to whoever happened to arrive last.
The final phase, ‘maturity’, is reached only eventually and is rather slipped into without an event marking its arrival, since the new technology can only open so many investment opportunities and, as they are exhausted, returns will fall. After the prior harmony, financial capital will once again become uneasy. Guardians of pools of capital that do not return what some still remember from earlier in the cycle, or perhaps what is simply insufficient to match real liabilities, become anxious for new opportunities. It is in direct contrast to the stagnation of returns during the maturity phase that the irruption of the next cycle seems so appealing.
Although I mentioned above that economic and legal frameworks formed around the Internet following the dotcom crash, what was arguably more important was not the misery of failed investments but the experiments the failures represented and the work that went into the experimentation. In some sense, the decoupling of financial and production capital and the magnetism of transient capital returns that financial capital represented forced an enormous industrial experiment to take place. We know now that the experiment in aggregate was a fantastic success. Not only have ‘Internet’ companies (but what isn’t these days?) created orders of magnitude more capital value than was capital wasted in irrational exuberance but, as Marc Andreessen, professional baller, is fond of pointing out, most of the ideas that lost spectacular amounts of money are now the bases of healthy, profitable, growing businesses. Price charts on a shorter than deserved timescale may appear to indicate enormous waste. But the long enough timescale must include the reconciliation, the golden age, and the maturity phase; the times in which the random-seeming results of the totality of experiments drive immense productivity gains across all industries. Perez argues none would happen in the first place without the irrational exuberance of the grand experiment.
“When the economy is shaken again by a powerful set of new opportunities with the emergence of the next technological revolution, society is still strongly wedded to the old paradigm and its institutional framework. The world of computers, flexible production, and the Internet has a different logic and different requirements from those that facilitated the spread of the automobile, synthetic materials, mass production and the highway network. Suddenly, in relation to the new technologies, the old habits and regulations becomes obstacles, the old services and infrastructures are found wanting, the old organizations and institutions are inadequate. A new context must be created; a new ‘common sense’ must emerge and propagate.”
The rewards financial capital offers in the frenzy are required for the propagation. Financial capital needs some arrogance to light the first match, but it is failing to keep this arrogance in check that eventually burns down the house.
Perez also does an excellent job of chronicling the economic history of the technological revolutions about which she simultaneously theorizes. I do not want to repeat any of this here, as any attempted simplification of this part of her work would surely reduce to an uninteresting list of events. Still, I cannot praise her enough for how well she balances the two desires. It would be both dishonest and easy to take an analysis of historical patterns, however excellent in its own right, and simply lift all and only the commonalities to form a theory that, by definition, explains everything. But she does not do this. Rather than misplaced historicism, Perez takes a philosophical approach, working from common sense definitions of financial and production capital to develop a loose theory of how they are likely to interact, within some bounds. The coupling of historical analysis is done to show that this theory seems entirely reasonable. But it is not total. Perez admits when the theory does not match history, when one cycle’s historical unfolding looks quite unlike another, and when she frankly does not know the answer to some or other question posed by the approach.
Perez seems very aware that the looseness of the theory is a natural constraint of the theory describing people, at its heart. Not ‘economies’ or ‘technologies’ or ‘nations’, but individuals with knowledge and motivations. The only major debt she perhaps owes is to Schumpeter, whom she acknowledges throughout, explicitly pointing to the ‘creative destruction’ evident as one technological revolution reshapes the legacy of its predecessors, but also in its implicit methodological individualism. As I said above, it is really a sociological theory from which economic consequences follow.
Jacobs attempts something similar, if not even more dramatic. While Perez is about equally concerned with the connections between who drives economic progress, how they do it, and why, Jacobs is solely concerned with where. In this unusual interpretation, she complements Perez well. Jacob’s answer is, in cities.
Cities and the Wealth of Nations, by Jane Jacobs
Jacobs’ book can arguably be reduced to a single theorem, which is remarkable given the breadth of the implications she teases out. The theorem is that there is no such thing as a national economy. It is a linguistic construct, existing only as a useless and confusing taxonomical tool and not in any way reflecting the functioning of the real world. The proper object of consideration, the “salient entity of economic life,” as Jacobs repeatedly refers to it, is the city.
Only in cities, Jacobs argues, does any meaningful economic activity take place, in that the economic environment anywhere else will be solely influenced by the activities of cities, and never the other way around. Cities are important because they alone engage in ‘import replacing’. This is the process of gradually developing the means to produce better versions of goods or services that were previously imported. Jacobs comments that, “any settlement that becomes good at import-replacing becomes a city. And any city that repeatedly experiences, from time to time, explosive episodes of import-replacing keeps its economy up-to-date and helps keep itself capable of casting forth streams of innovative and expert work.”
What is intriguing about Jacobs’ theory, and what perhaps provides a cute link to Perez, is that she rationalizes this theory almost entirely in social terms. It could be thought of as a sociological theory of where innovation and growth happens and why it happens there. Economic innovation happens where there is a diverse set of industrial operations active in proximity, and which export some portion of their output. Such an economic entity will still import, of course, for at least two reasons: that it is more efficient to buy the raw materials required for the specialized production than to produce them, and that the exports are ultimately exchanged for high quality specialist goods from elsewhere. But the key moments are when these imports are replaced by superior goods from within this economic unit.
It would obviously be unusual if every potential improvement to a production process was only ever discovered by precisely the people already involved in that process, and not anywhere else in the world. What happens only where there is a diversity of industrial processes is that such a discovery can immediately be put into effect; there is a ready base of potential customers given that this good is already being imported, it will be spread very quickly amongst all the different industries who could also benefit from the same innovation in their industrial processes. There are two additional sources of accelerating industrial processes that are only to be found in cities: people with experience managing this kind of enterprise and with expertise potentially relevant to it, and the availability of long-term capital commitments to scale the enterprise. The latter is particularly elusive since the savings on offer will need to come from a pool that is, in aggregate, stable and growing in order to have a suitable risk profile; in other words, they need to be sourced from a diverse and thriving economy, the likes of which are only to be found in a city.
Contrast this opportunity for innovation in a city to what would or could happen in a town with one major industry. There are no potential customers outside the industry, so there is an enormous risk of the unknown in pursuing a market for the good. There are no adjacent industries to which to spread the improvement, nor to have received it from. There are no experts in anything beyond this one industry, highly dependent on exports. And there are no pools of capital capable of long-term commitments, because the risk inherent in this economic unit are huge; if there is a wobble in the grain market, let’s say, the entire economy could collapse. Meaningful innovations are very unlikely to occur here — while they may be conceived, they will not be put to practice.
Having made the innovation, if this enterprise is truly successful it will replace its prior imports, and hence acquire the trading power to import even more specialist products that it cannot (yet) produce itself. Jacobs argues that a city may as well be defined, at least in economic terms, by its ability to replace imports:
“Whenever a city replaces imports with its own production, other settlements, mostly other cities, lose sales accordingly. However, these other settlements — either the same ones which have lost export sales or different ones — gain an equivalent value of new export work. This is because an import-replacing city does not, upon replacing former imports, import less than it otherwise would, but shifts to other purchases in lieu of what it no longer needs from outside. Economic life as a whole has expanded to the extent that the import-replacing city has everything it formerly had, plus its complement of new and different imports. Indeed, as far as I can see, city import-replacing is in this way at the root of all economic expansion. “
After dutifully, but a little drudgingly, taxonomising the variety of regional economies that exist in addition to cities and how they all interact with one another, Jacobs comes upon the concept of feedback mechanisms that mediate these interactions. One extremely important such mechanism is the valuation of the currency used to facilitate imports and exports. The problem, as throughout, is that currencies today tend to cover economic activity throughout a nation, and nations are not salient economic entities. Jacobs impudently announces that, “today we take it for granted that the elimination of multitudinous currencies in favour of fewer national or imperial currencies represents economic progress and promotes the stability of economic life. But this conventional belief is at least worth questioning. In view of the function that currencies serve as economic feedback controls. I am going to argue that national or imperial currencies give faulty and destructive feedback to city economies and that this in turn leads to profound structural economic flaws, some of which cannot be overcome no matter how hard we try.”
If a nation runs a deficit in its balance of payments, importing more than it exports, we might think of this as reflecting a larger supply of this currency in the market — it is being offered up for exchange for foreign currencies so import purchases can be made — than there is demand for it — foreigners wanting this currency to purchase the exports. This shift in supply and demand ought to make it cheaper relative to foreign currencies. This is all well understood.
However, Jacobs makes two important points that are less well understood. While the common mainstream response to such movements is to diagnose precisely which interventions are required to counterbalance the changes and achieve ‘stability’. But we know better by now than to countenance the mainstream, moreover to view ‘stability’ as at all desirable beyond in an irrelevant aesthetic sense. We want volatility and dynamism! Jacobs argues that this change in price is a valuable feedback mechanism on the state of economic activity; the depreciated currency makes imports dearer, helping local manufacturers compete, and also makes their products cheaper for foreign buyers to export; the change in value acts simultaneously as both a tariff and an export subsidy. Moreover, it will do so for exactly as long as is needed, as is dictated by the response in economic activity to the circumstances — not by a bureaucrat or a committee.
The second problem is that nations are not salient economic entities. Unlike freakish exceptions such as Singapore, which Jacobs gives high praise and seems to have proven right in backing some thirty-five years later, most nations are a mixture of numerous salient economic entities, many or none of which may be dynamic import-replacing cities. The feedback each requires to coordinate economic activity will be dramatically different. Any institutions that obscure or distort the feedback will retard economic development, since they will broadcast incessant noise over the crucial signal, and economic energy will be misused, or not used at all where it should be. Jacobs criticizes national currencies on this account in a wonderfully vivid passage that is worth quoting in full;
“National currencies, then, are potent feedback but impotent at triggering appropriate corrections. To picture how such a thing can be, imagine a group of people who are all properly equipped with diaphragms and lungs but who share only one single brain-stem breathing centre. In this goofy arrangement, the breathing centre would receive consolidated feedback on the carbon dioxide level of the whole group without discriminating among the individuals producing it. Everybody’s diaphragm would thus be triggered to contract at the same time. But suppose some of those people were sleeping, while others were playing tennis. Suppose some were reading about feedback controls, while others were chopping wood. Some would have to halt what they were doing and subside into a lower common denominator of activity. Worse yet, suppose some were swimming and diving, and for some reason, such as the breaking of the surf, had not control over the timing of their submersions. Imagine what would happen to them. In such an arrangement, feedback control would be working perfectly on its own terms but the result would be devastating because of a flaw designed right into the system.
I have had to propose a preposterous situation because systems as structurally flawed as this don’t exist in nature; they wouldn’t last. Nor do they exist in the machines we deliberately design to incorporate mechanical, chemical or electronic feedback controls; machines this badly conceived wouldn’t work. Nations, from this point of view, don’t work either.
Nations are flawed in this way because they are not discrete economic units, although intellectually we pretend that they are and compile statistics about them based on that goofy premise. Nations include, among other things in their economic grab bags, differing city economies that need different corrections at given times, and yet all share a currency that gives all of them the same information at a given time. The consolidated information is bad specific information for them even with respect to their foreign trade, and it is no information at all with respect to their trade with one another, as opposed to their international trade. Yet this wretched feedback is powerful stuff.
Because currency feedback, at bottom, all has to do with imports and exports and the balance or lack of balance between them, the appropriate responding mechanisms for such information are cities and their regions. Cities are the specific economic units that can replace imports with their own production, and the specific units that cast up streams of new kinds of exports. It is bootless to suppose that amorphous, undifferentiated statistical collections of a nation’s economies perform those functions, because they don’t.”
Jacobs acknowledges the historical reasons for this economically unfortunate development — little more than the vast expansion of centralised government in the late nineteenth century and the adoption of state monetarism as a tool of social control — but casts her eye wider than the immediate moment. She points firstly to city currencies (currencies of salient economic entities) being the norm in the early economic development of Europe at the end of the middle ages, beginning in Venice. Not only did Venice have a city currency, but it welcomed the simultaneous circulation of Byzantine coinage due to the bedrock of trade with the Eastern Empire, whose imports Venice slowly but surely began to replace. The Hanseatic League, a federation of German and Baltic cities that drove the economic development of northern Europe, following in Venice’s wake, had no league currency but allowed cities to mint their own, subject to valuable feedback from volatile intercity trade.
But Jacobs also holds out hope for the future. With incredible prescience — this being 1984 — she comments on the possibility of a future multiplication of currencies that,
“the technical difficulties and inconveniences that would entail are surmountable, increasingly so with the aid of computers, instantaneous communications systems and such devices as credit cards which — even in their current rudimentary and limited uses — are already convenient for simultaneous transactions involving diverse currencies. On my card I can order, say, books from London payable in pounds, shirts from the Boston city region payable in U.S dollars, and garden seeds payable in my own currency, Canadian dollars, all the transactions being equally convenient as far as I am concerned.”
It will not surprise the reader that this insight will be returned to below.
Since Jacobs can’t resist the occasional dig at mainstream economics, I don’t feel so bad about having this same instinct. Lest the reader think I had discarded this guilty pleasure in the introduction, I will conclude the discussion of Jacobs with the final paragraph from the first chapter, itself hardly more than 20 pages of mocking the then-state-of-the-art:
“One thing we do know by now because events have rubbed our faces in it: it would be rash to suppose that macro-economics, as it stands today, has guidance for us. Several centuries of hard, ingenious thought about supply and demand chasing each other around, tails in their mouths, have told us almost nothing about the rise and decline of wealth. We must find more realistic and fruitful lines of observation and thought than we have tried to use so far. Choosing among the existing schools of thought is bootless. We are on our own.”
I couldn’t agree more, Jane. Whatever might Hernando think?
The Mystery of Capital, by Hernando de Soto
Why capitalism triumphs in the West and fails everywhere else, the subtitle of this book, is an excellent description of its thesis. Capitalism often fails outside the West, proposes de Soto, because the framework of broadly unregulated marketplaces is necessary for economic development, but not sufficient. Also necessary, and in a sense anthropologically prior, is a well-documented and well understood institution of private property. Many countries outside the West that attempted nominally economic capitalistic reforms failed to realize anything like the expected gains in productivity because although their citizens could in theory access free markets, they were strongly incentivized to conduct their economic activity outside the law. This was because, in one form or another, it was needlessly difficult to ascertain legal ownership of assets and easier to abide by extralegal social conventions regarding asset ownership.
The book is impressive not for the complexity of its reasoning but for the lengths gone to in order to demonstrate to a desirable degree that the reasoning is on the right track. De Soto and his team of researchers gathered copious data from Cairo, Lima, Manila, Port-au-Prince, and Mexico City to try to assess both the difficulties of formal asset ownership, and the potential value of the assets pushed outside formal systems by these difficulties.
They found that in Peru, it takes 5 separate procedures to legally acquire a home, and that the first of these procedures involves 207 steps and 21 government agencies. De Soto’s team spent six hours a day on this task and completed it 289 days later. In Egypt, somebody wanting to legally register a lot on state-owned desert land would have to go through 77 steps across 31 agencies, in a process that could take between 5 and 14 years. Similar stories abound outside the West, with the obvious result that virtually none of the poor bother to opt into the legal framework for asset ownership, preferring to abide by local customs instead. De Soto elaborates that,
“… in every country we investigated, we found that it is very nearly as difficult to stay legal as it is to become legal. Inevitably, migrants do not so much break the law as the law breaks them. In 1976, two-thirds of those who worked in Venezuela were employed in legally established enterprises; today the proportion is less than half. Thirty years ago, more than two-thirds of the new housing erected in Brazil was intended for rent. Today, only about 3 percent of new construction is officially listed as rental housing. To where did that market vanish? To the extralegal areas of Brazilian cities called favelas, which operating outside the highly regulated formal economy and function according to supply and demand. There are no rent controls in the favelas; rents are paid in US dollars, and renters who do not pay are rapidly evacuated.”
The stifling conditions in the formal economy push more and more entrepreneurial energy into the extralegal sector. De Soto’s team estimated how much value was trapped in these ‘shadow economies’. Confining the search solely to real estate, they found that in Manila, for example, the extralegal sector held $133bn of value, or four times the market value of all publicly listed companies in the Philippines, and fourteen times the foreign direct investment in the preceding 25 years. In Port-au-Prince, the informal sector held 97% of all property, valued at $5bn, or over 158x all foreign direct investment in Haiti, ever.
While these figures are staggering, we might wonder why these circumstances are even so bad, if there appears, after all, to be a thriving free market outside the meddling reach of the state. To rebut this fallacy, De Soto teases at an important economic principle throughout the book. Contrary to a variety of naïve popular conceptions, the driving force of free markets is not markets, nor money, nor even assets, but capital. By which we must mean something less material than any of the former; a kind of economic potential energy stored in the transformation of materials into higher and higher forms of complex good, but always ready to be rereleased to work again the same process of transformation. Seen this way, capital is not any particular thing or even behaviour — it can exist only as an emergent property of a social system in which the exchange of shares of ownership of private assets is seamless. Clearly ‘private assets’ is a complex social construction, and even more complex still is ‘shares’ of assets, and so we quickly realize that clear representational systems matter as much to productivity under capitalism as does ‘freedom’, if not more so. Where de Soto studies, the poor lack neither assets nor free markets, but representational systems to realize the capital in these assets in markets. This is why these staggering figures represent such a tragedy: this value cannot be put back to productive work. All this capital is dead.
I will mention two further points before moving on. The first is a call to humility on the part of ‘the West’ that de Soto takes great care to make and that it would be unfair to leave out here. Though he extols ‘the West’ frequently, de Soto is careful to emphasize that this is first of all based on the economic state of affairs at the time of writing, which of course has been vastly different in the past and may well be in the future. But more importantly that his own partial theory as to why this is the case isolates the representational tools that gave rise to such circumstances as of the utmost importance and of no essential connection to those who discovered them:
“Throughout history people have confused the efficiency of the representational tools they have inherited to create surplus value with the inherent values of their culture. They forget that often what gives an edge to a particular group of people is the innovative use they make of a representational system developed by another culture. For example, Northerners had to copy the legal institutions of ancient Rome to organise themselves and learn the Greek alphabet and the Arabic number symbols and systems to convey information and calculate. And so, today, few are aware of the tremendous edge that formal property systems have given Western societies. As a result, many Westerners have been led to believe that what underpins their successful capitalism is the work ethic they have inherited or the existential anguish created by their religions — in spite of the fact that people all over the world all work hard when they can … Therefore, a great part of the research agenda needed to explain why capitalism fails outside the West remained mired in a mass of unexamined and largely untestable assumptions labelled ‘culture,’ whose main effect is to allow too many of those who live in the privileged enclaves of this world to enjoy feeling superior.”
Secondly, lest the reader think I had let up poking fun at mainstream economics, I will conclude this section with the same quote de Soto uses to begin The Mystery of Capital, from an address by the great (and heterodox) Ronald Coase:
“Economics, over the years, has become more and more abstract and divorced from events in the real world. Economists, by and large, do not study the workings of the actual economic system. They theorize about it. As Ely Devons, an English economist, once said at a meeting, “If economists wished to study the horse, they wouldn’t go and look at horses. They’d sit in their studies and say to themselves, ‘What would I do if I were a horse?’” And they would soon discover that they would maximize their utilities.”
The Threads of Heterodox Economics
Given three works, all on the same broadly defined topic, and all wonderfully original, it is surely possible to draw many more connections than I intend to here. This will be a short section, and I do not so much intend to draw parallels in economic theory as in methodology and intellectual outlook. The allure of public blockchains is that to a large extent they demand their own economic theory, which we can only hope to craft from first principles by teasing out the best of these three authors’ first principles approaches.
Firstly, none of the three ever discuss static equilibria. They are not interested in describing precisely how things are at a given moment, but rather how things change. They are interested solely in causation. They understand that economic phenomena are causal processes driven by the behaviour of individual people. People are not static. They have motivations and goals. They act. They are alive. There is no static human who can be mathematically described without reference to time.
Largely for this reason there is not a single equation across the three books. The argumentation is verbal. The reasons given for why things happen are the reasons the people doing those things acted in the way they did. Perez describes the interactions of people at the verge of financial and production capital. Jacobs describes the interactions of people with their physical environment. De Soto describes the interaction of people with agents of the law. People are messy. They can be described, but not with equations.
This basis of understanding lends itself naturally to a proper, we might say Hayekian, appreciation of what markets really are: engines of coordination of dispersed knowledge and desires. There are no static equilibria because competition is a process, not a state. We can try to grasp how markets work in the abstract, but if we lose our intellectual humility and suppose we can understand a given market entirely and in its particulars, then we must not understand markets in the first place. That twentieth century economics largely became self-indulgently enamoured with the opposite view — that every snapshot of time can be plotted on a graph and all economic data gathered and understood in its totality — explains the disdain across all three for the mainstream. Since the mainstream largely disdains public blockchains (to the extent it understands them at all) we are in a good place to continue.
Blockchains and the Tying of the Threads
There is a straightforward appeal to Perez in the context of blockchains in explaining the bubble of 2017 and the worthwhile work done since. I won’t rehash it here as I think it is pretty obvious and have nothing to add. One thought I have had, however, is that it is possible that this technology will provide an exception to Perez’s theory in some respects, but not all, insofar as it being baked into the technology itself that anybody can become financially involved without much intermediation — certainly a tiny amount relative to traditional securities. I think this goes a long way to explain the magnitude of 2017, which in some respects truly was a bubble like no other. What I wonder, though, and don’t have a good answer to, is whether this breaks the sociological thesis that relies on financial capital being institutionalized to some or other extent. This space may come to have heavy institutional involvement one day, but only by coincidence, not design, as for all other investable securities. But I really don’t know, so I’ll leave that one for now.
What I think is actually the most interesting thing to observe now is the extent to which this potentially problematic area is being addressed. You may or may not believe in the likelihood of eventual institutional involvement. But a necessary precondition, which is as a matter of fact being worked on by many brilliant people who clearly do think it is likely, is both operational infrastructure to enable it within that environment. We also clearly need a regulatory environment that treats it as clearly as it does other asset classes, given that clearly defines the opportunity cost of financial capital that may be allocated here.
What is encouraging, however, is that we have certainly had one frenzy, irruption, and crash in 2017, and it seems to have played out much as Perez would have predicted. Financial capital (with a mildly altered definition) ran amok, production was helpless to prevent it, paper gains enticed dumber and dumber money, so dumb that even outright scams became worthwhile endeavours, etc. etc., and then it all collapsed. We are now in a phase in which financial capital has been chastened and tamed, timeframes have been reset for the long term, and real wealth creation can be driven by people who know what they are doing. I certainly hope we don’t have to go through this again, but it strikes me as fantastic evidence in favour of Perez’s overall approach. This is the first technological revolution since her work, and her theory works (nearly) perfectly as an explanatory tool.
Jacobs, we recall, is primarily interested in where economic activity takes place, and what regions it is sensible to describe as salient economic entities. ‘Nations’, she argues, are rarely good examples, but cities almost always are. Not to criticize Jacobs at all, as it would be pointlessly anachronistic, but I think that the existence and proliferation of essentially digital goods throws this model into question, and that resolving this novel tension leads naturally to the best way to think about blockchains. For example, does the economic activity that happens through Google all ‘happen’ in Mountain View, California? In a pedantic sense, yes, but in a far more obvious sense, no. Google’s services are digital and very barely able to be defined in a traditional physical sense. Unlike even Amazon, which is a marvel of digital engineering but whose end product is clearly Alice in place A selling a widget to Bob in place B, it’s not entirely clear how to make such definitions for Google (which is the legal basis for its tax-scams-in-all-but-actuality).
Blockchains take this to its extreme because there isn’t even a corporation involved. In some respects, it makes a lot of sense to think of blockchains as actually being corporations; clearly not legally, but in that they are associations of individuals contributing to a common enterprise that itself is clearly acting as a discrete unit and according to a charter. This is an area of thought that is still very much developing and I don’t want to send the reader too far down the rabbit hole against her will, but it seems to make sense to a lot of people to treat blockchains as, additionally, closed economies for a single digital service with digitally native currencies, and with on-ramps to other digital assets and, at the edge of the system, to fiat currency. Where further to go with this observation is a matter of intense debate that need not concern us here, but it is however clear that they are in no way physical. It’s a bit like asking, where is BitTorrent? The only sensible answer is, on the Internet, which may or may not register with what was expected by the questioner.
Regardless of any further philosophical interpretations, it is clear that this exclusively online activity constitutes economic productivity that it makes no sense to ascribe to the US or France or Bolivia or wherever. The only sense in which it makes sense to do so for Google is that the operational backend of Google is highly centralized and has a corporation built around it in order to be allowed to be profitable and protected by law. It is a little torturous, but it is not completely nonsensical to consider Google’s economic activities as having a geographic footprint. But public blockchains ought to have no reverse engineering to tie them to a physical location — whether this is true in fact is a matter of degree and debate. But in their purest form, it arguably only makes sense to consider them as Jacobs’ salient economic entities.
This leads to probably Jacobs’ most interesting argument — that of the feedback metaphor. I don’t want to speculate on precise technical visions, lest we fall into yet more rabbit holes, but suffice it to say that it is clearly desirable that as many blockchains as possible will be capable of interoperability. We needn’t even think too hard about what this might mean beyond an analogue of using Facebook to log into Spotify and using Spotify to post on Facebook. Those two networks are ‘interoperable’ under a suitably light interpretation. So, hopefully, will be blockchains, under an interpretation that is actually more rigorous. What is potentially fascinating, however, is that this interoperability will not be on the basis of corporate agreements, but rather of automated exchange of their native currencies. Given this will be inherently digital it will ideally be fairly seamless also. Therefore, we might think, we will get exactly the kind of dynamic feedback system for these salient economies that Jacobs craved in real life, and bemoaned the structural imposition of national currencies for non-salient economic entities as preventing. Economists might even be able to observe, for the first time in hundreds of years, a genuinely free market for money spontaneously emerging, unbounded by sovereign constraints.
Finally, to de Soto. The obvious instantiation of his work in this realm is in tokenizing at the very least real estate, but ideally as much ‘property’ as possible. It doesn’t take much to realise how representational systems would be vastly improved under such a system, from which the rest of de Soto’s argument follows. This would ‘enliven’ multitudes of ‘dead capital’, and bring about enormous trade and wealth on the back of what is really little more than altering incentives. This is well researched and argued elsewhere and I have little to add but approval.
However, I think there is a more interesting line of de Soto’s thought to follow in this context. De Soto’s core thesis is sociological rather than economic; contrary to popular conception, law is an exercise in engineering, not in morality. If it is engineered poorly — immorally or otherwise — people will simply ignore it. But the law is also potentially enabling, and so effective engineering ought to be the goal, since the opportunity cost is potentially enormous. People can ‘ignore’ stupid or unjust laws regarding capital accumulation by creating shadow economies, but not by creating real economies. There is an implicit loss even in the use of the word ‘shadow’. It is less real.
The same will be true with the economic potential of blockchain. It exists. It works. It isn’t going away. And so, lawmakers have a choice. They can engineer legal frameworks that enable productivity, capital accumulation, wealth and wellbeing using this incredible technology. Or they can be stupid and unjust and create shadow economies at enormous opportunity cost.
I have never had the pleasure of any of their company or correspondence, but here is what I imagine each of my heterodox heroes would say:
Jacobs would advise to take these seriously as salient economic entities and allow their development as highly dynamic systems of information feedback. Do not force them into any previous paradigms because it almost certainly won’t work. Perez would encourage governmental leadership to facilitate a move past the crash, no less to prevent another. Let financial capital be involved but not in control. Perez, in other words, would make the case for effective integration of the technology into the mainstream. De Soto would warn of what would happen if we fail to: shadow economies will develop at enormous opportunity cost to the wellbeing of all mankind. If they would have said this, then I would agree.
But most importantly, all would be skeptical of mainstream economists. Unfortunate as it is, this is invariably a good idea. After all, so was Satoshi, one of the most heterodox economists of all time.
follow me on Twitter @allenf32 | https://allenfarrington.medium.com/heterodox-economics-and-the-rise-of-blockchain-592616eb48db | [] | 2020-04-15 22:21:08.375000+00:00 | ['Economics', 'Blockchain', 'Internet', 'Technology', 'Capitalism'] |
How to identify a rental property scam | A clear sign that the loft you’re taking a gander at is a trick is if the property chief, landowner, or real estate agent requests lease or a security store prior to marking a rent.
As a possible tenant, you ought to never be approached to give an enormous amount of cash prior to seeing and having all gatherings sign a rent. Application charges, which are utilized to take care of the expenses of individual verifications, are an OK expense to pay prior to marking a rent. The principal month’s lease or a security store, be that as it may, isn’t.
You ought to never mail or wire cash to anybody assuming that you have not marked a rent. Now and again, a trickster will let you know they live abroad and need you to advance the cash to them as a trade-off for the keys. In a considerably more risky situation, you may be approached to wire cash to somebody who you have simply conversed with on the web. Recall that any individual who doesn’t live approach the actual rental ought to have somebody, for example, a property director or real estate professional, who lives nearby and can deal with these coordinations.
In cases like these, you should report the posting as deceitful and stop all correspondences.
At whatever point you see a value that looks unrealistic, it likely is. A property that is evaluated well beneath the going business sector rate in your space ought to be a quick warning.
Properties like these can be a “sleight of hand” circumstance, where the proprietor is utilizing a low lease cost to bait in possible leaseholders before unexpectedly taking the rattling off the market and supplanting it with a comparable, all the more expensive unit. The motivation to move quickly before it’s gone can make leaseholders sign a rent rapidly, notwithstanding the adjustment of cost.
So how might you decide whether a unit is at honest evaluation and not a trick? You ought to consistently do your own exploration on lease costs for units of tantamount area, size, and conveniences to find out about what rentals in a specific region are being leased for.
While an asking rent sum underneath market is an indication of expected extortion, it doesn’t really imply that the posting is most certainly false. Remember that the land owner may not have the foggiest idea about the reasonable market lease rate, they may be leasing the unit outside of the pinnacle moving seasons.
Visit now identify a rental property scam | https://medium.com/@towhidulislam472/how-to-identify-a-rental-property-scam-b245a8c3c5d4 | ['Towhid Jewel'] | 2021-12-23 13:19:32.068000+00:00 | ['Property', 'Identify', 'Rental', 'Scam'] |
November 2020 Election Violence Risk Briefing | Burkina Faso and Myanmar have the highest risk of election violence, while our low estimates of election violence risk in the United States may understate the country’s true level of risk.
Apple Harvest by Camille Pissarro
The Electoral Violence Intelligence System (ELVIS) is a machine learning driven forecasting system that estimates the risk of election-related violence for every national election every month. These posts will provide updates on the outputs of our forecasting model, give an in-depth view of what to expect in the coming month and note any technical changes/updates.
Feel free to reach out to either myself ([email protected]) or Clayton Besaw ([email protected]) for any questions regarding our ELVIS platform or analyses contained in the updates.
November 2020 ELVIS report
Data and algorithm updates:
Updated precipitation (SPI) estimates using NOAA’s September 2020 PREC/L release (https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/data/gridded/data.prel.html).
Added new ground-truth and projected GDP estimates using the IMF’s October 2020 World Economic Outlook projections and the World Bank’s 2019 estimates.
Added new population data based on the IMF’s October 2020 World Economic Outlook projections.
Added previously missing election events for the following countries: Algeria
Risk forecast for November 2020:
Burkina Faso has the highest risk for election violence this month, as political violence overall remains high in the country and threatens to limit the number of citizens who will be able to cast their ballots. This, in turn, is raising concerns over the popular legitimacy of the electoral outcome.
Next highest this month is Myanmar where a United Nations human rights investigator has noted that the military has been jailing journalists and students in the lead up to the election.
Moreover, in Rakhine state and other areas of the country experiencing conflict elections have been cancelled, meaning that large portions of the country will not be able to participate in the election. These undemocratic moves have led to concerns that many will not recognize the popular legitimacy of the elections, which could further inflame conflict and insurgency in the country.
The United States is also in the process of holding elections as we are preparing to publish these updates. ELVIS gives the United States a low probability of election violence based on the structural factors we use to predict violence around the polls, however, there is significant reason to be concerned about election violence in the US.
Myself and Clayton Besaw wrote about why this is the case and what the longer-term potential implications for election violence could be here on Datayo.
Turning our attention to the rest of the year, are just four more elections slated for December, although all of them have an estimated probability of election violence greater than 50%. | https://medium.com/the-die-is-forecast/november-2020-election-violence-risk-briefing-39bdd2febb18 | ['Matt Scott Frank'] | 2020-11-04 19:07:57.892000+00:00 | ['Politics', 'Myanmar', 'Machine Learning', 'United States', 'Elections'] |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.