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What Trump could do after leaving the White House | He could run again
It may not be the end of Mr Trump’s political ambitions — he could always pull a Grover Cleveland and run for a second term.
Cleveland is the only president to leave the White House and return four years later, taking on the top job in 1885 and then again in 1893.
The US Constitution stipulates that “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice”, but there’s nothing about terms needing to be consecutive.
And former aides have suggested Mr Trump may seek to do just that.
“I would absolutely put him on the shortlist of people who are likely to run in 2024,” former chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, recently said.
Mr Trump clearly loves campaign rallies and he received 71.5 million votes in the election — a record total for a losing candidate, and one that clearly demonstrates a significant base of support among the American public.
Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump, US First Lady Melania Trump, Tiffany Trump and Donald Trump Jr are seen ahead of the first presidential debate
IMAGE COPYRIGHTAFP VIA GETTY
image captionTrump’s children may have their own political ambitions
“He will leave the presidency with a brand in some ways just as powerful as it was when he came into the presidency,” says Prof Calkins.
There has also been speculation that the president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, is interested in running for the top job, conjecture he hasn’t tried to tamp down.
US election results in maps and charts
What happens now?
Rescue his business empire
Before he was a politician, Mr Trump was a real estate mogul, a reality television star and his own brand ambassador, using his name for lucrative licensing deals.
He may be keen to pick up where he left off four years ago and get back into the world of business.
The New York Times has reported that Mr Trump has over $400m (£300m) in loans coming due over the next few years — though he has said that represents “a tiny percentage” of his net worth.
The Trump Organization has numerous hotels and golf courses.
There are Trump-branded properties in Mumbai, Istanbul and the Philippines — and of course, Washington, DC — and golf courses in the US, the UK, Dubai and Indonesia.
But if that is the course the president chooses in January, he’ll have plenty of work ahead of him.
Many of his business ventures are in the travel and leisure industry, which was badly affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Forbes has reported his wealth could have taken as much as a $1bn hit due to Covid-19.
Based on two decades of tax papers seen by the New York Times, the newspaper also reported “chronic losses and years of tax avoidance”, saying he paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the previous 15 years, “largely because he reported losing much more money than he made”.
A person walks outside the Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York City
IMAGE COPYRIGHTGETTY IMAGES
Both the Trump Organization and the president criticised the report as inaccurate.
Mr Calkins said the president has proven time and again he has an incredible ability to keep his brand “in the conversation” and it remains strong — but not unchanged — by the presidency.
“It’s become far more polarising and far more distinctive, which in some ways makes it less appealing as a business brand,” he says.
“Now if you’re going to have a wedding at a Trump hotel, that is really making a statement, that was not the case prior to the presidency.”
First daughter Ivanka Trump’s now shuttered namesake brand faced boycotts and was dropped by some major retailers once she took on her senior advisor role at the White House.
His sons Eric and Donald Jr were overseeing the Trump Organization, the umbrella company for Mr Trump’s hundreds of investments in real estate, brands and other businesses, during the presidency but are also deeply involved in their father’s political career.
“One of the things they will all be thinking about is, ‘What is the best road forward [for the family]?’” says Prof Calkins.
Become a media mogul
President Trump is no stranger to television, after a bankable stint on The Apprentice reality show.
So there’s a lot of speculation that his ambition is to get involved in the news media, either by launching his own channel or collaborating with an established conservative network.
“He’ll definitely have a potential audience,” says Henry Schafer, executive vice-president at Q Scores Company.
Mr Trump succeeded in building his brand as a “love-to-hate personality” like the Kardashians or Howard Stern, he says.
Donald Trump attends the “Celebrity Apprentice” Red Carpet Event at Trump Tower on January 5, 2015
IMAGE COPYRIGHTFILM MAGIC VIA GETTY IMAGES
image captionTrump plugs his reality TV show on a red carpet in 2015
And Mr Schafer expects him to “fall back on what works best for him — that’s controversy”.
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“He thrives on controversy, he spins controversy to his advantage, that’s his ‘MO’ [modus operandi].”
Possible collaborators are cable networks One American News Network (OANN) or Newsmax.
OANN is a favourite of the president and vice-versa, and he has been described as “part ringleader, part muse” for the channel by the Atlantic magazine.
Christopher Ruddy, CEO of Newsmax, a conservative TV channel, was once dubbed a “Trump Whisperer” by the Washington Post.
There could be other media or entertainment ventures.
Presidents often sign book deals, with Barack and Michelle Obama netting a record-breaking joint deal reportedly worth $65m — though that amount is rare. George W Bush got a rumoured $10m advance for his memoir.
The Obamas also signed a multi-million dollar production deal with Netflix, and both the Clintons have podcast deals.
A view of Mar-A-Lago, the Palm Beach, Florida home of Donald Trump from the West Palm Beach
IMAGE COPYRIGHTLOS ANGELES TIMES VIA GETTY IMAGES
image captionMar-A-Lago, which the Trump team calls ‘the winter White House’
Post-presidential retirement
Mr Trump will have a presidential pension — and plenty of other perks — when he leaves office.
The Former Presidents Act, enacted in 1958 to “maintain the dignity” of the office, provides benefits including an annual pension, which was $207,800 (£158,124) in 2017.
Former presidents are also eligible for lifetime Secret Service protection, health benefits, and travel office and staff expenses.
So Mr Trump, now 74, could decide to quietly retire.
He could spend his days involved in philanthropic pursuits, boost his bank balance on the speakers’ circuit and plan his presidential library — archives and museums of a president and his administration, usually in their home state.
And he could fill any spare time relaxing and playing golf in Florida at Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach retreat.
But Prof Calkins doesn’t see the quiet life as a likely scenario for a man who spent so much of it in the limelight.
“Donald Trump as a personality is not likely to fade away and I think we’re going to continue to see the Trump brand in the world,” he says.
In October, Mr Trump even speculated that, if he lost the election he would feel so terrible that “maybe I’ll have to leave the country, I don’t know”. | https://medium.com/stacey-abrams-the-woman-behind-bidens-biggest/what-trump-could-do-after-leaving-the-white-house-81e634db26bc | [] | 2020-11-11 15:16:56.215000+00:00 | ['Live'] |
How Retail and Tech Could Change in 2021 | How Retail and Tech Could Change in 2021
The year of user research
Even though Salesforce bought Slack, they won’t make any changes right away. After that, we’ll see what happens.
Even when Microsoft bought Github, they didn’t really make any obvious changes for the worse. It seems that large companies are (finally) starting to see they shouldn’t do too much to change things that are already working.
Besides, radical change with such valuable property in the coming year would be perilous. We will continue to see progress in remote working and learning apps, some improvements to Zoom and Google Meet (and maybe even Slack Calls). Plus, of course, we’ll see about a billion new players coming into the space.
The author William Gibson has a great quote: “When you want to know how things really work, study them when they’re coming apart.” With so much change and (sigh) disruption in personal and professional patterns, 2021 will be the ultimate data-gathering year.
The spend on user experience research, in real-time, will be a priority for Salesforce and any big company. Once they start seeing repeatable user patterns, trending up, changes will come to the Slacks of the world.
-Jack Cohen, Engineer
Rise of the localvore
Amazon is such a massive presence in our shopping lives (and our professional lives too, hiring 2800 people daily) it’s easy to think of it as inevitable. Immortal!
And yet … one of the byproducts of the pandemic has been the resurgent “locality” of our lives. Commutes went down, neighborhood walks went up, so we could actually see the stress on local businesses in a way we haven’t since the big box stores came in during the 80s and 90s.
That will make fertile ground for a wave of new platforms that serve as an aggregator for hyperlocal businesses, à la Bookshop and Drizly. An online market that can provide the same speed of (free) delivery, for a curated selection of goods, with comparable pricing and a guarantee that it comes from a street-level merchant.
This kind of little-guys-banding-together co-op talk has been around for decades, and can often be great in theory, but end up stiffing the locals like, say, certain food delivery services.
However, the sheer blunt force of 2020 has renewed the civic nature of how we shop. So we’ll see new, and old, delivery services put their economic relationship with the vendors they work with front and center in advertising, positioning your consumer choice as a way to support Main Street.
-Matt Brown, Head of Content & Marketing
Lifestyle brands get serious about your pets
Spoiler alert: pet gear can be expensive. But it’s nothing compared to what’s coming. We’re just going to keep spending more and more on our pets — we spend all our time with them now, why shouldn’t Peanut have a stylish onesie for his winter outings? — and retailers will race each other to provide customizable, ever-more-unique products.
The growth of the pet clothes and accessories market will be populated with ever more DTC lifestyle brands getting in on the pet game. Artisanal, hand-crafted collars? Organic, locally-sourced small-batch cookies? As much care as we put into our own product choices as a mode of self-expression will be put into our pets’, and the options will keep expanding to match.
Humans are getting used to a certain level of UX for their retail sites, and that expectation is quickly creeping up on pet-related commerce sites too. You’re selling to the person, not the cat, so successful merchants will up their user experience game considerably. More gift features, loyalty programs, payment options, and definitely an elevation of the mobile experience.
As someone who just spent ages scrolling for the perfect new collar, hand-engraved tag, and dog bed covers to complement my decor (it’s out all the time, it should look good as well as being cozy!), I am here for it. And if you have a suggestion for a crate cover that doesn’t look like a utilitarian sack, please let me know.
We’re going to see an explosion of new brands offering everything from CBD treats to luxury collars. We’ll also see way more collaborations (why hasn’t Beyoncé done a Plush collab?). Brands like L.L. Bean and Carhartt have been inching into that space for a few years, but it’s ripe for more luxury brands to jump into the fray (Moncler puffer vest, anyone?).
Collaborations will also unquestionably, massively expand into the ranks of influencers following in the wake of @tikatheiggy and @the blueboys, who became perfect Instagram snack food for aspirational dog enthusiasts. I, for one, want those matching jammies.
-Lucy Bonner, Associate Creative Director
In through the outdoor
Dick’s Sporting Goods recently announced plans to open two outdoor-focused retail stores in 2021, and hired Wolverine’s former CEO to spearhead what they’re calling the “Public Lands” initiative. Details are light, and industry skepticism is rife, but we’ll see a big wave of retail “let’s see what sticks” experimentation over the next year.
Dick’s is putting money and time into the project, and moving in on REI’s turf, so it is interesting to think about how traditional sports/outdoor retail could push more boundaries in the wake of COVID.
Could brands be tempted to create park-like destinations that show off their gear in large, indoor-outdoor complexes? There’s a ton of retail square footage available for places that could be, say, 2–3 times the size of a Bass Pro Shop, designed with social distancing in mind, allowing people to test products in simulated environments.
If so, there’s an opportunity for new digital experiences too to give the spaces a Wonka-like vibe. Digital billboards, touchscreen stations, wearables that act as your “passport” through the park, interactive games … plus apps that guide customers and act as point-of-sale devices. Like the Osprey day pack? One-click purchasing and it’ll be waiting for you up at an Ikea-inspired pickup area.
Past attempts at this kind of experiential space get labeled gimmicky, and not without reason. A pricey PR exercise that’s hard to scale, hard to maintain, expensive to staff, difficult to secure, and revenue-challenged. But as we rethink how and where we shop, there’s surely some Disney DNA that could be injected into these in-store (out-store?) experiences to boost engagement.
-Matt Brown, Head of Content & Marketing
I want it that way
Consumers are getting smarter and less tolerant of customer service failures. In 2021, eCommerce brands will be held to the highest standard of customer service and experience.
Consumers spent a lot of time online in 2020, shopping for essentials as well as (most definitely) non-essentials. They became accustomed to low-friction online shopping experiences and will demand it moving forward. They will not only demand it, but consistently compare every online shopping experience to the best experience they’ve ever had.
Online retail will rise to meet that challenge. Shopify and other retail platforms will start offering more features and updates at a greater pace. Internal digital teams at major brands will grow, throwing more designers, developers, and money at upgrades. Smaller brands will hire outside teams at regular intervals during the year to have their web/mobile experiences keep up with change.
By the end of the year, online retail across the board will incorporate UX that’s cleaner, simpler, easier, and more intuitive. Features like gift cards and saved lists will become near-mandatory, as will one-click purchasing options.
-Carly Deiter, Head of Growth | https://medium.com/@smallplanetapps/how-retail-and-tech-could-change-in-2021-2f65dc4e4ff | ['Small Planet'] | 2020-12-17 17:02:05.992000+00:00 | ['Predictions', '2021 Trends'] |
Isn’t it high time we get sanitary napkins without wrapping it up? | Wrapped in paper. That’s how women get their sanitary pad packets. Menstruation is not only a biological phenomenon but also a monthly phenomenon that every woman has to go through for the better part of her life. So now we know that periods are a regular part of our lives, let’s all ask ourselves one question, why do we have to be ashamed of it?
The whole process and cycle of menstruation have always been somewhat hush-hush. From teaching little girls about periods to teaching a teenager about pads, tampons, and menstrual cups to addressing issues related to menstrual hygiene, come with an unsaid rule that one should not speak publicly about it, which tends to send a message that this is something to be ashamed about. So, from a young age, if girls are unknowingly taught to be embarrassed or ashamed about the process of periods; it is most likely to continue until they grow older.
Take the example of the simple task of buying a period accessory. The whole ordeal of going to your nearby pharmacist starts with him looking embarrassed when you utter the word pads. The funny thing in this whole situation is, he’s not the only one who seems embarrassed, you do too. He quickly wraps the pad packet in day or newspaper and puts it in an unnamed black bag, never meeting your eyes throughout this transaction. It is as though we are embarrassed to be associated with periods.
For a woman, periods are a sign of reproductive health. Not only do we have to go through this transaction once in our lives, but we have to do it once a month, and for some maybe even more. Across various cultures and religions, periods and bleeding has been associated with uncleanliness. Previously myths and legends stated that women bleed once a month to remove the bad spirits or the evil inside them. With the advent of education and knowledge don’t you think this association should have been removed? But as times changed this taboo remained. Although supermarkets now have sections for menstrual hygiene that taboo continues. Depending on the type of orthodoxy, women are sometimes even ostracized from their families for 5–7 days every month. Nobody is willing to address the issue, and women have to whisper to their friends, colleagues, and family members asking for a pad. We are all guilty of doing that once in our lives.
Campaigns like ‘Don’t Hide it. Period.’ have now started to make headlines all across the world. These campaigns try to destigmatize periods hoping to start conversations about this taboo topic and remove all the prejudice against it.
The idea of periods is not only an uncomfortable topic for women but also men. How do we change this? Well, there is only one way to do so and that is by talking about it and through our actions. We as women of modern society, need to stop giving into all these prejudices. And that starts by taking the simple step of asking the pharmacist to hand you the packet of pads without wrapping it in the paper. If we show others that there is nothing to be embarrassed about, we can help change their minds as well.
Menstrual hygiene and addressing the reality of what a woman goes through during her ‘time of the month’ should not only be done for women but also men. Because knowledge truly holds power. Instead of whispering about it, we should speak out loud. Because after all, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.
Advertisements and branding done by companies need to change, for they are also responsible for this stigma. In the process of destigmatizing periods, sanitary commercials tend to show women wearing white running around while menstruating. While trying to show that a woman can do anything during her period, these commercials tend to negate the pain and suffering a woman goes through. A sanitary pad commercial challenged a taboo that said that if a menstruating woman touches something it rots. The commercial had a woman on her periods touch a pickle, waiting for it to rot, but it never did. Commercials like these helps eradicate and break stereotypes and companies should be encouraged to produce similar content.
We all know that the biological function of menstruation is an essential process for fertility and reproduction. If anything, periods should be celebrated rather than censored. We women should wear our periods like a badge of honor, for the process is not easy. We survive the mood swings, the pain, the cramps, and the regular feeling of discomfort and we do it monthly. We bleed because we have no other option. So instead of being embarrassed by it, let’s embrace it and we have nothing to hide. Let’s now unwrap the pads and also unravel the taboo.
If you have any thoughts on the above topic, we would love to hear them! Please feel free to drop a comment in the box below and share your experience.
For all you beautiful women out there, Fuzia is the right platform for you. It’s a community of women supporting one another to be the best and achieve the best. It’s a safe space to voice your thoughts and opinions too. So sign up now, and download our app!
Check out our post on why laughter is the best medicine by clicking here!
Check out this article on the Don’t Hide It. Period. Campaign by clicking here!
Image source: Google Images
Author: Sukanya Mohanty | https://medium.com/@pr-26909/isnt-it-high-time-we-get-sanitary-napkins-without-wrapping-it-up-bae635b3ab5b | [] | 2020-12-15 11:17:37.816000+00:00 | ['Sanitary Napkins', 'Periods', 'Womens Health', 'Sanitary Pads', 'Menstruation'] |
This LED Smart Mask Is What’s Distracting Me Right Now | This LED Smart Mask Is What’s Distracting Me Right Now Megan Morrone · Nov 6
Whatever the outcome of this year’s presidential election, we’re all going to be wearing masks for a while. So you might as well wear one that you can control with your smartphone. In The Bold Italic this week, Sophia Smith spoke to designer Timothy Cochran whose company created both a fiber optic mask and an LED “smart mask” that you control with an app.
Read the full interview. | https://debugger.medium.com/this-led-smart-mask-is-whats-distracting-me-right-now-eaf60135dc21 | ['Megan Morrone'] | 2020-11-06 20:13:22.085000+00:00 | ['Masks', 'Technology'] |
Moisés Caicedo – Scout report | Wherever he plays, Caicedo often scans his surroundings to find space and makes himself available to the ball-carrier. This ability helps him more further up the pitch as it is where the areas will be more crowded. When he plays deeper, he often doesn’t receive under pressure, which could be a worry because it will not be the case in a better league.
In the still below, Caicedo finds a way to be alone in an area where the opponent should be. He will receive a pass from his teammate highlighted in yellow and that will result in a chance for his side.
Despite not often finding himself under pressure in deeper areas, Caicedo is still able to use his body to get out of a tight situation. This is depicted below.
In more crowded areas however, Caicedo combines well and tries to release the ball as quickly as possible.
To highlight my point about the lack of pressure in deeper areas, you can see the GIF below. When Caicedo receives, he is alone but is still able to find a teammate by breaking the first defensive line.
The Ecuador international equally has good instincts higher up the pitch, he combines well in tight spaces and is able to identify space to run into at already a good level. He has an efficient shot as well, already scoring from outside the box on two occasions. These instincts could be further improved and become an exciting feature of his game.
Below, his teammate receives the ball to then find him but Caicedo decides to let the ball slide through his legs to make a third man run and score.
While Caicedo can find his teammates between the lines, he doesn’t do it enough but also does make some mistakes, due to his age, in his passes. His passes with his weaker are good. If he was to come to United, he would instantly become the second most ambipedal player of the squad after Fred when it comes to passing with both feet (Fred was at 28% of passes with his weaker foot last season, Pogba around 12%).
On one hand, he picks up teammates between the lines despite the crowded area.
On the other hand, he can misplace passes that are easy to execute and he does it on a regular basis.
Finally, I will talk about his intensity (or lack thereof) of the ball when he should ask for the ball. The way he handles himself on the pitch makes him calm upon receiving but it means he could come across as not willing to ask for the ball if his teammate needs a passing option. That costed him multiples times, against Argentina or in the GIF below.
I highlighted you where he stands before watching the GIF to be more aware of where you should look. Caicedo receives the ball and misplaces his pass because he is too complacent.
While he still has some work to do on his intensity and his focus, Caicedo has evident qualities that a manager could further develop as there are some interesting ones.
Without the ball | https://medium.com/@jkregista.6/mois%C3%A9s-caicedo-scout-report-a416c13cbd77 | [] | 2020-12-22 16:45:53.419000+00:00 | ['Scouting Reports', 'Scouting', 'Football', 'Manchester United'] |
Top Places — Kerala, India. Top Places | Top Places
Kerala has the highest literacy rate, the highest life expectancy, and the lowest infant mortality rate in India. The mountains and beaches of Kerala are intertwined with many beautiful tributaries, canals, and rivers. Also surrounded by dense forests, tea, and coffee plantations. Much of the state is in greenery, which ensures the most serene experience of all time. The climate of Kerala is pleasant and even throughout the year.
Munnar
The place is known as Munnar because of the confluence of three mountain streams (Mutrapuzha, Nallathanni, and Kundala). Munnar is a beautiful hill station in Kerala, situated at an altitude of 1600 m, this hill station was once a summer resort of the British government in South India. Also, this place is one of the most popular places to go for a honeymoon. This place full of vast tea gardens, beautiful cities, winding paths, and popular resorts to spend your holidays most comfortably. Another historical note is the Neelagurinji flower blooms only once every twelve years in this forest and the next flower will bloom in 2030. Also, Anamudi (2,695 m) is the highest peak in South India. This is a really wonderful place to visit so don’t miss it.
Places to See: Eravikulam National Park, Anamudi peak, Mattaputti Chinnakanal & Anairangal, Top station, Tea Museum & Trekking to Meesaapulimaalaa.
Ways to Reach:
Nearest railway station: Aluva is about 108 km and Angamaly, about 109 km.
Nearest airport: Cochin International Airport, via Aluva — Munnar Road, about 108 km.
Wayanad
Wayanad is nestled amidst the lush green hills of the Western Ghats and is a popular destination for nature lovers. This place was promoted by the Tourism Organization (WTO). It is one of the best places to spend time with nature and engage in adventures. The emerald beauty of the mountains, the clouds, the waterfalls, the unrestricted wildlife, and the trekking for the adventure seekers will captivate you. At the same time, there are beautiful wooden houses suitable for honeymoon couples.
Places to See: Sembra Peak, Neelimaalaa, Meenmutti Waterfalls, Banasura Sagar Dam, Trekking to Brahmagiri & Mountain biking
Ways to reach:
Nearest railway station: Calicut Railway Station is located at a distance of 62 km.
Nearest airport: Calicut International Airport is about 65 km away.
Kovalam
Kovalam has three internationally renowned beaches. Kovalam has been one of the most beautiful, coastal places in India since the 1930s. Leisure options at this beach are plentiful and varied, some of which include sunbathing, swimming, herbal body toning massages, and special cultural events. You can spend some time walking peacefully on the beach. Also, the pleasant weather adds more glamor to this little paradise.
Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala is located at a distance of 16 km from Kovalam. But if you are on holiday it is better to stay in Kovalam and come to the city. The city of Thiruvananthapuram has many interesting places like the Napier Museum, Sri Chitra Art Gallery, and the Padmanabhasami Temple.
Ways to reach:
Nearest railway station: Thiruvananthapuram, about 16 km.
Nearest airport: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, about 10 km.
Thekkady
The sound of the word Thekkady refers to images of elephants, endless chains of mountains, and spice gardens. Thekkady in the Western Ghats is known as the center of wildlife adventure. The Periyar Forest of Thekkady is one of the finest wildlife reserves in India. Here you can easily find elephants, tigers, unique rare species of birds, and other animals in the Western Ghats. It is one of the oldest tiger reserves.
Places to See: Boating on Periyar Lake, Trekking trails, Watch Towers (The Periyar Tiger Reserve has a few watchtowers that are ideal for wildlife viewing).
Ways to reach:
Nearest railway station: Kottayam Railway Station is about 110 km.
Nearest airport: Cochin is about 140 km and Madurai is 190 km.
Varkala
Varkala is a quiet hamlet located on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram district. With regard to the unparalleled bliss of Kerala, it is not fair not to talk about Varkala, one of the best coastal destinations in India. The calmness of this beach is remarkable because Varkala is far away from the crowds of tourists. The soft sand, lush palm groves, and playful waves are remarkable. Get Ayurvedic massage at the beach centers here, so that you will be relaxed mentally and physically.
Papanasam Beach, located at a distance of 10 km from Varkala, is famous for its natural fountain and has medicinal and curative properties. People believe that taking a bath in holy water on this beach is to cleanse us of all impurities in our body and our sins; Hence the name ‘Papanasam Beach’.
Places to See: Beach, Mineral Water Springs, Sivagiri Madam, and the 2000-year-old Vishnu Temple.
Ways to reach:
Nearest railway station: Varkala, about 3 km away.
Nearest airport: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, about 57 km.
For more details: https://www.keralatourism.org/ | https://medium.com/@tamilinspired/top-places-kerala-india-65d45dc0a147 | ['Tamil Inspired'] | 2021-01-21 14:02:29.636000+00:00 | ['Vacation', 'Travel', 'India', 'Tour', 'Places'] |
Big Magic in the Little Fields of Mexico | Big Magic in the Little Fields of Mexico
Photo by Natália Dudás on Unsplash
Years ago, I read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. Gilbert wrote the popular book “Eat, Pray, Love” that was subsequently turned into a movie with Julia Roberts. Lesser known is her intriguing book on creativity, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear. In the book she writes about disembodied ideas looking for hosts to midwife them into the world. These ideas, or “energetic life-forms” as Gilbert calls them, are propelled by the strong and simple desire to exteriorize. “And the only way an idea can be made manifest in our world” shares Gilbert, “is through collaboration with a human partner. It is only through a human’s efforts that an idea can be escorted out of the ether and into the realm of the actual.”
I loved this line of thought. For a long time, I wondered about what kind of disembodied entity would want to collaborate with me. Would I recognize magical inspiration if it tapped me on the shoulder and whispered in my ear, “I pick you”? And then back in March, I met a big one.
As we all know, March 2020 saw the closing of schools and businesses around the globe. The world began going into lockdown as COVID disrupted just about every part of our lives. During this time, the only place I regularly visited was the soccer fields where I could let my dog run. My dog, a Red Heeler rescue named Yara, had befriended Poppy, a rescue dog belonging to a charming British woman, Nicola Allan. The dogs would play, and we would talk.
At 35 years, when one is building a career, Nicola was unsure about her commitment to law. In fact, she didn’t want to work as a lawyer anymore and had her heart set on children’s illustration. I know how she felt. Two and a half years ago at age 50, I had walked away from a perfectly respectable career as a research librarian. I just couldn’t engage in work that didn’t capture my imagination anymore. Despite raised eyebrows, I had sold my belongings in San Diego to hang up my shingle as an astrologer, tarot reader and (as of late) talisman maker in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
Nicola and I had a lot in common. We were both willing to take a chance on our passion as we rooted in a new country. As our dogs ran around the field and we got to know one another, The Creative Muse entered the space and began eavesdropping on our conversations. I believe at some point, she decided we were the midwives that would bring her into the world. Nicola’s law work was drying up and she was more than ready to illustrate. I finally had a project to pour my years of tarot experience into. When Nicola shared that she had always wanted to illustrate a tarot deck, I had no control of the words that blurted out of my mouth: “Why don’t we do a children’s deck together?”
I like to think that in the imaginal realm, where disembodied ideas flitter from human to human, a great celebration ensues when an idea has found its person, or in our case, people. It’s been an unlikely collaboration: a lawyer turned illustrator meeting a librarian turned astrologer at a soccer field in Central Mexico. But I believe magic operates in the currency of the unexpected and synchronistic conversations.
Tarot cards go back to the 15th Century where they were enjoyed as playing cards. Today, folks use tarot as a tool of self-reflection and understanding. Pictured above: Justice & Emperor, two cards from Faunabelle Tarot.
Faunabelle Tarot launches on Kickstarter December 19, 2020
As far as the project goes: Nicola and I will launch our deck December 19, 2020 on the crowdfunding platform, Kickstarter. If successfully funded, this will be a gorgeously illustrated indie tarot deck for children and the young at heart. The words are inspired by the gentleness of Pema Chodron, like warm honey in traditional tarot tea. Our goal is that this tarot deck simply exists. We’ve named her Faunabelle Tarot. Faunabelle’s goal is to engender more kindness and self-compassion in children and their parents.
Take a look and/or follow Faunabelle Tarot on Instagram! Please consider supporting the Kickstarter; gift certificates are available as well. If we succeed, Faunabelle will make her grand debut in the material world in June 2021. I imagine there will be a spectacular cosmic Quinceañera upon her success.
A few cards from Faunabelle Tarot
Get in touch: | https://medium.com/@juanitabenedicto/big-magic-in-the-little-fields-of-mexico-creating-a-tarot-deck-for-children-6807fec8423b | ['Juanita Benedicto'] | 2020-12-16 13:28:45.866000+00:00 | ['Tarot', 'Tarot Cards', 'Children', 'Magic', 'Creativity'] |
The Great Bitcoin Debate: | Let me first start off by addressing what appears to be a common thread in many social networking applications. Many people have complained about the leadership of the Bitcoin Satoshi’s Vision (BSV) camp and they think Craig Wright is a fraud (Faksatoshi) and people don’t like Calvin Ayre and Jimmy Nguyen. As a result they want nothing to do with BSV. Okay I get that, and I don’t particularly like them or their lifestyles either, BUT please tell me how any of this effects the economics of Bitcoin?
In a short amount of time miners that mine Bitcoin Core (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Bitcoin Satoshi’s Vision (BSV) will all experience a halving of their block reward from 12.5 coins to 6.25 coins. Then again in the year 2024 there will be another halving to 3.125 coins. Right now the primary incentive for miners to mine a given coin is the reward that they will receive if they are successful in creating a block that gets added to the blockchain. Mining equipment can be switched to mine any of these coins easily and miners will switch depending on which coin is the most profitable to mine. All three Bitcoins have a mining difficulty factor that is adjusted so that on average a nonce (the result of the hashing math puzzle) can be found that will result in a block being added to the blockchain every 10 minutes. If BSV becomes more profitable to mine and hash power is directed away from BTC and directed at BSV there are now fewer miners mining BTC and the likelihood of a block being added every 10 minutes goes down. Therefore, if the difficulty level is lowered in relation to the other chains and it is suddenly easier for a miner to mine on BTC and the hash returns to BTC. With the block reward going down it could be less profitable for miners to mine a given coin unless that reward is somehow supplemented. One possible scenario for BTC is that the value of the coin by 2024 could go up 4 times making the value of the block reward the same as today. Today’s price of BTC is about $4,000 so all things being equal if BTC hits $16,000 then the dollar amount of the block reward remains constant. Keep in mind that the same scenario also holds true for BCH and BSV, however in the case of BCH and BSV they are also advocating for larger blocks that would hold a greater number of transactions. Miners in addition to getting the block reward also are paid with transaction fees. So if the block rewards remain relatively constant based on an increase in coin price but the fees paid to the miners for transactions is going up on BCH and BSV then it would make sense that the bigger blocks have an advantage when it comes to profitability.
The Bitcoin Core Leadership consisting of BTC developers and the companies that are heavily invested in BTC like Blockstream have be pushing the narrative ever since late 2017 that BTC is a Store of Value (SoV) and not a global peer to peer form of payment as described in the original white paper. The reason why they are pushing that narrative is because when BTC hit $20,000 the transaction fees went as high as $50 or more. So who is going to use BTC to buy a meal or a coffee? If the fees cost more than the purchase then the use case for BTC as a means of exchange falls apart. If in four years BTC is falling behind BCH and BSV because they can’t fit as many transactions into a block then in order to compete the transaction fees will have to increase substantially making it an even worse means of exchange. There has been a lot of hype in Crypto and prices have been fueled mostly by speculation, and then we saw the bubble burst and prices came back down more in line with the proper value based on use case. Given the above scenarios in my opinion the use case and the economics for BTC are awful. The BTC Leadership knows this and in order to circumvent the effect of the halvings in 2020 and 2024 they have started to push a narrative that there should be some sort of inflation or the halving should be done away with. If that were to happen the fixed supply of 21 million bitcoins would be a thing of the past. I don’t know about you but the Store of Value use case for me was based on the fixed supply of 21 million. If the leadership changes the protocol and plays with the economics in order to attempt to allow BTC to survive I think a whole bunch of people that started to buy BTC because of the limited supply will leave in droves and BTC will crash and burn.
Another differentiating factor between BTC and BCH/BSV is the scaling debate. BTC is holding to smaller blocks and they want to push smaller transactions off of the blockchain and put them on Lightning Network (LN). This solution has been in the works for years and the target go-live for a fully scalable solution seems to always be next year or 18 months away. They do seem to be making some headway however there have been a lot of problems like liquidity and maintaining channels and keeping them up. An unrelated problem is also the fact that you can not trace the flow of money from beginning to end through the LN which I believe is a problem for government regulators and would allow for things like black market purchases. There is also the problem that anyone hosting a LN node is really a money transmitter and as such needs to be licensed.
I feel that BSV is the big block coin that follows the original white paper. BCH is continuing to make changes to their protocol that deviates from the white paper and is still in a state of flux. As a computer scientist and someone that has worked with software my whole life, I believe that BSV having a protocol that is fixed in stone is very beneficial to businesses that are building use cases on top of a stable protocol. Since November when BSV split from BCH I have seen a number of the original BTC Core developers move over to the BSV camp and I have seen an unprecedented amount of development being done on BSV. While the market will ultimately decide who the winner will be, to me the economics and facts point to BSV as the ultimate winner.
People want to declare BTC as the winner because of the name recognition and the higher value at the moment. There has also been a coordinated effort on social media to downplay the bigger blocks and the problems with BTC and LN. Newbies and uninformed investors that are blindly following that narrative in my opinion will be burned. To me the economics of Bitcoin and all the problems associated with the way they want to scale and the failures inherent in LN cause me to come to the conclusion that BTC will fail in the long run. I also know that Craig Wright has claimed that there is a bug in BTC that will also cause it to fail, and he thinks that will happen in 2019. Putting aside how you feel about Craig Wright the man could be Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin. If he is not we at least have proof that he has been involved with Bitcoin from the very early stages and as such is probably very knowledgeable about the inner workings of the coin. Craig is brilliant and holds multiple doctorate degrees in totally unrelated fields. He also holds more patents than Thomas Edison. Dismissing Craig because he is a belligerent ass could be a very big mistake…
Another factor to consider when investing is the fact that there is a mining pool called SharkPool that is pretty well funded and it is their goal to attack all coins that are not BSV. They intend to use the Nakamoto Consensus to gain at least 51% of mining hash while disrupting the mining by mining empty blocks with no transactions. If they are successful in doing this they could effectively shutdown all these other coins. | https://medium.com/@whofford_18882/the-great-bitcoin-debate-66e39a9073f8 | ['William Hofford'] | 2019-03-21 03:55:51.931000+00:00 | ['Halvening', 'Bitcoin Block Reward', 'Lightning Network', 'Bitcoin', 'Scaling'] |
ONS hack day Census data unplugged | Talking through the ideas
We’d planned a hack day at the Office for National Statistics for our work on Census 2021 towards the end of May. But the arrival of Covid-19 meant we had to pivot to making the event virtual.
The objective was to allow ONS data scientists and analysts the opportunity to road test an innovation that will happen when anonymised, high level Census 2021 data are released. It’s called flexible table builder and is powered by our software Cantabular.
Cantabular applies privacy protections as a query is processed in order to produce safe tables of aggregated data. Queries are facilitated by an API that has two design objectives; security and speed.
What is a flexible table builder?
We’ve been working with the ONS to modernise the way Census data are protected and disseminated. At the heart of the census is the principle of keeping information safe, confidential, secure and private — no one can find out individual’s details for 100 years.
However, aggregated census data are essential to inform decisions nationally and locally on vital services and issues like diversity. And the ONS has made a commitment to provide more timely information and analysis.
At the start of the hackday, our sponsor introduced the concept and how it had the potential to dramatically change how Census data can be made available
Before: For Census 2011, there was a 16 month lag between the final day of collection and the first output table appearing on the ONS website. It took up to 4 years to produce all the output tables. It was a time consuming process that required significant human intervention and expert decision making.
After: the ONS wants to collapse the time frame, producing first results within 12 months of data collection, and make as many census statistics as possible available soon after that first date of publication; aiming to do so within a year. This will increase the contribution census data make to the economy and provide much higher value to ONS customers.
Modern tools and a large synthetic dataset
We’ve been working on a Python API client that makes it easy for data scientists to query the data as part of their applications and visualizations. We created extra documentation and ran a short tutorial at the start of the event to help the analysts get started and see some useful code snippets.
We spun up a server instance running a hosted Jupyter notebook to support anyone who was unable to install the Python package because of security restrictions which worked really well.
The hackday participants were working with a 57 million row artificial dataset that mimicked the 2011 census and to give a real sense for the lightning speed with which a query can return results.
Imagining new uses for census data
Despite the challenges of working remotely, the assembled company managed to organise into six groups around an impressive variety of ideas and almost all managed to show a working prototype within a few hours.
The judges said “The teams worked well together. The fact that it was a remote event did not detract from the quality of work produced; we were impressed with the range of ideas; the speed with which they were realised as well as the potential for these to be developed further.”
Winner: Map areas where my query is too disclosive
The winning team approached an issue that is likely to present itself when disclosure control is applied to data. If generated data for an area are too disclosive, the flexible table builder suppresses the output. It may be possible to get more aggregated data by performing the same query at a higher geographic area (e.g. Middle Super Output Area (MSOA instead of LA) or by using variables with fewer categories (e.g. ages grouped into 5 year bands instead of individual years). The program highlights these missing areas using a choropleth map. The team produced a working proof of concept. It demonstrated great collaboration between the data science campus and the census outputs team.
Choropleth map highlighting missing areas where a query is too disclosive
Where should I move to?
The initial idea was to create a tool to help someone find places they might like to live based on factors that were important to them such as good health or level of education.
A user would select factors that were important to them, and the tool would perform queries using the API to find areas that met their desired criteria.
Tool to help people find places to live based on factors important to them
Where is similar to where I live today?
The purpose of this tool was to identify similar areas based on a set of chosen variables. The tool used a similarity matrix l to find the most similar areas to a specified Local Authority (LA). To improve this program, the team suggests developing a UI and to generate a map on output, highlighting similar LAs. If an LA had a problem, such as low educational attainment, they could use this tool to find other LAs with a similar population but high educational attainment. Planners could then engage with those other LAs to identify any approaches that might benefit their own area.
Mapping postcodes to census geographies
This idea looked at linking Census data to a particular postcode. The tool would map the postcode to areas in the census geographic hierarchy e.g. What Lower Super Output Area includes my postcode?’ A UI was developed that enabled the user to input a postcode into a search box at the top of a page, then when the postcode is submitted, a list of anonymised information would be output. This approach could be applied to alternative geographies such as school district.
The commonalities quiz
This team worked on an idea to create a fun game using census data. A commonalities quiz was produced and presented in an easy-to-use UI. Random shuffling was used to make the quiz different each time it was run. The questions are based around identifying areas that are similar according to different characteristics. The project showed that a dataset can be used to return random questions. A quiz like this could be tailored for different audiences e.g. school children.
2021 Fake Census Data Quiz
Identifying Covid-19 risk factors
This idea was inspired by a recent ONS publication around ethnicity and the risk of being a victim of Covid-19. The team looked for a link between various variables (such as commuting distance and mode of transport) and Covid-19 deaths. Their hypothesis was that public transport was a contributing factor in the spread of Covid-19 — the longer spent on transport, the higher risk of being infected. The team produced a program that estimated the average time a commuter spent on public transport using a number of basic assumptions. They feel confident that the queries could be combined with more accurate commuter data to establish whether commute time is a Covid-19 risk factor. A similar approach could be applied to other variables.
A virtual hack day requires lots of planning!
We’d originally planned for an onsite face to face hack day — for which we had experience. Covid lockdown put that idea on ice. We prepared for weeks — we tested and retested the systems. We had a group of users who downloaded the Python client and made sure they were able to access the hosted synthetic dataset. We also had fantastic support to mobilise a bunch of analysts from the data science campus, census outputs and digital publishing including a data analyst in Beirut. We used a designated Slack workspace with channels for announcements, team communications and tech support. We used Google Meet for presentations and for the API tutorial.
What happens next?
We’re hoping that some of the ideas presented on the day will be considered for further development and to inspire analysts inside the ONS. We’re developing a Go client and we’re responding to user feedback on how the API worked for the participants.
We’d like to thank everyone at the ONS who participated and who helped make the event successful. | https://medium.com/swlh/ons-hack-day-census-data-unplugged-f575728d75cc | ['The Sensible Code Company'] | 2020-06-29 19:32:48.120000+00:00 | ['Statistics', 'Analytics', 'Privacy', 'Big Data', 'Data Science'] |
A Vaccine Has Arrived and the U.S. Is Still Screwing Up | A Vaccine Has Arrived and the U.S. Is Still Screwing Up
Ireally don’t know why anyone is surprised by recent revelations about Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing and distribution snafus. For nine months, our government has failed to create working supply chains for both testing and personal protective equipment (PPE). We still lack raw materials, manufacturing capability, data on need, logistics, price supports, and equitable distribution. Why would we expect vaccines to be different?
Back in March, many of us called out that the health care supply chain was broken. I wrote about it with Ashish K. Jha and Valerie Griffeth in the New England Journal of Medicine. Nothing that we talked about or called for has been fixed. Instead, the feds developed a mess of a system to meet our health care systems’ PPE, testing, and other supply chain needs — a “fumbling” effort by “inexperienced” people with no background in supply chain logistics, manufacturing, disaster preparedness, or health care.
We learned very early in this pandemic that our national strategy was one of bluster and photo ops — not one of doing the hard work to get supplies into the hands of those who need them.
Alarm bells have been ringing for months about the lack of strategy for vaccine manufacturing, distribution, and messaging.
In the face of immediate need for PPE, we set up workarounds — groups like Get Us PPE developed data networks and equitable distribution strategies. For testing, the country relied on public-private partnerships, like Rhode Island’s (and other states’) partnership with CVS.
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http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/Clem-v-Notr-n-f-liv97.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/Flor-v-Wake-n-f-liv61.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/Flor-v-Wake-n-f-liv62.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/Flor-v-Wake-n-f-liv63.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/Flor-v-Wake-n-f-liv64.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/Flor-v-Wake-n-f-liv65.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/LSU-v-Ole-n-f-liv71.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/LSU-v-Ole-n-f-liv72.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/LSU-v-Ole-n-f-liv73.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/LSU-v-Ole-n-f-liv74.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/LSU-v-Ole-n-f-liv75.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/Mis-v-Mss-n-f-liv81.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/Mis-v-Mss-n-f-liv82.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/Mis-v-Mss-n-f-liv83.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/Mis-v-Mss-n-f-liv84.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/Mis-v-Mss-n-f-liv85.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv51.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv52.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv53.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv54.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv55.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv56.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/vi-deo-w-v-nc1.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/vi-deo-w-v-nc2.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/vi-deo-w-v-nc3.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/vi-deo-w-v-nc4.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/vi-deo-w-v-nc5.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/vi-deo-w-v-nc6.html
http://climbingforchrist.org/kgf/vi-deo-w-v-nc7.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Clem-v-Notr-n-f-liv91.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Clem-v-Notr-n-f-liv92.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Clem-v-Notr-n-f-liv93.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Clem-v-Notr-n-f-liv94.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Clem-v-Notr-n-f-liv95.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Clem-v-Notr-n-f-liv96.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Clem-v-Notr-n-f-liv97.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Flor-v-Wake-n-f-liv61.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Flor-v-Wake-n-f-liv62.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Flor-v-Wake-n-f-liv63.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Flor-v-Wake-n-f-liv64.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Flor-v-Wake-n-f-liv65.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/LSU-v-Ole-n-f-liv71.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/LSU-v-Ole-n-f-liv72.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/LSU-v-Ole-n-f-liv73.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/LSU-v-Ole-n-f-liv74.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/LSU-v-Ole-n-f-liv75.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Mis-v-Mss-n-f-liv81.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Mis-v-Mss-n-f-liv82.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Mis-v-Mss-n-f-liv83.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Mis-v-Mss-n-f-liv84.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Mis-v-Mss-n-f-liv85.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv51.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv52.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv53.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv54.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv55.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv56.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/vi-deo-w-v-nc1.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/vi-deo-w-v-nc2.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/vi-deo-w-v-nc3.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/vi-deo-w-v-nc4.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/vi-deo-w-v-nc5.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/vi-deo-w-v-nc6.html
https://www.torontolofts.ca/dfy/vi-deo-w-v-nc7.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Clem-v-Notr-n-f-liv91.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Clem-v-Notr-n-f-liv92.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Clem-v-Notr-n-f-liv93.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Clem-v-Notr-n-f-liv94.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Clem-v-Notr-n-f-liv95.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Clem-v-Notr-n-f-liv96.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Clem-v-Notr-n-f-liv97.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Flor-v-Wake-n-f-liv61.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Flor-v-Wake-n-f-liv62.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Flor-v-Wake-n-f-liv63.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Flor-v-Wake-n-f-liv64.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Flor-v-Wake-n-f-liv65.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/LSU-v-Ole-n-f-liv71.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/LSU-v-Ole-n-f-liv72.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/LSU-v-Ole-n-f-liv73.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/LSU-v-Ole-n-f-liv74.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/LSU-v-Ole-n-f-liv75.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Mis-v-Mss-n-f-liv81.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Mis-v-Mss-n-f-liv82.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Mis-v-Mss-n-f-liv83.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Mis-v-Mss-n-f-liv84.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Mis-v-Mss-n-f-liv85.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv51.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv52.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv53.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv54.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv55.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv56.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/vi-deo-w-v-nc1.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/vi-deo-w-v-nc2.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/vi-deo-w-v-nc3.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/vi-deo-w-v-nc4.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/vi-deo-w-v-nc5.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/vi-deo-w-v-nc6.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/vi-deo-w-v-nc7.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Clem-v-Notr-n-f-liv91.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Clem-v-Notr-n-f-liv92.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Clem-v-Notr-n-f-liv93.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Clem-v-Notr-n-f-liv94.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Clem-v-Notr-n-f-liv95.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Clem-v-Notr-n-f-liv96.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Clem-v-Notr-n-f-liv97.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Flor-v-Wake-n-f-liv61.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Flor-v-Wake-n-f-liv62.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Flor-v-Wake-n-f-liv63.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Flor-v-Wake-n-f-liv64.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Flor-v-Wake-n-f-liv65.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/LSU-v-Ole-n-f-liv71.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/LSU-v-Ole-n-f-liv72.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/LSU-v-Ole-n-f-liv73.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/LSU-v-Ole-n-f-liv74.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/LSU-v-Ole-n-f-liv75.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Mis-v-Mss-n-f-liv81.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Mis-v-Mss-n-f-liv82.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Mis-v-Mss-n-f-liv83.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Mis-v-Mss-n-f-liv84.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Mis-v-Mss-n-f-liv85.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv51.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv52.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv53.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv54.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv55.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/Okla-v-Iowa-n-f-liv56.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/vi-deo-w-v-nc1.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/vi-deo-w-v-nc2.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/vi-deo-w-v-nc3.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/vi-deo-w-v-nc4.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/vi-deo-w-v-nc5.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/vi-deo-w-v-nc6.html
http://emsi-air.com/ncf/vi-deo-w-v-nc7.html
But let’s be clear: these efforts are simply substitutes for a federal strategy.
They are in no way equivalent to a good, organized, 50-state, publicly funded effort — which brings me to vaccines. Alarm bells have been ringing for months about the lack of strategy for vaccine manufacturing, distribution, and messaging.
In September, Trust for America’s Health, a nonprofit, and David Lakey, vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of Texas, wrote a piece for STAT imploring “Operation Warp Speed” to come up with a plan. Simultaneously, potential breakdowns in the cold-storage distribution chain were highlighted by Ed Silverman and others.
In October, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials sounded the alarm that they still had no funds and no federal guidance on strategy. As of November, despite knowing that multiple phase 3 trials were nearing the end, and despite earlier promises to release vaccines pre-election, there was still no central repository for distribution plans, according to Kaiser Health News.
Not to mention the fact that months on, few people in positions of authority are talking about how to handle long-standing, well-founded mistrust from Black and Brown communities.
Without trust, even the best supply chain is useless.
With consumer confidence in the federal government at an all-time low and misinformation campaigns at an all-time high, even health care workers have expressed hesitancy about the vaccine.
Meanwhile, the guy who is directing Operation Warp Speed can’t explain why President Trump is making certain executive orders or why we passed on buying an extra 100 million doses of the vaccine.
Let’s be clear:
More than 300,000 Americans have died.
Another 150,000 will likely die before inauguration.
A vaccine is the best chance we have at getting things back to normal, quickly.
But what good is a vaccine if it stays on the shelves?
So, to those who expect that a miracle will be wrought and Covid-19 will simply disappear? Sorry, not gonna happen. To those who expect that herd immunity will naturally come to pass? Also not gonna happen. Just look at Sweden or New York City. To those who think the states will magically figure it out without funding or clear national guidance? Nope.
For the next 33 days until the inauguration, we’ll just continue to bumble along through the goodwill of philanthropy, the forethought of a few great states’ departments of health, and the hard work of health care workers, pharmacists, and techs who have already sacrificed so much.
And we’ll continue to watch our number of preventable deaths grow.
At the end of the day, despite having sunk billions of dollars into the creation of a vaccine, our feds have failed to close the last-mile gap — just as they failed with testing and with PPE.
To fix it, we need investments in manufacturing and supply chain. We need investments in data architecture and equitable distribution. We need clear public health messaging, stat. Magical thinking doesn’t work to stop pandemics. | https://medium.com/@night011bird/a-vaccine-has-arrived-and-the-u-s-is-still-screwing-up-1585c7c18daa | [] | 2020-12-19 13:18:19.117000+00:00 | ['United States', 'Coronavirus', 'Covid 19', 'Health', 'Public Health'] |
Installing XDEBUG for XAMPP with PHP in Windows. | Xdebug helps to set the breakpoints in our codes and easily we can see all define variables and even change them while running the code. In this blog post, I will demonstrate how to set up xdebug for xampp with php.
STEP 01
We have to download the xdebug https://xdebug.org/download.php. You have to choose the right version for your installed PHP version.
here, I’m listing some latest xdebug version’s links for you,
STEP 02
Then, copy the installed xdebug file[ php_xdebug-2.7.0–7.3-vc15.dll -this version file for my PHP verson] and paste it in to C:\xampp\php\ext
STEP 03
Then, we need to open the file C:\xampp\php\php.ini with a code editor and need to make the following
In php.ini file we should disable output_buffering=off
STEP 04
And, scroll down the bottom of the php.ini file and copy and paste the following code.
STEP 05
Restart your Apache server.
STEP 06
If everything went well then you will be able to set up a breakpoint as follow in your code and can see the xdebug in action in the PHPSTORM console
Things Need To Be Consider:
Sometimes if you still have an error check your PHP ini that, the file have an additional zend_extension code, u need to comment or delete them. | https://medium.com/d6-digital/installing-xdebug-for-xampp-with-php-in-windows-d2b750861118 | ['Ahmed Thaajwer'] | 2019-03-23 17:07:42.349000+00:00 | ['Xdebug', 'Windows 10', 'Xampp', 'Phpstorm', 'PHP'] |
Integrate Stripe with Python Django Elegantly | Recently I was responsible for the integration of Stripe online payment service, and take some notes about workflow planning and SDK usage details.
Stripe would be highly recommended for the payment tasks due to its software-engineering-friendly SDK, the succinct interface and complete documentation also helpful during my development.
Image from https://stripe.com/
The third-party python project management tool poetry, and the web framework Django and its dependent REST API extension would be used in this article.
Below is my pyproject.toml file, you can refer to it while building the virtual environment.
Architecture Overview
As far as a platform service which needs to support payment feature was concerned, we can only take care of the payment events form the consumer and hand over almost all of payment processing tasks to Stripe.
Quickly draft the dream above, it will turn out a rough architecture like this:
Stripe empower you with integrated payment functions, with lower development and maintenance cost compared to other third-party services.
We can also implement business logic on the interactions of each of them without strict constraints, in order to compliant with various scenarios. | https://medium.com/random-life-journal/integrate-stripe-with-python-django-elegantly-f0c4848f2b13 | ['Rain Wu'] | 2020-12-14 02:12:52.544000+00:00 | ['Payments', 'Technology', 'Software Engineering', 'Software Development', 'Stripe'] |
Was Desegregation A Blessing Or A Curse? | America Hates Desegregation
I have been thinking a lot lately about why it’s so hard to undo what’s been done in America, and one of my most thought-provoking followers, Mia George, said something profound which caused me to think about the many ways White Supremacy has destroyed Black and Brown lives all over the world.
White supremacy is an overarching, global sociopolitical variety of fascism meant to redistribute resources from a wide variety of POC’s to Europeans, and in particular from Black people to Europeans. It worked through its disregard for basic morality.
Mia made an excellent point about White Supremacy, which is undeniable. Colonialism, the father of American White Supremacy, has extracted and continues to extract untold wealth and resources from Black people and people of color (POC), redistributing them to Europeans and Whites. Even when viewing America as a Black woman, I can see how White Supremacy has extracted wealth and resources from Black and Brown communities to sustain White ones. Look no further than our political system and the biggest beneficiaries of the results as proof. The folks who complain the most gain the most — and those folks are White people.
Black and Brown folks pay heavy prices for demanding and pursuing equality, fairness, and justice. Our pursuit of happiness often leaves us unhappy and disillusioned.
When I think of the long-term impact of integration and desegregation, I can see the same hallmark footprints colonialism and White Supremacy. White people have gained much more from integration and forced desegregation. And while there may be an entire generation of folks who may disagree with because they have yet to feel or see the impact of American integration, I dare say people over the age of 35 who haven’t sold their souls to the devil
Black and Brown people have aided in wealth-redistribution when we engage in desegregation and integration. Without understanding the long-term impact of what we were doing, by Black and Brown people buying into the illusion of inclusion (i.e. seeking education, housing, communities to be with/compete with Whites, engaging in capitalistic financial practices, relinquishing our cultural norms, etc.), we’ve aided in redistributing our resources (i.e. time, taxes, talents, money, cultures) to help make life better for White folks.
How many of us have left our own communities in pursuit of “good” schools, “good” communities, and “good” lives, only to turnaround and belittle the very places we come from because they haven’t grown, flourished, or prospered the way White places and spaces have? I know I have. How many of us have been embarrassed by our own people because they aren’t polished, educated, articulate — all the stuff required of minorities? These are the same people who paved the way for us to get where we are today.
I had to look in the mirror. How can I complain about my people and my communities not having when all my family had ever taught me is to pursue a “good” life? A good life requires I help build up white supremacy as I leave my culture and community behind. Having a good anything requires I attach myself to whiteness.
To me, desegregation has worked a lot like slavery in requiring we all adopt anti-Blackness in exchange for a little upward mobility that we perceive as a wonderful life. While we can become a little upwardly mobile, there is only so much we can achieve.
Mia made another brilliant point about how America’s enslavement of people is like no other globally. The Trans-Atlantic slave trade has affected nearly everything on the globe. Mia briefly, yet concisely explains the differences between all other slavery, the impact of the nefarious Transatlantic slave trade:
“The TransAtlantic Slave Trade is NOT the ‘same as all other slavery’; it was GLOBAL and it REQUIRES ANTI-BLACKNESS. It requires anti-Blackness at its core to exist. POCs of all kinds — definitely nonBlack ones, which is my category — DO participate in white supremacy by attaching themselves to whiteness.’”
Thinking back on my experiences with integrating and desegregating white spaces, I have found no joy in them, nor can I point to any long-lasting fruit for me in doing so. If I’m truthful, I can look back and say we’ve collectively gained a little, lost a lot. I realize my ancestors fought for equality and they meant well, but I really think they underestimated the power and passion of white supremacy. I’m sure others recounting their experiences being a part of the first generation to integrate America post the five hot-minutes of the Reconstruction Era if they are honest will reveal similar feelings.
Assimilating, desegregating, and integrating has made little progress over the past 56-years or 154-years depending on how far back you go in holding America’s racist, inequitable ass accountable. I’m weighing whether desegregation and integration are blessings or curses for Black people.
A Desegregated Public Education Hasn’t Helped Us Much
America’s public education and private education made us a nation of ignorant folks. I think after seeing how many people don’t know basic American history, many of us can attest to this. We hardly know anything except how to pass a stupid standardized test (just barely). Most of us couldn’t tell anyone our own national history, let alone the history on another continent and how it’s connected to America. But a desegregated education is not as good as it may sound.
White people created testing, proficiency, and standardization as a method to keep Blacks from receiving an equal education. The origins of standardized testing are racist. White people didn’t need to be tested until we entered their school systems. Testing is a way to keep things unequal and a way for White people to continuing claiming they are smarter than us.
Since America freed Blacks from slavery we’ve behind, and we’re still behind to this very day.
White supremacy has also ensured White folks in power controlled what we learned. If 2020 has shown us anything, it’s shown us we don’t know shit about anything except White people’s shit. We learn about all the wars created (and not ended) designed and started by White people, the glorious founding fathers, the Confederacy (some of you know about it and it wasn’t even your battle), patriotism, the National Anthem, and many things deemed important to White culture, white history, and white supremacy.
Anything useful has been phased out of public education if America doesn’t care whether our children learn to survive.
In public education, American children spend very little time on African-American and slave history, Native American history and culture, Mexican-history, Caribbean history and culture, Jewish history and culture, immigration policies, and so forth. Rarely are we taught America is a nation of immigrants, stolen by pirates, founded by tax evaders, and has been sustained by some form of slavery since its founding. White people have made sure we’ve spent our entire lives learning about them, modeling our lives after theirs, and learning to chase what they like to chase we hardly know anything about ourselves.
Thankfully, my father was a strong, proud Black man who believed in Black liberation, Black community-building, and self-sufficiency, so he made sure we had book and encyclopedias written by Black folks to accompany the White hand-me-down books we got in our predominantly Black schools.
The last three years have been truly eye-opening on how many of us grew up here and know less about ourselves than immigrants educated outside of America.
Our fight to get a “good” education has backfired on us, mostly. We fought to have some of that “good” education white folks received, and where has that landed us? Is the education we received since Brown vs the Board of Education superb/better? It didn’t improve our standing financially the social order. Blacks are more educated than ever, yet as poor as we were before desegregation if not poorer despite having fewer children per household as we did back in the old days. We Black folk get educated to buy stuff, not understanding how we are engaging in our own bondage to capitalism because living good has a certain look that we must live up to. A part of white supremacy’s education program is learning to consume and give away our hard-earned money by trying to buy our way into Whiteness and goodness.
Integration + More education + More stuff = White blessings, streets paved of gold, better treatment, a wonderful life, respect, and more money.
It rarely works out that way for us.
Black folks did not understand embarking on our desegregation journey for more access to public education would mean we wouldn’t be better off. Had the ancestors known life would be like this for us, I’m sure they would have stayed segregated and safe, as much as they could, anyway. Black people completely underestimated the power of white supremacy in the short and long term. Today we are paying for it.
White supremacy stops the upward mobility of Blacks dead in its tracks anytime it wants to and often recruits Blacks and people of color (POC) to help them achieve their goals. White people often require allegiance and disassociation (assimilation) in order to get into the club. Blacks and people of color will integrate and then either eat our own, block our own, or compete against each other. White supremacy wins.
They stay strong and together; we stay divided, poorer and weaker. White supremacy works as it’s intended.
Black folks will borrow money we don’t have to get an education that will never pay for itself, which translates into less transferred of wealth. That defeats the entire purpose of going to college in the first place, but most of us never think of it that way. We’re taught paying for a bloody education we can’t afford is a part of the American dream. We know education is our ticket to a better life, we just never know how we will pay for if a degree translates into success, because education is no match for structural racism.
We have school-to-prison pipelines thanks to racist school district policies and racist, intolerant White school teachers who love disrespect but hate being disrespected. We have racist policies that close our schools despite America’s history of underfunding them. We have few Black teachers and teachers of color because White people doing the hiring think of their own livelihoods and professions instead of who their student populations may learn from best.
Studies have shown Black children and children of color learn better from their own because their own people can connect with them in ways that White teachers cannot and will not most times.
Everything about public education is inequitable, inside and out, from the top to the bottom. Desegregation in the classrooms hasn’t helped us much, because the gatekeepers for white supremacy ensure things remain inequitable. White people love blaming us for our own under-achievement when in reality they are the primary reason Black people fail.
When Black folks say the system is rigged, we mean it.
Integration Has Not Been Much Of A Friend Either
If there is one thing White people have perfected, it’s fleeing integration. On the flip-side, if there is one thing Black people have perfected, it’s chasing White people down to integrate their sacred White spaces (lol). Guilty as charged occasionally.
We have been able to integrate a lot of areas, communities, career fields, and spaces, but only a few of those coveted, high-paying jobs. White folks hold those close to the vest for their own, like Fort Knox. While there are many communities and organizations that have refused to integrate since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, many have — or at least they like to give the appearance of having done so.
For example, we move into White communities when we “make it.”
Being the first one of anything not White or White-passing is usually a problem. I’ve been the token Black and first Black on my street and let me tell you, it’s no fun. They let you know without saying a word you’re an anomaly and that they aren’t used to any of your kind being around. The other crazy thing is that if too many Black people and people of color move into lower and upper-middle-class communities, White people will start moving out.
We catch and lose White people as much as a hunting dog runs and loses ducks. And after all that chasing, trying to befriend, rejection, and moving again, what do we really gain from it? Not much. Living among White people didn’t really accomplish what we hoped it would. Many of us are coming to the sad conclusion midway through our adult lives that we can never satisfy white supremacy.
We’re never enough. We’ve been their tokens, projects, and pawns. We’re chasing an unattainable and unachievable goal. We are literally making ourselves and our children physically, mentally, and emotionally unwell trying to pursue white happiness, white trappings, and white lives.
For example, we Black and Brown folks move to the suburbs with our kids so they can attend better schools. Our kids suffer because there is little culture or culture representative of their culture. Black folks used to get an entire month of the same old tired Black History Month education. Most schools today don’t even address the other various cultures and ethnicities of staff and students in their schools, which reaffirms whiteness is the thing we should all aspire to. It forces Black and other minority kids to assimilate and like it. Non-White folks are strongly encouraged to ignore our own cultures the first day we enter public schools.
Minority kids often lack the Black and or Brown friends and other supports they need to withstand all the racism that’s hurled at them at school. Most White folks raise racist White little kids who go to school and show exactly what they are learning and living in their homes. White folks do not understand how much racist propaganda their kids consume alone in their rooms on their computers, cell phones, from friends, or even from them.
White parents also don’t realize how much they reinforce white supremacy by residing and revolving in lily-white spaces. Without saying one word, many white parents reinforce in their children playing with Black and Brown children is bad. Living with them is bad. Shopping with them is bad. Being entertained with them is bad. For many White households, the model to their children only white children can be considered friends because those are the only children their parents arrange for them to play with. White folks teach their children minorities are inferior early on, and they carry their parents’ bags their entire lives. Guess where they practice what they are taught in their homes? The school.
When it comes to the quality of life issues, “good” anything coded White people speak. White people are always on the prowl for their coveted “good.” Sadly, Black and Brown people have picked up white people speak and use it to exclude themselves from their own and discriminate.
Black kids often suffer racism and rejection in all-white settings, causing many to suffer from depression and anxiety. Integration exposes our children to health-related issues caused by racism at a very early age. As most of us know, Black children and Black people will suffer from racism the most. The long-term impact of chasing whiteness is devastating to our health.
Let’s not talk about the ingrained racism and prejudice that comes with integration. Black and minority families integrating, if not done properly, often end up raising racist and/or prejudiced kids. Kids often raised in White settings forsake their own ethnicity and identities to assimilate to Whiteness. With that comes looking down on your own folks. I can’t tell you how many young Black people I eat alive for enjoying certain aspects of their own cultures but disliking their own people. Like White people, many Blacks and people of color have learned to cherry-pick parts of their own and other cultures (i.e. sports, music, and fashion) to enjoy the fun and tasty parts and belittling the rest.
I’ve seen it with my own kids in high school, but life was the best teacher of what that gets you.
With integration often comes self-loathing and comparing Black people against other Blacks and people of color to see who is the best whitewashed Black or Brown person for White people. Integration makes us compare us to ourselves to prove we are better or superior to others in our group, even though none of us are White. And when White people want to let us know our place is not with them, they’ll quickly let us know (i.e. Wuhan Virus, All Lives Matters, go back to your country, speak English, Shariah Law, crime tropes, sexual stereotypes, etc.).
White folks love us until they don’t. It’s crazy.
Integration has been terrible for the self-esteem of Black and Brown children and their parents. Most of us always walk away feeling less than or never enough. I had similar experiences with my children. We still discuss the injuries caused by integration and White supremacy to this day. Navigating racist White peers, racist White teachers, a racist education system, and racist, covertly segregated communities is a full-time, never-ending job. And when our kids become adults, we have to train them on how to work and live in a pseudo-integrated nation. A good Black or Brown momma’s work is never done.
Integration Destroys Land and Communities
White people have turned so much of America into deserted strip malls because they are always stretching out trying to get away from us. Creating “good” suburbs is one of White folks’ favorite things to do, and even the racist president knows it as he cried out to them last week about their beloved suburbs in white people speak. White people work hard trying to stay White, though they’ll never admit it.
They will say they are running away from crime (always code for Black people), but very few White folks have ever been exposed to any crime perpetrated by people of color because they choose not to live where people of color live have seen no, and because most people who commit crimes do so among their own folks in their own communities. It’s easier to do a crime where you live.
Even with the data telling White people they don’t have to fear us, they fear us anyway. And even though we know better, we follow them up. Now tell me who is the bigger fool?
Everywhere White people have been, Black people have felt the need to be there. The reasons for integrating for us vary. For many people born in my generation (the early 1970s) and beyond, we pursued the “good” places to live so our kids could have a “good” education. Good was a lie. Good in this case is definitely subjective.
When I think about integration, I have seen no upward movement socially, economically, or financially for Black folks that make it worth our while. White folks have proven time and time again they aren’t interested in being fair, making desegregation a failure.
In fact, I’d say there has been retribution against us since 1964 for forcing integration and desegregation. Integration has not been very kind to Black folks. If it had, we wouldn’t still be saying “the first” [fill in the non-White ethnicity/racial group here]. Collectively integration hasn’t been that great for any minority group in America. White supremacy makes sure we know we don’t belong.
DeSegregation Caused Major Rifts Betweens Blacks and POC
Since integration and desegregation occurred, America has had an influx of Black and Brown folks who have to into the country for a variety of reasons. These folks can now work in positions they once weren’t allowed to because of the color of their skin. Thanks to the Civil Rights At of 1866, any Black or Brown people coming here after slavery had rights. Since that time, Black and Brown folks all over the world have come to America to chase that stupid dream White folks have sold us. The past 12-years have shown us how much of a lie America really is. The more things about America change, the more they stay the same.
Attaining the American dream for Black and Brown folks has caused a rift between nearly all Black and Brown groups falling under the people of color (POC) category because of white supremacy, racism, and colorism. White supremacy has taught people of color to dislike and even disrespect Black people because we hold America accountable and because we refuse to fall into white supremacy’s old trickery (as best we can anyway). Other immigrant and POC groups dealing with colorism and racism issues from their own country thanks to colonialism and the slave trade import their racism and anti-Black sentiments to the states with them.
Desegregation led to Black and Brown folks competing for that coveted white gaze. Instead of working together to defeat white supremacy, people of color come to America and join white supremacy is discriminating, redlining, anti-Blackness, employment discrimination, healthcare discrimination, emotional abuse, commit physical violence against Blacks, and they often perpetuate the same racist tropes and stereotypes white folks perpetuate. Black folks retaliate.
Blacks and people of color are in one big domestic violence relationship abusing each other. Native Americans are primary victims, Blacks are secondary victims, and immigrant POC groups are tertiary victims of violence. Instead of POC acting like they are victims, they often act as perpetrators of abuse. We need to recognize what’s happened to us and work on healing.
Desegregation and integration require assimilation which then leads to conflict between Blacks and people of color. We all have adopted some white supremacy’s superiority complex in our efforts to achieve equality. Before there can be any substantive change in America, we Black and Brown folks really need to detangle ourselves from white supremacy. We need to understand that white supremacy requires we submit to it in order to be rewarded with a little money and a lifetime of supply of side effects.
In Closing
As I reflect on my personal experiences with integration and desegregation, I really have nothing good to say about it. I was able to get an education, but I have spent more time on my own learning about what I didn’t get in my K-12 education. I have worked in higher education, so I have seen the unfairness and inequity in it from top to bottom. I have integrated a neighborhood, and I’ve experienced the displeasures of that. I have been the only in many places, and while I am accustomed to it, the sadness of how few Blacks and minorities there are in so many white spaces does not escape me.
My required assimilation and my personal de-assimilation efforts haven’t escaped me. Code-switching reminds me of the mental gymnastics I go through in my life to exist and to survive. Outside of entertainment, there is hardly a place in America that doesn’t require or demand code-switching. It’s a consolation prize for desegregation and integration. If you want to be with White folks, the first rule is you must learn to be more like them. It just makes life easier.
Truth be told (for those willing to be honest), Desegregation and integration don’t result in more equality and more inclusion. Desegregation and integration have done just the opposite. Both have rewarded America with more inequality and more segregation.
The more we Black folks chase, the more White people flee. The more equality we achieve, the more inequality they create. The policies we get to legislate their hate, the more they hate. The more we attempt to vote our co-interests, the more they assert their white ones. The more educated we become, the more they resent it. The more we see them for who they are and prioritize us, the more they require us to assume more of them — with threats of taking away our means to survive.
Black people are very much like the jilted lovers of White people. We beg, plea, show up unannounced with our educated, right-kinda income asses in White communities and in white-centered extra-curricular activities just to be spurned by the very people we’re trying to cozy up with.
When I evaluate nice and good relative to American life and equality, I’m always forced to think about what I must sacrifice for it, and what/who I must leave behind to acquire it. I find myself never really satisfied, always empty, constantly yearning for what is mines. My Black stuff. My Black self. My food, my language, my style, my people. I think most Black people and people of color have similar experiences unless they grew up completely absent from their own ethnic culture.
The older I get, the harder it gets for me to see the blessing in mingling with people who aren’t interested in being with you, fighting against a system and a nation that wasn’t built for you, trying to convince White people that sharing really is about caring, and constantly working our asses off to convince even people of color of what Blackness is not.
It’s very hard to see the blessings in desegregation as Black woman, mother, former-wife, sister, and daughter. The scars from the necessary evil of desegregation will last us a lifetime. Although most times it feels like the curses outweigh the blessings, I’ll never stop trying to make America share what it stole from us, because sharing is caring, and America hasn’t learned how to show it cares for Black people yet.
I’m not sure she ever will.
America seems incapable of loving anyone except White people, and even her love for them appears to be fading fast.
Marley K in Quarantine 2020 | https://medium.com/marleyisms/was-desegregation-a-blessing-or-a-curse-1e22374b4137 | ['Marley K.'] | 2020-07-22 03:00:08.590000+00:00 | ['Life Lessons', 'Education', 'Desegregation', 'Equality', 'Race'] |
Elliot Page’s Vulnerability Is a Gift to the Trans, Nonbinary Community | Elliot Page’s Vulnerability Is a Gift to the Trans, Nonbinary Community
He’s come out before. But this time is different.
Elliot Page in Toronto on Sept. 7, 2019. Rich Polk/Getty Images
By Melissa Kaplan
When Elliot Page came out as transgender on Tuesday, his statement on social media was lucid about the consequences.
“My joy is real, but it is also fragile,” he wrote. “The truth is, despite feeling profoundly happy right now and knowing how much privilege I carry, I am also scared. I’m scared of the invasiveness, the hate, the ‘jokes’ and of violence.” Page asked fans for “patience,” saying that he plans to “offer whatever support I can” to the larger trans and nonbinary community while he strives to “fully embrace” who he is. His pronouns going forward are he/they.
The critically acclaimed actor, perhaps best known for his performances in Juno, the X-Men franchise, and more recently Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy, is by now a well-recognized figure for LGBTQ advocacy and representation. Since his coming out as gay in 2014, he’s been outspoken about his journey, in public and on social media. He’s also traveled the world exploring pockets of queer culture with his best friend, Ian Daniel, in the Vice video series Gaycation — a gig that often brought out an endearing streak of introspection and vulnerability.
Indeed, Page’s vulnerability is a defining feature of his activism and was on full display during his appearance on Marc Maron’s podcast, WTF, just this past August. Maron asked Page about growing up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and about his trauma and experiences coming out in Hollywood. There were long pauses as Page searched for just the right words to convey himself honestly. You could feel him putting real work into his answers.
“It gives me such immense privilege and opportunity,” Page said of his career, “and so you also feel like, ‘Should I be talking about my pain?’ You feel like you can’t. Even now, I still have a hard time talking about that period [of coming out as gay], to be honest. So my experience … it’s hard to know what to say.”
For someone whose identity has been subject to intense public scrutiny for six years, it surprised me to hear a tangible timidity in Page’s answers. I knew he was deeply passionate about queer issues and knowing that he had been an activist for so long, I was drawn to the mystery of his noticeably measured responses. He was still struggling. Part of me wondered if he had more to say.
Maron’s interview now feels like foreshadowing, and the honesty of Tuesday’s announcement will no doubt continue to inspire many — myself included. While I haven’t followed Page for long, I recently pandemic-devoured both seasons of Umbrella Academy and found his performance really appealing. If I were to try to gather my words the same way he did on Maron’s podcast, I would say I think I saw something reflected on screen that made me feel safe following his character. Perhaps it was because I’m still relatively new to being out as nonbinary, and something about his presentation and the way he carried himself resonated.
I can also relate to his joy, and his fear. Coming out nonbinary was not the same experience for me as coming out as gay, something I did at some point between the Ellen sitcom and the ascendance of social media. It’s been harder. I’ve borrowed from the language of that first coming out to convey my current experiences in whatever small ways I can to those outside my immediate community. But beyond the camaraderie of my group, I still feel like the words fail me, or others are still not quite ready to receive them.
For those like myself without Page’s privilege, his courage in this moment is a gift. We’re in an awkward evolutionary phase of trans and nonbinary media visibility, and Page is honest about the duality of having protection in his celebrity status and the difficulties he still faces. And while he’s had to come out before, this is challenging in a completely different way, and he’s still allowing himself to be vulnerable about the process. That’s really hard. But he’s doing it right.
In a Guardian piece from 2019, friend Ian Daniels said, “I think [Page] sees that the world needs to see more mainstream representations of the multitude of ways we really are.” Page’s statement echoes this crucial idea, inviting all of us on a journey of honest self-discovery and declaration: “The more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows and the more I thrive.” | https://medium.com/slate/elliot-pages-vulnerability-is-a-gift-to-the-trans-nonbinary-community-18edc378137e | [] | 2020-12-02 22:23:19.047000+00:00 | ['Gender Identity', 'LGBTQ', 'Transgender', 'Gender Equality', 'Elliot Page'] |
How I fell in love with American wine | When I first arrived in the USA in 2009 I was in my early twenties and ill-prepared to jump into an MBA program that would shape my life in more ways than I could imagine. My taste and love for wine were still in their infancy, but I had a fun memory of recalling my first ever tasting note at a winery just a couple of years before that. I knew that I liked wine and I knew that I really enjoyed red wine, but beyond Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec I was clueless to the world that was out there, especially in a country that I would eventually call my home.
Steven Spurrier brought American wine to the world, I want to bring American wines to America!
My wine journey is one that would take a while to seed before finally exploding into a passion that I feel I can never put down. Or if I do put anything down, it would be to age it for a good twenty years before I enjoy it. An investment in future pleasures if you will. But that was not something I knew about when I was 21 or 22 years old. I knew that I enjoyed robust red wines, with full bodies, and was not too keen on lighter wines. That would change, but it was something that I could identify early on and therefore hold on to. I had grown up and lived in a few countries with a rich history in wine including Spain, South Africa, and Hungary so I had learned from a young age that wine could be something special even if I never tried it (or maybe I did, I’m just not going to admit to any underage tasting in this blog haha). One of my favorite things to do as a kid was going with my parents to wineries, visit them and take in just how incredible these places were. Eventually, tasting wines became like a cherry on top of an already delicious Sunday. But for some reason, I never put too much stock into it. It was something nice to do on holiday and nothing more.
Where it all began, in Napa of course
I would eventually finish my MBA, fall in love with an incredible woman (which sadly did not last), and visit Napa with her. We spent just a day in Napa and visited one winery in our California road trip but to this day I think of it as my greatest highlight.
We visited Trefethen, hardly a small winery but still a favorite of mine. We tasted a few wines that to this day are amongst my favorites and most memorable. My interest in wine would grow steadily but it was not until two years later that I had a sudden realization that working in market research was not for me. What I really loved was drinking wine! I loved how wine could both secure and spark a memory, and how different wines just somehow suited a situation or a mood better. If I was feeling bright and happy then a Rosé was key, but if I was in a brooding sort of mood then a deep and dark Syrah was more my thing.
I launched a website to record my journey as a burgeoning wine geek slowly learning new things. In this journey, I got to meet and speak to a number of different winemakers including Andre Heuston Mack, Barnaby Tuttle of the Teutonic Wine Company, and Martha Freaking Stoumen! All of whom are incredible, legendary people who make delicious wines. It seemed so easy for them.
And yet every story was different, every approach was unique even though their passion was rooted in the same thing, a deep passion for wine and sharing it. I know I had to do more and got a job as a grunt working the floor at Brix Wine Shop in Boston and later at The Uran Grape. I got to meet so many winemakers from around the world but the people who impressed me the most were the American winemakers who saw things a little differently and had a certain light in their eyes. They love doing what they do and feel a great sense of freedom in doing it. Every story, every wine was unique. It showed so much more diversity than anything I had come to know.
This is when I realized I wanted to do a reverse, Steven Spurrier. Where Steven Spurrier brought American wine to the world, I wanted to bring American wine to America.
Selling wine, naturally
At the shop, I learned to connect with people through wine in ways I never thought possible. Every experience and interaction with a person was different. It should come as no surprise that different people have different tastes and they want to be heard. What I learned was that wine is never singular, and different people will like the same wine for different reasons. Something I feel the wine industry is not fully aware of today.
Everything felt like you had to know wine to know how to sell it, but the truth is nobody gives a damn about the origin story of a grape. What people want to know is how that wine is going to make them feel (besides buzzed or drunk). They want to know if they are going to enjoy this wine for the moment, for the context. Is this wine going to help them get over a breakup? Is this wine going to go well with Pizza? Is this wine going to impress their inlaws? Those were probably the most common questions I got.
The sign of a great salesperson is when people come back. Not only were people coming back to my stores but they were making a point to talk to me about my recommendations. Not because of my taste, but my passion. I was never going to sell anybody a bad wine, but I was going to show them the wines I was excited about. I wanted to make sure they had a great time with that bottle. One time I even held a bottle up in the window as a regular visitor walked past to show them we had a new vintage of their favorite wine. Naturally, they came right in and bought three bottles. You’re very welcome Laurie!
If there was ever a hook that really got people to try something new it was telling them the story of the winemaker. At the time I started the foundations of my wine career I was more enthralled by the stories of a lot of American wineries who were breaking rules, trying new things, and driving the natural wine movement in America. I tried to bring that joy for natural wine into my work, but remind myself that balance is necessary. It's great to share your passion, but you have to remember that other people have their values and preferences too.
There was always going to be a lot of buzz around European wines. Bourdeaux, Burgundy, and just about every part of Italy are fun and exciting. That's before we get to Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Georgia, and even England. And yet I often say that when we spoke about American wine it was all about buttery Chardonnay, $20 Sauvignon Blanc, and Napa Cabernet. I wanted people to know that there was so much more to American wine out there. So I went ahead and started buying it for myself from the wineries online. I wanted my bosses to know, I wanted people to know, and I wanted to show the full picture of these wines that I was falling in love with.
Yes I’m telling you American wine is better
I used to hear this all the time, American wine just is not as good as European wine. What the hell are these people talking about? I am not going to argue that it is better or worse than European wine, but American wine today is better than it has ever been. What I learned very quickly is that there is so much variety in the United States not just in terms of grape varietals but also style.
If you want to talk about grape varietals the United States has a lot to offer. The classics of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir to name but a few all have excellent examples coming from the United States. When we think of American wine we think of these wines, and very few people would argue that they are inferior to Burgundy. What I love the most about these wines is that they have found homes in the United States, and in very different parts. When you think of Cabernet Sauvignon you think of California and Napa being gigantic wines that are the symbol of American opulence, but we should not forget the more subtle examples of Washington. Oregon and Sonoma are becoming the most exciting regions for Pinot Noir. One could argue that in Oregon the influx of Burgundian winemakers looking to play and experiment in the region is all you need to confirm the region’s potential if you still do not believe it. Arguably both Oregon and Sonoma could have some Grand Cru level vineyards producing the best wines in the world.
California is unique in that it has such a long history with wine and yet it is constantly evolving. Immigrants brought the wines they knew, which is why you see so many grapes with so many different origins. French, Italian, Spanish, and even South African varietals are all planted there be they massive tracts of land or even a small parcel in one vineyard. Trends have seen vines come and go, and people are always looking for the perfect spot to plant the vines they love. Inspiration goes a long way in the United States, especially in California. One only needs to look at a winery like Ascension Cellars who are very much inspired by luscious Rhone varietals, and yet their signature wine blends lots of Syrah with plenty of Cabernet Sauvignon. It is one example that shows how American wineries are inspired but not held back by what has come before them.
It's all about style
Too many times we think of American wines as being singular, having to check a bunch of boxes to be appreciated by wine aficionados. This does 99% of American wines a great disservice. We expect an American Chardonnay to be loaded with oak and have notes of vanilla and butter, and we expect American red wines to be super full-bodied and fruit-forward. Where is the fun in that?
Meeting all these boutique wineries I discovered something that is the new calling card of American wine. It's all about the style! To understand the wines you cannot just say a Syrah from Napa is going to be 14% alcohol is going to be insanely rich, and taste like plums, you have to ask where the winemaker is coming from. You have to hear their story, their passion, and their approach. It's not all about being a natural winemaker either. Winemaking is a series of decisions and it's all about what the winemaker is trying to achieve. Sometimes that's natural and minimalist, other times it isn't. But at the end of the day, they are trying to make a wine that they want to share with their friends, that they are proud of, and they enjoy drinking themselves.
Social fairies
If wine is a social elixir then winemakers are the social butterflies and fairies who bring us together. They want you to be excited, to enjoy the wine. That is what made me gravitate towards American wine more than anything else. There is a little bit of unpredictability, but if you ask the questions of where a winemaker comes from, what inspires them, and what they love then you will taste that in the wine more so than anywhere else in the world. American winemakers are free to be themselves, and that's why I fell in love with American wines. That's why I promote them, sell them, and champion them in any way that I can. | https://medium.com/@thewrathofgrape/how-i-fell-in-love-with-american-wine-445f4a833d3 | ['The Wrath Of Grapes'] | 2021-06-20 05:15:38.980000+00:00 | ['American', 'Entrepreneurship', 'Wine', 'Natural Wine', 'Food And Drink'] |
Validations and Flash in Rails: the Basics | It should come as no surprise that Rails has a bunch of built in methods to help validate data before persisting in our database. Check out the ActiveRecord validation docs to see the full list of options for model-level validations.
For this blog post, we’ll set up a super simple validation in one of our models to check to make sure a user has entered a name when creating a record. We’ll then show how to display validation error messages to the user with flash .
As the phrase “model-level validations” suggests, the validation methods live in the model. Here we’re validating that each employee will be created with a name, and that each name is unique:
#app/models/employee.rb 1 class Employee < ApplicationRecord
2 validates :name, presence: true
3 validates :name, uniqueness: true
4 end
If we have a form in our new view page to create a new employee, this validation method won’t let the data be saved to the database without something unique entered in the name field. However, the validates method in the controller alone won’t tell our user anything. It won’t notify them that their employee was not created, nor will it tell them the reason why.
For that, enter flash ! From the docs:
…flash provides a way to pass temporary primitive-types (String, Array, Hash) between actions. Anything you place in the flash will be exposed to the very next action and then cleared out. This is a great way of doing notices and alerts…
There are a lot of different ways to use flash . For the validation example, we’ll call and set the flash method in our Employee controller’s new action, and then in our new view, we’ll confirm if flash has sent anything and if yes display the message(s) to our user.
In the controller:
#app/controllers/employee_controller.rb 1 def create
2 @employee = Employee.new(employee_params)
3 if @employee.valid?
4 @employee.save
5 redirect_to employee_path(@employee)
6 else
7 flash.now[:messages] = @employee.errors.full_messages[0]
8 render :new
9 end
10 end
If the new instance of the employee we’ve instantiated is valid, great! It’ll get saved to the database. (We could use flash to notify the user that it was successfully created if we wanted.)
However, if any of our validations fail, they will generate error messages that we can then show to our users through flash .
We’ll call the errors and full_messages methods on the instance of the model that we’re trying to create. full_messages returns all the built-in default error messages for each standard validation in an array so we have a couple of options of how to display them to the user.
I like to show the user each message one at a time, so I’ve been assigning the value of flash to the 0 index of the errors.full_messages array. Once the user fixes the error, it won’t appear in the array and flash would then move onto the next error if there are more than one.
In the new view, before the form is rendered, it’ll check to see if flash exists, and if yes, it will display the first error message to the user for the length of one request:
#app/views/employees/new.html.erb 1 <% if flash[:messages] %>
2 <h2><%= flash[:messages] %></h2>
3 <% end %>
You could also leave the [0] off the flash messages that you pass to the view, and choose to iterate over each message in the array in the view and show them all at once.
1 <% if flash[:messages] %>
2 <% flash[:messages].each do |message| %>
3 <h2><%= message%></h2> <br>
4 <% end %>
5 <% end %>
With flash , once the page is reloaded, or another request is made, the message will disappear.
You can create custom error messages AND custom validations. See the docs for instructions. | https://medium.com/@traciemasek/validations-and-flash-in-rails-the-basics-1f2af5b2e61c | ['Tracie Masek'] | 2019-09-04 22:53:20.002000+00:00 | ['Validation', 'Ruby on Rails', 'Beginner', 'Bootcamp'] |
A 20-Year-Old GOP Strategy Drew the Road Map for Trump’s Attempted Coup | In 2000 in Florida, minority votes were systematically suppressed, in part through the use of a so-called felon list that kept tens of thousands of Black voters from casting a ballot because of past criminal convictions but also included an estimated 20,000 wrongly included names. In Florida, typically more than 85% of Black voters vote Democratic in presidential elections (it was 89% this year). More than 50% of the names on the felon list were Black.
And while this year, Republican secretaries of state are by and large standing up to Trump, even in the face of death threats, in 2000, Florida’s secretary of state, Katherine Harris, put her thumb on the scale for Bush. She and her staff attempted to short-circuit vote recounts requested by the Gore campaign in largely Democratic counties.
Republican partisans didn’t chant “Stop the Steal” that year, but they did pioneer the use of aggressive tactics to influence the election outcome after the fact. In Miami-Dade County, they staged a protest that bullied the local canvassing board into stopping a manual recount of votes in what became known as the “Brooks Brothers riot.”
In fact, the Bush team marshaled often contradictory arguments with the only organizing principle that it helped their candidate win — just like Trump forces have spent the past month doing, though far less effectively.
Harris, with the urging of Bush’s team, sought to dissuade local canvassing boards from doing a manual recount of votes in Democratic counties by citing a narrow interpretation of Florida’s election rules. At the same time, Bush’s legal team was fighting to ensure that overseas military ballots, which leaned Republican, were counted even if they didn’t adhere to the state’s electoral laws.
In 2020, Democrats openly fretted about the possibility that Republican state legislators in key battleground states would ignore vote tallies and award their state’s electoral votes to Trump.
In 2000, what may have stopped this from happening was not a fealty to the will of the voters but rather the fact that it wasn’t necessary. After the liberal-leaning Florida Supreme Court ordered a full recount in three Democratic-leaning counties, James Baker, the former secretary of state who spearheaded the Bush effort in Florida, publicly stated that “one should not be surprised if the Florida legislature seeks to affirm the original rules” that had given Bush his narrow vote lead. It was an open invitation to the state’s Republican-controlled House and Senate to ignore the final vote count if it favored Gore and hand the state and the presidency to Bush.
Finally, Trump’s oft-stated hope that the Supreme Court would award him the presidency did not come out of left field. It came out of Florida.
In 2000, the Court reversed a Florida Supreme Court ruling that called for a broad recount of all so-called undervotes in the state — 60,000 votes that for a variety of reasons had been discarded (because it had been too difficult to interpret them or there had not been enough time to determine voter intent).
In a 5–4 vote, the Court’s conservative bloc, relying on the Constitution’s equal protection clause, used the dubious argument that since there wasn’t a uniform standard for determining voting intent when counting undervotes, it would disadvantage some voters. Never mind that each Florida county already had its own procedures and standards for counting votes or that the Court failed to identify any victims of this supposed violation, which is a crucial aspect of the legal interpretation of the Equal Protection Clause.
Even more remarkable is that in a Supreme Court decision a week earlier, the Court had rejected an equal protection argument raised by the Bush lawyers. The conservative bloc, it seemed, had already made up their minds and was merely looking for an excuse to justify their decision.
As outrageous as the final Bush v. Gore decision was, the writing had been on the wall. Three days earlier, the Court granted the Bush campaign’s request for a stay in the voting in Florida. In case there was any question about the implicit message being sent by the decision, Justice Antonin Scalia, in a brief concurring opinion, ended the mystery. He suggested that to allow the vote to go on would “threaten irreparable harm to [Bush] and to the country, by casting a cloud upon what he claims to be the legitimacy of his election” if the recount found that Gore actually had the most votes in Florida. The implication was clear: that the conservative justices were more concerned about Bush’s “legitimacy” than the legal case they were being asked to decide.
After the Court’s stay made it was hard to imagine any scenario under which it would allow Florida to continue the count and give Gore the victory. On December 12, the decision in Bush v. Gore confirmed that assumption.
Yet, it’s what came afterward that is perhaps Bush v. Gore’s most benighted legacy.
After the divisive recount drama, many pundits assumed that Bush would strive to bridge the nation’s divide and reach across the aisle to Democrats.
Writing for the Brookings Institution, Thomas Mann said that Bush’s narrow victory, when combined with his loss of the popular vote and his reliance on the “judicial activism” of the high court, created “the most inauspicious of circumstances” for his presidency.
In the New York Times, R.W Apple, then the dean of the Washington political press corps wrote, “With Congress narrowly divided and his own mandate all but invisible, Mr. Bush will need to foster the kind of bipartisan cooperation he promised during his campaign.”
Considering that in 2000, Bush had embraced the mantle of “compassionate conservatism” in direct contrast to the hard-edged conservatism of Newt Gingrich and his band of House Republicans, such a notion hardly seemed far-fetched.
But Bush governed with the same ruthless, win-at-all-costs strategy that his campaign team used during the Florida recount. Before the terrorist attacks of 9/11, he rammed through a massive tax cut and pulled the United States out of international agreements supported by his predecessor, Bill Clinton.
After 9/11 Bush’s efforts to unite the country were primarily focused on building support for the invasion of Iraq — and occasionally questioning the patriotism of those who opposed it. His chief aide, Karl Rove, would infamously slander Democrats by suggesting that after the 9/11 assaults, they “offer(ed) therapy and understanding for our attackers” while Republicans “prepared for war.”
In 2004, Bush would narrowly win reelection: His tainted victory four years earlier had long been forgotten by Republican voters and the media at large.
In the words of Tom Schaller, a professor of political science at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Bush’s victory in 2000 and his first term were the “first application of Gingrich-style politics to presidential politics.” This was “streetball politics” and one Schaller says that “cared little about elite opinion.”
In the years since, the “Gingrich-style” has come to define Republican politics up and down the ticket, whether it was the impugning of John Kerry’s patriotism by Bush’s allies in 2004 and the “lock her up” chants in 2016 or the mindless obstructionism of Senate Republicans for electoral benefit during the Obama years and their norm-busting blocking of a vacant Supreme Court seat in 2016. | https://gen.medium.com/a-20-year-old-gop-strategy-drew-the-road-map-for-trumps-attempted-coup-2e38260e5ff7 | ['Michael A. Cohen'] | 2020-12-11 17:26:35.759000+00:00 | ['Voting', 'Bush V Gore', 'Election 2020', 'Trump', 'Politics'] |
WTF is this? | I know many people are suffering from anxiety much more often right now — so am I.
As I feel my anxiety growing as I type, I decided to write to promote more inner digging.
There’s anxiety primarily because there are so many things that are happening at the same time that cause their own individual level of anxiety. I’ve picked up on new responsibilities that I was not mentally prepared for, like becoming a teacher to my 7 year old and my 3 year old.
As you know many are homeschooling their children now, and I had not realized how difficult this task is, I completely underestimated it.
The degree of difficulty that lies in being able to successfully teach concepts to children at this age, when all they want to do is play and their attention is strict as hell… it has to be incredibly fun/interesting for them to be captivated for more than 3 minutes.
Listening and paying attention (active listening) are very different, and for children to learn, they must actively listen and that’s the parents responsibility…that’s MY responsibility, my daily challenge. I must make teaching amusing enough for them to retain the information.
Also…
Besides the fact that there’s numerous websites advising on preventive measures and home remedies for Covid, there’s the same amount of websites that are sharing opposing information and this mixed information could very possibly be a big reason for the many deaths around the world and poverty.
I have no clue what’s the truth… you hear conspiracies about how this is all “Part of a big plan”- I don’t laugh at the idea… It could be, but again… we will never know and that’s frustrating on another level.
Why? Why can’t we know the truth? I feel completely lost and directionless because no matter what topic I try to read on, there’s also many others that will have compelling arguments against it.
So what’s true?
I feel unmotivated to write about anything other than my own personal thoughts and emotions because those seem the closest to true because they are mine, and I believe that some of it is still pure and not manipulated… but again! Is it? Are they my own? Or have I been slowly guided here?
I do wonder every now and then when the world will go back to normal, but only because I am tried of seeing the paranoia, the panic and ridiculous rules that make absolutely no sense sometimes.
I do want to say I am so sorry for the people that have passed away sooner than they had to due to this pandemic, and the people that have lost their jobs, their homes, their business… who is to blame? The Government? Or ourselves for depending on the Government and trusting they would have our backs? Am I crazy to be speaking this way? Is this mindset a result of a pandemic, watching too much news and a mundane routine? or are these the words of someone with common sense that’s just tired of not knowing and seeing unnecessary suffering?
I used to love learning — specifically about Psychology and Philosophy however… lately I have had no desire to use my brain for any type of thinking and this brings depression, because for some odd reason, my mind is not at rest knowing that I know nothing for certain and there’s nothing I can do about it.
So now that I’ve spilled the beans — what to do about it then?
All there is to do is to keep on living, taking small bites at life, chewing only what you can.
I do strongly believe that the Universe has laws and these laws are unbreakable and not man-made (thank goodness),that being said; I believe there is a time for everything… I will find clarity just not right now. | https://medium.com/@samanthazdrobac/wtf-is-this-4f0a11659b48 | ['Samantha Drobac'] | 2020-11-19 21:05:58.084000+00:00 | ['Psychology', 'Covid 19', 'Covid Diaries', 'Philosophy', 'Thoughts'] |
Feather jewelry — Modern and eye-catching | Higher demand all over the world for fun jewelry…
Make any of your looks more eye-catching by wearing a modern fashion accessory such as feather jewelry
In the modern world, women are more concerned about fashion accessories. The happiness of buying fashion accessories can be countless. Correspondingly, by adding a small piece of detailed fun jewelry to the outfit, you can transform your style easily.
Now and then, there can be occasions for us to attend. Therefore, adding a piece of fun jewelry to make the outfit look great will be appropriate for the event as well as how we look.
The customers in the industry had a major demand for traditional jewelry materials such as Gold and Silver. But now, there is a trend for jewelry made of other materials as well. This trend has pushed the best jewelry stores to have jewelry made of various materials to meet the high demand.
What is “Fancy Jewelry or fun Jewelry”?
The set of jewelry made of less costly martial but give more attraction are called Fancy Jewelry or fun jewelry. The Fancy Jewellery industry is built mostly from homemade jewelry suppliers. handmade earrings, homemade necklaces are the most popular items that women look for.
Common materials used for Fancy Jewellery
Natural feathers
Shell beads
Seeds and nuts
Wood
Coloured stones
Glass
Plastic
Clay etc are some of the common materials used.
Natural feathers are the most used material for fancy jewelry.
Did you say feathers jewelry?
Meaning: Feather Jewelry in Native American Culture. Feathers are of great significance to Native American tribes. They believe that feathers are gifts that fall from the sky and are a sacred connection. Feathers symbolize trust, honor, strength, wisdom, power, freedom, and more.
Feathers jewelry has variations of feather necklaces and feather earrings.
Peacock feather seems to be the best fit for natural feathers jewelry given the colorfulness it brings out and the natural beauty that brings to a woman by wearing those.
Most popular types
Peacock feather earrings and necklaces sets with peacock feather pendants are the products that have significant demand.
The uniqueness of Sri Lankan of Peacock feather Jewellery
In Sri Lanka, suppliers have unique creations in this segment. Beautiful Peacock feathers are readily available in most of the county sides in Sri Lanka where there is a significant Peacock population across the country.
People who are into manufacturing these Fancy jewelry are doing this for their passion and it consumes a lot of effort and time. The creative thinking and skills of the Sri Lankan people have made this industry very attractive to the rest of the world.
Handmade process of Peacock Feather Jewelry
Choosing peacock feathers with a similar look and trimming them while keeping the natural beauty is the biggest challenge here. Once this is done as per the requirement, Headpins, seed beads, pearl, hook, rings, wire, porcupine quill beads are used to get the final product complete. Usually, it takes one to two days to prepare a set of earrings.
Packaging
Suppliers are very careful with the packaging when it comes to delivery as those are made of natural feathers. Bubble wrapping is commonly used to wrap the feathers after which it is pasted to the box so that they won’t move.
Peacock feather Jewellery Industry in Sri Lanka
There are fewer options for international buyers to buy these products since there are limited online platforms listed these Fancy Jewelry.
This is where Leen Lifestyle comes within reach, and has taken steps to get these wonderful creations to the globe and has allowed international customers to buy these Sri Lankan handmade peacock feathers jewelry items.
You can also follow Leen Lifestyle Facebook page and Instagram page to get an instant update on these. | https://medium.com/@leenanalytics/feather-jewelry-modern-and-eye-catching-2a37e8566c92 | ['Leen Lifestyle'] | 2021-12-12 07:05:07.381000+00:00 | ['Jewelry', 'Fashion', 'Featherjewelry'] |
New Year’s Resolution: Don’t Lose Weight | I am fitness professional of over 17 years and I am begging you not to set a New Year’s Resolution to lose weight.
The short reason: You will make yourself miserable. You will make yourself less healthy. You will gain the weight back.
The long reason: The tradition of setting weight loss goals is rooted in diet culture. Diet culture is a system of beliefs that prioritize weight over well-being; it is the glorification of losing weight and pursuing thinness at all costs. It is also rooted in white supremacy and patriarchy, and has deep ties to capitalism.
Weight loss is difficult to maintain without habits that are ultimately damaging to your body and health. 95% of all diets fail, and 2/3s of people who lose weight on diets will end up regaining more than they lost. More than 1/3 of those who admit to normal dieting become pathological dieters, and this causes weight cycling (go on a diet, lose some weight, go off the diet, gain it back, lather rinse repeat forever). Pathological dieting is linked to heart disease, insulin resistance, higher blood pressure, inflammation, and, ironically, long-term weight gain. The Framingham Heart Study has shown that regardless of initial weight, people who weight cycle have twice the risk of dying from heart disease. The dieting itself causes stress on our bodies and leads to ill health.
If that isn’t unsettling enough, 35% of normal dieters progress into disordered eating and 25% develop an eating disorder. If those numbers feel unbelievable, note that 30 million people in the USA have an eating disorder. The culture of shame around our bodies keeps many people who suffer with these disorders quiet, as only 10% seek professional help. So if you read these stats and think, “this can’t be, I don’t know anyone who struggles with this!” think again. It is widespread and it is urgent that we reckon with the culture that drives us to hate our bodies and go to great lengths to change them. It is literally life and death - every 62 minutes someone dies from an eating disorder. And if it doesn’t kill you, eating disorders lead to real health consequences, like cardiac weakening and failure, gastrointestinal breakdown, neurological weakening, endocrine deregulation, decreased white blood cell count, kidney failure, and infertility. And if you think the risk is worth it because the culture tells us that being fat is worse than having an eating disorder, reconsider. The narrative that being overweight will lead to worse health issues than doing whatever we can to be thin is a farce. In the United States, a child is 242 more times likely to have an eating disorder than type 2 diabetes.
I can throw as many stats at you as exist but we humans are emotional creatures, so I invite you to reflect on your history with dieting. Reflect on your relationship to health and fitness. Reflect on your relationship with your body. If you are someone who has a history of dieting, how has that gone for you? Has it made you healthier? Has it made you happier?
I can speak for myself — my first diet started around age 10. I dieted all through my teens, trying every ridiculous idea I could get my hands on. I eventually developed bulimia in my late teens and battled it through my 20s. No one really knew that I had a violent eating disorder, as many of my behaviors were considered normal in our diet culture infested society. While I moved from diet to diet, I thought surely the next one would be the answer, and that if I could just lose weight, I would finally be accepted and respected. I tied so much of my self worth to the number on the scale, that every accomplishment I made as a young adult was overshadowed by my body. And that didn’t come from nowhere — our culture drills into our heads as early as age 3 that smaller bodies are better bodies. Diet culture tells us all sorts of lies, and holds up a very specific type of body that we should all aim to be. Thin. White. Able bodied. Straight. You can fill in the rest.
When I finally found the strength to process and heal, I realized that I had to let go of dieting and the pursuit of thinness at all costs. As a fitness professional, this was a challenge as my entire industry is built on the premise of thinness. Every workout, every bit of nutritional advice seemed to have some sort of tie to thinness. Ab blaster! Trim and tuck! Lean and tone! Flatten your belly! Shrink your love handles! Get that thigh gap!
I had to question everything I knew, everything I had taken for granted, everything I had been taught. I had to embrace different perspectives and get really curious. I eventually had to reject much of what I had considered to be true. I completely reframed how I view bodies, wellness, fitness, and what really consitutes a healthy life.
Here is what I have learned: Dieting doesn’t work. Anyone who claims differently is trying to sell you something. Eating disorders are hell and I wouldn’t wish one on anyone. We should be doing all we can as a society to minimize them, and instead we do everything we can to ensure more people suffer with them. Weight cycling is much more dangerous than carrying extra weight, and the societal stigma and discrimination around fatness is significantly worse for our health than being fat. In fact, weight stigma and discrimination may actually explain the impact on health instead of the body size itself. Health is not directly related to weight, and physical health is just one aspect of a healthy life — our mental, emotional, and social health are just as important and it is crucial to recognize how our behaviors in pursuit of the lie of thinness can negatively impact each of those areas.
So what can we do instead? If we want to focus on bettering our relationship to health, what sort of goals can we set?
First ask what is driving the desire to lose weight — what are you trying to feel or accomplish? This takes time to be introspective and honest with ourselves, so I suggest setting aside some time to reflect and journal. Ask what prompted the weight loss goal, and then ask what is driving that need, and then ask what is driving that feeling, and keep asking until you get to the root. We can find a lot of clarity when we slow down and dig in.
Then, challenge the narrative that we need to be thin to be worthy (or enter any word here: loved, valued, etc.). This is a central lie to diet culture — if you lose weight, suddenly all of your needs will be met and your dreams will come true. Spoiler alert: this is bullshit. Whatever is driving that desire will still be there if you lose weight. Focus directly on the driving need and let your body exist as it is.
Next, set goals that align with your purpose and the underlying drivers. Maybe you want to lose weight because you think it will build your confidence, so instead of weight loss you can focus on self love. Saying affirmations each morning, starting a gratitude journal, identifying your strengths and investing time into them, and practicing self acceptance are all ways to increase confidence without punishing yourself with dieting. Connecting to health professionals like therapists, coaches, etc. can help you set a specific plan to really address the underlying need. If working with a professional isn’t accessible to you, there are lots of great resources online for free from qualified professionals as well.
Finally, we can look at our relationship with health, wellness, and fitness. If we can separate ourselves from diet culture, even for a moment, we can start to see ways to integrate behaviors that support all aspects of our health. Maybe we can make a goal to move our bodies for a few mintues each day in a way that brings us joy. Or maybe we can make a goal to let go of dieting and reestablish our relationship with food — Intuitive Eating is a great philosophy to heal. Maybe we add a goal to challenge diet culture in a real way every day, whether by unfollowing anyone on social media that causes us to hate our bodies, finding voices to follow that build us up, throwing away diet books and diet food, deleting calorie tracking apps, tossing out our scales, committing to stop reading nutritional content on food labels, letting go of measuring everything we eat…the possibilities are endless because diet culture has its tentacles in so many parts of our lives!
My advice: pick one thing that is doable. Give yourself grace and recognize that healing and growth are not linear. Some days will be easy, others will not. Once that thing becomes a natural part of your existence, pick another. Let go of the seduction of hopping on another diet. They likely haven’t worked for you (see above stats) so why not try a different approach? Give yourself permission to reject the messaging that is so prevalent this time of year. You don’t need to lose weight. You don’t need to change your body. Self development and growth are beautiful things, and a diet will not give you either. Reject diets. Diet culture is the air we breath and we are brought up in it. Years of conditioning will not be undone with the magic of a new year. But we can chip away at it, day by day, until one day you wake up and realize you are free. | https://medium.com/@rachaelbabs/new-years-resolution-don-t-lose-weight-a50b24b53667 | ['Rachael Babiracki'] | 2021-01-02 19:05:30.058000+00:00 | ['Health', 'Wellness', 'Diet Culture', 'New Years Resolutions', 'Fitness'] |
How use LocalStorage in Angular | Angular guid
How use LocalStorage in Angular
Save data on client side
The purpose of LocalStorage is saving information on the client side and then we could use this information somewhere in project.
LocalStorage in Angular
Every project is develops and evolves that mean maybe someday we will need to add a new property for example surname. For us that mean every place were we used LocalStorage with key ‘name’ we need add another one ‘surname’.
What if in future we will need store another field or if we need to change logic of store fields, for example we might need to create a unique key depends on current user which use our website. It will be looked like that: “localStorage.getItem(userId + ‘name’);”.
The point if something will change with LocalStorage we need to find all LocalStorage keys in our project and change it over and over again. I do not like to do that.
Instead of using LocalStorage directly in our Angular project let’s create a wrapper class.
Wrapper Service
Right now we have only one place which we will change. This class is much more easier to extend than add a new line of LocalStorage.
Extend Service
Combination of Service and LocalStorage has benefits. Service class is easy to extend and change, that is save a lot of precise time.
If you need to take a close look on project here is the link. | https://medium.com/quick-code/how-use-localstorage-in-angular-85c924275ad0 | ['Yurii Kuznietsov'] | 2020-11-06 16:46:14.741000+00:00 | ['Angular', 'Front End Development', 'Localstorage'] |
Video Games vs Everything | Video Games vs Everything
Worldwide pandemics are objectively bad. Period. (Wear your mask. Keep your distance. Visit cdc.gov or who.int for more information). But we’d be remiss if we failed to recognize that this nightmare of a year has springboarded some lucky sectors into an unexpected wealth of opportunities. One such sector being gaming, and in the modern age of online consumption where everything is battling for your attention, video games are competing with more “mainstream” avenues for engagement whose sole focus is to hold onto your attention. The all-knowing algorithmic feeds of Netflix, Youtube, Instagram, Twitter, and others have based their business model on grasping your attention and clinging to it for as long as possible.
But even despite this, in 2020 games have thrived. Sales are through the roof and Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg recognized that gaming activity is up 75%. Although the pandemic has certainly exaggerated this tendency, the trend has been ongoing to some degree since the inception of games. For a medium that isn’t actively seeking your attention, at least no more so than any other entertainment medium, it’s impressive that videogames are able to garner the attention of so many despite the key disadvantage that games seek first to entertain, regardless of time spent.
In the face of the resounding success of the industry this year, a game has bubbled to the surface as the ultimate example of success at this time. In a world of online videoconferencing and virtual happy hours, a game that benefits from face-to-face calls was the perfect fit for casual and hardcore gamers alike to latch onto. That lucky game was Among Us, and following massive exposure from some of the biggest gaming personalities on YouTube and Twitch, it exploded seemingly overnight into the beast we know today. This shines as yet another example of a videogame that has completely captured the attention of the world. Something that, on paper, is becoming increasingly more difficult, but somehow videogames continue to make it work, and they’re doing it far more than they ever were before.
Cottonbro via Pexels.
Many of us take for granted the simple fact that games like Minecraft and Fortnite are as integrated into popular culture as the Kardashians. And some would argue (and I think most would hope) that these games have surpassed the throng of reality show stars. But it wasn’t always this way. Not long ago, gamers were all seen as Mountain Dew sipping, McDonald’s eating, parents-basement-dwelling, walking (but more likely sitting) stereotypes. No matter the truth behind it, videogames weren’t in the mainstream. Parents were telling their children that videogames were bad for them, horrified when they saw the contents of what they were playing. Although this hasn’t been completely eradicated, the fact that kids can go to the store and easily find Fortnite-branded Monopoly (weird, huh) shows the state of where videogames are now.
PCs have become more accessible, consoles have become bigger, plus the prevalence of smartphones and the accessibility of gaming on those devices has only pushed things further. Among Us is the latest example of a game zooming into the zeitgeist, but we’re just at the beginning. Acceptance of gaming is becoming more and more widespread. And just like TV and films before it, there is so much that’s still to come. | https://medium.com/super-jump/video-games-arent-only-competing-against-other-video-games-dd1053eec2e4 | ['Jacob Mitchener'] | 2020-12-03 08:34:00.983000+00:00 | ['Features', 'Gaming', 'Digital Life', 'Business', 'Videogames'] |
Anti-aging Benefits of PRP Treatment | Anti-aging Benefits of PRP Treatment
The Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is a product with great advantages and numerous utilities. Among its current indications is the treatment of alopecia and skin-aging.
One of its main advantages is that it is a product obtained from the patient itself, so it does not cause problems of allergies or rejections. In addition, it does not require prior tests, only the dermatological assessment of the patient (medical history and physical examination with clinical imaging).
What is PRP biostimulation treatment?
PRP is obtained in a similar way to normal analytics. It is an outpatient treatment and does not require admission. A little blood (20 cc) needs to be drawn and then placed in a machine (centrifuge) that separates the blood into several parts. One of them will be the PRP, which we will take, to infiltrate by means of very fine needles the area of the skin or scalp that we want to treat. The only thing added to PRP is a calcium compound to activate platelets, few formulation to strength and release growth factors, which are the key elements of treatment.
It is a minimally painful technique and with it you get very good results. Platelet-rich plasma contains abundant growth factors, are substances that help generate new blood vessels in the area we infiltrate by reaching more nutrients to it and, that help us increase the proliferation of cells and fibers, including some as interesting and known as collagen and elastin, which give consistency to the skin.
As a complication of the technique, some small bruising may appear in the infiltration area, especially in the area around the eyes. To prevent this, if we treat the area of the face, a cream with vitamin K and sunscreen should be used in the treated area.
What do we get out of all this?
In the case of scalp infiltration for the treatment of alopecia, the appearance of new hair and the increase in thickness of the existing one is achieved. All of this is perceived as an increase in hair density.
In the case of skin infiltration (face or cleavage) for the treatment of photo or chrono-aging it is possible to increase elasticity, decrease sagging, increase luminosity and decrease wrinkles.
What is the pre-treatment assessment?
A medical evaluation is required before undergoing this treatment. The patient’s personal history should always be evaluated, especially those diseases and/or medications that may interfere, such as antiplates or anticoagulants that increase the risk of bruising.
In the case of alopecia, the degree and type of alopecia should be assessed, since not all alopecias are the same and therefore do not require the same treatment. Treatment with PRP has been shown to be useful for the treatment of both male and female androgenetic alopecia. In other types of alopecias there are many evidence to promote their use. In addition, a baseline medical treatment, with few herbal formulations and/or anti-androgens, should be established to achieve maximum treatment efficacy and proper maintenance of effects over time.
In the case of using it as an anti-aging treatment it is necessary to evaluate type of wrinkles, location, patient perspectives, previous treatments and home treatments. It can be combined with other anti-aging techniques (hyaluronic acid fillers or botulinum toxin).
There are no age limits for undergoing this treatment. As an anti-aging treatment, it should not be performed in patients under 30 years of age.
PRP Treatment in Delhi :- F 36, Herbal Medicine and cupping therapy clinic, In front of Swagat Place Hotel, DB Gupta Market Karol Bagh, New Delhi 110005. Ph 91–8287833547
More Details:- http://www.skinhairandpaintreatment.com/ , https://cuppingtherapysindelhi.com/, https://cuppingtherapyindelhi.business.site/ | https://medium.com/@drizharnium/anti-aging-benefits-of-prp-treatment-4de9070ab463 | ['Drizharul Hasan'] | 2020-12-24 04:20:33.993000+00:00 | ['Healthy Lifestyle', 'Benefits Of Prp Treatment', 'Love', 'Beauty', 'Skincare'] |
Have rookies been getting a bad rap all this while? | The reason why I’m on this train of thought was due to an incident that I was privy to recently.
From an early age, I’ve always loved to tell stories. Stories around how I managed to beat a boss in the newest video game, or as a tool to teach concepts you’ve learned to others (The Feynman Learning Technique). This probably sowed to seeds for me to be comfortable in taking up public speaking engagements — conducting quizzes, speaking in professional forums, and what not. Safe to say that I’ve had a fair share of experience in trying to hold an audience on a topic of choice.
Few weeks back, I was giving a talk to a group of professionals in the product management space about the role of analytics in driving product decisions. In lieu of preparing for this, all the right boxes were checked:
Presentation with a coherent story line and wasn’t a book with 100+ words on every slide
Points-of-interaction with the participants to drive some engagement
Key takeaways for participants to refer to
Trusty stop-watch to keep track of time
In theory, this should have worked where the lecture delivers what it aims to do and participants leave the zoom meeting with a new perspective. But in reality, at least to me personally, it didn’t. I left the conversation feeling like a big ball of mess.
Where did I go wrong?
The answer was that I didn’t trust my trusty stop-watch.
What ended up was a derailment of time, leading to a rushed, haphazard closure towards the end — which usually has the kicker of the message. This definitely classifies as a rookie mistake within the context of public speaking and presentation. How many times have we encountered this?! The speaker spends the 1st part of their presentation moving slowly, going off tangent and then the time prompt comes. Suddenly they realize there’s 10 minutes left and 20 slides of content left.
Boom! Hypersonic speed activated! At the end, both speaker and participants are left unsatisfied.
When the same thing happened on my presentation, it got me thinking. “What did I do wrong?”
The realization that I had was the following. Most of my presentations were in-person. Be it at a live quiz event or in public forums, I was addressing a sea of faces that I could see, gauge for reaction, and tailor based on the visual feedback received. This wasn’t the case on that fateful day. What I could see weren’t faces, but just a block of 5 (Out of 80) names that Zoom thought was relevant to me. This leads to the brain activating its defense mechanism of wanting to make sure it gets the feedback it needs. Meaning, I spent far too much time on the interaction and engagement cues than what I’d planned. | https://medium.com/@shivram-sln/have-rookies-been-getting-a-bad-rap-all-this-while-da71f1c34458 | ['Shivram Lakshminarayanan'] | 2020-12-17 14:42:26.526000+00:00 | ['Journal', 'Making Mistakes', 'Empathy', 'Leadership Development'] |
The Virago Newsletter for December 4th, 2020 | Here’s your chance to catch up on the articles for this week:
How I Deal With Dissociation as an Abuse Survivor “I’ve been hearing the term ‘toxic positivity’ a lot lately, in relation to other people forcing their need for positivity onto others. But personally, that’s something I’ve been doing to myself for as long as I can remember.”
Keeping Up With My Type A Friends Nearly Broke Me “I used to rush around at 100 miles per hour, working extra jobs and studying, all while fitting in a social life that I never honestly enjoyed. But I felt I needed to tick that box too.”
Trying to Break a Bad Habit? Use the Pain-Patience Model “We have a tendency to believe self-improvement is an all-or-nothing pursuit — that everything has to change at once. This is self-defeating and why you must approach it from a detached point-of-view and break it up into sections.”
No, Everything is Not OK “The thing is that life, at the moment, has a lot of bad stuff in it. It just does. We are living through a pandemic. People are dying. On a granular level, we are only one text message away — at any moment of the day — from being kept indoors for 14 days”
Oh To Be Back on the Camino! “That year, fall 2014 to summer 2015, was the worst year of my life professionally and personally. Jack, my late husband, had gone into the ER four times that year; the last time, around Thanksgiving.”
Violence Towards Women (Part 1) “Women are to defer to masculine strength and men will ostensibly protect women who defer. The impact of this belief system is reflected in the ubiquitous threat to women of domestic violence and rape.”
Blaming the Female Victim (Part 2) “The need to assure ourselves that we are invulnerable to danger affords us a false locus of control that, again, shifts the focus onto the victim’s culpability. What deviates from the norm creates conflict with our social reality.
Releasing the Dream of “The Perfect Partner” “Our problems had been building for years — no surprise. Despite all the bad stuff, we did love each other. A lot of genuine good was sandwiched between a whole lotta bad.”
A Lady Down the Street Chopped Up Her Husband “They were the police photographs of a murder that had taken place in our town six years before. The murder happened the day prior to the day my friend and I had been throwing dolls made from dandelions into the river as sacrifices to the river gods.”
I Watch Little House on The Prairie For Self Care “My favorite character on Little House was always Albert. He was the most tragic character on the show, and when bad things happened to him and he had tears in his big brown eyes, I cried right along with him.”
Self Love, Best Love “We spend a lot of time looking for love outside ourselves. We search the highway and the byway, the hills, and the gutters, hoping that this thing called love would one-day peek-a-boo us so that we can grab it, put it into a bag and ride off into the sunset with it.”
An Excerpt From My Post-Natal Journal “I felt in awe of this tiny human, whilst simultaneously in a state of overwhelm. My only way of coping was to just roll with it — Focus on each day as a new entity, despite how much it felt like days-weeks rolled into one.”
How To Live Again After Financial Abuse “When I first tried to leave my ex, I lost all my possessions and took a big financial hit. As a result of this, I was homeless, jobless, and lived in a few t-shirts and shorts on rotation.”
How to Heal from the Mother Wound and Love Yourself “I internalized everything. Every single message she poured out knowingly or unknowingly, I absorbed. It was bad to have outspoken beliefs; it was bad to think or know that you were pretty; it was bad to admit any fault. Perfection was the daily standard.” | https://medium.com/the-virago/the-virago-newsletter-for-december-4th-2020-6bd275ffd2f4 | ['Michelle Jaqua'] | 2020-12-07 01:21:00.952000+00:00 | ['Christmas Tree', 'Newsletter', 'The Virago', 'Women', 'Christmas'] |
From Graphical Interface to the Conversational Interface | From Graphical Interface to the Conversational Interface
How AI is revolutionizing UX.
I had thought of titling this article GUI vs VUI but then I realized that using these terms would leave out many people who don’t know their meaning and perhaps wouldn’t even bother to read the article.
First of all, let me explain each concept. GUI is the abbreviation for a graphical user interface, while VUI (“voice user interface”) is a conversational interface, that is, a communication between a human and a machine in which the medium of interaction is not a screen but voice.
The beginnings of the graphical interface date back to the late 70s, so comparing this with the conversational interface we could say that the latter is still in its infancy.
To make this concept clearer, the goal of using a voice user interface is to allow the user to interact with the system or machine simply by using their voice. Instead of scrolling on a screen or touching a keyboard, the user gives voice commands, so they don’t need to use their hands at all.
During the research phase, designing a voice user interface is similar to designing a graphical user interface (GUI) because you have to consider who will use the interface, what they will use it for, and on what device. The goal remains the same: to communicate the necessary information to the user in the most effective way possible.
In the conversational interface, the user does not navigate through the different layers to find the option they are looking for, but asks for something specific, providing all the necessary information at once.
This is a big difference from the graphical interface, since here we do not have several clicks or interactions before we achieve our goal, but we shorten the navigation process with a simple voice command aimed at getting specific information that will be returned by the wizard.
Let me give you an example of a user asking her Google Home assistant: “Okay, Google, what time is my flight?”. Each assistant activates its listening with a specific voice command, in this case, it is by saying: “Okay, Google”. The device will then answer: “The next flight, Wizz Air’s 4402 from Madrid to Sofia, leaves today at 9:55 p.m.”
The only learning curve here is that, as a user, you need to know what voice command you have to say for each action you want your assistant to perform.
Every voice assistant has artificial intelligence within them. If the words you use are not those that the artificial intelligence has, so to speak, been built in with, then it will tell you that it cannot help you and that you should try another voice command. It may even offer you recommendations.
Do you know what artificial intelligence or AI is and where it comes from? Here’s a little background history.
Although research into artificial intelligence has been going on since the 1950s, it wasn’t until 2007 that it advanced enough to become what we know today as voice assistants.
In 1936, Alan Turing designed a machine capable of implementing any calculation that had been formally defined, the essential cornerstone for a device to be able to accommodate different scenarios and “reasoning”. Does the Turing Test ring a bell? It is a test that determines whether a machine is intelligent or not and defends the possibility of emulating human thought through computing.
We say that an AI has passed the test if the users involved think that on the other side there is a person instead of a machine.
The 1970s gave way to what became known as the winter of artificial intelligence. This occurred after the mathematician James Lighthill presented a report stating his view that machines would only be capable of an “experienced amateur” level of chess and that common sense reasoning and supposedly simple tasks such as facial recognition would always remain beyond their capacity.
This report together with the few advances in the field of AI caused the funding for the industry to be drastically reduced. But in the 1980s, researchers decided that instead of trying to create artificial intelligence by simulating that of humans, it would be better to create “expert systems” that focused on much more limited tasks.
That meant they only needed to be programmed with the rules of a very particular problem. And voilà, this is when the first steps in the advancement of artificial intelligence began, and why today it’s possible for you to talk to your smartphone, your car, or an Alexa or Google Home device.
And while speech recognition seemed simple given that it was one of AI’s key objectives, decades of investment had never managed to raise the accuracy level in understanding speech recognition to above 80%.
In 1997, the Deep Blue supercomputer, created by IBM, beat world chess champion, Garry Kasparov. There goes the conclusion of Lighthill’s report in the 1970s that this could never happen. It should be noted that this was the second time it played against Kasparov, since the first time Deep Blue lost and had to be upgraded.
Another milestone for IBM happened in 2011 when it used its artificial intelligence called “Watson” to win a TV contest against two of its most experienced players. The contest featured questions about culture and general knowledge. The fact is that Watson not only understood the questions and answers provided during the show but also was able to make intelligent moves when weighing the choice of categories.
Since then, IBM Watson has become the standard for cognitive systems, natural language processing as well as automatic reasoning and learning. This technology is currently being used to assist in cancer treatments, e-commerce, the fight against cybercrime, and international banking.
I have to add that I am particularly fond of this artificial intelligence because I was able to work with it during my project at WatsomApp, in which we used this AI to make a robot help detect bullying in schools. I also presented this project during a Women in Voice event at the Google Campus in Madrid.
Google also started researching AI and ended up pioneering a new approach: It connected thousands of powerful computers, running parallel neural networks, learning to detect patterns in the large volumes of data transmitted by the many users of Google. At first, it was quite inaccurate, but after years of learning and improvement, Google today claims that its speech recognition is 92 % accurate.
But it wasn’t until May 2016 that it launched Google Assistant as part of the Google Allo messaging application, and in its Google Home assistant device. The Siri voice assistant was released a few years earlier as an iOS application in 2010 and later integrated into the iPhone 4S from its launch in October 2011.
Another well-known voice assistant is Amazon Alexa, who arrived in Spain in the summer of 2018 although it had already been working in the United States for a few years. There are many others like Cortana from Microsoft or Aura from Telefónica.
How does this new technology fit into the world of user experience design? To design voice interfaces, companies are asking for UX design experts who specialize in conversation design. This new profile called “conversation designer” has just arrived on the Spanish job market and we are already seeing some job offers, although still very few.
This profile not only requires knowledge of UX design but also of how to design dialogue between a human and a machine, taking into account all possible voice interactions between the assistant and the user. The logic that works for a graphical interface will almost never work for a conversational interface so designers need to learn this new way of interacting with a voice assistant.
Do you see yourself designing voice interfaces in the future? I still feel like a student of the subject today, and I find it fascinating. If you live in Seattle, Madrid, London, or Mexico City and want to learn more about the subject, I recommend you to go to the talks on designing conversational interfaces by Women in Voice.
Woman in Voice photo
At their event in December 2019 in Madrid, I explained my experience designing a conversational interface with IBM’s artificial intelligence in the WatsomApp project. A very pleasant and necessary project, which aims to help schools detect bullying by using a robot that communicates with the students.
I would like to end this article by saying that the best possible interface in human-machine communication is voice, as it is our natural means of communication. This is one of the reasons why the voice interface is also called the invisible interface. And what better interface than the one that allows us to communicate in the most natural way possible.
Can you imagine a future where all the interaction you have with your digital devices is by voice? I have no doubt that this technology will advance more and more, and within one or two decades it will be very common to talk to machines instead of interacting with them through a graphical user interface.
What do you think about the future of conversation design and VUIs? If you have any doubt just leave a comment below.
Originally published in Spanish by Gema Gutiérrez.
References
AI: 15 key moments in the story of artificial intelligence
Deep Blue versus Garry Kasparov History of artificial intelligence | https://uxdesign.cc/from-the-graphical-interface-to-the-conversational-interface-4d7ffbd05be1 | ['Gema Gutiérrez Medina'] | 2020-08-18 11:39:31.412000+00:00 | ['UI', 'UX', 'Product Design', 'Voice Assistant', 'Conversational UI'] |
Make the Most of New Years Resolutions | Lots of people set new year’s resolutions, and many make realistic goals. Yet, almost every year, people are still finding themselves unable to keep up the motivation. You miss one day, which turns into a week, which turns into a month, and so on. Repeated failure makes us lose confidence. Why would you want to continue something that you’re not succeeding in? It makes sense.
Many have the false belief that in order to achieve big changes in your life, you have to set big goals as well. While most people do set realistic goals, most of these goals are long term instead of short term. Often, people only focus on obtaining results rather than acknowledging the entire process. When you say, “I’m gonna lose 10 pounds by this certain day, at this certain time, for this certain reason”, but you have no game plan as to how you’re trying to accomplish this goal… that might complicate things.
What I’ve found is that, instead of making yourself workout every single day, have a minimum (short-term) goal set for yourself. For example, setting a goal of working out at least three times a week, no matter the day, as opposed to working out every day and occasionally allowing yourself a rest day can be more effective. That way if you go over the minimal goal you set, you’ll feel even better because you did more than you initially planned.
It’s common sense to know that you can’t always achieve all things easily on the first try, and if you were to talk to a friend about that, the answer would be clear. It’s much easier to determine the rational option when the situation is from an outside perspective. However, when the perspective changes, and it’s on ourselves, our thoughts and emotions can often cloud our judgment.
Approaching situations the way you would to a friend, is a good way to catch yourself when you’re not always thinking clearly…
One of the most important questions to ask yourself when writing resolutions is, “What’s your reasoning for wanting to achieve your goals?”
Why are you trying to lose weight? Why do you want to quit your job? Why do you want to change your style?
For the most part, the answer to these questions should be, “I want to make myself happy”
Resolutions are often negatively focused, for example, you want to get rid of something rather than gain something.
With social pressure, it is often difficult separating the thoughts: Do I want to change this to fit in with a certain group of people, or am I doing this because it will make me feel good? Pinpointing the reasons you are doing something, and making mental notes of it is important.
With the start of 2020, no one expected the year to turn out the way it did. And going into this new year, we can’t just expect things to automatically return to normal (even though we all wish we could).
Instead of stressing over the things in life you can’t change, let’s try and do the opposite. Let’s try and improve things that we have control over. Obviously, this is easier said than done. Everyone’s situations are different and no one can or should be expected to be the same as another person. But I think one thing we can collectively work on always, is improving your mental health.
Ultimately, the one person you will always have in your life is yourself, and you should try and do everything you can to live your life the way YOU want.
Alright, so to summarize. When writing your resolutions you should… | https://medium.com/@amandataylor8/why-your-new-years-resolutions-wont-work-cd1139489206 | ['Amanda Taylor'] | 2020-12-21 21:30:08.268000+00:00 | ['Self-awareness', 'Self Improvement', '2021', 'New Year Resolution', 'Self Care'] |
Suspected IPOB assailants murder warriors, cops in Rivers | Suspected IPOB aggressors on Saturday night killed two troopers and three cops at Omagwa, Ikwerre Neighborhood Government Space of Rivers State.
The episode happened two days after Governor Nyesom Wike complimented the meeting Head of Guard Staff, General Leo Irabor, on the pretended by troopers in revoking the invasion of obscure shooters and IPOB individuals in the state.
Sources disclosed to Day by day Believe that the shooters who were in military uniform assaulted the warriors and cops who were careful along the Air terminal street.
READ ALSO: IPOB Responds To Assault On Imo Jail, Reports Of ESN Connects To South-East Emergency
Both the State Police Order Public Connection Official, Nnamdi Omoni and 6 Division of the Nigerian Armed force , Public Connection Official, Significant Charles Ekeocha, couldn’t affirm the story at press time.
Despite the fact that no gathering has guaranteed obligation, IPOB has been censured for comparative episodes around there.
After the killing of some IPOB assailants in Imo on Saturday, the gathering pledged counter. | https://medium.com/@newsvillepost/suspected-ipob-assailants-murder-warriors-cops-in-rivers-66f2eb629574 | ['Newsville Post'] | 2021-04-25 13:50:29.407000+00:00 | ['Featured', 'Riversstate', 'Wike', 'Ipob'] |
Interview: Trulee Hall talks about her new exhibition at Zabludowicz Collection | Trulee Hall exhibition view at Zabludowicz Collection, London, 2020. Photo: Tim Bowditch
Housed in a former Methodist chapel in North London, Zabludowicz Collection is one of the country’s most innovative arts organisations, delivering a unique programme of exhibitions and events.
For its prestigious Annual Commission this year, Zabludowicz Collection has invited American artist Trulee Hall to create her first ever UK exhibition. Through of a mixture of newly commissioned work, pieces from the Collection and a number of videos, paintings and sculptures made over the past two years, Hall has transformed the chapel’s gallery spaces into an engrossing experience.
As the Zabludowicz Collection’s exhibition introduction explains, “the viewer moves through discordant scenes, each presenting a tangled meta-narrative. Installations comprising video, sculpture, paintings, composed soundtracks, and kinetic mechanisms create dense environments that invite the visitor to step around, peep through, and settle in, allowing a fractured and faceted perspective. Reappearing tropes populate the exhibition; stylised female nudes with mouths agape, rendered in gold and primary colours; bodies of many ages, genders and sizes relishing their physicality; and often repeated phallic serpents and corncobs.”
A focal point for the exhibition is Tongues Duel the Corn Whores, An Opera, a commission that began as a performance of the same name, realised by Hall at Zabludowicz Collection in 2019. Intended as an exploration of ritual and sexuality, the work weaves together Hall’s original score, libretto and choreography with an elaborate set, costumes, and props. Revolving around two female archetypes — the conservative and spiritual ‘Madonna’ and the hedonistic and provocative ‘Whore’ — CGI, clay animation and live footage are all employed to create an immersive, beguiling whole, “where there is no hierarchy of reality or rendering”.
Having just had the opportunity to scan the exhibition, The Net Gallery spoke to Hall to learn more about her approach to a fascinating, multifaceted show.
Trulee Hall, Tongues Duel the Corn Whores, An Opera, 2020, exhibition view at Zabludowicz Collection, London, 2020. Photo: Tim Bowditch.
The Net Gallery: Given that the Zabludowicz Collection building is so unique, what was it like to plan an exhibition in the space?
Trulee Hall: The main gallery is indeed such an uncommon and distinctive space, the first time I saw the room, I knew I wanted to create something super site specific. I responded to the tall ceilings, the surrounding balcony, the oval shape, the stage, alter and carvings on the wall. I also reacted to the Methodist Church history and iconography, the overall sacred meets profane vibe to the environment, and of course the acoustics are amazing!
I interpreted the carvings on the wall though my own pervy Trulee lens, pulling inspiration free-association-style from historical archetypes and personally relevant motifs. I could see fertility symbols everywhere in the carvings, such as sheela na gigs, serpent-shaped sperm, pregnant women, corn columns, and flower wreaths.
One of the main sculptures in the exhibition was also the set for my Opera and film — this was an enlarged and forced perspective version of the central architectural carving on the wall above the alter.
With all of this as inspiration, the show basically made itself. In one night I planned out the whole installation.
Trulee Hall exhibition view at Zabludowicz Collection, London, 2020. Photo: Tim Bowditch.
TNG: What does the prominent use of gold signify for you in the exhibition?
TH: In the Opera, the gold signifies the flashy, flamboyant, showing-off version of confidence that typifies the Golden Whore characters. They are Las Vegas style strippers who represent excessive, hedonistic, greedy, overly sexualized women, in direct contrast to the holy and righteous women who wear all white.
Gold also represents money and power. The Golden Whores are all about the Golden Corn, which is a disembodied phallic symbol, like a dildo. However, the cob section is the female, flower part of the corn plant — so it is a phallic female symbol. The gold color references actual gold, the standard of wealth. The women are after power in a self-gratifying and delicious female form.
TNG: Your work has been compared in the past to that of Edward Kienholz. What influence has Kienholz had on your practice, and how would you describe the relationship between his installations and your own?
TH: I love it when people draw links between my work and other artists and ideas, and of course it’s a compliment to be comparable to great artists! I do like his work and I totally see the comparison, but honestly he has not had any influence on my practice directly. Perhaps culturally in an overall sense he has, but I didn’t even know about his work until I was already well formed as an artist.
The artists who were most influential on my work early on are Cindy Sherman, Louise Bourgeois, Joseph Beuys, Eva Hesse, Egon Schiele, Basquiat, Henry Miller (in a philosophical sense), the Quay Brothers, Mike Kelley, Paul McCarthy, Jeff Koons, the Chapman Brothers, and Mathew Barney, I could go on… More recently, Suzan Pitt, Mika Rottenberg and Shana Moulton have had an impact. I am constantly inspired by other artists/writers/musicians and that is one of my greatest joys!
Trulee Hall exhibition view at Zabludowicz Collection, London, 2020. Photo: Tim Bowditch.
TNG: This is a broad and open-ended question, but how would you contrast the current climate in the US — either the country as whole, or the parts of it you know best — with the world(s) you present through your work?
TH: I don’t actually think of my work in that way. It’s totally fine for others to draw comparisons between my work and the current political climate, however that changes as time goes on. My work comes from an introspective place originating from my own internalized idiosyncratic provocations. I am very much alive in the world and of course I respond to it in my own way. It would be quite unnatural, uncomfortable and unrewarding for me to talk about my work in relation to Trump, for instance. I create my own worlds and characters, and the “logic” and language within them is self-reflexive.
I am obviously a sex-positive feminist, I’m incredibly passionate about animals and the environment, and in general I’m super opinionated! I’d prefer my work to be explored through a more abstract and provocative lens that is not limited to coronavirus politics and the current USA election! Although, of course it is really not up to me how my work is interpreted throughout time, but I personally do not feel inspired to make forced connections.
Trulee Hall, Polkadot Bedroom, Nightmare Set (Girl/ Monster), 2018, exhibition view at Zabludowicz Collection, London, 2020. Photo: Tim Bowditch.
www.truleehall.com
Interview by Richard Unwin for The Net Gallery.
You can view the virtual walkthrough of Trulee Hall’s Zabludowicz Collection exhibition, scanned and produced by The Net Gallery, here.
The exhibition runs at Zabludowicz Collection in North London until 14 March, 2021.
If you’d like to visit the exhibition in person, booking is recommended, and you’re advised to familiarise yourself with Zabludowicz’s guidelines before your visit. See www.zabludowiczcollection.com for more information. | https://medium.com/@info-61963/interview-trulee-hall-talks-about-her-new-exhibition-at-zabludowicz-collection-c045aa2840bb | ['The Net Gallery'] | 2020-11-05 11:02:29.192000+00:00 | ['London', 'Art', 'Contemporary Art', 'Art Exhibition', 'Artist'] |
An interesting similarity between lobsters and humans | (FYI: Audio version of this article is available above)
In his book 12 Rules For Life, author Jordan Peterson talks about dominance hierarchy in lobsters. Ummm, I guess hierarchies are everywhere. Following is an excerpt from one of his interviews:
We diverged from lobsters in the evolutionary history about 350 million years ago. And lobsters exist in hierarchies. They have a nervous system attuned to the hierarchy. And that nervous system runs on serotonin just like ours. The nervous system of the lobster and the human being is so similar that anti-depressants work on lobsters. — Jordan Peterson
Well, I wasn’t present 350 million years ago, so I decided to conduct my own independent research to confirm Dr Peterson’s claims. To my surprise, this is what I found at a restaurant:
As you can see, the alpha lobster has pushed the subordinates away to have more control and territory, which is a very common occurrence in our workplaces as well — employees get aggressed upon and are pushed away.
“Okay, now I’m a believer,” I thought when I saw this live at a restaurant. I didn’t eat anything, of course, but I clicked this picture and thanked the waiter.
This confirmed that hierarchies are prevalent in almost every form of animal life — from crustaceans deep in the oceans to us humans.
God! Why me?
If you’re feeling like hierarchy is holding you back from progressing, then I want you to know, not fear, just know, that that’s how nature has created us. And you probably won’t like this one, but whining like a little kid won’t change your situation.
So unless your daddy left you an oil well, suck it up.
And even if your daddy leaves you an oil well, you’d probably get routine lectures from your uncles.
How organisational hierarchies kill productivity
There’s nothing wrong with hierarchies if they’re created with good intentions.
So what are ‘good’ intentions in this case? Well, if an organisation wants to coordinate its daily operations and various short-term and long-term goals efficiently, hierarchies are spot on.
However, if hierarchies are created for some power play and to show the subordinates ‘who the boss is’, then innovation, morale and productivity go downhill.
Power trips can massively slow down the company’s progress and even cause the most brilliant employees to quit. It’s usually the brilliant ones who are subjected to such behaviour, unfortunately.
The tall poppy stands out and looks beautiful, but it’s also the one that’s the most visible and vulnerable to attacks. Eventually, it gets cut — that’s the fate of most tall poppies.
It doesn’t have to be this way
Although it’s in our nature to form hierarchies, we don’t necessarily need to. We’re not lobsters, we’re humans. We have a well-developed pre-frontal cortex in our brains which enables us to make logical decisions instead of following our stone-age, primal instincts.
The only purpose of a hierarchy in an organisation should be coordination — not domination.
Well, there’s always a grey area. For example, you need some domination in the armed forces, but you definitely don’t need a visible hierarchy in an accounting agency or a SaaS company or a….well, you know…all those types of businesses. | https://medium.com/@iamleosaini/hierarchy-an-interesting-similarity-between-lobsters-and-humans-5a55c358aee7 | ['Leo Saini'] | 2019-10-22 05:22:17.297000+00:00 | ['Management', 'Leadership', 'Human Behavior', 'Psychology', 'Organisational Culture'] |
Do you find yourself doing things automatically — without thinking? Get off auto-pilot and be more deliberate. Think about and recognize what you are doing. Are you mindlessly droning away at goals… | Do you find yourself doing things automatically — without thinking? Get off auto-pilot and be more deliberate. Think about and recognize what you are doing.
Are you mindlessly droning away at goals, only to reach them and set new goals?
OR
Are you setting goals and not reaching them — stressing yourself out?
Be more deliberate. Think in systems:
“Goals serve a purpose, right? You want a sense of direction. Well, you can get that same outcome by having systems instead of goals.” — Darius Foroux
Don’t drive yourself nuts. Stop and take a look around once in a while.
Create good systems that work for you. Live your life. | https://medium.com/everything-shortform/do-you-find-yourself-doing-things-automatically-without-thinking-3ea166c7dcfa | ['Mike Marolla'] | 2020-12-15 11:46:29.831000+00:00 | ['Life', 'Thinking', 'Goals', 'Motivation', 'Living With Purpose'] |
Covid-19 impact: Wound Debridement Market | May 2020 | Report Format: Electronic (PDF)
The global wound debridement market size is anticipated to reach USD 6.97 billion by 2025 at a 6.10% CAGR during the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Rising cases of injuries that require cleaning and removal of necrotic tissue are leading to increasing demand for wound debridement products.
Wound debridement products help in eliminating or reducing the load of microbes and toxins that inhibit wound healing. Increasing incidence of diabetes and obesity escalates the level of chronic wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers. As per the International Diabetes Federation, the incidence of diabetes is expected to reach 642.0 million by 2040. Prevention of wound infection is one of the major concerns for diabetic patients, making wound debridement vital. With increase in number of diabetics in U.S., demand for wound debridement is on a rise. Burns are the most common wounds and account for around 195,000 deaths annually. This, in addition to rise in awareness regarding the importance of wound debridement, is expected to positively affect the market in the coming years.
Development of advanced wound debridement products is also boosting market growth. For instance, launch of keratin-based wound care products that are used along with dressings have proven to be extremely helpful in wound re-epithelialization. The keratin matrix is absorbed in the wound and eliminates the need for dressing change. Such developments are anticipated to create growth opportunities for market players in the coming years.
To request a free sample copy of this report, click the link below:
www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/wound-debridement-market
Further key findings from the study suggest: | https://medium.com/healthcare-market-research/covid-19-impact-wound-debridement-market-267095c3f2a8 | ['Rajesh Varma'] | 2020-05-20 13:31:23.608000+00:00 | ['Medical Devices', 'Doctors', 'Medical'] |
Pro-Choice Censorship | On November 4, 2013, The Students for Life of America blog posted an article about Mom Baby God, a pro-abortion play that was written by an abortion supporter who went undercover to a Students for Life of America pro-life conference. According to the blog, the writer of the play was:
disturbed by how much enthusiasm there was for the pro-life issue amongst youth” and she wanted to show those in her movement our enthusiasm to abolish abortion in order “to wake up the pro-abortion movement.”
This pro-choice undercover activist set out to write the most pro-abortion play she could, hoping to motivate pro-choicers to become more active in the movement. But here’s the interesting thing:
The writer admitted during the Question & Answer session after the premiere that she had to rewrite several scenes of the play relating to fetal development, because they were actually causing her audience to question their pro-abortion beliefs.
That’s the terrible problem that pro-choice activists have. The facts of fetal development and abortion procedures are simply not in their favor. Modern technology shows the beauty of unborn babies at every stage of development.
New 3-D ultrasound scans show unborn babies with remarkable clarity. We can see the delicate arms and legs, the little fingers and toes, even the expressions on the faces on the unborn babies. And it’s not just the beautiful ultrasound pictures — at sites like the Endowment for Human Development you can see actual videos of unborn babies moving in the womb.
You can see a six-week-old unborn child; you can watch her heartbeat, watch her move her hands; you can see the delicate fingers beginning to form. And now, of course, sites like this one quote abortion providers describing the procedures they do. We can read quotes and testimonials of abortion providers, both current and former, describing how they tore the arms and legs off of developing babies and placed them in a stack on the table. We can read their descriptions of pulling body parts off of suction cannulas, measuring the feet of aborted babies, and watching unborn babies being torn apart on ultrasounds. And if all that wasn’t enough, we have the pictures of the aborted babies where people can see, with their own eyes, the torn off arms and legs, the delicate tapering fingers, the crushed skulls of the aborted children.
With all this evidence, all this proof, all this truth, it is very hard for pro-choicers to convince people that abortion does not kill babies. All you have to do is open your eyes and see.
Reading the article the Students for Life of America blog, I was reminded of a quote that I discovered a few years ago in a pro-life book written by Janet L. Folger, a dedicated pro-life activist and speaker. Folger was describing how after a presentation at the University of Cincinnati, an angry pro-choice woman, with a little child in tow, began berating her about using the term “baby” to describe unborn children. What happened next is very revealing:
“’It’s not a baby — it’s a fetus!’ She shouted! I assured her that the two words were synonymous, but she would have nothing of it. ‘Quit calling it a baby!’ she demanded. Right then, in the middle of our little ‘discussion,’ her young child, pointing to the fetal models on display, declared, ‘Mommy! Look at the babies!’ The child was yanked by the arm and as they briskly walked away, I could hear the child’s mother say, ‘We don’t believe that.’”
This is why Planned Parenthood fights so hard to prevent women from seeing the sonogram when they are considering abortion. This is why newspapers owned by pro-choice editors refuse to allow pro-lifers to run ads, even non-graphic, noncontroversial ones. Why pro-choice groups and abortion providers try to take down pro-life billboards and why universities try to keep pro-lifers off campus. They have to keep people from seeing the truth. Because it’s getting to the point where people, if fully informed, can’t deny that abortion kills babies. This is where the truth leads. Pro-choicers need to censor the truth whenever they can — or harden peoples’ hearts to it. | https://medium.com/the-secular-seamless-garment/pro-choice-censorship-3bf00ca91731 | ['Sarah Terzo'] | 2020-12-03 05:30:55.032000+00:00 | ['Politics', 'Abortion', 'Pro Life', 'Pro Choice', 'Censorship'] |
How to monitor your IBM Integration Bus | As a software implementation consultant working with IBM Integration Bus (IIB), I get the following question a lot:
“Our message flows are up, but we still see performance degradation with our application. How do we know which component is causing this degradation?”
In other words, a lot of people are trying to achieve end-to-end visibility on their complete application network infrastructure through the IBM Integration Bus but are failing to do so. Does this sound familiar? Don’t worry! We have got you sorted. Read this blog post to learn everything you need to know.
What is the IBM Integration Bus?
The IIB is a software product that allows applications to consume, produce, and exchange messages regardless of their content. The IIB moves messages between the different applications in your IT infrastructure. However, so many things can go wrong during this process, affecting application performance or availability.
Better insights with IIB and StackState
With its topology and relationship-based observability capability, StackState can show you how different components of the IIB are related. In short, connecting your IIB with StackState allows you to:
· See vital performance metrics from IIB
· Get alerts before incidents happen
· Consume any type of data and combine multiple data sources with your IIB for better monitoring
· Monitor your IBM Message Queue (IBM MQ) and see how it affects your IIB.
Combined with application monitoring, this gives you end-to-end visibility, allowing you to reveal the blind spots associated with application performance issues.
IIB and StackState in action
The picture below shows you live data of an IIB instance’s topology. It has two brokers, seven applications, and a few messages in the flow. If a message flow is down, then you can see which applications are going to be affected. The same concept applies to any other component like your Queue Manager, coming from IBM MQ. All of them are hosted on a server that is monitored by a StackState agent.
If you zoom out, you get more insights about the host itself and how different processes can affect your IIB.
Once an incident occurs, you will be alerted immediately on its root cause and what is affected.
Finally, the integration can also be expanded to measure your IIB’s performance with StackState. This enables you to retrieve metrics from IIB related to the queues or message flows. These are metrics like message rate per second or the latency of a message flow. Do you want to learn more about the IBM Integration Bus and StackState? Schedule a demo right here.
About StackState
StackState delivers Relationship-Based Observability. StackState integrates with APM tools, infrastructure monitoring tools, virtualization and cloud platforms, Kubernetes, and incident management systems to add the certainty and richness of relationships, configuration changes, and AI-based diagnostics to the existing incident management process. This uniquely leads to Deterministic Root Cause, which helps IT teams prevent and solve problems more quickly and efficiently. | https://medium.com/stackstate-engineering-blog/how-to-monitor-your-ibm-integration-bus-50cde30ec246 | ['Mohamed Elnemr'] | 2020-11-27 14:16:59.183000+00:00 | ['Root Cause Analysis', 'IBM', 'Ibm Integration Bus', 'Monitoring', 'Stackstate'] |
Department of Homeland Security Caught Lying To Federal Court | Allow me to explain this incredible letter filed in United States District Court on July 23d. The Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) includes programs like “Global Entry” that allows Americans who apply, and meet certain requirements, expedited passage through airport security. The Department of Homeland Security, with timing that suspiciously looked like retribution for unrelated New York immigration policies, barred New Yorkers from the program. New York sued.
In court DHS filed motions to dismiss with sworn statements from DHS officials supporting the motions. The motions and SWORN statements presented New York as unique, a veritable pariah among states, in refusing to share certain driver’s license information with it. Because of this DHS insisted it could not verify the TTP applications from New Yorkers.
This incredible letter, admits that all that was, in fact, “inaccurate,” “gave the wrong impression,” and “misleading.” Accordingly, DHS defendants stated they “deeply regret the foregoing inaccurate or misleading statements and apologize to the Court and plaintiffs for the need to make these corrections at this late stage in the litigation.”
DHS further offers to the court that “These revelations undermine a central argument in defendants’ briefs and declarations.” In other words the lies involved, including those made UNDER OATH, were made because they were a central argument. Without the lies DHS had no case.
Accordingly DHS advises the court that it is immediately reinstating New York into the Trusted Traveler Program. DHS tried to clean the slate by asking that the court allow them “to withdraw their motions to dismiss and for summary judgment, along with all briefs and declarations submitted in support of those motions.” Yes, they asked the court to withdraw and forget SWORN STATEMENTS UNDER OATH that were false and misleading. The perjurers request that the court allow them to withdraw their perjury. That’s not how this should work.
Allow me to explain what I believe happened behind the scenes. The letter is signed by Audrey Strauss. Ms. Strauss is in this position against the wishes of President Trump and Attorney General Barr. A month ago Barr tried to replace Strauss’ predecessor, Geoffrey Berman, with a Trump crony and golf buddy. To do this Barr needed Berman to leave voluntarily. So Barr tried to make that happen de facto by lying to the American people, saying that Berman was voluntarily leaving. Berman then humiliated Barr by saying he would not leaving voluntarily. Barr then had to fire him. However, firing Berman, by law, made Audrey Strauss Berman’s replacement. Barr failed to install the Trump crony.
Attorneys for the Southern District of New York represented their “client” DHS in this case. They built a case for their client based on what their client told them. Then the SDNY attorneys discovered that their client was lying to them. These ethical government attorneys of the Southern District of New York then did what they had to do, they informed the court of their client’s lies. That’s never a fun thing to do, particularly when the client is the United States Government, and a Department entrusted with the security of the nation.
That’s another part of the story. The Trump Administration used the Department of Homeland Security as means political retribution to punish a state, and its people, that did unrelated things the Administration did not like. Notably, the Secretary of DHS has not, as is required, been confirmed by the Senate. For nearly a year Chad Wolf has been in the role of “Acting” Secretary as part of a strategy by Trump to circumvent the advice and consent of the Senate mandated by the Constitution for such Presidential appointments.
The story should not end here. In a perfect world, one where the Department of Justice is not itself a corrupt arm of the Administration, the DHS officials who lied under oath should be investigated and charged with perjury. That will not happen in a DOJ run by Trump’s crony, Attorney General Barr.
The judge, however, can take matters in his own hands. He has the authority to hold those who lied under oath in criminal contempt of court. The first step would be a “show cause” notice where the judge notifies those involved that they must show cause as to why they should not be held in contempt. As a minimum that should be done. They deserve to be put on the spot.
Trump corrupts everything, and everyone, he touches. | https://medium.com/@keithdb/department-of-homeland-security-caught-lying-to-federal-court-8010cc15a03d | [] | 2020-07-25 00:06:53.267000+00:00 | ['Trump Corruption', 'Trump Administration', 'Politics', 'DHS', 'Perjury'] |
[Review] Purohit ICIP’18: Learning Based Single Image Blur Detection (Blur Detection) | [Review] Purohit ICIP’18: Learning Based Single Image Blur Detection (Blur Detection)
Blur Detection Results
In this story, Learning Based Single Image Blur Detection and Segmentation, Purohit ICIP’18, by Indian Institute of Technology Madras, is reviewed. In this paper:
Global context and local features are jointly learned in the network. Two sub-networks are trained to perform the task at global (image) and local (patch) levels.
are trained to perform the task at The pixel-level probabilities are aggregated and estimated by two networks and then fed to a MRF based framework which returns a refined and dense segmentation-map.
This is a paper in 2018 ICIP. (Sik-Ho Tsang @ Medium) | https://medium.com/@sh-tsang/review-purohit-icip18-learning-based-single-image-blur-detection-blur-detection-c809f494c14a | ['Sik-Ho Tsang'] | 2020-12-26 05:22:21.450000+00:00 | ['Blur Detection', 'Defocus Map Estimation', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Convolutional Network', 'Deep Learning'] |
I Want to Be a Dog | I Want to Be a Dog
Everyone has something they want to be when they grow up. Maybe you want to be a doctor or a pilot. Maybe, you want to be a pop star, or just be pretty on the Internet! I was thinking about this recently because what else am I supposed to do when I’m stuck inside all the time and woefully unemployed without any career trajectory? Swaddled in a new comforter, I finally realized the answer — I want to be a dog.
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
You might be thinking — Stella, baby… what the hell is this? Or, you might even agree with me. If you’re trans, you might understand what I’m getting at when I say this. Even though I’m lucky that most of my family respects my pronouns or just doesn’t refer to me in the third person, I have to take care of an elderly relative who expressly refers to me as “he,” “him,” and all the fixins, even after both I and my mom constantly correct her. What connection do these two things have, you might ask? Well, let me enlighten you (I promise this isn’t some otherkin situation).
For my old, old, old relative, dogs are boys and cats are girls thanks to some weird, pseudo-sexual connection between cats’ “sensuality” and dogs’… I don’t even know what the other reason is (the mid-1900s were a trip). I have one female dog and one male dog, and she often calls them “guys” or “boys” by mistake. She sometimes doesn’t catch herself, but when she does, she says something like “Boys, I said, how silly- boy and girl,” or just uses their names. Even though my mom respects my identity, she still slips up occasionally, but never with the dogs. She corrects other people’s misgendering of them almost as vehemently as she does when I get misgendered. This is when it really hit me:
Cisgender people care more about correctly gendering a dog than a trans person.
If you’re trans, you’ve probably seen, felt, and joked about this plenty of times. I do it myself all the time and have even aired it as a frustration when my relatives used to mess up my gender. It’s so odd — whenever someone needs to adjust to new pronouns, they huff and haw or get flustered and apologize, tripping over their words. They say “Oh, I just knew you as he, and it’s so hard for me to get used to it,” or “This is just so new to me, sorry, sorry, sorry-” Yet, lo and behold, if someone accidentally calls a dog the wrong pronoun, it’s like the person just spat on their mother’s grave. Cis people will, quite literally, get more upset over someone misgendering their dog than a trans person.
Photo by Icons8 Team on Unsplash
For the dogs, it’s something indisputable. They are what they are. Penis? Boy. Vagina? Girl. As for my gender? Not so much. Obviously, to us, sex and gender are two completely different things. For a lot of people that don’t understand trans things, they’re completely inextricable. That’s why there are so many people, even those with good intentions, who will ask trans women “Oh, so you’re, like, a man?” or “You were a man?? I can’t even tell!”
Unfortunately, while cis people get the right and luxury of having a gender that’s completely non-debatable, there will always be some amount of “original gender” left in us, according to some less savvy cis people. We will never really be what we say we are, because our “biology” is the truth. I’m not even going to get into all the reasons why that’s wrong here. To me, it feels like I’m constantly having to assert my gender to “prove” to people that I am what I am. That mental exertion is exhausting. Why should I need to prove that I deserve basic human respect just because I know that I’m something that isn’t reflected in basic understandings of biology and psychology?
So, that’s why I want to be a dog. I don’t have to worry about getting a job (because it’s much more difficult for an LGBTQ person to get a job and be respected at it). I get to be super cute and nobody stays mad if I piss them off for some reason. Most importantly, though, I’ll have my basic rights respected and people will not only think of me as what I really am, but will fight other people tooth and nail to respect and validate my identity. They’d say I’m nonbinary as if they said 1+1=2. They’d say I’m a woman and it would feel the same to them if they said “the Earth is round.” Even though dogs have literally no concept of gender, people will rush to point out that their set of genitals doesn’t match what someone called them. However, cis people will literally do Olympic gold medal mental gymnastics to think of a bunch of excuses for misgendering someone/slipping up even after years of knowing what pronouns they should be using.
Photo by Andre Ouellet on Unsplash
Even before coming out, it was obvious that cis people were entrenched in and obsessed with gender. Instead of thinking of the obvious reason for why I acted more effeminately, grew my hair out, and even put on makeup and never referred to myself as a man, they’d literally do spy movie laser avoidance around the simple answer of me being trans. People would call me a “rockstar” or say I looked like a metalhead. They’d just say I was “sensitive” (which is true, but there’s always an implied “for a guy” after it), or basically would imply that I was at most cis and gay. I have literally said that I hate being tall, and when people responded that it’s good to be a tall guy, I would say “I know, that’s why I hate being tall.” I swear, I could have hit some of these people with a neon sign that said “I’m trans” and they’d say, “Ow, man! That’s not cool dude. Man up and apologize.” Instead of thinking, “Wow, this effeminate person who never refers to themself as a man and has literally said they hate being tall for its association with manhood probably isn’t a man,” people would just not understand that the possibility of my transness even existed.
Photo by Daniel Clay on Unsplash
So, where exactly am I going with this? Basically, because we’re so wired to assume cis-ness, trans people are often disregarded or just seen as a fake version of their gender. Everyone says trans people are so obsessed with gender, but are we the ones correcting people who call a dog with a penis “she”? Are we the ones burning down forests just to show people what genitals our baby is going to have? Are we the ones saying that a little blubbering male baby has a “girlfriend” and is a “lady-killer” when it doesn’t even have the ability of metacognition yet?
Basically, I’m just pissed off. At what, exactly, I’m not sure. Gender? Sex? The cultural understanding of gender? Dogs?? Not dogs, per se, but the frustration surrounding them is what really makes me angry. Nonbinary people will say, “Hey, I don’t feel comfortable with binary pronouns. My pronouns are they/them.” and their (well-meaning) cis friend will say “This is so-and-so, she uses they/them pronouns.”
Whether it’s cis people’s fault or not, trans people are often seen subconsciously and consciously as the gender that their appearance falls into the societal idea of. I can say I’m a woman all I want, or nonbinary or whatever, but if someone sees me as a man, they’ll most likely think I’m a man, even if they use the right pronouns. Having this subconscious idea in their head instead of trying to unlearn it as best as possible (I’m aware that it’s partially biological) causes slip-ups, and “slip-ups” can ruin our days, weeks, or even years if it’s really traumatic for some reason.
All I’m saying is that if I were a dog, people would just take a peek at the old undercarriage and say “oh, that’s a girl” or “that’s a boy” and I wouldn’t give a fuck! I’d just keep on wagging my tail, free from the social and mental consequences of society imposing a gender on me that I didn’t want. | https://medium.com/prismnpen/i-want-to-be-a-dog-2142f91587ac | ['Stella Luna', 'They She'] | 2020-11-17 09:17:10.501000+00:00 | ['Gender', 'LGBTQ', 'Transgender', 'Dogs', 'Creative Non Fiction'] |
Panasonic SoundSlayer review: This compact, gaming-focused soundbar packs a punch | If you’re looking for an easy, relatively inexpensive way to add punchy 3D audio to your gaming rig, look no further than the Panasonic SoundSlayer. Equipped with a built-in subwoofer and small enough to sit in front of your PC monitor, the 2.1-channel SoundSlayer supports Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and DTS Virtual:X sound, and it packs in surprisingly solid audio quality given its size.
Granted, the 17-inch, $300 SoundSlayer can’t deliver the expansive soundstage or precise height cues of a full-size soundbar with upfiring drivers, nor will its built-in woofer shake the room like a separate subwoofer can. The SoundSlayer also lacks Wi-Fi, which means no AirPlay 2, Chromecast, or voice assistant support. That said, the pint-sized SoundSlayer consistently punched above its weight in terms of audio quality, and because it’s so portable, it could even do double-duty in a (small) living room.
Design and configurationMeasuring just 17 x 2.06 x 5.25 inches, the Panasonic SoundSlayer is one of the smallest soundbars we’ve ever tested, although at four pounds it doesn’t feel chintzy. It’s also easy to see why Panasonic would opt for such a small housing, given that the SoundSlayer is meant to be plunked in front of a PC gaming monitor. When you’re done gaming, you could easily move the SoundSlayer over to the TV in your living room.
This review is part of TechHive’s coverage of the best soundbars, where you’ll find reviews of competing products, plus a buyer’s guide to the features you should consider when shopping.
At just a hair over two inches in height, the SoundSlayer fit nicely in front of my low-slung, 55-inch LG C9 OLED without blocking the bottom edge of the screen. Unlike other soundbars, however, the SoundSlayer doesn’t come with mounting hardware or holes, so you won’t be able to mount it on a wall unless you devise a DIY solution.
The SoundSlayer is a 2.1-channel soundbar, with a 4 cm full-range cone and a 1.4 cm tweeter for each of the left and right channels. For low-frequency effects (the “.1” in the “2.1” configuration), the soundbar has a built-in, downfiring 8 cm woofer along with dual passive radiators. There isn’t a dedicated center driver for dialog (which would be surprising to find in a soundbar this small, and in this price range), but the SoundSlayer combines audio from the left and right channels to create a “phantom” center channel. Unlike some pricier soundbars, the SoundSlayer can’t be upgraded with wired or wireless surround speakers or a dedicated subwoofer.
The SoundSlayer joins a growing list of soundbars that use virtualization rather than upfiring drivers (which bounce sound off your ceiling) to deliver 3D audio effects, including height cues. For starters, the SoundSlayer supports DTS Virtual:X, a popular virtualization technology from DTS that can create surprisingly realistic 3D audio effects from as few as two drivers (the SoundSlayer has four front-firing drivers, but we’re still only talking two channels here). The soundbar also supports native Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio, which (similar to the DTS Virtual:X mode) deliver their surround and height effects via virtualization.
Granted, virtualized 3D sound isn’t as precise as 3D audio from upfiring drivers or—better yet—in-ceiling speakers. That said, not everyone has the time, inclination, or cash to install physical speakers in their ceilings. And when it comes to upfiring drivers that bounce sound off your ceiling, the effect will be greatly diminished if your ceiling is too high, too short, or (worst of all) vaulted, and sound-absorbing ceilings tiles are no-nos, too. In other words, virtual 3D audio might be the best choice for those on tight budgets, or if you have ceilings that weren’t designed with upfiring speakers in mind.
Inputs and outputsThe Panasonic SoundSlayer has only a limited number of ports. On the HDMI side, there’s a single HDMI input and an HDMI output that doubles as an HDMI-ARC (or “Audio Return Channel”) port. You also get an optical (Toslink) input, plus a USB Type-A port that’s only for firmware updates.
Ben Patterson/IDG The Panasonic SoundSlayer comes with an HDMI-ARC port, a single HDMI input, and an optical (Toslink) input.
Now, there are a few different ways to go in terms of connecting the SoundSlayer to your gaming rig. If, for example, you want to use the SoundSlayer with a game console connected to your TV, you could connect the console and your other video sources to your TV’s HDMI inputs, and then connect the SoundSlayer’s HDMI-ARC port to your TV’s matching HDMI-ARC port. Doing so makes it easy to switch between multiple video inputs without having to swap cables, given that the SoundSlayer has only one HDMI input.
The downside of such a setup is that the SoundSlayer’s HDMI-ARC port doesn’t support eARC, an “enhanced” version of ARC that can handle lossless audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. The lack of eARC support only matters if you care about the lossless audio tracks on Blu-ray discs, which you can play on current- and next-gen PlayStation and Xbox consoles equipped with optical drives. It’s also worth noting that we’ve never seen a soundbar in the SoundSlayer’s price range that does support eARC, or at least not yet. (Your TV would also need to support eARC, by the way.)
Another setup option would be to connect the SoundSlayer’s sole HDMI input to your video source (such as your PC’s video card), and then connecting the soundbar’s HDMI output to your TV or PC monitor. The SoundSlayer supports 4K/60Hz HDR passthrough (albeit only vanilla HDR10, not HDR10+ or Dolby Vision), and if you did want to play Blu-rays on a video source connected to the SoundSlayer’s HDMI input, lossless audio wouldn’t be a problem. That said, if you wanted to switch video sources on the SoundSlayer while using it in passthrough mode, you’d have to swap cables in the soundbar’s single HDMI input or use a third-party HDMI switcher.
Buttons, indicator lights, and remoteThe SoundSlayer has only a few buttons on its shell, including power, volume up/down, and input select buttons. All four of those buttons sit on the right side of the soundbar.
The SoundSlayer’s remote is a small, simple affair, including a large volume rocker and prominent buttons for power, mute, input select, Bluetooth pairing, and the soundbar’s various audio modes (which we’ll cover momentarily). There’s also a “3D Surround” button that enables DTS Virtual:X processing for non-3D audio content, as well as a “CLR Dialog” button that activates the soundbar’s dialog-enhancing mode. Unsurprisingly, the remote isn’t backlit, but the logical layout of the buttons along with the fact that there’s only a few of them makes the remote easy to use in the dark.
Ben Patterson/IDG The SoundSlayer’s small, simple remote is easy to figure out in the dark.
Just above the fabric-covered front of the SoundSlayer and beneath the lip of its rectangular housing is a series of four multicolor LEDs that tell you the current status of the soundbar as well as its volume level. For instance, the “3D SRND” and “GN-Game/AV or-TV” indicators will glow in different combinations of orange or green depending on which of the three game audio modes (which, again, we’ll describe momentarily) are available.
Features and audio modesThe SoundSlayer comes equipped with three audio modes that will sound familiar to most home theater users, including Standard, Music, and Cinema. Pretty standard stuff.
The centerpiece of the SoundSlayer’s audio modes is its Game mode, which actually comes in three variants: one for first-person shooters designed to emphasize “accurate location audio” to help you pinpoint footsteps and other “subtle” sounds; a second mode for “adventure” games that enhances voices; and a third mode for role-playing games that (with help from Final Fantasy developer Square Enix) was specifically designed for Final Fantasy XIV Online. How do those gaming modes sound? We’ll tackle that in the Performance section, so stay tuned.
The SoundSlayer doesn’t support Wi-Fi, which means no AirPlay 2 or Chromecast support, nor does it support Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri voice commands. That said, you can stream music to the soundbar via Bluetooth.
Ben Patterson/IDG Buttons for power, volume up/down, and input select are on the right side of the soundbar.
The SoundSlayer is designed to automatically switch itself to standby mode if it doesn’t detect an audio signal for 20 minutes, a feature that can make your PC monitor flicker momentarily if you’re using the soundbar in 4K passthrough mode and you haven’t been playing games or music for awhile. Luckily, you can turn the auto-standby feature off by pressing and holding the volume-up and subwoofer volume-down buttons on the remote for four seconds.
PerformanceSince the compact SoundSlayer was designed to be moved from one room to another, I tested it in three settings: in my office, sitting in front of a 4K monitor and connected to my custom-built PC; in my dining room, hooked up to an Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop; and in my entertainment room, connected to my 55-inch LG C9 TV via ARC. For games, I switch around between a few of my favorites, including Destiny 2, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and No Man’s Sky. And given that the SoundSlayer’s RPG mode was specifically designed for Final Fantasy XIV, I dabbled in that MMORPG (which I haven’t played in years) as well.
Now, I’m used to playing PC games either with a pair of powered Mackie CR3 bookshelf speakers, or with the Nitro 5’s DTS:X Ultra-enabled laptop speakers. Needless to say, the SoundSlayer blew away the Nitro’s tiny drivers, but it also did a nice job compared to my Mackie speakers, pumping out rich, detailed sound and impressively punchy base for a compact, all-in-one soundbar. With DTS Virtual:X sound enabled, the SoundSlayer delivered a surprisingly wide soundstage for such a narrow soundbar, and while height cues were fairly subtle, I didn’t hear any of the harshness that too often accompanies virtualized 3D audio.
I found that the SoundSlayer’s RPG audio mode offered the most encompassing soundstage, and as promised, Final Fantasy’s XIV’s glorious soundtrack and layered acoustic effects sounded ravishing. Rolling a fresh character for the trip to the pirate port of Limsa Lominsa, the frigate creaked realistically around me (more on the sides than the rear, which is typical for 2.1-channel soundbars with virtual 3D audio), as did the booming, crashing cannonballs fired by marauding pirates.
For the SoundSlayer’s first-person shooter mode, I turned to Destiny 2, a game that I’ve sunk more hours into than I care to admit. Running a series of Vanguard strikes on my Warlock, I found that the soundbar’s FPS audio mode had a considerably tighter soundstage, although (and as advertised) sound placement felt more accurate—so yes, that’s helpful for those times when a stealthy Psion is trying to flank you. I also liked the deep, solid pops of exploding fusion grenades, the satisfying cracks of my Night Watch scout rifle, and the sizzling thwonk of my electrified Trinity Ghoul bow.
To take the SoundSlayer’s dialog-focused “adventure” sound mode for a test drive, I logged into Star Wars: The Old Republic, an MMORPG known for its fully voiced interactions with NPCs. “Adventure” mode boasts a soundstage that sits somewhere between the SoundSlayer’s RPG and FPS modes, and dialog does indeed get a substantial boost, although I generally preferred the more balanced and expansive RPG sound mode while I played SWTOR.
Of course, the SoundSlayer isn’t just for gaming. Hooking it up to my LG C9 TV and tossing in the UHD Blu-ray for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (yes, I was in a Star Wars kind of mood), I teed up the chase scene between the Millennium Falcon and a trio of Imperial Star Destroyers. Remastered for Dolby Atmos, Empire’s soundtrack now features plenty of height cues, and I could hear hints of them as the Star Destroyers crashed into each other and when circuits were fizzling in the Falcon’s cockpit. The SoundSlayer also punched above its weight with its wider than expected soundstage, and the built-in subwoofer handled the Falcon’s deep, roaring engines with impressive finesse. But while the SoundSlayer was a big step up from my LG C9’s built-in speakers, it (quite naturally) can’t compete with the 5.1.2-channel speaker setup I typically use in my living room.
Finally, I queued up some Spotify tunes (I streamed them on the Nitro 5 with the soundbar connected via HDMI), and I found myself thoroughly enjoying some Brahms violin sonatas, something I wouldn’t normally imagine listening to on a gaming soundbar. Ditto for the title track of Bruce Springsteen’s The Ghost of Tom Joad, with Bruce’s spare vocals sounding surprisingly clean and alive, while Ciara’s “Level Up” was punctuated by tight, crisp bass.
Bottom lineNo, there’s no Wi-Fi support, nor can you upgrade this all-in-one soundbar with additional speakers. That said, the gaming-centric Panasonic SoundSlayer manages to crank out surprisingly impressive audio from its compact shell, making it an easy and affordable way to upgrade the sound on your PC, and it can even hold its own in a small living room.
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/@jackie78388545/panasonic-soundslayer-review-this-compact-gaming-focused-soundbar-packs-a-punch-b967c5f67ced | [] | 2020-11-30 20:25:46.593000+00:00 | ['Consumer Electronics', 'Chargers', 'Mobile', 'Home Theater'] |
Standing Out Digitally: Meaning Wins Out Over More | Across the world, people no longer want MORE. Instead, they want meaning. There is a deep need to make real connections to real people. The way to stand out digitally is to stand for your passion and your purpose.
The first step is to really think about what you care about deeply, what is your particular mission to make a difference in the world. We all have a mission. It’s inside you right now. When you are aligned to your mission, you feel joyful and fulfilled. The way to unlock your mission is to listen to your heart: what does it say it wants to change?
Here are some of the answers from Your Real Power is You Coaching Members:
Act as an advocate against bullying in schools
Make women feel empowered in bed
Protect the world’s waters
Show people how to live with passion and purpose
All of my coaching members felt they had a mission inside them, but they could not work out exactly what the mission was. The 2 key reasons why they could not work out their mission was because they had not given themselves the time to sit down, to ask themselves what they felt deeply passionate about and to go through the process to uncover that.
You can start this process at home, by taking an hour an afternoon or a day over this month, to take quiet time for yourself, to go within and ask ‘what have I done in my past that I cared deeply about? What am I doing now that I care deeply about? And what do I want to do in my future that I care deeply about?’ Then align your past, present, an | https://medium.com/@mscareergirls/standing-out-digitally-meaning-wins-out-over-more-e289a4bc59e3 | ['Ms Career Girl Blog'] | 2020-12-22 18:50:08.690000+00:00 | ['Purpose', 'Findingyourpurpose'] |
UX/UI BOOTCAMP: DESIGN PRACTICE WITH SKETCH | The challenge
Get comfortable with the Sketch software and tools by selecting an app of your liking and learn design software by trying to mimic its look-and-feel.
In order to start understanding Sketch the assignment was to copy 5 screens of any app we enjoy. I have chosen “En voiture Simone” an app that I should use every day.
Sketch is a vector drawing application intended for screen design which has become the go-to software for user interface design. There are other software Figma, Adobe XD, and InVision Studio.
Screenshot 1
On the left the original & on the right the mimiced one
Screenshot 2
On the left the original & on the right the mimiced one
Screenshot 3
On the left the original & on the right the mimiced one
Instead of downloading icons from the Noun Project, I tried to redesign them as much as I could. For the one who were too complicated to reproduce I used free icon websites. With regards to typography, I noticed that the typefaces offered by Sketch did not always match the one (used by the company) specifically needed.
Conclusion
I’m a complete beginner with any graphic tool. I’ve found copying a very good exercise. It’s satisfactory even if the result is not perfect. But with more practice, I guess it could be better and faster.
Special thanks to the nounproject and flaticon for some of the icons.
Thanks for reading me ! | https://medium.com/@brodin.camille/ux-ui-bootcamp-design-practice-with-sketch-a27c0a4beef2 | ['Camille Brodin'] | 2020-03-10 14:53:53.400000+00:00 | ['Ironhack Prework', 'Sketch', 'Design Process', 'UX Design'] |
Negative effects of social media on people | Social media is a wide place that creates opportunities for multiple entities. But how different professionals use different social entities counts for the prosperity of their careers in the future. Nevertheless, social media is highly useful when counting down the platforms for individual engagement. At one time where it provides a platform for people all over the world to connect and share, it is, at the same time, capable of destroying the very reason it was created to. The folks at theory51.com attempt to debunk and identify false information particularly where conspiracies are concerned.
But how does it work?
Having a proper understanding of how social media system works, how social media platforms allow the users to broadcast their messages effectively and how digital content can improve the marketing of a particular business or a campaign is very essential in the modern tech world. But that is not always the case in the hands of people. Social media is being used both positively and negatively, but which one is more common, that’s up to every individual who uses it for both purposes.
Many organisations have been using social media to excel in their everyday business that includes selling products and further contact with customers but at the same time, this technique might not be the best thing on the planet. It also possesses a darker yet risky aspect to the people. Information, whether correct or not, can bear real damage to others. Social media is not only limited to information, rather it’s a whole visual experience where individuals connect with each other from different areas of the world and unite.
I just can’t stop checking my phone!
The first and foremost thing that social media requires is time management and once it is achieved, you might be off a little worry. Even when people are at work, they are constantly checking their social media accounts. That is where bad time management comes in place. People are not aware of how these things destroy their effective time routine. They are addicted to check their social media account, whether on phone or laptop every once in a 15 to 30 minute time period. The reason behind this constant check would be sometimes, the boredom of work or maybe they are just annoyed. The initial focus of an individual is lost whenever a social media account is opened and re-focus takes a lot of time. People hiding behind social media accounts are often not performing well in their office environment.
So, how does it affect me?
Many mental health problems arise with social media impact too. The professionals are aware that it deeply affects the minds of individuals and they are very much concerned as well. They are aware of the fact that these constant interactions with social media accounts are contributing to very short spans of attention. These professionals have also reported that people who regularly use Facebook, Instagram and many other social media platforms like WhatsApp are having higher levels of stress. These stress levels are also contributing to low work output by the employees. So, apart from wasting time over social media, work output is also being affected in other ways too. Employees who ponder over the use of social media also proved to be more productive and have better relationships with other co-workers and customers. These platforms are not only affecting the mental health, but a little physical torture takes part as well.
Apart from worse time management and mental/physical health problems, social media is also responsible for spreading false information and very much alike. The fake news has made a commonplace in the minds of many customers and clients as well. The truth is always hidden over these platforms. False and misleading information is present over many social media platforms than there is over the television media. These fake news can very much damage the reputation of a renowned brand and can harm their reputation in a very particular way if not taken care of. Even loyal customers are sometimes affected by these fake persuasions.
One of the main ideas behind the fake news spreaders is fake online reviews. Because of social media, people rely highly on online reviews. Many platforms such as Facebook tracks these reviews and keeps a record of each and every person rating them so that others can have a little benefit in choosing their shopping or eating area. This highly affects the business of many people and is, therefore, a big deal. Some of these reviews are highly fake and they either praise or degrade a business making them vulnerable to business ending threats. This trend negatively affects a lot of organisations. If something inappropriate goes viral because of an uneducated or unethical employee who has some other things in mind, then it can possess a much bigger threat to the business and may result in huge losses. Safety of certain foods and treatments is also compromised when they are exposed to such threats over social media. Many users spread misinformation to make their own organisation better.
Then there’s bullying…
Many people using the social media become the victims of cyber-bullying as well. Especially young people who are prone to be bullied online are targeted, very often, by their fellow co-workers. These types of bullying include private threats over SMS, inappropriate public comments and manipulated pictures of individuals that were not targeted towards the very reason they were captured. Many young people become the victim of stress and mental health problems such as depression and anxiety because of these bullying standards. This, in turn, affects their performance in academic as well as physically. Many workplace tensions are created because of this cyber posed threats.
Many controversial topics are shared over these platforms which might create tension in a greater circle which the individual might not be aware of. This can potentially create hypertension politically on a much larger level and can also cause extremism as well. Pictures and videos that are shared over these platforms may often contain blood, gore, and violence which can alter the minds of multiple individuals and can further lead to increased stress levels. So, it can be concluded that social networks have negative effects on the personal and professional life of users. | https://medium.com/@theory51/negative-effects-of-social-media-on-people-66fab5d1fe2b | [] | 2019-04-04 21:18:38.266000+00:00 | ['Conspiracy Theories', 'Social Media'] |
Valhalla 2021 Review | While we look forward to the new year and the future of our project, we believe it’s also important to reflect on the previous year and where we have come from.
Valhalla was launched in May as a community coin with no team, no roadmap, no leadership and no LP. Alex and I picked up the challenge and started to build a team and utility around the coin. As the market faltered in the summer, planning continued and a strategy to relaunch the coin with a new contract, dev team, improved tokenomics, and a utility already in production, built entirely from volunteer efforts.
We have been consistently amazed by the support of the community and this is part of what drives us to keep pushing forward to Valhalla. This has come in multiple forms, be it defense of the project in our telegram and elsewhere, to the DMs that we get, to the diamond hands who have been holding since day 1.
For the presale and initial launch we completed the following
Pre-launch Website and Whitepaper overhaul
AMAs in Crypto Ballers, Rudes Lounge Zero to Hero, Phoenix Holdings, Coin Launch
Lounge, and a large one in our own channel.
We were pinned in many groups, including very large groups such as the Shampoo Lounge and Saiyan Signal
Valhalla was included in all major launch listings.
Multiple Tweets from influencers including Crypto Maestro.
Ads ran through large crypto ad platforms through (Coinzilla & Pushground)
Due to unfortunate market timing we ended up launching into a red market, due to this and in order to maximise the effectiveness of our marketing budget we have not marketed heavily during this time period. However we have continued working diligently in the background.
It was raised that our whitepaper and website made us look like a charity token, while we support charity we are very much a utility token, and to reflect this the white paper has been re-written to better push our use cases, and the website is in the process of some heavy updating, some of which has already been implemented such as the gitbook integration to create a Valhalla Wiki. Upcoming changes are a full website redesign to make the information displayed clearer to new users, integration of the rewards dashboard, a swapper so users can purchase VLH directly through the website, and Medium blog integration.
We are also currently in discussion with multiple staking platforms, to create staking options, these options will include, staking to earn additional VLH while continue to gain your bUSD rewards, staking to earn both VLH and a partner token while continue to claim bUSD rewards, staking your VLH and sacrificing your bUSD rewards in order to earn additional VLH tax free through an automated buy-back feature (this will be a great option for those who maybe hold only a small amount of token and want to quickly increase their VLH bags). We are also considering the options of listing the token with other LP pairs such as FEG.
As part of the updating of Valhalla’s marketing we spoke to an SEO expert who has given us some valuable advice on how best to reach certain markets and also improve our visibility on sites such as google and twitter, you will see this start to roll out with the website and whitepaper updates.
As we move closer to the new year we are already starting to see the market improve, and we are aligning our marketing to make use of the next bull run.
Starting this off was an AMA on the 29th of December with RedlightTokenDistrict.
We are also in talks with a well know influencer for an AMA in their group in January, with plans currently being discussed with two airdrop tokens — one very well known for their shilling. These airdrops will help us in multiple aspects, first with the awareness that we will gain from those groups but also by increasing our holder count, which is an important listing criteria for sites such as trust wallet. We will also be doing our first token buy back from the whale wallets to go into the staking pools, which will give the token a noticeable price increase, and improve the APY for our staking pools.
Coin tracking applications are currently underway, with the most common platforms and a few less common ones too, currently we are working on the following applications, CMC, CG, NOMEX, crypto.com and the Safemoon wallet. We are now listed on WatcherGuru, https://watcher.guru/coin/valhalla, and awaiting confirmation for listing on a Chinese voting platform https://cntoken.io/.
I believe that covers the majority of what we have going on right now, however as we move into the new year it’s important to consider our long term visions.
Valhalla aims to become a conversion point for new users into DeFi, this starts with our initial use cases of our Tutorial Hub and Wallet trackers, alongside implementing direct buy features into the site so they will be able to convert fiat into both BNB and VLH. However our plans extend much further beyond that, with the addition of an NFT platform and a Token IDO LaunchPad we will be moving towards a single point of call for new users to learn about DeFi, purchase NFTs and get access to safe vetted tokens, while being provided the knowledge and tools to track their investments and make educated decisions. Long term our aim is to become the only site users will need to find new calls, this would mean providing access to data scraped from sites such as CMC and Pancake Swap to find new listings and top trending tokens, implementing our own charting tools, and expanding Valhalla across multiple chains.
We are excited for the future of Valhalla and look forward to everyone taking this journey with us.
Happy Holidays
From Valhalla Token | https://medium.com/@valhallatokenofficial/valhalla-2021-review-afb9c6866124 | ['Valhalla Token'] | 2021-12-30 20:43:59.603000+00:00 | ['Cryptocurrency', 'Bsc', 'Defi'] |
Why White Supremacy Is Always Winning | Trump supporters protesting his election loss in DC (Julio Cortez for AP)
Donald Trump, a New York bred, real estate mogul and former reality TV star, who ironically popularized the catchy phrase “You’re Fired!” after saying it countless times on his hit show The Apprentice, has recently suffered the sting of defeat on a much larger stage than the studio lot, where he filmed his celebrity-infused vehicle.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been about a month since the most prolific presidential election of our lifetime, and while we’ve been assured that the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden, and his historic pick for Vice President, Kamala Harris, will be taking over the reins of government on January 20, 2021, the weeks leading up to the highly-anticipated inauguration will be stormier than the seasonal Nor’easter.
Trump is determined to spend his last days as Terrorizer-in-Chief, by infuriatingly personalizing that branded title without skipping opportunities to continuously desecrate an already fragile democracy, while maintaining his treasonous stance of elevating his active threats to our national security.
The unsightly ascension of a white nationalist, who secured the highest office in the land on the fervent prayers of white evangelism, came on the heels of an existing Black president. Obama’s historic anointing as the first of his kind to take up residence in The White House, with a Black First Lady and Black First Daughters, was supposed to be the progressive signal to a world giddy with envy.
But the Obama years provided ammunition to conservative media and far-right political strategists, who were hooked on Trump’s frequent tweets, that mercilessly attacked the every move of a sitting Black president, and also loudly raised questions about his heritage, as the son of a Kenyan father with a name that’s considered un-American in white America.
The birther conspiracy was permitted to gain steam and take on a life of its own with even Melania Trump of all people chiming in with her random appearance as a guest on The Joy Behar Show in 2011, where she stupidly made a case for why an American-born President should produce his birth certificate to prove his Americanness.
Fast forward to 2:24 mark
Melania wasn’t even born in the States, and while it’s not appropriate to call attention to her thick Slovenian accent, despite being in this country for as long as she has, and gaining her U.S. citizenship in 2006, it’s hard not to recognize the blatant hypocrisy and outright racism of a privileged white woman, who is somehow entitled to claim her “Americanness” solely based on her whiteness.
Imagine a Black First Lady with a thick Nigerian accent, and how she would be relentlessly ridiculed and degraded for not being refined enough to adopt the American accent as the representative of the country she claims.
President Barack Obama did indeed oblige the nonsensical request to showcase proof of his citizenship, and his ability to gracefully rise above the tyranny of the disgraceful GOP, headed by the grossness of GOP leader Senator Mitch McConnell and his goonies, not excluding fellow undercover klansman, and former House Speaker John Boehner, is truly laudable, but it did nothing to assuage the spreading virus of Trumpism.
Not too long ago, McConnell smugly confessed to Fox News henchman, Sean Hannity about the great pleasure he took in making the last years of Obama’s presidency with a hellish cycle of roadblocks.
The torture led to vetoed federal judge nominees, and of course derailed Obama’s Supreme Court pick, Merrick Garland. The Senate Majority Leader’s demonic posture while taking full credit for his successful quest to demean and obstruct the noble quests of a Black president is a bone-chilling illustration of what white supremacy has historically manifested.
Celebrated thugs and seasoned criminals, Roger Stone and Steve Bannon chose the right asshole for the job of molding the abhorrent traits of a conniving salesman, who was poised to be “The Great White Hope” for so-called disenfranchised blue-collar, white folks in Middle-America, who were frightened by the reality of their imminent extinction.
We are meant to be believe that enduring eight years of the Black First Family in The White House was the last straw, and inevitably sowed the seed for a long-overdue revolution for white America, that had to be orchestrated by a sleazy, white male, who stole his riches, and was obnoxious enough to convert millions of voters to his stylized brand of normalized chaos and mayhem.
Trump winning the presidency over Hillary Clinton, who was unable to overcome publicly labeling the masses of Trumpsters as “deplorables” was meant to be the long, middle-finger to the profoundly inspirational national movement, that miraculously appointed a little-known, newly-minted Senator, on the rise, as the approved Commander-in-Chief.
The KKK-themed rallies where the presidential candidate reveled in his freedom to “Make America White Again” were the stand-up comedy specials were was anything but funny, when you consider the graphicness of insults applied to targeted groups and communities, that are always in danger, but now had to contend with the precariousness of accommodating an openly racist administration.
The problematic antics of the media-at-large also played a vital role in coddling and encouraging Trump’s signature moves, by recklessly playing both sides, so as to not assume the primary responsibilities of effectively and professionally diagnosing the early stages of a serious disease that can’t be allowed to advance into terminal status.
Fast forward to four years later, and the very worst has been realized with endorsed crimes against humanity with the migrant crisis, the activation of white terrorism that began with Trump’s thumbs up for the horrors of Charlottesville, and subsequent events that have led to a rapid spike in hate crimes.
And now a rogue administrations’s botched response to a global pandemic, that has dealt an unforgiving blow to millions of hapless Americans.
2020 has been the most traumatic year of our lifetime, and as the deadliness of COVIF-19 continues to show no mercy after seven months of absolute terror with more than 250,000 Americans dead, there’s also the additional threat stemming from the militarized police, and the systemic violence and injustice that’s legally exacted on Black victims with the empowerment from white power in the highest level of government.
“America the beautiful” is nothing more than a myth, a fantastical lullaby that white Americans cling to for the purity of patriotism, that erases the blasphemous ancestral track record, that has been rearing its ugly head with new generations of hate, and the crimes that don’t get punished, due to the woefully biased judicial system.
Donald Trump, the petulant fraudster and longtime mobster, whose buffoonish temperament and egomaniacal tendencies eventually worked against his efforts to hijack a wearied nation, for another four years of maddening incompetency and permanent destabilization, is well aware of his epic loss, which is why he’s determined to exploit every second of his evaporating presidency.
Expectedly, news organizations both critics and enablers, are obsessively highlighting Trump’s daily output on the social media platform of his choice. And despite weaponizing his station to repeatedly break the rule and policies set forth by Twitter, the future felon, who will soon be tossed out on the White House Lawn is still able to aggressively circulate fake news and conspiracy theories to his inflamed base.
Trump’s euphoric grip on his rabid narcissism is spearheaded by the confirmation of his Messiah-like persona to more than 70 million cultists, who are wholly invested in the supremacy of their whiteness, and the supreme leader who made it the “American Way” for white folks to openly provoke Black folks, and then call 911 to declare their white victimhood, while basking in their privileged instigation.
The megaphone of a rogue administration, Fox News should take major credit for feeding the beast with 24/7 programming that’s dedicated to “all-things Trump.”
It’s pretty much the same for all mainstream media outlets, except for the distinction of how Rupert Murdoch’s giant mess is the true “enemy of the people,” thanks to the nefariousness of over-paid anchors, who are notable for their coerced narratives that mislead and heighten the national hysteria.
Trump loyalist and self-professed newsman, Sean Hannity pridefully boasted about how his notorious segment on Fox News, overloaded with concocted content that definitely does “follow its own path” to oblivion, isn’t even “vetted” for the benefit of his clueless viewers, who are drawn to whatever uplifts their supreme leader and reasserts their white power.
Tucker Carlson spends majority of his time anchoring far away from reality, while callously minimizing the acute threats of the Liar-in-Chief, who once shamefully proclaimed that more white people die at the hands of police brutality compared to Black targets. Trump said this less than a month after the brutal slaying of George Floyd by a white racist cop on the streets of Minnesota.
Carlson emphatically rejects the notion of white supremacy as the deadly virus that has been institutionalized to lawfully terrorize Black families and sustain the prison complex, as the thriving transaction it has been known to be for white-owned organizations. He insists that “white supremacy” is merely a political hoax that the left wields to invalidate and demonize Republicans and far-right outlets.
Donald Trump’s current status as the most dangerous man, not just in America, but the entire world was propelled by the insane amount of attention he received in the early days of his controversial political career, and the even brighter spotlight that he’s enjoying, in the last weeks of the worst presidency in history.
White supremacy is winning and that streak will not be interrupted after the Thug-in-Chief is relieved of the duties that he barely performed outside of delegation, frequent firings and incoherent news conferences.
Donald Trump has spent four long years distorting the national narrative, either with his impromptu rants on the South Lawn with the harassed press corps, trying but failing to keep up with his shenanigans or with the traitorous assistance of combative soldiers at the podium, pledging allegiance to their supreme leader with packaged lies, at the expense of the country they dishonor.
Obama was nearly perfect during his time in office, but even if he wasn’t blessed with the attributes that make him a memorably, great world leader, who strived for the best he could muster, there’s absolutely no way in hell, he could’ve survived being as ornery as his bigoted successor, who attempted to defame his historic win and vilify his Blackness.
White supremacy is winning because the white president, who is the worst to ever do it, is still basking in his unearned privileges with the enthusiastic help of the klansmen and klanswomen, embedded in high-powered positions in government, media and the judicial system.
A president-of-color exhibiting the same threatening behavior that Trump is lauded for by his racist constituents would’ve been forcibly removed in the heroic effort to deter the unimaginable and regain control of what was tragically out-of-order.
But Trump is a privileged white male, who will not stop fighting for white America and the white power that awarded him the presidency, and seamless access to the channels of authoritarianism, through his penchant to go viral every hour on the hour, and how that polarization will certainly gift him with the chance for a triumphant comeback in 2024.
The horror show starring Donald J. Trump has been renewed for several more seasons. The exhaustive court cases to condemn the election results that solidify his defeat, will carryover into the Biden/Harris administration, and the national conversation will stay focused on how a white supremacist and former Gangster-in-Chief is reigniting the white nationalism Trump will never stop reinforcing.
So, buckle up — the worst is still to come. | https://medium.com/@nilegirl/why-white-supremacy-is-always-winning-11dc0151a218 | ['Ezinne Ukoha'] | 2020-12-02 13:53:42.459000+00:00 | ['White Supremacy', 'Donald Trump', 'Election 2020', 'Media Criticism', 'Politics'] |
基礎知識-融資、融券 | in Both Sides of the Table | https://medium.com/%E5%8F%B0%E8%82%A1etf%E8%B3%87%E6%96%99%E7%A7%91%E5%AD%B8/%E5%9F%BA%E7%A4%8E%E7%9F%A5%E8%AD%98-%E8%9E%8D%E8%B3%87-%E8%9E%8D%E5%88%B8-e35cf8a0dcba | [] | 2019-01-09 09:35:20.176000+00:00 | ['Stock Market', 'Investing', 'Knowledge', 'Finance'] |
‘The Queen’s Gambit’ Made Me Remember Boris, the Best Chess Player I Ever Knew | ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ Made Me Remember Boris, the Best Chess Player I Ever Knew
Photo: sk/Unsplash
Shock. I was a member of the chess club. I joined when I entered junior high, which may have been the same year my father taught me how to play chess.
I have little to no memory of the matches played during those few years but have vivid memories of my battles with Boris.
Boris was ruthless, maniacal even. He’d taunt me and laugh at my paltry moves, and while he sometimes commended my smart ones, he’d often feign confidence when I caught him off guard, telling me, “I expected that.” Boris kept this green player honest, too, telling me when I’d made an “illegal move.” Boris was also lazy, telling me where to move his pieces on the board. Basically, playing Boris meant twice the work.
Boris was also a computer.
42 years ago, my father brought home Boris, one of the first consumer chess games. Billed as the first “Talking Chess Computer,” Boris was developed by Chafitz and named for the Russian Chess Grandmaster Boris Spassky.
“Talking” was a generous term. Instead of an anthropomorphic robot, Boris was housed in a cigar box-sized cherry wood chest. Inside, there were the small wooden chess pieces in a cubby on the right, a folding chess board stuffed into the lid, and, on the left, the computer. With its red LED single-line, ticker-style display that Boris “spoke” through and 16-character alphanumeric keyboard, Boris resembled an elegant calculator. The keypad, however, was crucial. It was the only way to enter your moves into the computer based on the board grid. Similarly, Boris’ moves were spit out as coordinates for the board.
And, so it went, back and forth with a computer that, while depending on the difficulty setting, could take quite a while to parse out every possible move, was almost unbeatable. Certainly, it was a challenge for a 13-year-old amateur.
Decades later, I traveled with a much smaller and significantly smarter computer chess game from Kasparov (developed with the help of Chess Champ Gary Kasparov). Instead of typing in coordinates, the board let me press my pieces into a pressure-sensitive board, and I moved the computer’s pieces based on the coordinates indicated by two red LED lights. I used to take it on flights until one day someone knocked the board out of my hands, sending tiny pieces flying all over the cabin. I never recovered them all.
I’ve been thinking a lot about Boris lately as I watch the utterly enthralling The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix, a limited series that traces the fictional career of a female chess prodigy and sometimes alcoholic and drug addict Beth Harmon played with credible intensity by Anya Taylor-Joy. Even my wife, who’s never played the game, finds the timed and speed chess matches exciting.
For me, it sparked a renewed interest in the game and its machinations. I resumed playing 10-minute matches on Chess.com’s app. It has a chat feature that, if you leave it open, allows your opponent to comment on your moves. After someone cursed at me, I turned that feature off. Boris would never curse at me. These days I split my time between playing real humans and the less salty computer, which is basically my iPhone.
https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/tak/met/belge-C-v-B00.html
https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/tak/met/belge-C-v-B01.html
https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/tak/met/belge-C-v-B02.html
https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/tak/met/belge-C-v-B03.html
https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/tak/met/belge-C-v-B04.html
https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/tak/met/en-vivo-hoy-v-es-es-1ecx10.html
https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/tak/met/en-vivo-hoy-v-es-es-1ecx11.html
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I’m not a particularly good player. My rating is, well, it’s not good enough to print here. I just don’t see the board the way I did when I was younger, but I am enjoying the thrill of a game.
From what I hear, The Queen’s Gambit is inspiring others to rejoin or pick up the game. I hope they’re not too upset that it’s not as exciting as Beth Harmon’s career.
As for my first chess computer, I played Boris obsessively for months, literally jumping for joy when I finally beat it and “Congratulations” ticked across the red display. That victory only made me want to play more and I did until the day Boris started speaking in gibberish. I killed the poor thing, but not my lifelong love of the game. | https://medium.com/@janifaharna8765/the-queens-gambit-made-me-remember-boris-the-best-chess-player-i-ever-knew-c7a54dc4f6d8 | [] | 2020-11-24 18:52:57.129000+00:00 | ['Gaming', 'Culture', 'Digital Life', 'Chess', 'Television'] |
No, My Children Are Not Mixed | “Dad, am I part Black or part Asian?” My son asked me that question while we stood in front of the bathroom mirror; I helped him brush his hair to get ready for bed. My son was in first or second grade at the time. It was an age-appropriate question.
I have always told my children that they are both Black and Asian. But I had not explained why that was true and why they aren’t mixed.
I stopped brushing his hair and gazed down at him in the mirror, considering how I would respond. “Well, I don’t know for sure,” I replied. “Can you show me what part of your body is Asian, and what part is Black?”
I am a big fan of using the Socratic method for answering the difficult questions kids sometimes ask. It works great for the not-so-difficult ones, too. For any age, you can also try, “Did you Google it?”
My son thought for a moment. He pulled up his pajama shirt to have a better look at himself. Then, he looked over his shoulder at me with the face he gives me when he’s figured out I’m playing a trick. His look said I’m not going to fall for that again.
I wasn’t trying to trick him. I was trying to prepare him to confront an issue he would deal with one way or another for the rest of his life.
I asked, “What is Daddy?” He said I was Black.
I asked, “What is Mommy?” And he said she was Asian. Then I asked him, “So, what does that make you?” He didn’t know the answer.
I explained to him that he would always be both Asian and Black. That he didn’t have to pick which he was. That all of him was Black. And all of him was Asian. No one could tell him he wasn’t Black enough or Asian enough unless he let them.
As the years go by, I make it a point to talk to my kids about race and racism the same way we discuss the latest Marvel movie: matter-of-factly. I also talk about sexism, gender identity, LGBTQ+ issues, poverty, drinking, sexting, and so on. Avoiding sensitive issues with kids leaves them vulnerable. At least, that’s my approach to parenting.
If I allowed the world to tell my kids they were mixed, I’d enable the idea that they don’t belong. Inaction would send the message that they don’t have a right to either racial identity. They don’t have a right to be like their dad or their mom. It would place them in a racial purgatory they could struggle with the rest of their life. I did.
Many of my ancestors are of multiple ethnic and racial backgrounds. The so-called mixing happened far back on my family tree, and all of my relatives only identify as Black.
But both of my parents identify as Black. My siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles all identify as Black. At least, I’ve never heard anyone in my family refer to themselves as anything but Black.
My grandfather was a chemist on a team that discovered two elements on the periodic table. Formal education had been my grandparents’ paths to financial security and how they created safety and opportunity for their children.
My grandparents’ formal education and their ability to effectively code-switch and assimilate into the dominant White culture made it possible for them to live a very comfortable life. Don’t get me wrong; my grandparents were Black as fuck, and proud of it. Though my family was more the Huxtables than the Evans, we were very Black and very proud.
I attended an affluent, predominantly White elementary school. My teachers were always White, and the majority of my friends were White or Asian. Most of the few Black kids I went to school with were related to me. In elementary school besides learning reading, writing, and arithmetic, I also learned to talk and, in many ways, act like an affluent White kid. It wasn’t until I got to middle school that the majority of students were people of color.
These kids (not just the Black ones) fluently spoke a different dialect of English than I did. In middle school, I could more or less code-switch (mostly less), but this is where my problem with my racial identity began. As far as many of these kids were concerned, I spoke White, acted White, and looked a little White. To them, I might as well be White or, maybe more accurately, I wasn’t Black like they were Black. They knew, and I knew, and we probably weren’t best friends because of it.
By the time I started high school, I willingly began to refer to myself as mixed, something I had picked up from my peers. In a way, it made logical sense. I wasn’t their idea of a Black kid, and I wasn’t White, so they decided I was mixed.
At the time, I fully accepted this conferred identity. With my acceptance came preparation (I’m a solid Type A). I was always prepared to list all the other ethnicities or races my ancestors had been if the topic came up. My great-grandmother on my mom’s side was Native American; my great grandmother on my dad’s side was Irish.
Everyone has the right to self-identify in whatever way feels right and authentic to them. But side-eye to the growing list of Rachel Dolezals out there.
When asked the crude, “So, what are you?” question, biracial acquaintances have told me it’s easier to reply with two syllables: “I’m mixed.” Imagine taking the time to list all of your ancestors’ ethnicities to a near stranger.
I have no regrets about having children with an Asian woman. That was the only way I would have been blessed with the two perfect little humans that call me Dad. I would be lying if I said it wasn’t challenging, or if I said I didn’t notice the side-eye some Black women gave me.
Some parents of biracial or multiethnic kids aren’t comfortable enough with their own identity to talk with their kids effectively about race and identity. They might even feel shame for being in (or having been in) a relationship with someone of a different race. If one parent is White, they might not have made peace with their privilege. Or worse, they haven’t admitted this privilege exists for them.
We should not try to pretend that all mixed people experience the world the same way. A mixed kid who presents as White (or mostly White) is going to experience the world differently than a mixed kid that doesn’t present as White (or mostly White).
You can not protect biracial Black kids from racism, bigotry, or police terror by calling them mixed. My light skin didn’t protect me. My light skin did not protect me from harsher treatment in elementary school. Being mixed didn’t protect me in middle school. It absolutely didn’t protect me in high school and college.
I know that I am treated better because my skin isn’t dark brown. But I’ve still been called a nigger (with the hard “r”) more than once. I’ve still been followed in stores. The police have pulled me over for driving while Black in a car that was “too nice” for me.
When I returned to finish my college degree, I was even asked, “Are you here on a basketball scholarship?” It didn’t matter that I was 35 with an undeniable dad bod.
The police brutalize multiracial, light-skinned, mixed, Black men and women (cis or trans), and gender-nonconforming folk just like those with darker tones. Calling someone mixed does not protect them from racism.
There is nothing wrong with being multiracial, but the word “mixed” obliterates identity without any gain. If I allow you to call my kids mixed, I’ve let you erase their mother and me from their life. I’ve allowed you to question further their right to be in this world. I’ve made it that much harder for them to resist the racism they will face.
For children of color, a strong sense of pride in their ethnic and racial identity has been shown conclusively to positively correlate with good life outcomes. Children of color who have a strong understanding of their ethnic and racial identity have fewer instances of depression, are less likely to use illegal drugs, attain more education (college and grad school), and live longer, happier lives.
Sometimes I regret that I didn’t call out my daughter’s adult cousin. I guess it was the right call at that time because I didn’t have the language to adequately explain what she was doing to my daughter and me. I have the words now. | https://level.medium.com/no-my-children-are-not-mixed-c5c0d3944be | ['The Single Black Guy'] | 2020-12-17 14:07:58.501000+00:00 | ['Biracial', 'Parenting', 'Race', 'Racism', 'Family'] |
How In-Mobile Coupons And Discount Deals Can Help With User Retention | Saving money is at the top of the priority list, with all the reasons consumers buy stuff. The desire to save is why discounted offers have become a greater part of running an eCommerce company successfully. Research shows that with a coupons, consumers spend 25 percent more money as without a coupons. There’s even a famous television show that keeps following as they buy hundreds of coupons goods.
Discounts are important for e-commerce because they encourage clients to take action. In reality, 48 percent of customers purchase a coupon earlier, and 37 percent of consumers purchase more than they usually would. Loyal customers constitute the key to any market. They not only define your firm’s investment return, but what tends to make your company thrive in the word of mouth promotion. Loyal customers identify the base position of the company, and this is what the businesses focus on and determine their potential strategies to attract new customers by examining current consumer buying patterns.
Loyalty reward programs
The truth is that incentive discount packages, or loyalty reward schemes allow the consumers to keep and return. So you can integrate that into your company, and win a lot of buyers’ attention.
Through rewarding customers for making a given purchase amount, you guarantee an improvement in your store’s increase in profits. In addition, consumers can also be given special rewards in the form of cash-back points.
Limited time offers
A limited-time deal is a discount available to consumers for a fixed period of time. You may limit the availability to a few days or hours, for instance. The intention is to get consumers to act by restricting access earlier rather than later. Reports show that younger are especially open to time-limited deals — 50 percent claim they find such deals attractive.
Limited-time deals, including on holidays, appear to pop up during product launches or special periods of the year. This strategy also works well to draw consumers who are taking their customer experience into consideration. They did the analysis and narrowed their choices down. Customers appreciate the value you are selling when customers land on your platform and see the deal, and they get what they really want, but with a discount.
Coupons For Reviews
Alright, if you sell some kind of products or services, then maybe you should know very well how valuable the input of your clients is to you. So why don’t you make the whole show more interesting? Just give them a coupon to provide valuable feedback that will bring them to be more and more open to you.
As a consequence, you’ll find out what people enjoy, and what they don’t enjoy about your shop and deals. That will help you create more educated choices and boost the reputation of your company.
Location-based discounts
When you see your consumer heading to a different location from the database, send him to move the update with relevant deals for that specific location. This comes to the consumers as an enjoyable surprise. There are many numerous smart markets that use beacons to deliver promo offers and coupons to customers based on location.
An increase of 5 percent in the retention rate will lead to a net profit of up to 125 percent. The target market is the god of every business, and we must worship them because they offer us what we receive from our business. Prime importance should be given to retaining customers!
Bottom line
Who are you waiting for, then? Only make your discount coupon plan flexible and insightful by pursuing the aforementioned ways and seeing your spike sales! We are sure within a short amount of time you’ll notice a difference. | https://medium.com/@niravdholiya93/how-in-mobile-coupons-and-discount-deals-can-help-with-user-retention-2acde58a49cb | [] | 2020-09-08 05:13:27.610000+00:00 | ['Mobile App Development', 'Discount', 'User Retention', 'Mobile Apps', 'Coupon'] |
New Starbucks partnership with Microsoft allows customers to pay for Frappuccinos with bitcoin | Photo by KTrade
【Publish by Sarah Whitten | Kate Rooney】
Starbucks is jumping on the cryptocurrency bandwagon.
The Seattle-based coffee giant is working with Microsoft and a leading global exchange on a new digital platform that will allow consumers to use bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies at Starbucks.
Starbucks along with Intercontinental Exchange, Microsoft and BCG, among others, is working to launch a new company called Bakkt that will enable consumers and institutions to buy, sell, store and spend cryptocurrencies on the global network by November. The platform with convert bitcoin and other cryptocoins into U.S. dollars that can be used to buy a Cold Foam Cascara Cold Brew, Matcha Lemonade or anything else at Starbucks.
“As the flagship retailer, Starbucks will play a pivotal role in developing practical, trusted and regulated applications for consumers to convert their digital assets into US dollars for use at Starbucks,” Maria Smith, vice president of partnerships and payments for Starbucks, said in a statement. “As a leader in Mobile Pay to our more than 15 million Starbucks Rewards members, Starbucks is committed to innovation for expanding payment options for our customers.”
Cryptocurrency skeptics have challenged its use for payments because of its volatility. Bitcoin for example, has dropped by roughly 50 percent this year, and its value often changes by hundreds of dollars in a single day.
But with Starbucks taking cryptocurrency seriously, it could help bitcoin break through as a mainstream currency. It could also be bullish for prices, which have struggled to find footing since the end of 2017.
“It’s very big news for bitcoin because people say, ‘Where can you spend it?’ Now at every single Starbucks,” said Brian Kelly, founder and CEO of BKCM. “Starbucks is seeing some kind of demand for acceptance of crypto and bitcoin, and to tie up with a huge regulated institution like the ICE is really positive for the space.”
Starbucks would not be the first retailer to accept digital assets. Overstock.com was the first to accept bitcoin in 2014. Expedia, Shopify and CheapAir have also said they accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment. | https://medium.com/ktrade/new-starbucks-partnership-with-microsoft-allows-customers-to-pay-for-frappuccinos-with-bitcoin-1945b80c973c | ['Statecraft Tech'] | 2018-10-24 09:27:47.696000+00:00 | ['Blockchain', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Starbucks', 'Bitcoin', 'News'] |
Abacá Is the Purple-Hued Ube Escapism San Francisco Needs | Abacá Is the Purple-Hued Ube Escapism San Francisco Needs
Abacá’s Ube Colada cocktail. (Photo: Courtesy of Instagram via @restaurantabaca/@melissademata
I’ll never forget first eating balut, the popular Filipino delicacy of a boiled, fertilized egg embryo eaten from the shell, which also shows up around Asia. At a table full of self-proclaimed “foodies,” mostly men, myself and one other woman were the only ones willing to even try it.
My egg was swimming in blood, the crunch of the bird embryo’s wings mixing with the bloody egg. Texture — and that little bird — was a struggle, yet the flavor evoked chicken and eggs, absolutely inoffensive. But enough to send vegans and animal rights activists screaming. A huge bird lover myself, it wasn’t an easy taste, but out of respect for culture and history, I’ll try any dish presented to me by chefs who have prepared it with care and context.
Abacá’s Ube Colada cocktail. (Photo Credit: Courtesy of Virginia Miller)
I remember just as clearly when I first tasted chef Francis Ang’s “deconstructed” balut, served from his Pinoy Heritage stand years ago at events like Undiscovered SF Filipino Night Market when it launched back in 2017 (it’s back this October). Chicharron-like bird skin held an almost whipped mound of egg, tobiko, and pickled red onion in a bite-sized serving that was much easier to handle than its root dish. It was also delicious.
Tasting Ang’s cooking over the years at Gary Danko and the long-defunct (but still fondly living in my memory) Fifth Floor, since 2014, Ang hit his stride crafting elevated Filipino cuisine. His Pinoy Heritage take-home, multi-course dinners, and collaboration with bartending great and fellow Filipino Kevin Diedrich of PCH (Pacific Cocktail Haven) and Kona’s Street Market was a bright spot in those initial dark months of the pandemic. So it was with more than a little anticipation I dined at Abacá in the new Kimpton Alton Hotel, which debuted August 16th from that same dynamic duo, serving Ang’s modern “Filipino-California” food alongside Diedrich’s cocktails.
My husband Dan and I decided a little staycation overnight on a quiet Monday at the Kimpton Alton was the right way to initially experience the restaurant. The hotel is a refreshing new oasis of the hip in the midst of blessedly old school, tourist-driven Fisherman’s Wharf. Artists were painting the colorful front patio mural during my stay. In-room, mini-Victrola record players, and three records in our nightstand drawer felt like an attempt at hipster hotel relevance akin to ever-overrated Ace Hotels, which I’ve stayed at in three cities but always feel are industrial, cold, sterile. Though Kimpton Alton rooms are somewhat plain with white walls and bed coverings, warmth exudes from dark blue carpet and headboards, plus chic accents of rose velvet or green-white floral chairs.
Views of the Wharf and Alcatraz further enhanced our room, with my Wharf “cheap eats” fave, The Codmother Fish & Chips food truck, in full view below. I was happy to see the Alton houses the only third wave coffee shop in the ‘hood for my morning espresso needs, though, to my dismay, their lobby cafe is closed Mondays and Tuesdays, leaving us with a basic pour of batched coffee.
Abacá’s sisig fried rice . (Photo: Courtesy of Virginia Miller)
But cruising down to dinner on Monday night — post-lobby wine happy hour — was no bummer. In fact, the place was hopping, packed, lively with tunes from the likes of hip-hop classic Paula Perry (Extra, Extra!!) or classic Filipino favorite, APO Hiking Society.
Under a heat lamp on the patio, we quickly got toasty, cooling down with cocktails. Filipino and overall Southeast Asian flavors hold sway, from calamansi to Diedrich’s pioneering, deft hand with pandan leaves. Initially tasting five of them, two stood out. The Ube-Colada was the most fun, melding the coconut, pineapple, tropical vibe of a Pina Colada with Appleton Estate Rum and ube (Filipino purple yam) in the form of ube-coconut cream. The result is a vibrant purple, lush, creamy, and crushable. My personal favorite is Local Word, a twist on the 1920’s classic Last Word cocktail, a showcase for herbaceous Green Chartreuse. Here, Chartreuse plays with Hendricks Gin, absinthe, pineapple, calamansi and bitters, delicately balanced but with a tart, tropical, herby kick.
As for the food… oh, my. This is chef Ang realized, even as he already was with those artful Pinoy Heritage tasting menus. But being take-home, one loses the plating and atmosphere experienced dining in. Where Pinoy dishes run a touch more refined, Abacá is no less refined yet feels playful, at times hearty, walking a fine line between upscale and contemporary with rustic, familial soulfulness.
Though Ang is a San Francisco native (lucky us), he spent formative years in the Philippines, where he and his wife, Dian, have frequently traveled and visited family. The 2013 typhoon left them stuck on the islands awhile where they worked feeding the community. Returning home to SF, they hosted a Filipino fundraising dinner, Francis’ first time cooking his heritage cuisine. This sparked their 2014 launch of the Pinoy Heritage pop-up after further months of food and ingredient research around the Philippines, which is a vast archipelago of roughly 7,640 islands.
Abacá’s longganisa pork sausage. (Photo: Courtesy of Virginia Miller)
Ang’s international cooking techniques and influences add layers to his dishes. Whispers of Italy hover over panzanella-esque heirloom tomato and K&J Orchards peach salad dotted with toasted croutons, over mung bean hummus, subtly tossed in tinapa, a smoked Filipino fish condiment.
From a section of “BBQ Sticks,” longganisa pork sausage called to me, served in Japanese tsukune-esque style (yakitori chicken meatball). Recalling tsukune presentation, it was not only on a skewer, but was dipped in a little bowl of egg yolk, soy, and rice cane vinegar. Similarly, the sausage is juicy, plump, in a diamond-like shape, garnished with puffed rice. I immediately wanted another. Ditto the pork steamed bun, which is not “just another bao.” It’s packed with sweet-savory, Filipino tocino-style bacon, black garlic and pineapple kimchi.
On the lighter side, salmon kinilaw is a silky, crudo-esque plate of raw salmon, pluots, preserved calamansi and avocado, scooped up with paper-thin taro chips. Entrees are shareable and generous, squid relleno (at $52) being among the most interesting. Picture a whole squid stuffed with chorizo, sliced up and accented with melon and calamansi aioli. While coconut milk-doused butternut squash dumplings and fermented XO bagoóng sauce scallop pancit noodles oozed comfort, it was umami-rich sisig fried rice, marked by chicharon, poached egg, and pickled onions that imparted the deepest comfort.
Silky corn cremeux, partnered with blueberries and Parmesan ice cream, is an appropriately light-yet-lush finish to a meal this creative but attached to its roots. Heading upstairs to bed was a welcome proposition after such a feast, the dining room glowing with tunes, buzz, conversation, memorable drinks and forward-thinking Filipino food the likes of which are tough to find in any American city.
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We dug into a greatest hits album from the aforementioned Filipino band, APO Hiking Society, quickly lulled to sleep by their easy listening 1980 hit, Ewan, while the fog gently rolled into the Bay outside our window. | https://thebolditalic.com/abac%C3%A1-is-the-purple-hued-ube-escapism-san-francisco-needs-c7f8c5077786 | ['Virginia Miller'] | 2021-09-17 16:03:36.001000+00:00 | ['San Francisco', 'Bay Area News', 'Food And Drink', 'Food Trends'] |
A Crocodile, an Infection, and the Bogus Guarantee of Incomparability — Priscilla Stuckey | As the pandemic wraths now through the heartland, I’m making a decent attempt to see in what capacity numerous individuals in this nation can be persuaded to such an extent that this Covid isn’t genuine — even a few people who are passing on of it. Perhaps you heard the meeting this week with a medical caretaker in South Dakota who says the a few patients would prefer to consider themselves to be having cellular breakdown in the lungs than Coronavirus. That is to say, cellular breakdown in the lungs!
The egotism of this position is staggering — as though people could direct the terms of the real world. Or on the other hand escape from being influenced by an infection. As though we could live external nature.
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It’s an unmistakable update that lowliness is a urgent expertise for making due here on Earth. Allow me to rehash: lowliness is an ingrained instinct.
This isn’t the way we generally consider endurance. We generally state that it has a place with the solid, the ones on top. Along these lines, since we find endurance in predominance, quite a bit of what Western culture trains individuals to do is to become aces — to succeed, to hook our way to the top. Furthermore, Western culture’s set of experiences is one of implementing strength — through separating individuals into social classes, through subjugating and attempting to kill those with brown complexion, through declaring authority over the Earth and misusing the Earth. These activities are steady with accepting that endurance relies upon matchless quality.
Yet, at that point along comes an infection — so little that it takes an electron magnifying instrument to see it, thus basic that researchers are isolated about whether it’s even alive. It’s simply a long strand of RNA with a slick coat that needs others to attack to additional its own reality.
What’s more, here our account of authority wavers.
Since we find we can be prey. What’s more, it comes as a tremendous stun when we’re accustomed to considering ourselves sitting at the highest point of the evolved way of life. Obviously we are being nibbled by mosquitoes and devoured by mircoorganisms constantly. However, we don’t really consider ourselves prey. It’s excessively lowering.
I recall the scholar Val Plumwood’s celebrated story of being assaulted by a crocodile. She was paddling in the backwaters of Australia when a sign in the stream turned out not to be a log by any means. It was a crocodile, and the crocodile was watching her with eyes of spotted gold. At that point the crocodile assaulted, knocking her kayak until Plumwood had to leap to land. However, at the exact instant she hopped, the crocodile held onto her between the legs and conveyed her, as she composed later, “into the stifling wet dimness.”
Crocodiles spin their prey in a demise roll and afterward hold them submerged until they suffocate, and this is the thing that the crocodile did to Plumwood, holding her under until she was certain she was no more. Yet, ultimately, her head broke water and she swallowed air. So the crocodile took her under again into another move of dread. At last she again surfaced. This time she got a branch and stressed to haul herself out of the water. However, the crocodile held onto her again and spun her under the water a third time.
At last this demise roll finished as well, and Plumwood got some grass on the sloppy bank and with sheer adrenaline pulled herself far up into the clouds from the crocodile’s jaws. In any case, at that point she needed to tie up her spiked fragile living creature and by one way or another discover help. She limped through the shrubbery for quite a long time, at last passing out and slithering the remainder of the route toward salvage.
Later she composed of the loathsomeness we feel at the possibility that we may be nourishment for other people. Consider how we keep worms in the ground from separating our bodies after death: first the preserving, at that point a steel casket, at that point setting that final resting place in a vault of cement. We pull out all the stops in separating ourselves from the individuals who might pick up sustenance from us. Plumwood expressed, “We may every day devour different creatures by the billions, yet we ourselves can’t be nourishment for worms and positively not meat for crocodiles.”
Considering herself to be meat changed Plumwood’s life until the end of time. Before the crocodile assault, she composed, she saw life as though “from within,” as though she were the focal character in a story that spun around her own continuation. We as a whole do this, she stated, approaching living as though the Earth exists to keep our human selves proceeding at the focal point of its storyline. Be that as it may, it’s a perilous hallucination. What’s more, if that picture of ourselves unexpectedly breaks, she added, “the brain can promptly manufacture terminal uncertainty of lavish extents: This isn’t generally occurring. This is a bad dream from which I will before long alert. “
For her situation, she stated, “this edgy hallucination split separated as I hit the water. In that streak, I witnessed the world unexpectedly ‘from an external perspective.’” She saw herself from the perspective of the crocodile. Abruptly she was not, at this point the focal character on the planet’s story, the one at the top who eats others however can never be eaten by them.
Plumwood discovered that she was prey. We are prey. We are not independent from the widespread dining experience — and we unquestionably are not the experts of that feast, as we like to think.
At the point when I rehash Plumwood’s words this week I heard them repeated in the withering Coronavirus patients who reject that the infection is genuine. The medical attendant in South Dakota stated, “Their last biting the dust words are, ‘This can’t be occurring. It’s not genuine.’” For these patients, the “urgent dream,” as Plumwood called it, has not yet broken, not even as they face passing.
What can represent this degree of hallucination? Considering oneself to be fundamental to the world story has a lot to do with it. As such, hubris. Egotism. However, notwithstanding viewing ourselves as incomparable over all the Earth, there is one more sort of incomparability at work among the Coronavirus deniers, and that matchless quality is whiteness.
I invested some energy this week with Jonathan Metzl’s book Passing on of Whiteness, distributed a year ago. Metzl is an educator of psychiatry and human science at Vanderbilt, and he explores general wellbeing. He examined three states in the heartland where white kickback made help for approaches that harmed general wellbeing in those states, including the strength of white individuals. For instance, his home territory of Tennessee decided not to execute the Moderate Consideration Act, so that while general wellbeing improved in the neighboring province of Kentucky, which sanctioned the ACA, general wellbeing in Tennessee, particularly of more unfortunate white individuals, endured by correlation.
Furthermore, those equivalent lower-pay individuals upheld the awful approach. Metzl talked with one man named Trevor, who was dying in some horrible, nightmarish way of liver disappointment. As Trevor put it, “Ain’t no chance I could actually uphold Obamacare or pursue it. I would prefer to kick the bucket.” When inquired as to why, Trevor stated, “We needn’t bother with any greater government in our lives. What’s more, regardless, no chance I need my assessment dollars paying for Mexicans or government assistance sovereigns.”
These are chilling words. Trevor was eager to kick the bucket to shield ethnic minorities from taking assets that he considered as having a place with white individuals. He was kicking the bucket, essentially, for the incomparability of whiteness.
Metzl says he met numerous individuals with Trevor’s perspectives, individuals ready to submit what he calls “political demonstrations of self-damage” to ensure whiteness. In a sentence that sounds prophetic from a book that came out a year prior Coronavirus, Metzl composed that his exploration demonstrated that “Trump allies were happy to risk their lives on the side of their political convictions.” And those convictions were powered by white hatred — basically, the dread that whiteness may presently don’t rule.
So the more profound issue here, Metzl says, isn’t singular bigotry among individuals like Trevor, it’s that racial hatred is the driver behind laws and arrangements ordered to keep whiteness at the focal point of the storyline. It’s prejudice heated in to administration.
What’s more, it’s what Metzl calls “the bogus guarantee of incomparability.” Since matchless quality is maladaptive. It doesn’t prompt great choices or great results. Through the tale of “whiteness as preeminent,” we have significantly jeopardized the strength of society and of the planet overall. For by partitioning ourselves into two camps, white and other, we follow the dream that our destinies are isolated.
In all actuality we ride in a similar Earth boat, and the possibility that some are meriting and others are not is a fancy. Also, it is a risky one, for it drives white and favored individuals to continue poking enormous holes through the structure of the main boat we will know.
Furthermore, through the storyline that “people are preeminent,” we have figured out how to unleash destruction on the fragile equilibriums of nature, making emergencies of air and water and terminations that will take ages, possibly a great many years, to recuperate. We conned ourselves into accepting that the storyline of Earth spins around us, and it comes as a stun to have our daydream broken.
Reality looks much more modest. People are nevertheless one member in a mind boggling webwork of life where everybody eats, and everybody is food. Where an infection can sort out some way to leap to human cells and use them to additional its reality. Also, isolating ourselves into independent human camps just hampers us from reacting to this destructive hunter.
For this is the way predation works — each side growing perpetually imaginative techniques for outsmarting the other. In a universe of eating and being eaten, this is the transformative weight we put on one another. To reject that we people are important for the mutual blowout — to deny the presence of this new hunter infection — is to hamstring our own capacity to advance new techniques for frustrating it.
Incomparability is maladaptive. Thinking we are better than others — regardless of whether human or other-than-human — is risky. Why? Since it isn’t correct. We as a whole appear; we as a whole eat and are eaten; we as a whole bite the dust. Sticking to incomparability, since it is separated from the real world, leads toward death instead of life. Toward eradication not endurance.
To endure, we have to see plainly. Since simply by observing reality would we be able to react fittingly. Simply by recognizing that we are defenseless against | https://medium.com/@kakomarma903/a-crocodile-an-infection-and-the-bogus-guarantee-of-incomparability-priscilla-stuckey-35ca6de09e96 | [] | 2020-11-21 04:26:45.091000+00:00 | ['Covid 19 Deniers', 'Humility', 'Food Chain', 'Predator Prey', 'White Supremacy'] |
Lutron adds its first outdoor smart home device to its Caséta product line | Lutron adds its first outdoor smart home device to its Caséta product line Diane Jan 16·2 min read
Lutron’s Caséta is one of our favorite smart home ecosystems and includes in-wall and plug-in lighting controls, smart shades, fan controllers, and motion sensors. Caséta products can also be integrated with the Ring family of smart home products. Now the company is taking the show outdoors with the Caséta Outdoor Smart Plug.
Lutron’s outdoor smart plug carries an IP65 weatherization rating, meaning it’s fully protected from dust incursion and water sprayed from a hose in any direction (you can read more about IP codes in this story). A built-in timer can be programmed to turn devices plugged into the smart plug on a few minutes before sunset and off and sunrise using the Lutron app.
[ Further reading: The best smart plugs ]Unlike competing smart plugs that operate via Wi-Fi, however, you’ll need to add a Lutron Smart Bridge to get the most benefit from the Caséta Outdoor Smart Plug. If you already own other Caséta products, you almost certainly already own one. It is broadly compatible with other smart home technologies, including Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit and IFTTT, but it must be hardwired to your router. Having the bridge on your network will also allow you to control Lutron’s outdoor smart plug with one of its Pico remote controls.
Unlike most of its competitors, however, Lutron’s outdoor smart plug has a single outlet. Our current favorite outdoor smart plug, the TP-Link Kasa KP400, has dual outlets that can be controlled independently over Wi-Fi. Lutron expects to ship the Caséta Outdoor Smart Plug, when it will sell for $79.95.
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/@diane11429374/lutron-adds-its-first-outdoor-smart-home-device-to-its-cas%C3%A9ta-product-line-d1bacd1f56bb | [] | 2021-01-16 02:40:35.242000+00:00 | ['Mobile', 'Mobile Accessories', 'Chargers', 'Deals'] |
Spark and Oracle Database | Spark and Oracle Database
Photo by Sorin Sîrbu on Unsplash
Shilpa has become an expert in Spark and enjoys Big data analysis. Everything was going well until her employer wanted to know the kind of insight they can get by combining their enterprise data from the Oracle database with Big Data.
Oracle database is the most sold enterprise database. Most of the enterprise applications, like ERP, SCM applications, are running on the Oracle database. Like Shilpa, most of the data scientists come across situations where they have to relate the data coming from enterprise databases like Oracle with the data coming from a Big Data source like Hadoop.
There are two approaches to address such requirements:
Bring the enterprise data into the Big Data storage system like Hadoop HDFS and then access it through Spark SQL.
Image by Author
This approach has the following drawbacks:
Data duplication
Enterprise data has to be brought into Hadoop HDFS. This requires a data integration solution and will mostly be a batch operation, bringing in data latency issues.
2. Keep the operational enterprise data in the Oracle database and Big Data in Hadoop HDFS and access both through Spark SQL.
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Only the required enterprise data is accessed through Spark SQL.
If required the enterprise data can be stored in Hadoop HDFS through Spark RDD.
I am elaborating on the second approach in this article. Let’s go through the basics first.
Spark
If you want to know about Spark and seek step-by-step instructions on how to download and install it along with Python, I highly recommend my below article.
Oracle Database
If you want to know about the Oracle database and seek step-by-step instructions on how to install a fully functional server-class Oracle database, I highly recommend my below article.
JDBC
Before we taking a deeper dive into Spark and Oracle database integration, one shall know about Java Database Connection (JDBC).
A Java application can connect to the Oracle database through JDBC, which is a Java-based API. As Spark runs in a Java Virtual Machine (JVM), it can be connected to the Oracle database through JDBC.
You can download the latest JDBC jar file from the below link
You should get the ojdbc7.jar file. Save this file into the …/spark/jars folder, where all other spark system class files are stored.
Image by Author
Connecting Spark with Oracle Database
Now that you already have installed the JDBC jar file where Spark is installed, and you know access details (host, port, sid, login, password) to the Oracle database, let’s begin the action.
I have installed Oracle Database as well as Spark (in local mode) on AWS EC2 instance as explained in the above article.
I can access my oracle database sanrusha. The database is up and running.
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2. Database listener is also up and running
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3. Database user is sparkuser1. This user has access to one table test, that has only on column A, but no data.
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In the next step, going to connect to this database and table through Spark.
4a. Log in to the Spark machine and start Spark through Spark-shell or pyspark.
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4b. Below command creates a spark dataframe df with details of the Oracle database table test. Write this command on Scala prompt.
val df= spark.read.format(“jdbc”).option(“url”,”jdbc:oracle:thin:sparkuser1/oracle@<oracledbhost>:<oracle db access port default is 1521>/<oracledbsid>”).option(“dbtable”,”test”).option(“user”,”sparkuser1").option(“password”,”oracle”).option(“driver”,”oracle.jdbc.driver.OracleDriver”).load()
4c. df.schema will show the details of the table. In this case, it is a simple test table with just one column A.
Image by Author
4d. Open a browser, enter the below address
http://<public IP address of machine where Spark is running>:4040
Click on the SQL tab. You should see the details like what time the connection request was submitted, how long connection and data retrieval activities took, and also the JDBC details.
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Spark can also be initiated through a Spark session.builder API available in Python. Open Jypyter notebook and enter the below details to start the Spark application session and connect it with the Oracle database
Here is a snapshot of my Jupyter notebook.
Image by Author
Conclusion
This was a small article explaining options when it comes to using Spark with Oracle database. You can extend this knowledge for connecting Spark with MySQL and databases.
Looking forward to your feedback. | https://towardsdatascience.com/spark-and-oracle-database-6624abd2b632 | ['Sanjay Singh'] | 2020-12-07 18:23:03.679000+00:00 | ['Oracle', 'AWS', 'Spark', 'Machine Learning', 'Pyspark'] |
Dissolving | an unlikely molecule
perpetually stable yet
continuously morphing
without you
we are no better than Brother Mars
shrunken and dusty
imagined river beds like scabs
across his mummified plains
you have reigned
with a fair and firm hand
dousing fire and nurturing earth
hammering down justice
in swift torrents and gulping tsunamis
you journey softly through bodies
and carve un-apologetically upon rocks
demanding fluidity and
seeking equilibrium
just two gasses
sharing a covalent secret
collecting the memories of millennia
— — — —
there was a time when
your absence
would wake me at night
parched and pounding
tongue throbbing
stomach rolling
you were
everywhere
yet nowhere
clinking cubes in glasses
swirling round the toilet
streaming from these eyes
but you
didn’t belong to me
in the morning
my throat would close
shrunken and dusty
I tried to sip from the tap
my family watching
as I gagged in the sink
— — — —
here we are again
Phase Change
you and I
particles dissolving
an unlikely molecule
just two gasses
sharing a covalent secret
freeze. thaw.
boil. condense.
ebb. flow.
drench. erode.
drown. revive. | https://medium.com/the-pom/dissolving-ca685131beb9 | ['Vixen Lea'] | 2020-11-27 16:27:33.027000+00:00 | ['Alcoholism', 'Recovery', 'Poetry', 'Free Verse', 'Chemistry'] |
QORPO Weekly (25–31 Dec) | Dear community,
thank you all for showing interest in our games and products in 2021. Those of you who realize we are only at the beginning will benefit greatly in 2022. Next year is a time when TRM 2 is finally fully updated, CyberTrade will go through Alpha Testing and Qorpo Market is booming. Don’t forget to hodl $IOI and get $CCASH. See you in 2022.
TRM 2 Special Collection Sold Out
Trade Race Manager 2 hosted a drop of 20 special NFT cars with @tehMoonwalkeR. They are common tier edition and cost $200. All of these NFT cars sold out within a few minutes. If you missed this out, don’t worry. More special drops are prepared for 2022!
TRM 2 Is Replacing TRM 1
TRM 1 was a great introduction to play-to-earn (P2E) gaming with non-fungible tokens (NFTs) but it was not perfect. Now, we can proudly announce that TRM 1 is getting a strong update with many new features and TRM 2 will be perfect. TRM 2 is now available as an app for Windows as well as Mac, and it will be available for smartphones too in 2022! Wait for Mid January of 2022. Read more info here.
New Art NFTs Only On QORPO Market
QORPO Market continues to grow in its user base and offers great artworks! This Space NFT has been created by a digital artist MiSeriesETH. More artworks will be listed soon.
NFTrade Partnership
TRM 2 Rich Racer is partnering up with NFTrade. More details soon!
College Student Is Paying His College Fees Thanks To TRM 2
One of the best TRM 2 Rich Racers is a college student. His nickname is VincentAlpas and he is only 19 years old. Vincent is from the Philippines and he makes on average 15–20 $IOI daily which is well enough to make a living in the Philippines. Read more in this blog.
About QORPO
QORPO is an international company focusing on connecting gaming with blockchain, cryptocurrencies and NFTs. QORPO is an NFT metaverse leader in central Europe currently building the most complete ecosystem in the NFT universe with 3 live products — Trade Race Manager 2, QORPO Wallet and QORPO Market.
There’s another game coming soon called CyberTrade (NFT based game build in full 3D Unity engine — Dominate the city in this revolutionary Play2Earn NFT metaverse with your crime syndicate and become the Boss of all Bosses).
QORPO Web | CyberTrade | CyberCash | TRM 2 | IOI Token | QORPO Wallet | QORPO Market | TRM Telegram | QORPO Twitter | TRM Twitter | https://medium.com/@qorpogames/qorpo-weekly-25-31-dec-151e7382af9f | ['Qorpo Games'] | 2022-01-03 15:07:38.526000+00:00 | ['Gaming', 'Metaverse', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Blockchain', 'News'] |
The Pursuit of Tiredness | I realised it is better to begin exercising not because of the health benefits but to get tired and sleep. This thought came thanks to the neighbourhood lovebirds. I have stayed up beyond my bedtime to decipher the code they communicate through torchlights. I wonder why they don’t message each other when to sneak in. Perhaps they are trying to spice their relationship. But, seeing their silhouettes thanks to ever flickering streetlight is fun. It makes me feel like I am seeing a puppet show. As my other neighbour is busy making some food, the aroma fills the street as he plays Arijit Singh louder than mandated. The entire neighbourhood and the occasional Swiggy person knows he is following the cliché of love failure. When he begins a karaoke session, my brain says to my nervous system, “accha, chalta hoon”. I considered making duas so that his desire to karaoke breaks up with him.
The next day, I began walking around the area in search of a park. I met the usual suspects seen on the streets. Cow being break inspectors for the vehicles, a teen was burning the tyres of his new scooter. Plastered with stickers, the prominent one being “Yes, it is my father’s road” in bright neon colour. As I walk, a thought came on while I walk through uneven dug up roads, why do they not say mother’s road but father’s road, but all abuses are female-centric ones? This thought like many got derailed by a different thing. In this case, the lingering smell of the failure of the civic body. A garbage dump and sewage going to a drain. An eyesore with an assortment of plastic bags, moist cardboard cartons, jute bags, decaying leaves and diapers, my brain went voila, I have found out the lake in the locality.
Walking further, haphazardly parked scooters welcomed me to the entrance. As I step in I witness the glistening sunlight brushing the ripples in the water thanks to a few ducks loitering around. Momentarily this scene made me forget about my Master’s course, the chaos simmering in my relationships, the blankness I am floating around. In what seemed to be a cinematic moment, one kutti cloud moved around and the rays hit my face. I felt like a vampire for a second but then also good. I was trying to take it all in and then was interrupted. I was asked to move around. One speed-walking aunty just cruised through, a second later, her deodorant fragrance did too.
I play Dynamite by BTS while realising how my stamina is like one Bijli vedi now. Walking around, the kids did not seem to be worried about the virus but rather a pair of twins hogging the swings. They swing fast and the children’s patience was running out even faster. One grandfather who has enough sweaters on him to make a flock of sheep uncomfortable was sternly advising to be sharing. They began swinging even higher.
I trudged along, the speed walking aunty slowed down as she got sucked into a big group of aunties who were now slowly walking along. The deodorant scent was now merged into a concoction of scents but was still no match to smell of the soil.
There are three kinds of people who are present in the park. The first group is the regulars across age groups trying to be healthy. The next is usually in a group of boys, huddled up and deep in discussions. Their hush-hush conversations are only competing with the croaks of frogs. The next group can be identified in two ways, they are usually over-dressed for the park and the elders of the group act like they are not staring- a couple. Trying to spend time together, their attempts to have a moment is immediately popped out like a balloon because of the penetrating stares.
The occasional outsiders you will run into here are people who have probably lied that they are walking around, but actually sitting and watching something on their phones in peace. The other is the human(s) who is/are in the pursuit of the perfect selfie/ lake photograph. Numerous points in the jogging track were encroached by the photographers that the people jogging get a little irritated but are also too tired to exhibit it well. One daredevil family went past the railing to take a selfie from the lakebed. The guard hurriedly buttoned his khaki shirt to call them to ground. I am certain, they took a selfie where him blowing a whistle is also seen. An Instagram dance video was also shot, the family acted like the vanity crew while the girl danced so gracefully that a small crowd formed when they went for another take.
As the sun goes down, a fisherman goes to catch his harvest. His movements reminded me of a spy doing a secret mission. Apartments behind the lake have switched on their Christmas lights while a sombre mood envelops in few faces. A group of workers who were brought along to speed up the infrastructure work have returned to their makeshift homes. Their children are lonely rulers of the park, present and commanding mischief anywhere but isolated. The women are sweeping their surroundings, the men are loitering around, their faces in the control of some grinch.
Tired but feeling a little better because Bangalore breeze is underrated. It is enough to make your hairs stand but also remind you of a memories, happier ones. I head back home. I realise how fun Tamil songs are as BGMs as I see some road rage scenes unfolding before my eyes. Pretty sure, one of the parties involved in the scuffle was the teen with that new scooter. Happy with how this exercise had turned out, I made a new workout playlist with a mix of all moods and genres, it seemed perfect
My neighbour sang ‘Agar Tum Saath Ho’ and thanks to him, one more song made the playlist. And this time, I slept. | https://medium.com/@roguehit/the-pursuit-of-tiredness-a3b9368f1b77 | [] | 2020-12-26 03:16:17.985000+00:00 | ['Tiredness', 'People', 'Bangalore', 'Walk In Parks'] |
Do I Need a Second Opinion? | At my last appointment with my neurologist, I sat and listened as she said what I imagine to be one of the most vulnerable, frustrating, and honest things a physician can say to a patient.
I’m doing everything I can for you,” she said. “But you’re not making the progress I hoped you would at this point. I think it’s time to consult with a neurosurgeon.
Alarm bells rang in my ears and I felt a rush of heat envelop my body. Since my diagnosis with trigeminal neuralgia (TN), I’ve had numerous conversations with my neurologist about my symptoms, medications, alternative treatments, and research. She knows how I feel about the surgical interventions available for TN, so it was no small thing to hear her say that it may be time to speak to a surgeon.
Think of it as just getting information. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.
Days after that appointment, I broke down while asking myself one of the most seemingly straight-forward yet messy questions chronic illness provokes: Do I need a second opinion?
Blindsided
Truth be told I’ve already had a second opinion about treatment options for TN within my first year of diagnosis. It was with a colleague of my neurologist‘s who seemed to have limited exposure to TN and very rapidly walked through experimental treatments we could explore once I’d exhausted my medical options.
In the cab ride home, I sat next to my husband quietly. As he ordered our favorite takeout, all I could focus on was the uneasy fracture that seemed to be splitting my heart.
I thought I had gone into that appointment with no expectations. I was anxious as I usually am before any doctor’s appointment, but I tricked myself into thinking that I was going in as a blank slate. That I hadn’t thought too much about what could happen in that office.
So I was completely blindsided by how difficult it was to sit in front of a physician and have him say everything I already knew.
It was hard to sit in front of someone — an expert at that — and have them say, in no uncertain terms, that he didn’t know how to help me beyond what I was already doing.
All he did was remind me that I have a condition that has no direct intervention and no cure, facts that can rob a person of hope.
The tax of another perspective
Seeking a second opinion is rational. It makes perfect sense to not defer to the opinion of a single expert. You should gather as much information as you can about your condition so that you can make informed decisions, now and later.
But what no one talks about when it comes to the almighty second opinion is how much it can hurt. Because even if you walk into a doctor’s waiting room believing you expect nothing new, the very fact that you’re waiting for your name to be called means that you’re holding onto hope for a different outcome.
I don’t believe hope is so tenuous to collapse if the appointment doesn’t mimic the best case scenario of your dreams — but I do believe that it deflates when anything less than the best outcome occurs.
I had no idea how heavy the tax of the second opinion could be. It took weeks for me to recognize that the despair in the pit of my stomach was residual from a 30-minute conversation with a neurologist who barely knew me and didn’t have encouraging knowledge to share with me.
Since then, I have been reluctant to sit in front another new expert who I feared would have nothing new to tell me, just reiterate facts I knew and had to make peace soon after my diagnosis three years ago.
Hunter-gatherer
When my neurologist recommended I speak to a neurosurgeon, I felt every single one of my defenses go up. I listened to what she had to say, and logically, I agreed with her rationale.
But how could I possibly articulate how hard it was to open myself up to another opinion? How could I explain not wanting to get buried in the “depression” stage of the grief cycle of diagnosis?
And this time, getting another opinion feels like a double-whammy. There is the high tax of sitting in front of an expert and the very real possibility that there is no additional expertise they can share.
The result for me? Bruised hope and potentially a weeks-long emotional hangover.
Then there is my fear of neurosurgery. I have had a lot of time to think about this option and I’ve had a lot conversations about it. One day, I will write more about it.
But what you need to know now is that there is not enough definitive, convincing data on how effective surgical interventions for TN are. If you seek information online, you will perhaps find some dated statistics with limited information on how much a patient’s quality of life has improved after surgery or how many patients repeat the surgery.
The New England Journal of Medicine recently published what I consider to be a general overview of TN with limited data on the effiicacy of surgical interventions coming out of the Sapienza University of Rome. This is a start, but it’s not nearly enough to help someone feel more secure about what surgery can really do for them.
Across social media, there are numerous anecdotes of TN patients who opt for surgery more than once — because even though it didn’t work the first time, they hold onto hope that the next time will grant some degree of relief. But this has scared me more than made me feel comfortable with the surgery option.
Last month, I attended a virtual conference hosted by the Facial Pain Association, and I listened to several neurosurgeons talk about surgical intervention. There was some data presented that I hadn’t heard before, but my previous feelings and conclusions about surgery still haven’t changed.
Perhaps what did change, though, was how I thought about treatment and a so-called cure.
All or nothing
Since my diagnosis, and throughout the conversations I’ve had with my physicians and family, I’ve focused so much of my attention on how desperate people living with TN are.
Because I know how desperate you can become when you’re in the throes of daily pain attacks.
In the absence of direct interventions or a cure, I understand why people opt for surgery. It’s not a decision one makes lightly. However you classify these procedures, surgery is surgery, and therefore it is a major event in someone’s life. And when you must make peace with opting for neurosurgery, the stakes seem higher.
There are the preparation and recovery periods. There’s the potential side effects and medications. There’s the chance that nothing will change or may even get worse. There’s the chance that some new challenge may come up during or after surgery.
In investigating surgery for my own education and awareness, I have been so focused on how surgery isn’t full-proof. A person goes through the ringer and yet surgery doesn’t seem to cure TN. In the best case scenarios I’ve heard of, people can go into remission — for years even — but the TN always seems to come back. The threat of an unpredictable, uncertain return has always cast surgery in an unflattering glow and makes TN a real-life monster under the bed.
But then, I realized something — something that has occurred to me more and more lately, something so obvious it’s easy to take for granted. Surgery — or any other intervention — isn’t about a cure.
It’s about improving one’s quality of living.
I take my medication daily not because it obliterates my pain because, truthfully, it doesn’t. It dulls the frequency of one of the pain types I experience. But I still live with constant pain. That, however, doesn’t discourage me from taking medication because I know how much worse off I’d be without it, even with the side effects I experience.
In acknowledging that fact of my life, I’m able to appreciate other interventions, including surgery, from a different perspective.
And that means that if I do seek a second (or in my case, third) opinion, as my neurologist has recommended, I’m not going for a cure.
I’m going to collaborate with a potential provider on if and how my quality of life can be improved.
This is really about you
The decision to seek a second opinion — or consider new treatment — isn’t black-and-white. It’s never as easy as just making an appointment and showing up. Whether you’re conscious of it or not, you’re holding fast to hope. And within that hope will lie kernels of expectation that wait to be activated.
The second opinion is a battleground for your psyche, then. It’s where you may be forced to confront your despair in living color and that will be bittersweet. It is one of life’s most difficult things to put your faith in a stranger’s hands and ask them to prove that doing so wasn’t misguided.
The truth is that no stranger — medical expert or not — can prove to you that you were right or wrong to ask for guidance. Whether you get the best news of your life or you leave an appointment no better than you arrived, you need to trust yourself and your judgment. You came to understand the landscape of your health and life better, and whatever happened in that examination room, you have achieved that, however hard it can feel.
It’s okay if you’re terrified to ask for a second opinion. And it’s okay of you walk into the doctor’s office with swagger and style. It’s okay if you are hoping against hope. It’s okay if it’s all so overwhelming no matter what. None of this is easy.
But the easiest thing you can do is remember that you’re gathering information to help you live life on your terms — not your illness’s.
You’re doing the best you can at any given moment and that is more than enough to help you figure out how to take your next step.
Note: A version of this piece was first published on my blog on December 2nd, 2020. | https://writenisha.medium.com/do-i-need-a-second-opinion-679166489797 | ['Nisha Kumar Kulkarni'] | 2020-12-07 17:23:17.748000+00:00 | ['Medical Second Opinion', 'Diagnosis And Treatment', 'Health', 'Chronic Illness', 'Self'] |
Supervised v/s Unsupervised | Supervised Learning :
Using labeled datasets to train algorithm in order to classify data or predict outcomes.
Output Y — Also called outcome, response, target, dependent variable
— Also called outcome, response, target, dependent variable Vector of inputs X — Also called as predictor, covariates, independent variable, regressors, features
— Also called as predictor, covariates, independent variable, regressors, features If it is a regression problem, then Y is quantitative
problem, then Y is If it is a classification problem, the Y is continuous / unordered set like 0/1, different species of iris-flowers etc.
In case of supervised algorithm, we have a training set to obtain the following :
Understand which inputs affect the outcome and how
Accurately predict the unseen test cases
Assess the quality of prediction and inferences derived from algorithm
Example — Predict the housing prices in a city or classify a mail as spam or not
Supervised v/s unsupervised
Unsupervised Learning :
Unlabeled data is given to the learning algorithm to derive patterns based on the input variables. So, if the dataset is labeled it is a supervised problem, and if the dataset is unlabeled then it is an unsupervised problem.
Vector of inputs X — Also called as predictor, covariates, independent variable, regressors, features
Example — handwriting pattern recognition | https://medium.com/@mounicag/supervised-v-s-unsupervised-52fa710ab6d3 | ['Sai Mounica Gudimella'] | 2021-05-09 16:34:17.749000+00:00 | ['Predictor', 'Supervised Learning', 'Unsupervised Learning', 'Classification', 'Outcomes'] |
It’s Easier To 10x Your Income Than It Is To Double It. | “The eager-beaver employee expends extra effort to make a mark but soon learns that it doesn’t scale.” — Seth Godin
My palms were sweaty. I hoped my coworkers wouldn’t see my sweaty armpits.
I stared at the door down the hall, for the 40th time that morning. My boss’ door.
The door of the person who was about to give me a raise!
…I hoped.
I’d been preparing for weeks. No, months — I knew I had to have undeniable evidence months in advance for why I deserved a raise. I’d been carefully, meticulously grooming all my metrics and numbers for this fateful day.
The top of the hour came. Outwardly cool but inwardly swallowing my heart that was attempting to leap into my throat, I knocked on my boss’ door.
20 minutes later, I came out.
Defeated.
She hadn’t given me a raise. I wasn’t asking for much — I had asked for a 5% raise, realistically expecting 3%. But I wasn’t given anything, not even a measly 1%.
Maybe next fiscal quarter, she’d said. Your annual raise is coming up, let’s wait for that.
I was angry. I’d spent months preparing for this. I knew I deserved it.
Dammit.
That was about five years ago. Since then, I’ve created a six-figure online business where I work 100 percent from home for myself. The other day, I made $3,000 in one afternoon.
I’ve learned a lot about money. But one of the most surprising lessons was this:
It’s easier to 10x your income than it is to double it.
How to Start Earning 10x More Money in the Next 30 Days
If you want a 1% raise at your job, you might be able to get it.
But if you want a 100%, or even a 1000% raise, you’re going to have to retool your entire mindset altogether.
I’ve seen my money increase by literally 1000%, and it wasn’t at my old corporate job. It was with my personal business where I helped real people with real problems, which is one of the best ways there is to make money.
See, I’d been writing for 7 years. The first 4.5 years, I only made $40 total.
But in year 5, everything changed. After some key mindset shifts, my entire business (and life) changed. My readers and opportunities spiked; I made $4,500 dollars in one month. Better yet, it was consistent, from month to month. I was seeing 10x, 100x, even 1000x increases across the board.
It’s possible to make this kind of money. But if you want to make 10x more by next month…
You need to start charging 10x more for your services.
And if you’re charging 10x more for your services, you better be able to back that up. Which forces an important ultimatum on yourself — get better, or go broke.
And that changes everything.
It can change your life. It can change your family’s life. I’m not being cute about that — I’m dead serious. It changed my family’s life.
See, making a few extra hundred bucks probably won’t change that much in your life.
…But making a few extra thousand dollars? That’s real money. For many of us, that’s total life-changing money.
Again, this is almost certainly not going to happen at your day job. Even if you work for months, there’s no guarantee you’ll even get a 1% increase in pay. No, you need to charge money for your personal services, and learn how to sell your knowledge and expertise.
Trying to get a small raise, even a bigger raise, is a loser’s game in the traditional model. Your boss probably won’t give it to you, nor will your boss’ boss. If they do, it’ll be for 5% at most, and you better keep your mouth shut and fall in line for a long time before even thinking about asking for more money.
In his book Choose Yourself, James Altucher joked that deep down, your boss hates you and wants to squeeze every ounce of productivity out of you while paying you the least amount.
It’s cynical, and not every boss hates their employees. But the truth is, the traditional business model simply doesn’t allow you to make huge increases in wealth. You can try for years, and the best you can hope for is maybe getting a huge promotion (rare) with a huge pay raise (not guaranteed).
Instead, choose yourself. Charge 10x more for your services, then find customers willing to buy.
It’s not easy. Many people fail every day.
But I wake up every day with the electric thrill that today, maybe I might earn $5,000. It’s totally possible. It’s happened before.
There is absolutely no chance than a regular employee can make that money in a traditional income model. You need to go beyond that model, and choose yourself.
The Old-School Model of Patient Waiting Doesn’t Work Anymore — You Can Go As Fast As You Want.
In his book The Icarus Deception, Seth Godin described the different speeches he’d give high school graduates across the 20th century.
If he were giving the commencement speech in 1920:
“Congratulations, men! You have made it through school, and now it’s time to go to work. Stick with it; keep your head down and your nose to the grindstone. You will make more money than your parents ever did eking out a living growing corn.”
If it were 15–20 years later, his speech would be different:
“Boys and girls, the future is here, and it’s called college…go to college and broaden your mind, learn to manage, to organize, to become a middle manager.”
Godin keeps giving slightly different commencement speeches, because each era allows more and more possibility for society.
In today’s era, everything is possible. If you have WiFi and a decent laptop, you can do whatever you want, and make money in countless ways. You don’t need permission from gatekeepers, fancy certifications, or even a college degree. If you can help people get from point A to point B, they’ll pay you.
The old-school model your parents lived in doesn’t work anymore. It’s constraints are outdated and broken; they don’t apply more.
You don’t have to wait to be chosen — choose yourself, then go as fast as you want. Effort doesn’t scale in day jobs; you can work 10x harder and you’ll get the same as the guy who barely worked at all.
But if you work 10x harder for yourself, you can get 10x the income. Maybe even 100x.
Years ago, I told some older family members from my parents’ generation that I was thinking of quitting my job to be a life coach. Their response? Doubt and discouragement. Are you sure? That’s pretty risky. Why don’t you stay at your job with benefits?
Probably the same advice they heard for decades.
A little while later, I cobbled together a little sales page offering $100/hour coaching calls.
In three months, I had nearly 40 clients.
In his book The Pocket Guide to Action, Kyle Eschenroeder stated simply: “With the lowered cost of trying things, it means the value of listening to doubters is at an historic low. They don’t know what’s possible.”
In Conclusion
The old-school restraints don’t work anymore. These fences broke long ago. You don’t have to follow the old rules, rules that dominated your parents’ generation. Things like:
You can’t make more than $60,000/year until you’re 50
You can’t retire early.
You can’t start a company unless you have millions of dollars in funding.
You can’t work from home as your own boss.
Anything is possible. With enough hard work, you can literally make thousands of dollars before breakfast.
Stop playing by the old rules. It’s easier to 10x your income than it is to double it. Choose yourself, and go as fast as you want.
Ready to Level-Up?
If you want to become extraordinary and become 10x more effective than you were before, check out my checklist.
Click here to get the checklist now! | https://medium.com/the-ascent/its-easier-to-10x-your-income-than-it-is-to-double-it-530cb3d0444a | ['Anthony Moore'] | 2020-11-30 14:02:09.293000+00:00 | ['Life Lessons', '10x', 'Personal Development', 'Money', 'Business'] |
Code Smell 03 — Functions Are Too Long | Code Smell 03 — Functions Are Too Long
Humans get bored beyond line 10.
Photo by Hari Panicker on Unsplash
Problems
Low Cohesion
High coupling
Difficult to read
Solutions
1) Refactor
2) Create small objects dealing with some of the tasks. Unit test them.
3) Compose methods
Examples
Libraries
Sample Code
Wrong
Right
Detection
All linters can measure and warn when methods are larger than a predefined threshold.
Also Known as
Long Method
More info
Tags | https://medium.com/dev-genius/code-smell-03-functions-are-too-long-accea7eb4ae9 | ['Maximiliano Contieri'] | 2020-11-16 12:32:38.043000+00:00 | ['Code Smells', 'Clean Code', 'Programming', 'Software Development'] |
Crashing into growth marketing: a CEO journey. Part 3 — A/B testing. | This is the third post of many to document my journey as early-stage startup CEO through the growth marketing minidegree by CXL Institute — a 12-week online program about the practicalities of growth marketing.
Disclaimers: I’ve done intense learning sprints before. I’ve never touched marketing from a practical perspective before this course. Consult a specialist before trying this at home.
Promo insert: My startup is called Zelos, it’s an app that helps you manage tasks and distribute activities with a very large group or community, and you can sign up here for free: getzelos.com
The science of A/B testing
Yep, it’s apparently really scientific, and the science is statistics. I go into the A/B testing chapters with a minor reluctancy, because it’s not going to happen for our startup any time soon. We’re in the early stage, and cashing in 1000 or 10 000 monthly purchases are not milestones that we’ll reach by tomorrow. And I’ve been told (and the chapter intro tells me again) -
do not A/B test with low volume!
With 1000 conversions per month (and by conversions they mean actual purchases, subscriptions and upgrades) the maximum test capacity is 20 tests per year. Twenty! That’s less than two tests per month! With 1000 purchases! We have a lot to grow.
So you understand why I’m not extremely enthusiastic about a full chapter of something that I cannot use any time soon. However, I’m quickly convinced that there’s value in knowledge:
“Statistics aren’t necessarily fun to learn. It’s probably more fun to put up a test between a red and green button and wait until your testing tool tells you one of them has beaten the other. If this is your strategy, you’re ripe for disappointment. This approach isn’t much better than guessing. Often, it ends with a year’s worth of testing but the exact same conversion rate as when you started.”
Excuse me what? That’s EXACTLY what I thought A/B was about. Testing red buttons against green buttons and learning which one works better. I guess I’m listening now.
But listening isn’t too easy as statistics is very much science, and the best teachers here are actual scientists. So instead of saying normal-sounding things like “you have proven that your idea performs better” they say stuff like “you can now reject the null hypothesis”.
It also doesn’t help that the titles for the videos are auto-generated. English is a third language for me, so I really get more support from reading than just listening when it’s about complex matters.. But the main lecturer has a foreign accent. And the scientific glossary isn’t making sense to the AI writing the titles. Why is life so hard?
I’m so glad I took the entry-level statistics course on Coursera that one time when I had the personal meltdown that made me want to apply for a degree in social sciences (in reality I ended up spending two years in anthropology and didn’t graduate). At least I know what probability means in a general sense.
Wikipedia and Google search are great crutches for getting through these chapters. At some points I do feel like skipping a video because it’s 15 minutes in and I still understand nothing. But striving on rewards me every time, as there are small takeaways to understand here and there. And by the end of the whole chapter they’ve repeated stuff enough to paint a general picture.
I now understand the difference between Frequentist and Bayesian statistics, and am able to enjoy geeky jokes like this:
A/B testing — why and what?
There’s two general reasons for testing:
research — measuring impact and user behaviour; what do they do when elements are added and removed; and optimisation — deploying adjustments and changes for conversion lift
The goal for both is to determine the likelihood of there existing a significant difference between the two alternative options: a control version (usually the current state of things) and the challenger version (something added/removed/changed).
The goal metrics depend on the need and maturity of the company. From easy and less useful to complex and meaningful, some of the categories to set as testing goals are:
Clicks
Behavior
Transactions (the first level of “actual” testing!)
Revenue per users
Potential lifetime value
The gist is to make a correct conclusion from the measured results — will you be confident (and hopefully right) in assuming the challenger performs better (and upgrades your metric long term) when it performed better in the short test. And there’s two ways of being easily wrong:
False positive: you measure the challenger to perform better, but in reality it’s not much better (or it’s worse) than the control. Usually this is caused by something called level of significance being low — and the results are good by chance. In order to be sure the results aren’t incidental, this level of significance should be 90–95% when testing. This mistake is also easy to make with overpowered tests that have a way too large sample size. False negative: you measure the challenger to perform the same or worse, but in reality it’s significantly better than the control. This is caused by something called statistical power being low — usually because the test doesn’t have enough volume to detect the significant difference. In order to make sure the effects can be detected, tests should be run at a power of at least 80%
The percentages of significance and power are core parts of the calculations determining the other necessary components for tests:
necessary volume (how many users need to be involved in the test)
detectable lift (how much better does one version need to be to be really sure it’s better)
length of test (how many weeks do you need to test to get a significant result)
There’s scientific formulas, but luckily also a variety tools and calculators that can be used by people who cannot do basic multiplication (like me).
Research — what could be optimised?
The biggest part of the challenge is to pick the right battles. What should be tested? Remember, even with the huge amount of traffic that already gets you 1000 conversions you can test only one or two things per month!
Here’s a model called 6V for determining tests for optimisation. It’s what you should first do when you are contracted to optimise a site or product for a new client; but also every time you’re starting with a new optimisation project within your company.
Value. What’s actually important and delivers impact? What’s the mission, strategy and goals of the company, and what are the important metrics that we should support? Versus. What are the best practices with the competition? Are they changing stuff on their sites? There’s many tools that let you track changes on other websites (and even determine their A/B tests with browser plugins), and be inspired from the activities of your competitors. View. Looking at behaviour data, journeys, and sources. One should measure the conversion % (and time) in customer journey, and determine uplift possibilities between the journey segments:
- Users with enough time to take action
- Users with some interaction
- Users with heavy interaction
- Users with a direct intent to buy
- Users with a will to buy
- Users who successfully purchase
- Users who return to purchase Voice. Conduct surveys. Get access to customer service feedback. Do research on competitor’s public customer service. Many consumers publicly tweet their feedback to companies — I spent a good hour on Twitter reading through the good and the bad about some of the major players in the productivity space. Really insightful! Validated. What have you already tested, and what were the results of the previous experiments? It’s good to always tag the database with enough information so you can easily reference later (or share the database with other optimisation teams):
- What product / service was tested
- Customer journey phase
- User segment (device / type / source / etc)
- Template (front page / listing page / etc)
- Persuasion technique used (backfire / bandwagon / etc) Verified. What scientific research is available? I had never thought to go on Google Scholar and type in a stupid question such as “why is teamwork hard to manage”. I got a ton of exciting research on my own subject that we can already use as inspiration and validation for our blog!
Let’s test!
The first thing is to write the experiment hypothesis. The first thing. Before you experiment. Don’t come up with a good explanation after the test. The hypothesis should include the problem, the proposed solution, and the predicted outcome. Something like this:
If [I apply this], then [behaviour change] will happen, because of [this reason].
If we had any volume to test, my current hypothesis would be: if we add a product screenshot above fold of our landing page, users will register more free accounts because they now understand the value proposal clearly. But instead of testing, we’ll probably just go and implement that change and see if it helps.
There’s a lot of technicalities that went beyond my understanding in actually setting up the experiment in testing tools (as I have zero experience with these), but I managed to take away these general recommendations:
Measure things yourself and send data to your own analytics, don’t trust the A/B tools 100% Add custom code to both A and B versions of the test to make sure your control version doesn’t perform better because it’s a little quicker. Set up tests for new visitors only, and make sure they keep the same experience later once your testing time is done (don’t delete the tested assets for that set of users). Make sure the order of events makes sense — they see the test first, then purchase. Don’t count users who purchase and then accidentally see your test later.
But again — none of this will make sense if you don’t have a large amount of traffic with a lot of conversions already. Statistics give adequate results if there’s enough data. If there’s not enough data, you’re better off guessing. | https://medium.com/@johannamai/crashing-into-growth-marketing-a-ceo-journey-part-3-a-b-testing-6a446aaaaf8f | ['Johanna-Mai Riismaa'] | 2020-12-13 16:55:52.316000+00:00 | ['Growth Marketing', 'Zelos Team Management', 'Startup', 'Cxl Institute', 'Growth Hacking'] |
A Pet Bird Living in a Cage | I’m a pet bird living in a cage since the moment I was born. I never had to worry about food. My owner loves me so much and I’m so glad to sing for him every day. One day, he left the cage open — it was the first time. I was curious about the outside world but also didn’t want to leave my owner. Therefore, I promised myself that I wouldn’t leave for good. I would just take a quick look and be back to the cage in no time.
I jumped off the edge of the cage and looked around. Outside of our home window, the sky was blue. I could hear the voices of my peers from faraway flowing into the house. The scent from the blossom was inviting me to come out to play. Everything foreign beyond my cage suddenly turned appealing to me. I spread my wings and attempted to fly away. However, I was kept in a cage for so long — I took a few trials, and finally, my instinct took over and my journey was embarked.
My owner and I lived in the countryside. He enjoyed the refreshing air, the trees, and nature which is just a few steps away from the doormat. I hadn’t flown in quite a while so I landed on a branch and tried to take a breather. I started to chat with one of the birds which were also chilling there. He told me he was from the city. I said to him, “It’s my first time out of the cage. I’m super excited to explore the city!”. Surprisingly, he didn’t reciprocate the same energy and excitement, but instead, he shook his head and went, “The real world isn’t as wonderful as you imagine. The humans destroyed our homes and they left us wandering around for a shelter. I wish I was staying in a cage as you do.” I couldn’t fathom his words — my owner gave me all the love I ever wanted. There’s no way he’s ruining the lives of birds. He must be lying to my face because he was jealous of the bond I had with my human.
I flew away and after a while, I had reached the city. There were tall buildings, busy crossroads, cars, and everything happening seemed to be super fast to me. The first thing I noticed was the air — it was bad compared to that in the countryside. I saw these gigantic tubes, which were foreign to me, by the coast releasing thick clouds of gas into the sky. I tried to fly higher but the skyscrapers limited my vision. I decided to lay low instead and went into an alley. There was a bunch of birds eating off dead rats in the corner. Their features were once pure white and now sewage from the city took their beauty away. Ew…what’s happened to them? I couldn’t bear to look at them anymore so I flew off.
I arrived at the waterfront. I saw trash and plastic bags floating in the water. Sewage from the industries kept being pumped into the water and there was no sight of life in there. Floods of seagulls were circulating in the air, looking for food. I couldn’t bear the stinky smell coming out of the water. Suddenly, someone jumped on me and I immediately flew away — there were kids scaring birds away and they seemed to enjoy it a lot. These little humans didn’t understand to respect others’ private space.
After a long day of suffering, I was hungry and exhausted. I missed my cage and owner because I was once safe and never had to worry about filling my stomach up. I had no idea how to catch insects or ask for food. Therefore, I tried to get closer to the humans dining in the restaurants to get some breadcrumbs fallen on the ground. The owner of the restaurant saw us and he used a mop to kick us out. At this moment, I finally understood why the bird from the city said the reality wasn’t as I imagined…
I felt extremely regretful. The exhaust from the cars sickened me. I couldn’t stay in the city any longer. However, I was lost — I couldn’t find my way home. Shiny neon signs on both sides of the streets dazzled me. I panicky looked around and the surroundings all looked the same to me. The city felt like a maze to me. I never desired to stay in the city forever but how can I ever return?
I laid on the sidewalk. People avoided walking close to me like they were disgusted. My owner would never give me that look. The polluted air and hunger weakened my body. I didn’t have the strength to lift my wings. I missed my owner so much. Is he looking for me right now? I felt so sorry for leaving — I didn’t mean to do this to him. As I slowly closed my eyes, I saw somebody approaching me with a net. Is he coming to rescue me? Please help me!
The last thing I heard was, “Hey, there’s another one here!”… | https://medium.com/@yeukmancheung/a-pet-bird-living-in-a-cage-bbcc87bfcadf | ['Y. Cheung'] | 2020-11-23 11:36:27.034000+00:00 | ['Short Story', 'Nature', 'Birds', 'Storytelling'] |
Mind you, exploitative contract provisions are illegal | When courts can refuse to enforce contracts
In Indian contract law, there are five grounds on which courts may refuse to enforce contracts (see Section 23 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872). One of these grounds is that, a Court may refuse to enforce a contract if it deems the contract to be opposed to public policy.
Public policy is essentially synonymous with “policy of the State in question”.
There is no exhaustive list of the broad principles of public policy — although we do have a non-exhaustive list of its broad principles, thanks to decided cases which have exposed them. The term “public policy” is incapable of precise definition.
In the most general sense:
Public policy may be understood to— be the values which form the groundwork of the law of a country.
Since we have a written Constitution which is the suprema lex of our country, it is a good starting point to look for the values which underline our legal system. It’s likely a contractual provision which places a monetary cost to disincentivize the exercise of a Fundamental Right will be opposed to public policy. It’s also likely a contractual provision opposed to the Directive Principles of State Policy (principles, but not rights, which guide all State conduct) will be opposed to public policy.
Exploitative provisions are unenforceable
Here’s the low-down for you— in Central Inland Water Transport Corporation v. Brojo Nath Ganguly (SC, 1986), the Supreme Court of India has stated the law unequivocally:
If a contract contains an exploitative provision the court finds unconscionable, that provision will render the contract opposed to public policy.
That people must not be exploited is a principle of our public policy. It follows from the Directive Principles of State Policy enshrined in our Constitution, which contain a number of guarantees against exploitation.
Since such a contract with an exploitative provision would thus be opposed to public policy, the courts would refuse to enforce the whole contract. In contract law terminology, the court will red-pencil the contract— metaphorically, it will take a red pencil and run it through the entire contract, trashing it entirely.
In some cases, courts do blue-pencil the contract— metaphorically, it takes a blue pencil, strikes out the offending provision but allows the remainder of the contract to stand. However, Indian law is very clear on this point— if a contract is opposed to public policy, you don’t get any concessions; the court will have to red-pencil it.
In other words, let me state this unequivocally: | https://medium.com/@sarkaroncontracts/mind-you-exploitative-contract-provisions-are-illegal-e7fed9828841 | ['Sagnik Sarkar'] | 2020-04-22 07:23:48.567000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Law', 'Startup', 'Contracts', 'Company'] |
Nobility Doesn’t Put Food On The Table, Digital Marketing Does. | Being a 23 year old hasn’t stopped Kunal Goel from running First Guide Academy, a premium institute with state-of-the art facilities to train students in competitive academic examinations.
Being a millennial has offered him several privileges- a management degree from a reputed university, the ability to connect instantly with influential people, and quick research skills. After graduating university, when he expressed his desire to ‘do something impactful’, his mentor Mr. Ramoji Gowda pointed out to him that education has the most impact on society. After a brief period of intense research (first on the internet, then on the field), Kunal Goel knew what had to be done and how. This was the beginnings of First Guide Academy over a year ago.
One would imagine that any educational institute would begin with word-of-mouth encouragement and about half a dozen students sent by parents who were willing to trust them. But in a year, First Guide Academy had half a dozen branches and several hundred students all over Bangalore. It boasts of having faculty who have produced single digit rank holders in hard-to-crack examinations like IIT-JEE.
How did First Guide Academy find its students? They got themselves an easy-to-update, auto-SEO enabled website. Anybody who types in “best coaching centre in Bangalore” is likely to find them in their search results. Turns out, a lot of people did.
The biggest advantage was how they were able to drive traffic to their own website, because online listing services that would bring them people, had their competitors fighting for the attention of new students. Educational institutes and gadgets hardly work the same way- there is no ‘product compare’.
Building futures has not prevented Kunal Goel from building a profitable business. It was only natural that I asked him what his ‘expansion plans’ were, and he said-
“We are building an app through which we plan to distribute educational content, and we plan on taking education to smaller towns and villages. Whether it is online through the app, or in physical classrooms, we will take good quality education to places it is yet to reach.”
The smile refuses to leave his face. | https://medium.com/nowfloats/nobility-doesnt-put-food-on-the-table-digital-marketing-does-c2ed65816015 | ['Abhineeta Raghunath'] | 2017-03-10 08:18:47.573000+00:00 | ['SEO', 'Education', 'India', 'Digital Marketing', 'Healthcare'] |
Build a Social Listening Tool Yourself | 3. Use the index dataframe to crawl the articles and comments
這個步驟視用戶需求而定，有時候上面的 index 資訊就夠了，但有些使用者沒時間點開討論串，想要一站式的服務，所以還是呈現了爬下整篇文章與回應的方法。我的主要架構是先進行爬蟲的前置作業，而後以迴圈重複解析資料，底下簡短說明一下概念：
a. 因為爬蟲常常遇到連結死掉的問題，所以前置作業使用了 purrr 包的好朋友 possibly() ，把 read_html() 包在裡面，如果 read_html() 抓不到東西，就會變成 null ，後面解析資料的時候又使用了 purrr 包的另一個好朋友 compact() 清掉 null 的資料，這樣一來迴圈就不會被迫中斷了！傳統上都是使用 try catch 的方式應對 error 出現的情形， purrr 的幾個好用函數讓我們可以更好的應對錯誤。另外前置作業也預先創建了空的 dataframe/list，等待爬蟲開始後便可以填入。
b. 實際爬蟲主要是在迴圈裏面進行，這邊使用了 purrr::map() ，一次同時處理十篇文章。一開始針對可能出現的連結死掉情況做了預防措施，而後分別爬下主文與回應，最後在讓迴圈休息，因為本篇重點不是爬蟲 code 怎麼寫的效能問題，有興趣的朋友可以搜尋一下爬蟲相關資源，之前上課時老師也有提到其他爬蟲的做法譬如說使用 request/get 等方法，或是不處理 html ，著重於 JSON 等。都是可以參考的方向。特別注意一次不要爬太多文章，以免造成對方網站的負擔！
### Preceding operation: use purrr:possibly() to capture side effects
p_read_html <- possibly(read_html, otherwise = NULL) ### Preceding operation: create the dataframe/list
df_article <- tibble(article_link='', article_board='', article_title='', article_author='', article_author_school='', article_text='', article_love='', article_reply='', article_date="") %>% filter(row_number()<1)
df_comment <- list() ### Crawl: use for loop and purrr:map() to parse info
for(i in 1:2) {
# Create counter variable
j = (i*10) * 9
k = j + 9
# Use p_read_html() and map() to parse the raw url
html_raw = df_index[j:k,] %>% pull(index_link) %>%
map(function(x){x %>% p_read_html()}) %>%
set_names(pull(df_index[j:k,"id"])) %>% compact()
# Use is.na() to avoid error such that the content have been removed
html_raw_index <- html_raw %>%
map(function(x){x %>% html_nodes(".Post_title_2O-1el") %>% html_text()}) %>%
map_lgl(function(x){!is.na(x)})
html_raw_f <- html_raw[html_raw_index]
# Parse the article part
article_id <- names(html_raw_f)
article_title <- html_raw_f %>%
map(function(x){x %>% html_nodes(".Post_title_2O-1el") %>% html_text()})
article_author <- html_raw_f %>%
map(function(x){x %>% html_nodes(".PostHeader_uid_3g_pzg") %>% html_text()}) %>%
map(function(x){if(length(x)==0) x = NA_character_ else(x)})
article_author_school <- html_raw_f %>%
map(function(x){x %>% html_nodes(".PostHeader_author_3AAMDh .PostAuthor_root_3vAJfe") %>% html_text()}) %>%
map(function(x){if(length(x)==0) x = NA_character_ else(x)})
article_board <- html_raw_f %>%
map(function(x){x %>% html_nodes(".Post_forum_1YYMfp") %>% html_text()})
article_text <- html_raw_f %>%
map(function(x){x %>% html_nodes(".Post_root_23_VRn") %>% html_text()})
article_love <- html_raw_f %>%
map(function(x){x %>% html_nodes(".jTOuHc") %>% html_text()})
article_reply <- html_raw_f %>%
map(function(x){x %>% html_nodes(".DJrdA") %>% html_text()})
article_date <- html_raw_f %>%
map(function(x){x %>% html_nodes(".Post_date_2ipeYS") %>% html_text()})
df_article_tmp <- tibble(article_board=unlist(article_board),
article_title=unlist(article_title),
article_author=unlist(article_author),
article_author_school=unlist(article_author_school),
article_text=unlist(article_text),
article_love=unlist(article_love),
article_reply=unlist(article_reply),
article_date=unlist(article_date),
article_id = article_id)
# Parse the comment part
comment_floor <- html_raw_f %>%
map(function(x){x %>% html_nodes(".CommentEntry_floor_VtDUyr") %>% html_text()})
comment_author_school <- html_raw_f %>% #.PostAuthorHeader_author_3O30xu span
map(function(x){x %>% html_nodes(".CommentEntry_author_2BO0i1 .PostAuthorHeader_author_3O30xu span") %>% html_text()})
comment_love <- html_raw_f %>%
map(function(x){x %>% html_nodes(".jnzHNd") %>% html_text()})
comment_text <- html_raw_f %>%
map(function(x){x %>% html_nodes(".CommentEntry_content_1ATrw1") %>% html_text()})
comment_time <- html_raw_f %>%
map(function(x){x %>% html_nodes(".CommentEntry_date_2E4vYF") %>% html_text()})
df_comment_tmp <- pmap(list(comment_floor,comment_author_school,comment_text,comment_time),function(a,b,c,d)
{bind_cols(comment_floor=unlist(a),comment_author_school=unlist(b),comment_text=unlist(c),comment_time=unlist(d))})
# Bind data from each for loop
df_comment <- c(df_comment, df_comment_tmp)
df_article <- df_article %>% bind_rows(df_article_tmp)
# Update status and let the crawler stop
print(i)
tmsleep <- sample(5:7,1)
Sys.sleep(tmsleep)
} ### Close unnecessary connections
closeAllConnections()
gc()
4. Join the article and comments by index ID
上個步驟抓下了主文與回文，也就是文章內容本身與底下留言的樓層，這個步驟則是要合併(data joining)主文回文兩個資料表。因為回文而是由每篇文章所串成的的雙層list，並非data frame的形式，因此在資料合併前要先將回文list合併成單一的dataframe。我使用了 dplyr::bind_rows() ，將回文list轉換成以list name命名，帶有新欄位id的dataframe。
### Take a glimpse of the comments structure
df_comment %>% head(3) %>% str() ## List of 3
## $ 1:Classes 'tbl_df', 'tbl' and 'data.frame': 46 obs. of 4 variables:
## ..$ comment_floor : chr [1:46] "B2" "B5" "B4" "B1" ...
## ..$ comment_author_school: chr [1:46] "國立臺中科技大學" "臺北城市科技大學" "臺灣警察專科學校" "逢甲大學" ...
## ..$ comment_text : chr [1:46] "嗚嗚 真的身材好穿什麼都好看(;'`)" "看完照片腦中只有這個" "身為黑色控那個馬汀我覺得不行" "第七套好看" ...
## ..$ comment_time : chr [1:46] "7月10日 22:46" "7月10日 23:52" "7月10日 23:42" "7月10日 22:40" ...
## $ 2:Classes 'tbl_df', 'tbl' and 'data.frame': 4 obs. of 4 variables:
## ..$ comment_floor : chr [1:4] "B1" "B2" "B3" "B4"
## ..$ comment_author_school: chr [1:4] "國立政治大學" "國立成功大學" "東吳大學" "原PO * 銘傳大學"
## ..$ comment_text : chr [1:4] "感覺妳蠻適合穿溜冰裙，可以去搜關鍵字～" "50% off有幾款牛仔短褲適合屁股大的女生我是165/50臀圍大概90是腰細屁股胖，net的版型真的對屁股和腿胖的不友善我會去找找！"
## ..$ comment_time : chr [1:4] "7月11日 15:48" "7月11日 20:47" "7月11日 23:31" "7月12日 13:09"
## $ 3:Classes 'tbl_df', 'tbl' and 'data.frame': 53 obs. of 4 variables:
## ..$ comment_floor : chr [1:53] "B1" "B4" "B12" "B1" ...
## ..$ comment_author_school: chr [1:53] "東海大學" "南華大學" "國立虎尾科技大學" "東海大學" ...
## ..$ comment_text : chr [1:53] "我覺得你的穿搭跟你髮型不太搭哈哈哈感覺你可以換一個更歐美的髮型 一定更性感" "感覺大家去了美國都會變得很會穿XD" "我覺得造型沒必要分全部都要多怎樣歐美很多歐美也是這種髮型啊-原po打扮很正" "我覺得你的穿搭跟你髮型不太搭哈哈哈感覺你可以換一個更歐美的髮型 一定更性感" ...
## ..$ comment_time : chr [1:53] "7月9日 10:47" "7月9日 12:25" "7月9日 16:13" "7月9日 10:47" ... ### Turn comments list into a dataframe and add a new column "id"
df_comment_bind <- df_comment %>% bind_rows(.id = "id")
接下來就可以開始合併資料表了，主文的 article_id 與回文的 id 都來自 index 資料表的 id 欄位，因此合併時我們使用了 dplyr::left_join() ，並指定 by = c("article_id"="id")) ，對SQL熟悉的朋友一定會發現這就是 select * from a left join b on a.article_id = b.id; 。最後可以看一下完整的資料表 df_full 與索引資料表 df_index 兩者的差別。
### Join the article dataframe and the comments dataframe
df_full <- df_article %>% left_join(df_comment_bind, by = c("article_id"="id")) ### Check the output
df_full %>% tail(5)
## article_link article_board article_title article_author article_author_~
##
## 1 穿搭 男生簡約穿搭
## 2 穿搭 男生簡約穿搭
## 3 穿搭 男生簡約穿搭
## 4 穿搭 男生簡約穿搭
## 5 穿搭 男生簡約穿搭
## # ... with 9 more variables: article_text , article_love ,
## # article_reply , article_date , article_id ,
## # comment_floor , comment_author_school , comment_text ,
## # comment_time ## # A tibble: 5 x 14## article_link article_board article_title article_author article_author_~#### 1 穿搭 男生簡約穿搭 @eric7786 Eric## 2 穿搭 男生簡約穿搭 @eric7786 Eric## 3 穿搭 男生簡約穿搭 @eric7786 Eric## 4 穿搭 男生簡約穿搭 @eric7786 Eric## 5 穿搭 男生簡約穿搭 @eric7786 Eric## # ... with 9 more variables: article_text , article_love ,## # article_reply , article_date , article_id ,## # comment_floor , comment_author_school , comment_text ,## # comment_time ### Compare with the index dataframe
df_index %>% tail(5) ## # A tibble: 5 x 9
## index_date index_board index_title index_excerpt index_author
##
## 1 2019-02-27 22:07:00 美妝 被驚豔到的 ange~ angelariel絲絨~ ☆↗煞氣※a●網友卍↙~
## 2 2019-02-27 15:17:00 美妝 Penhaligon~ 近年來香氛蠟燭市場越來越~ "Johnny\U00~
## 3 2019-02-27 11:22:00 穿搭 ZARA網路付款~ 因為門市找不到官網上面的~ 中華科技大學 航空機械~
## 4 2019-02-24 22:11:00 美妝 "香港\U0001f~ "//i.imgur.c~ 卡稱卡稱
## 5 2019-02-20 20:23:00 工作 ZARA H&M服飾~ 的感覺比較好都會認真問你~ 世新大學
## # ... with 4 more variables: index_meta , index_link ,
## # index_wday , id
文章與留言合併後資料表 / 圖片來源: 我截圖的
5. Upload data from local files to google spreadsheet
將資料清理並合併後，下一步要將資料輸出。除了 google spreadsheet 以外，視需求也可輸出成 csv/excel/txt 檔案，這裡著重在容易共享並直接更改的 google drive。將資料從本地端上傳到雲端有三個常用的套件，分別是 googlesheet , googlesheet4 以及 googledrive ， googlesheet 專門針對 google spreadsheet 所設計，有很多實用的函數，譬如說將資料表上傳到特定分頁，或者更改某個儲存格的內容，操作上可以非常精細，但因為開發套件的作者現在致力於開發新版更好用的套件 googlesheet4 ，所以 googlesheet 就沒在維護了。
也因為如此，我現在都使用 googledrive ，它的亮點是可以靈活的處理 google drive 裡面的資料，包含搜尋、 創建檔案、更動檔案位置等等。我會用到的功能是把輸出到本地硬碟的 csv 檔案上傳到 google spreadsheet當中。
因為小翔希望每天早上十點可以看到 Dcard 上的新內容，所以我們結合了 dplyr::mutate() 與常見的 if_else() ，把發文時間晚於前一天早上十點的文章都貼上"new"的標籤。貼標後再上傳至 google drive上，小翔若點進 google spreadsheet，可以優先查看標示為"new"的文章。在上傳前要先建立好空的資料夾與 google spreadsheet，接著利用 googledrive::drive_get() 讀取 google spreadsheet，再以 googledrive::drive_get() 更新。
library(googledrive) ### Label "new" if the articles were posted later than 22:00 yesterday
df_index_newtag <- df_index %>%
mutate(new_tag = if_else(index_date >= as.POSIXct(ymd_hms(str_c(ymd(Sys.Date()-1), "10:00:00")), tz="Asia/Taipei"), "new", "old")) %>%
mutate(hyperlink = str_c('=HYPERLINK("',index_link,'","',index_title,'")')) %>%
select(-id)
df_index_newtag %>%
add_row(index_date = ymd_hms(str_c(ymd(Sys.Date()), "10:00:01")),index_board = "=now()", index_title ='=IMPORTRANGE("
arrange(desc(index_date)) %>%
select(-index_wday) %>%
write_csv("df_article.csv") ### Export data to the local diskdf_index_newtag %>%add_row(index_date = ymd_hms(str_c(ymd(Sys.Date()), "10:00:01")),index_board = "=now()", index_title ='=IMPORTRANGE(" https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/OOO/ ","dcard_new!A2")') %>%arrange(desc(index_date)) %>%select(-index_wday) %>%write_csv("df_article.csv") ### Pre create a file "cralwer" and a empty gsheet "crawler_dcard"
### Get gsheet from gdrive and update new csv
gd_crawler_dcard <- drive_get("~/crawler/crawler_dcard")
## Auto-refreshing stale OAuth token. gd_crawler_dcard %>% drive_update(media = "df_article.csv")
## File updated:
## * crawler_dcard: 87qiomfKIn8mfsbk1yp9q75647nPANk5x0l9QoP
6. Write E-mail to the user as a notification for new articles
這邊我使用的是 gmailr 套件，具體操作可以參考這篇教學。在R裡面寫信不只是為了潮而已， gmailr 厲害之處在於可以一次發送大量客製化信件給不同人。想像你是一位常常需要批改大量作業並告訴同學分數的老師，或者是需要寄送大量客製化邀請的 EDM 給不同廠商的公關專員，這些需求都可以在 R 中做到！ 實際寄信前需要參考教學，先在 Google Developers Console 申請 API 權限後才能得到信箱的存取權，但過程並不會很難，建議可以將 chrome 語言設定成英文版本，方便對照。
library(gmailr)
library(glue)
library(tableHTML) ### Below is a demo code since it needs credentials to run
### Read the credentials
use_secret_file("gmailr-zara.json") ### Filter "new" articles
df_index_email <- df_index_newtag %>%
filter(new_tag == "new") %>%
select(-c(new_tag, index_wday)) %>%
mutate(hyperlink = str_sub(index_link, 1, str_locate(index_link, "-")[,1]-1)) ### Turn the articles dataframe into a html table
msg = tableHTML(df_index_email)
html_bod <- str_c("<p> Good Morning! There are ",dim(df_index_email)[1], " articles total. </p>", msg)
mime() %>%
to("
from("
subject(str_c("ZARA_morning_monitor_", ymd(Sys.Date()))) %>%
html_body(html_bod) %>%
send_message() ### Send the emailmime() %>%to(" [email protected] ") %>%from(" [email protected] ") %>%subject(str_c("ZARA_morning_monitor_", ymd(Sys.Date()))) %>%html_body(html_bod) %>%send_message()
收到從 R 裡面自動寄出的 gmail，我用黃底標示關鍵字 / 圖片來源: 我截圖的
7. Update the results on a daily basis
因為工作原因暫時使用蘋果電腦，所以我使用的排程套件是 cronR ，可以參考套件官方網站， cronR 的好處是提供 Rtudio 當中的 add in，不用把函數背起來。
R studio add in 當中 cronR 套件的位置 / 圖片來源: 我截圖的
如下圖所示， cronR 的圖形化介面中分為兩部分，一部分是創建新的任務，一部分是管理現存的任務。使用者在創建新任務時需要填入待執行的 R script 檔案位置、開始時間、排程週期等，其中排程週期最為重要，可以設定一次性的工作，或是每分鐘/每小時/每日執行，若要以更複雜的方式排程，譬如說每周一三五定期執行程式碼，可以參考 cronR::cron_add() ，這個函數可以提升使用者排程的自由度。
cronR 套件的介面分為創建新的任務以及管理既有任務 / 圖片來源: 我截圖的
有另一個值得一提的案例，因為公關業的 agency 要幫 in-house 做每日新聞監測，可能會有早報與午報的需求，譬如說早上十點跑一次下午五點又跑一次，這時候要做的不是研究函數要怎麼實現這麼複雜的需求，最簡單的做法就是設定兩個任務，分別在對應的時間執行就好。
在使用 cronR 之前，需要先安裝下列幾個套件才能順利運作： shiny , miniUI , shinyFiles ，如果擔心不夠熟悉的話，可以參考這個影片。另外我自己在蘋果電腦上執行的時候，遇到了一段錯誤碼：“crontab: tmp/tmp.X: Operation not permitted”，後來在這裡找到了答案，基本上就是要開權限給 terminal，如果還是不行的話可以再開權限給 R 以及 Rstudio。若是windows系統，則是使用 task scheduler，可以參考教學。
Conclusion
1. Additional work for future
前面有提到，對老闆小翔來說，還有許多待解決的需求，我在底下列出未來可以改進的方向，以及動手前確定可以實踐的具體方法。
有些品牌不只有一個關鍵詞，像 UQ 就有 uniqlo, UQ, 優衣褲等
現在只有看一個品牌，但其他競爭的品牌討論也很重要
除了 Dcard 以外，還想看 Ptt, mobile01 等網站的相關討論
不想限於服飾，想看到宏觀趨勢
針對上述需求，底下提出對應的解方。
不只一個關鍵詞：以 Dcard 為例，可以在搜尋頁面打不同關鍵詞，抓下來後再將資料表合併，若擔心重複可以活用 dplyr::distinct()
多看幾個品牌：這個也很簡單，多設其他品牌關鍵字，合併時可以增加品牌的欄位
多看幾個網站：mobile01 本身也有提供站內搜尋的功能，所以可以用跟 Dcard 一樣的方法爬下資料。Ptt 比較麻煩，沒有全站通用的搜尋，這時候可以考慮抓取有搜尋功能的 Ptt 備份網站，或者是先鎖定特定幾個相關版面再寫爬蟲。
宏觀趨勢：這時候不需要使用關鍵字，而是改抓每個版面或全站的熱門文章，只有目標改變但方法不變。
2. A short review and thanks
在這篇文章當中，我依照品牌端使用者小翔的需求，使用 R 語言打造了一個能夠做到社群聆聽、資料自動上傳、每天更新的小工具，若有什麼建議或是希望增加的功能都可以留言跟我說，希望你會喜歡！特別感謝 Samuel 和 jilung 告訴我排程的相關資訊，以及 WB 給我的靈感。 | https://medium.com/dennis-r-data-news/build-a-social-listening-tool-yourself-a908e60c9958 | ['Dennis Tseng'] | 2020-10-06 03:49:55.531000+00:00 | ['Google Spreadsheets', 'R', 'Web Scraping', 'Cron', 'Social Listening'] |
Stem cells skincare; worth the hype? | I don’t think so.
Stem cells have become one of the most talked about magical ingredient in the skincare sphere, with companies attempting to include into their products accompanied with a hefty price tag. Typically they are found in anti-ageing skincare products that pay dramatic lip service to their claims, but do they really deliver?
So, what are stem cells?
Stem cells are like raw materials, they are undifferentiated and can become specialised cells such as muscle cells to brain cells. Also known as worker cells, they play an important role for the repair of damaged tissues, and the regeneration of tissues that turn over rapidly, such as the skin and blood.
While Wolverine and Deadpool in Marvel’s exhibit their ability to heal and produce stem cells with age, we experience this diminishment on our skin and our overall health. In a nutshell — ageing. As we age, our bodies gradually lose the reserves that keep us protected, leaving us vulnerable to dramatic changes.
Stem cells in my skincare product! Take my money! OR NOPE?
The truth is stem cells have many valuable properties for us, but for them to be effective, they have to be ALIVE. Therefore they must be stored under specific conditions. Sorry to break the news but you wouldn’t get to use your skincare products with live stem cells since they would already be dead.
Most common stem cells preached by cosmetics brands — plant stem cells
Plant stem cells are the most exciting development in skin care since human stem cells, with no ethical and legal arguments against using plant stem cells in cosmetics. But do they meet the claims that companies have made? It turns out that plant stem cells in skincare products are rooted more fiction than facts — though they’re not completely ineffective, either.
But I’m seeing results from my plant stem cell creams!
The extraction of plant stem cells does not have the ability to signal growth factors and it does not speak the same language, but it is true that they are scientifically shown to increase epidermal and collagen production. While the extracts found in plant stem cells are great, the same properties can be found in many other skincare products containing Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Resveratrol and many more to name.
“The truth is that stem cells in skincare products do not work as claimed; they simply cannot deliver the promised results,” said by Dr Christopher Calapai, an osteopathic physician, has been described by the New York Daily News as ‘the stem cell guru’.
Source from: https://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/Article/2016/10/06/Stem-cells-in-skin-care-don-t-work-expert-claims?
What about animal stem cells — how safe are they?
There are not many clinical research on using animal stem cells in human, or in skincare products. Theoretically, using the same concept as plant stem cells, they too should not be able to influence human stem cells because of genetic differences. Our human body may not be able to properly regulate stem cells from another species. Would you take stem cells from a crocodile? #justsaying
So… I have to use HUMAN stem cells!?
In a sense, yes.
Research using stem cells research for rejuvenation purposes has been ongoing for decades. While not yet approved, many clinical trials using Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) via IV infusion have been conducted with positive results to help combat frailty.
Oh no! That’s not ethical!
Unlike embryonic stem cells, which come from fertilised embryos, MSCs are actually found in umbilical cord tissues, bone marrow, and fat tissues. Cord blood and tissue banks are very common, and I know several mothers who store their baby’s cord blood and tissues for peace of mind (similar to insurance) or future uses.
“Stem cells that are in contact with skin are not really alive anymore,” said Margaret Foster Riley, a law professor and expert on food and drug law at the University of Virginia. “So I don’t really see how a stem cell product is working on the skin. I suppose some of them may actually work in a way that cosmetics work otherwise, because of moisturizing capability. But it’s not stem cell capability that’s working there to the degree we know how stem cells work.”
Source from: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2015/09/01/stem-cells-fda-facial-cream-lotion/71506494/
My hope is that stem cell technology will be able to play a role in enhancing skincare products in the foreseeable future. At least for now, it appears that your skincare product contains other ingredients that contribute to your results, so there’s no reason to buy expensive, overhyped stem cell products to achieve the same results!
Love ya!
S. T.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5674215/
https://www.dermstore.com/blog/stem-cells-in-skin-care/
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/rej.2017.2048
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235232041830035X | https://medium.com/@serenetserlin/stem-cells-skincare-worth-the-hype-9fdedfeaa190 | ['Serene T.'] | 2021-09-05 08:11:41.881000+00:00 | ['Cosmetics', 'Education', 'Skincare', 'Bioscience', 'Stem Cells'] |
Docker และ Kubernetes คืออะไร Part 1 | Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more
Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore | https://medium.com/kbtg-life/docker-%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%B0-kubernetes-%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%B7%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%B0%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%A3-%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%B3%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%96%E0%B8%B6%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B9%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%99%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B0-part-1-fe318ba5b36 | ['Guide Tinnapat'] | 2020-12-17 10:33:19.672000+00:00 | ['Kubernetes', 'Technology', 'Infrastructure', 'Docker', 'Application'] |
How to get rid of loops and use window functions, in Pandas or Spark SQL | Every software developer knows that iterating through rows of a dataset is one sure killer of performance. Loops are bad. Vectorized operations (operations that work on entire arrays) are good. Pandas, the Python library for data analysis, (https://pandas.pydata.org/), has vectorized operations for everything, allowing for great performance. For more on this topic, see an excellent article by Sofia Heisler here: https://engineering.upside.com/a-beginners-guide-to-optimizing-pandas-code-for-speed-c09ef2c6a4d6.
So, we can add a new calculated column to a Pandas dataframe, in one quick operation:
Same in Spark:
But what if we need to calculate the row’s value using values from adjacent rows instead? How do we calculate cumulative totals? Are we stuck looping through rows?
Enter window functions
Window functions can do exactly what we need: look at surrounding rows to calculate the value for the current row. They are especially useful together with partitioning (in Spark) or grouping (in Pandas), to limit which records are included in the current window. Let’s look closer at some use cases for window functions.
Calculate totals from deltas, or cumulative sum
Here is an example dataset that contains a set of online article URLs, for which we track whenever they get new social network shares (Twitter, Facebook, etc.):
Now we want to calculate a total value at ts for each row, summing up all values from previous rows for the same service and url. Here is how to do it with Pandas:
With pyspark:
PARTITION BY url, service clause makes sure the values are only added up for the same url and service. The same is ensured in Pandas with .groupby. We order records within each partition by ts, with .sort_values in Pandas and ORDER BY in Spark SQL.
Calculate deltas from totals
Sometimes, we need to do the reverse: calculate deltas in each row from total values. With Pandas, use .diff:
When the URL is shared for the first time, there’s no previous records to diff with, so we get a null delta. In [9], we set the value of delta to be equal to total for those rows.
With pyspark, use the LAG function:
Pandas lets us subtract row values from each other using a single .diff call. In pyspark, there’s no equivalent, but there is a LAG function that can be used to look up a previous row value, and then use that to calculate the delta. In Pandas, an equivalent to LAG is .shift. Both LAG and .shift take an offset parameter to tell them how many rows to look back (or forward). In pyspark, LAG looks back, and LEAD looks forward. In Pandas, .shift replaces both, as it can accept a positive or negative offset.
Rank things
It is often useful to show things like “Top N products in each category”. In this dataset, we have aggregated share counts per service and url, for a certain period. We want to see the 3 most shared URLs for each service. Pandas code uses .rank:
With pyspark, using a SQL RANK function:
In Spark, there’s quite a few ranking functions:
RANK
DENSE_RANK
ROW_NUMBER
PERCENT_RANK
The last one (PERCENT_RANK) calculates percentile of records that fall within the current window. It is equal to:
(rank — 1) / (total_num_of_rows — 1)
The first three mainly differ in how they break ties. Here is an example to illustrate the differences:
Aggregate without losing information
All the examples so far followed the same pattern: look one row back or one row forward to calculate the value in the current row. But what if we needed to expand our window to include, say, two rows back? Or, what if we want to use a time interval to size our window, for example, to calculate a 5-minute average?
In case of a 5-minute average, we could round the ts field, group on service, url and the rounded values of ts, and calculate averages per group. But in this case, we do not see the original records that contributed to the 5-minute average. Trying to write a GROUP BY query for a 3-row-window would be a SQL developer nightmare.
With pyspark, ROWS BETWEEN clause is used to size the window relative to the current row:
With Pandas, things get a little more complicated:
What is going on here?
In [16], we create a new dataframe by grouping the original df on url, service and ts and applying a .rolling window followed by a .mean. The rolling window of size 3 means “current row plus 2 preceding”. Unfortunately, the new ro dataframe now has a different index from the original df, so we can‘t simply take a column from one and assign it to another. Instead, in [17], we .merge the two dataframes on their key columns (an equivalent of SQL JOIN).
Note that in Pandas, we use min_periods=1 to say “If we don’t have 3 records in a window, use however many we have to calculate the mean, even if it’s just one current row.”. Spark has this behavior by default.
What about the 5-minute average?
In pyspark, use RANGE BETWEEN INTERVAL. This tells the window to include records within 5 minutes back in time from current row, for which the ts field from ORDER BY clause is used:
In Pandas, specify an offset (window=”5min”), instead of an integer:
What’s next?
Here are some excellent articles on window functions in pyspark, SQL and Pandas:
For more information on function parameters and usage, refer to the documentation:
The csv files and an ipython notebook with code snippets used in this article are shared on github:
I concentrated on Spark SQL and Pandas here, but the same queries can work in many relational databases, such as MS SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL. PostgreSQL documentation is a great resource on window functions:
Window functions can seem like pure wizardry at first, but there is no need to be intimidated by them. Now you can impress others with your SQL or Pandas wizardry! | https://medium.com/jbennetcodes/how-to-get-rid-of-loops-and-use-window-functions-in-pandas-or-spark-sql-907f274850e4 | ['Irina Truong'] | 2019-08-23 20:49:10.091000+00:00 | ['Dataframes', 'Analytics', 'Python', 'Pyspark'] |
Episode 15: Flexible Streets | Sam Schwartz: The streets say something about who we are. And New York streets should say, number one: we walk. Number two: we take transit, and we bike, and we eat, and we enjoy, and we like music and all the other things. We dance in the streets.
Vanessa Quirk: That’s Sam Schwartz, a lifelong New Yorker and transit guru who’s known around these parts as Gridlock Sam.
Sam Schwartz: The word gridlock came about during the 1980 transit strike, at least publicly, I was an assistant Department of Transportation Commissioner at the time. So I put this thing called grid lock, two words, grid lock prevention plan. And when city hall saw that, they said, we don’t know what gridlock is. Let’s get the guy who knows what it is to prevent it. And so gridlock has been associated with me ever since. I released it to the lexicon.
Eric Jaffe: We had a socially distanced, fully masked meet-up with Sam over the summer to take a look at how New York City streets were opening up to people — not just cars — in response to COVID-19.
Sam Schwartz: City street space, which was totally for cars, can be used for sitting areas, for dining areas, for bikeways.
Vanessa Quirk: Even though Sam was really excited about these new Open Streets, when we happened across one on the Upper West Side, he found its design was…lacking.
Sam Schwartz: Here is a street that’s closed with a wooden sawhorse. These sawhorses were old when I started 50 years ago, and you can’t completely trust the cars. There’s a car going right through. Right around.
Vanessa Quirk: So the sign says, “Share the road. Do not enter except local traffic. Five miles per hour.”
Sam Schwartz: Alright, so that guy is not local, he’s continuing, he’s going through the next block. Pedestrians be damned, dog walkers be damned. Barely slowing down, and there could be children playing, there could be somebody darting out. That person is not going five miles an hour, he’s doing about 15 on it.
Eric Jaffe: Just to get to a red light.
Sam Schwartz: And going through the red light.
Eric Jaffe: We’re handing out tickets left and right here.
Vanessa Quirk: Our imaginary tickets.
Sam Schwartz: Those were the good days when I was doing it.
Vanessa Quirk: Even though Sam wanted to give a lot of tickets to this particular driver, he insists that he’s not about taking away streets from cars completely.
Sam Schwartz: I’m not anti-car. I want to see balanced transportation. I also want to see cars in urban areas go very slowly. Nowadays we’re killing pedestrians at an alarming rate. So we need a balance. The cars have to go slower. And how do the cars go slower? Not by just putting up speed limit signs, that doesn’t do it because you don’t have a cop everywhere, you don’t have a camera everywhere. You need to do it through design.
Eric Jaffe: As we walked through the streets of the Upper West Side, Sam saw examples of the power of good design everywhere.
Sam Schwartz: Take a look over here!
Vanessa Quirk: Sam walked us towards a crosswalk, where the sidewalk had kind of been extended out, and the space for the car had been narrowed.
Sam Schwartz: So this is called a neckdown, and this was done circa 1971 when I started with the traffic department. So this was about 50 years old. It’s the first attempt at trying to tame a street through design. And you could see that traffic has to go more slowly, nobody can go around them as they go through. The pedestrian has only about 15 feet to cross as opposed to 30 feet to cross, so the pedestrian’s exposure it’s a lot less over here. Here we see a father with a child in the stroller and within four seconds he’d cross the street, as opposed to eight seconds. Four extra seconds — multiply it by 8 million people crossing and you increase the probability of crashes.
Vanessa Quirk: If Sam were in charge again, he has some ideas for how he’d transform the streets of today into the safer, more flexible, more responsive streets of the future.
Sam Schwartz: We should use our streets in a smart way temporally. We should think of the street of the future as one that does change during the day, during the day of the week, during the season, and we should use some technology and human power combined to make it happen. We can do almost anything, technologically. These are the 2020s.
Vanessa Quirk: Welcome to City of the Future, a podcast from Sidewalk Labs.
Eric Jaffe: Each episode, we explore ideas and innovations that could transform our cities.
Vanessa Quirk: We’re your hosts. I’m Vanessa Quirk.
Eric Jaffe: And I’m Eric Jaffe.
Vanessa Quirk: And in this episode we’re talking about an idea that could allow one of our most precious public spaces to serve the needs of everyone.
Eric Jaffe: Flexible streets. | https://medium.com/sidewalk-talk/episode-15-flexible-streets-3f3e577b4399 | ['City Of The Future'] | 2020-12-12 21:36:58.910000+00:00 | ['City Of The Future', 'Cities', 'Covid 19', 'Design', 'Technology'] |
蘋果曾拒絕收購Tesla | A columnist in political development in Greater China region, technology and gadgets, media industry, parenting and other interesting topics. | https://medium.com/@frederickyeung-59743/%E8%98%8B%E6%9E%9C%E6%8B%92%E7%B5%95%E6%94%B6%E8%B3%BCtesla-3d7f3b7155a3 | ['C Y S'] | 2020-12-23 04:32:36.059000+00:00 | ['Apple', 'Tesla'] |
It’s Not a Death Cult, It’s a Mass Murder Movement | You’ll often hear it said — indeed I’ve said it myself — that Trumpism is a death cult.
The MAGA faithful, on this account, are so beholden to their leader that not only would they forgive him for shooting someone on 5th Avenue — the scenario Trump himself conjured during the 2016 campaign — but they would line up to be shot, if it were deemed necessary for the cause.
But the death cult analogy is wrong. Death cults tend to be suicidal. Think People’s Temple and Jim Jones. Think Heaven’s Gate, with their black Nikes and purple death shrouds. And at first blush, perhaps the analogy seems to fit when it comes to Trumpsters. In the wake of COVID, the faithful insist they would be willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the economy. Thus, they call for an end to social distancing and the re-opening of everything as soon as possible.
Glenn Beck has said he would “rather die than kill the country,” and suggested that people like himself who are older should go out and keep the economy moving, even if they all get sick, for the good of coming generations.
The Lieutenant Governor of Texas, Dan Patrick, has insisted there are things “more valuable than living,” and right-wing commentators and anti-lockdown protesters have demonstrated a profound nonchalance about the prospects of dying, so long as it’s in the service of America’s future.
So sure, it sounds like suicidal ideation, but upon closer examination, you begin to realize it’s not.
These folks aren’t suicidal at all. They are homicidal.
Trumpism isn’t a death cult. Their political meanderings are not a suicide note; they’re a murder contract.
How do we know? Simple.
First off, those who claim they would be willing to die for the sake of the economy don’t believe they are genuinely at risk. They say as much with their denials of the virus’s lethality or with their assurances that if they become ill, they can beat it with a positive mental attitude. To wit, FOX commentator Jesse Watters, who insists the “power of positive thinking” would pull him through should he fall ill with COVID.
Over and again, they justify opening things back up by insisting that almost all who die are elderly, with severe pre-existing conditions. Those who perish are not as tough or manly as they, with their guns and camo and refusal to wear masks for fear of appearing “submissive.” In other words, those who are dying and will die in the future from COVID are not them.
All of this suggests that irrespective of their proclaimed willingness to die for the cause, they don’t actually expect to do so, though they readily acknowledge others will.
What should we call people who advocate an action they know will kill not themselves but others? Not suicidal but homicidal.
And in this case we should call them mass murderers.
They aren’t volunteering to take the bullet from Trump’s gun in the middle of midtown Manhattan; they’re helping him point it at someone else and pulling the trigger.
Glenn Beck, after all, struck his heroic pose from behind a microphone in his home studio. He is not risking anything with his calls for opening back up. He is safe and secure, and even if he one day returns to a studio located somewhere other than in his basement, it’s not as if he’ll be working in a hospital, or a meatpacking plant.
And speaking of meatpacking plants, when Donald Trump ordered that such places be kept open even as COVID has torn through such facilities — because, after all, the bacon supply is an essential service — it was not a suicide pact. It was a professional hit being contracted by the head of state, against others, and especially the disproportionately brown-skinned immigrants who work in these places. They would be the ones to do the dying. That’s not tantamount to Jim Jones inviting his followers to drink the Kool-Aid; rather, it’s the members of the People’s Temple rounding up the locals in Guyana and making them drink it.
And why? Because they view those who would do the bulk of the dying as inferiors, whose lives are hardly worthy of value at all.
Think I’m being too harsh? Then consider the words of right-wing fraudster and provocateur, Jack Burkman, who, along with his partner in crime, Jacob Wohl, is known for paying people to make false claims of sexual assault against Donald Trump’s perceived enemies.
Recently, when one such woman had a change of heart about the charges she was paid to fabricate — this time against Dr. Anthony Fauci — she recorded Burkman detailing the importance of the scam they were pulling. When pushed by the young woman (a former friend of Wohl’s) about the health risks of the virus — risks she felt Wohl and Burkman were downplaying — the latter articulated the desiccated heart of conservative thinking.
To wit, Burkman:
“Mother Nature has to clean the barn every so often…So what if 1 percent of the population goes? So what if you lose 400,000 people? Two hundred thousand were elderly; the other 200,000 are the bottom of society. You got to clean out the barn. If it’s real, it’s a positive thing, for God’s sake.”
Ultimately it’s a eugenic mentality, social Darwinism at its worst, and the thinking that has animated history’s greatest monsters. It’s the idea that millions of people are “useless eaters,” whose deaths are acceptable losses — even a positive good.
And it’s not just a mentality evinced by bottom-feeders like Burkman. Indeed, the chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court recently suggested that statewide stay-at-home orders were unnecessary. Why? Because although COVID had spread from urban to rural areas, the big flareup had been limited to workers at a meatpacking facility, while not impacting “regular folks.”
Meanwhile, the Governor of Nebraska is refusing to release site-specific data about infections in meatpacking plants, preferring to keep workers and their communities in the dark about the potential risks they face. Anyone who valued the lives of workers in those facilities would want them to have full information. By hiding the data, the Governor is hoping to fool vulnerable workers into staying on the job; their health be damned.
All of which begs the question, why? Why are those who will be especially vulnerable valued less than those who are at lower risk?
Surely we don’t think it coincidental that the push for re-opening is mostly led by white people, while people of color are doing the disproportionate dying, do we? Can anyone say with a straight face that these white folks would push as hard to go back to work if people like them were being disproportionately affected? Or if it were people in the prime of their lives, rather than the elderly? Or relatively healthy people as opposed to those with pre-existing conditions?
It is simply inconceivable that the “open it up” brigades would be as adamant about ending the lockdowns if they were the ones who would be the most likely to suffer. It is precisely because the dying will be done disproportionately by others that they can be so cavalier.
It’s not merely that they view black and brown life as less valuable. They view anyone with pre-existing conditions as weaker specimens of humanity, for whom compassion need not attach. We saw that in the debate over health care, with Rush Limbaugh claiming that requiring companies to insure people with pre-existing conditions was nothing more than “welfare” for people who were too irresponsible to have insurance in the first place. Because to the right, the unhealthy are ultimately to blame for their infirmity.
This is what modern conservatism has become. It is not a suicide death cult but a murderous, terrorist movement. It is, in the age of Trump, a cabal of hateful, ignorant, anti-social eugenicists intent on removing those they deem inferior from society. And this they propose to do by one means or another: by slashing safety nets, by building walls against immigrants, or by letting disease and illness kill hundreds of thousands of people whose lives they never valued anyway.
When they say “all lives matter” — as their witty retort to the Black Lives Matter movement — they don’t mean it. The only lives that matter to them are the ones who look and live and pray as they do.
We need not try and reason with them, let alone convert them to a rational, humane, and compassionate politics. They are deserving of only one thing: defeat — total, immediate, and lasting. | https://timjwise.medium.com/its-not-a-death-cult-it-s-a-mass-murder-movement-b784b2b9fb70 | ['Tim Wise'] | 2020-05-10 11:06:01.111000+00:00 | ['Covid 19', 'Politics', 'Equality', 'Coronavirus', 'Race'] |
Doing Politics Together: The Public Sphere | In philosopher-speak, that means rationality isn’t objective, it’s intersubjective. Think of it like the hub of a wheel. Our various worldviews, religions, personal beliefs and lifestyles are like spokes: the wheel uses all of them, but they’re fundamentally separate to each other. The only place they all meet is in the hub. We’re never going to convince each other of our worldviews or 100% understand each other’s lived experiences. And reason isn’t a rich enough language game to express how our lives feel from the inside. But it is the only place all the spokes can meet.
Another analogy: think of rational argumentation like that smattering of English that enables you to get by in any one of dozens of countries all over the world. Could you have a more in-depth conversation with that Londoner if you learned their language inside out, or if they bothered to learn yours? Could you express more of your hopes, dreams and fantasies, more of what makes you you? Of course. But you’re only in London a couple of days, you’re just asking directions and the English you have is enough. It’s fit for purpose. Functional.
That’s what reason is for Habermas: functional. How strict your reasoning needs to be — whether you can get by with common sense or need to go full-on FACTS and LOGIC on your audience — depends on what you’re arguing for. Different discussions require different standards.
Photo by Miguel Henriques on Unsplash
Couple of examples (mine, not his). If you’re petitioning for an access ramp for your local library, it’s probably not necessary to prepare a two-hour PowerPoint presentation about the moral implications of disability and the physics of wheelchairs. A simple ‘These people need a ramp’ will do. But if you’re proposing something as technical and complex as, say, UBI, then your arguments need to be careful. And you need a lot of them. Has this been tried before, and what were the results? Do the numbers add up? How will different demographics, professions and regions be affected? Cost-benefit analysis please!
The strictest proofs of all are reserved for general truth claims (‘This isn’t my opinion, it’s just how the world is’) or issues of morality. Like a lot of philosophers Habermas distinguishes morality in the sense of “the ground rules we all follow” from ethics, meaning “taboos and aspirations that are personal to you and your group”. Morality is respecting human rights, ethics is going on a self-betterment course. Morality is ‘Thou shalt not kill’, ethics is ‘Thou shalt only eat kosher food’. Morality is a thin language, ethics is a thick one.
Habermas doesn’t say we should leave the thick language of religion, culture and ethics at the door when we enter the public sphere. He knows how much someone’s identity shapes their motivations, worldview and opinions. Instead, he’s making the subtler point that the more of reality your argument claims to describe and the more people who are affected by it, the more you should frame it in terms that everyone can agree on. | https://medium.com/the-small-dark-light/doing-politics-together-the-public-sphere-5e4f3c245510 | ['Wabi Sabi'] | 2020-11-13 16:51:49.968000+00:00 | ['Ben Shapiro', 'Habermas', 'Philosophy', 'Public Sphere', 'Politics'] |
The Alchemist and the Pessimist: A Story of My Daughter’s Skull Surgery | This is my daughter’s skull. The soft spot babies have when they’re born isn’t supposed to be that big.
“Do you want a boy or girl this time?” It didn’t matter who asked. I’d always answer the same. “Healthy.”
I met the daughter I prayed for on April 20, 2020. Mara got her father’s looks and more. Notably, a gene mutation that led to Saethre-Chotzen Syndrome and craniosynostosis.
Here’s what that means: The bones in her skull fused before birth, and her brain needs more room to grow. Now, surgeons need to cut open the front of her head, remove a piece of her skull, reshape it, and put it back together.
On Nov. 3, my wife and I won’t be paying attention to what the rest of the world is following. Rather, we’ll be at the hospital as our 6-month-old girl undergoes a 6-hour skull surgery.
The Alchemist…
I tend to read a few dozen books a year. A majority of my Kindle’s history includes nonfiction titles. Naturally, what’s taught me the most this year was a work of fiction: “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho.
My favorite part of reading on the Kindle is the highlighting feature. You can see other popular passages and highlight and export your own.
Here are some of my favorite “Alchemist” quotes:
“Even if my neighbor doesn’t understand my religion or understand my politics, he can understand my story. If he can understand my story, then he’s never too far from me.”
(A good thing to keep in mind during a time of toxic polarity.)
and
“When each day is the same as the next, it’s because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises.”
(A good thing to keep in mind during a time of COVID and quarantine.)
and
“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.”
(A good thing to keep in mind anytime.)
… and the Pessimist
“It’s probably tougher for you than for her.”
I’ve been hearing that a lot lately from people who already know of Mara’s condition.
Maybe it’s because people know I’m an eternal pessimist. And they’re right: I thrive on being a worse-case-scenario kind of thinker. I only see the glass as half empty.
But Paulo Coelho’s book did its own sort of alchemy on me. This passage really stuck:
“If good things are coming, they will be a pleasant surprise…If bad things are, and you know in advance, you will suffer greatly before they even occur.”
Why keep suffering what-ifs, especially with a thing like my daughter’s skull surgery?
Rewinding a bit
What-ifs rocked us well before Mara came into our lives. After trying for a second baby for longer than we thought it’d take, we suffered a miscarriage January 2019. The negative thoughts flowed.
What if we only have one child? What if we need help from a fertility clinic? What if we can’t afford a fertility clinic?
Pessimist-me went a bit deeper.
What if we just give up?
Fortunately, I married a woman whose determination can be contagious.
So we kept trying, and later that year, Mara taught us her first lesson: Never give up.
“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
Perspective
Like me, my sister also carries that special gene mutation. Unlike me, she needed skull surgery as an infant.
Thirty-some years later, she turned out all right.
So when something wasn’t right the day of Mara’s birth, we didn’t care.
I held her that day and didn’t think of what-ifs. Rather, I fell in love with a girl for the first time since I met her mother.
“The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them.”
‘The fear of suffering’
For a few days in early November, we’ll be up at the Hershey Campus of Penn State Children’s Hospital.
COVID, of course, makes things a little trickier.
We’ve spent most of the year by ourselves. If Mara contracts the virus — asymptomatic or not — recovery would be more challenging. That’s why you haven’t seen me lately and won’t see me anytime soon.
When Mara wakes up from surgery, she’ll be allowed a visit from both of her parents. After that, though, only one of us can be in the room with her. The other will be staying in the nearby Ronald McDonald House.
“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself.”
Alchemy at work
We’re not pretending this won’t be hard. It will be. It already is.
But we’re confident in Hershey’s medical team. We’re grateful for the support we’ve already received and will receive in the future.
So why am I writing this? It’s not to seek pity, I promise.
It’s because I’ve been given a gift — a blessing — and I want to share it.
Each time Mara smiles at me now, I cherish it. I think of “The Alchemist.” I ignore the pessimist in me. | https://willhanlon.medium.com/the-alchemist-and-the-pessimist-a-story-of-my-daughters-skull-surgery-aefc88695c82 | ['Will Hanlon'] | 2020-10-26 16:00:49.549000+00:00 | ['Paulo Coelho', 'Fatherhood', 'The Alchemist', 'Alchemist', 'Daughters'] |
Benjamin Boyce Podcast | I did a podcast. It was pretty fun. In keeping with Medium’s terms of service, I’ll note I was not compensated for it.
I’d characterize it as:
15% gun stuff
30% media criticism
30% culture war analysis
15% “culture war goes hot” stuff
10% a certain future topic, “the student loan sham.” | https://medium.com/handwaving-freakoutery/benjamin-boyce-podcast-d29a6c63b6d8 | ['Bj Campbell'] | 2018-11-15 19:03:55.249000+00:00 | ['Media Criticism', 'Politics', 'Guns', 'Culture War', 'Random'] |
Design Thinking from a Organization Context | In last decade, companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Disney, and IBM have imbibed “design thinking” and has proven that its a competitive advantage that drivers the business growth and increase ROI over time. Its shifting business centered solution (mostly technical) to a Customer-Centric solution ie explore cultural , behavior , thinking , insights and and design a product around that.
Strategic/Board Engagement: According to the Design Thinking proponent , Companies should have design thinkers in the corporate boards, providing strategic inputs and involved in R&D efforts. This ensures that elements of design thinking, ideas , tools are leveraged at the outset during exploration of any product strategy. Design Thinker are must at the beginning of conceptualization of an innovation or at the early stages of Product Development.
Human-Centered Approach: Design thinkers observe how people behave, how the product experience affects the company products/services. They explore people needs , wants, intrinsic desires etc and connect these behavior to the product/services. Its not only valuable to explore the human behavior but for company its a new models of business value, potentially new business themselves that could generate revenue, On the flip side , human-centered design thinking increases the customers acceptance rate. There are 2 approaches to this:
1) Default Approach : By Default , the company/BU, starts with existing business constraints ie budgets, product line etc. They also factor global Market treads and try extrapolation which leads to incremental ideas . The drawback is that they are easily copied.
2) Technology Approach: Starting with Emerging technology is the second most common approach but is risky but are used by the “start ups” with high risk. Using tools for social media and Session based Mystery Shopping are examples of technical approach
Fail Fast, Fail Often : This might be the stupidest of the matra of current time, but its true for corporations those who wishes to fails and learn than follow a flawed process. The idea is to have first prototype asap and how it can be tested and improved. The expectation from the strategic leaders are experimentation and accepting it. A success leads to funding and support and failure leads to learning. Ensure that the prototype is tested in the real world and with intended users.
Effective Collaboration: The Organization BUs are encouraged for continued experimentation but they work in silos since they are limited with ideas within their product/services. But this undermines ineffectiveness of design principle and other BUs may miss on the opportunities that lies ahead. A collaborative effort across multiple BUs/Regions and “common thinking” should be encouraged
Agile Budgeting : Since Design Thinking is fast paced , the strategic leadership should expect releasing funds for projects based on milestones. But in reality the milestones cannot be always achieved and thus should change with times. Key is to review the budget with judgement . Some companies uses venture capitalist or venture funds and could be tapped for projects where success rate is potentially high. Agile Resource alignment and allocation is a challenge but could be managed with resources from other projects/departments with a core team in place.
Design E2E : This entails following design thinking build into all the operations in order to bring the customer and human insight for product/services and engaging, marketing materials, user interfaces , websites , apps , employee communications , manufacturing operations, sales engagement , on boarding and developing employees or anything that has to do with new product/services offering .
Coaches: Where special support is required, training , leadership with implementation know-how of a coach supervision ensures Project/Services success in the day-to-day work The BU/Organization should engaging Design Thinking coaches or hire experts, who are technology specialists, software gurus , design consultants, video gamer etc.
Closing Notes : According to Citrix SVP of Customer Experience, Catherine Courage. “You need to make [design thinking] part of all processes and not just something you do on select projects. Starting by looking through the customer lens has to be ingrained in everything you do. Developing that foundation and creating that cultural change across all projects and initiatives is what it takes” | https://medium.com/@anilyad/design-thinking-from-a-organization-context-6c44ed9900e3 | ['Kumar A'] | 2020-11-27 09:10:25.098000+00:00 | ['Desing Thinking', 'Agile', 'Organization'] |
Best Travel Apps TOP-15 | I think we can all agree that we yearn for travel more than ever before. Even if you were not the biggest fan of holiday adventures, now that we are deprived of such an opportunity we want it more than ever. But there is no need to get frustrated about the things that are out of our power (well, mostly) and start whining. I can share one sure way to spend time wisely while waiting for the quarantine measures to drop.
Well, first of all, can you answer the question: “What is better than a long dreamed holiday?” “Nothing” you might answer. But the truth is that sometimes planning your holiday can be as good as the trip itself (or even better).
And what do we do to plan our travel?
Book the hotel?
No, before that.
Apologize to the cat for leaving?
No, but that’s a good idea (even though it wouldn’t be fully appreciated on the cat’s side).
Download some apps on your phone?
Bingo!
Yeah, actually downloading travel apps beforehand might not only be useful, but it can also be lifesaving. So I have chosen 15 to save you the trouble of going through hundreds of them to choose the ones that are worth the space on your phone.
1. AwardWallet
AwardWallet tracks all your loyalty points (hotels, airlines, and others) and helps you find the best way to save money. It also manages your travel itinerary (that came as a surprise to me but it can actually transform booking confirmation emails into a personal travel plan).
Available for iOS and Android
2. Booking
Probably one of the most well-known apps to book hotels, but it doesn’t make it any worse. With the app, you can choose the property, filter the results and confirm the booking. Nothing jaw-dropping you would say, but I like the variety of filters/amount of offers ratio. So even if you are really picky, you will find something.
Available for iOS and Android
3. Airbnb
Airbnb is a booking service as well, but it is probably the one to go to when you want to find something unusual like a treehouse in the middle of the woods or, say, a church (why not?).
Available for iOS and Android
4. Travelzoo
Travelzoo helps you find the best deals on package tours, excursions, dinners, events, and other things. What I really like about it is that all these discounts are found by real people (you can actually see their names). Makes it more personal, you know.
Available for iOS and Android
5. Couchsurfing
If your purse strings are tied but the desire to visit new places is as strong as ever, Couchsurfing might be the way to go. It allows you to live rent-free at your host’s house. But everything comes at a price, and the price for free accommodation is apparently communication. So if you are an introvert, give it a second thought.
Available for iOS and Android
6. Skyscanner
Skyscanner is a good flight search aggregator with a very friendly user interface and a lot of searching options. It is supposed to have the biggest choice of tickets available and I believe it.
Available for iOS and Android
7. Skiplagged
Skiplagged is yet another flight searching app, but it is renowned for its special flight searching algorithm which allows you to use layovers as final destination points, thus significantly reducing the price.
Available for iOS and Android
8. Tiqets
The app helps you get tickets to museums, galleries, events, and what not from the comfort of your own home.
Available for iOS and Android
9. Omio
Omio is a nice app to use for searching for bus and train tickets. The road map covers most parts of Western Europe and North America.
Available for iOS and Android
10. WiFi Map
I think the app becomes essential the minute you step out of your coverage zone. Because let’s face it, most apps will be simply useless without the internet connection and the roaming options might be complicated or blatantly expensive. So the Wi-Fi map can save the day (and it works offline, just in case you wonder).
Available for iOS and Android
11. Yelp
Good old Yelp needs no introduction I suppose. Being famous for the variety of its restaurant reviews, it takes it up a notch and provides you with info about a range of services from plumbing to law counseling.
Available for iOS and Android
12. Uber
You probably already have it on your phone, but if not, take your time to download it. It works in 85 countries, so there is a good chance that even when you are abroad you will get the service that you got used to at home.
Available for iOS and Android
13. HappyCow
It’s not easy being green, it’s not easy being a vegetarian. HappyCow takes care of the right restaurant choice for people who keep to a plant-based diet.
Available for iOS and Android
14. Meetup
If you feel lonely while on holiday why not meet some other like-minded people. Maybe you’ll make lifelong friends, maybe you’ll fall in love or just find a date for the evening.
Available for iOS and Android
15. Google Maps
Ok, I am not trying to reinvent the wheel and just stating the obvious but Google Maps is a must-have on your phone. It has so much information that I am not going to describe it. In case you have it, you already know it, in case you don’t, check out the app.
Available for iOS and Android | https://medium.com/@agreen-25295/best-travel-apps-top-15-38fbf6da0076 | [] | 2021-09-13 10:46:09.005000+00:00 | ['Travel Hacking', 'Travel', 'Best Travel Apps', 'Travel Tips', 'Apps'] |
Day 11 (30 to 40) | Day 11 (30 to 40)
By L. David Stewart PhD-c
#30to40
I have spoken recently of my recent diabetes diagnosis. There is another thing I have not spoken about but have. Depression.
Mental health became important to me in 2003. Before then, I never understood mental health never cared too. Then my mother took it. March 2004 she passed. What no one told me about was the AFTER effects of losing a loved one. No one told me how you change after losing someone. I was running from feeling, and grieving. Then in April of 2004 I had my first of 3 suicide attempts.
I wasn’t able to go through with it thankfully. At the same time, I was dealing with other emotional issues, and hadn’t been able to deal with. Shortly after that, I did a brief stint of homelessness. Character building to say the least. A few key events happened in 2005 that turned my life around and I was back on my feet and things got better. Deep down though, I was still grieving. Finally after a second attempt in 2006, I realized I needed help. In the Black community, there has always been a taboo of discussing mental health. Especially if you were raised in the Church. My faith is strong but I also realized that I had mental health needed to be focused on. First time I went to a therapist, was in 2007. I was diagnosed with mild depression. Nervous as I had never talked to a person about my problems openly. I was scared to say the least.
Focused and was available to let out so much and it felt like a weight released.
Over the years I realized so much was buried in me that I didnt deal with. After almost doing another attempt in 2008, I learned that it was ok to feel. As a Black man, it was ok to be.
2018, I revisited therapy, as I new it could help. This time it didnt as much as the therapist I dealt with was not sensitive to cultural issues. In of all places, Miami. I was distraught but took that energy and translated it into a 6-song EP: Through The Lens of L. David Stewart (http://nizm.Bandcamp.com)
Fast forward to 2020, when i knew my dad was gonna pass, I realized that I needed to vent. So this year, I got back into therapy as I knew 2020 was gonna be heavy...and it has been. Seeing a therapist twice a month has allowed me to balance the roughest year of my life and at least smile.
I say this to say, its ok to admit what you feel. To my fellow Black men, its ok to feel. Find your space. Find who to talk to. One day at a time, one day at a time. | https://medium.com/@ldavid_45971/day-11-30-to-40-3d77200cfa13 | ['L David Stewart'] | 2020-12-25 04:21:20.431000+00:00 | ['Mental Health', 'Awareness', 'Depression', 'African American'] |
Why I Joined BioBox as The Director of Marketing (3/3) | In The Beginning
At university I majored in Biomedical Sciences and minored in International Development. When I graduated, I aimed for a career in Global Health and somehow landed in the world of Advertising, loved it and stayed there for 3 years. There was always a small thought in the back of my head that said, “Wouldn’t it be cool if I could merge my love for science and marketing?”
A quick look at a job board could tell you that these opportunities were few and far between and I often told myself, “Maybe someday, but not now.”
In The Middle
The now came sooner than I thought and it started with these 7 words:
“I think I need to hire you.”
I spit out my coffee that day. My glorious productivity juice, completely gone to waste across my entire white desk.
These 7 words set off a series of events that resulted in 1 emotional rollercoaster, decision trees, pro/con charts, negotiations and an endless consumption of coffee to encourage my already high anxiety.
I was sitting on the fence for a long time.
Then our CEO said to me,
If there’s anything I can promise you, it’s that you’ll gain an arsenal of valuable skills that can take you anywhere you want to go.
I knew in that moment that the BioBox team was serious about helping me develop the skills I wanted to have and moulding me into the marketer I wanted to become.
So I took a chance, and now here I am.
Beyond what the role could offer me in terms of experience, I made the jump because it was so evidently clear why everyone else was there. If you’ve had the chance to read my colleagues’ posts, you’ll find that their personal experiences and purpose are so deeply ingrained in the company’s DNA. And for me, there’s no greater case for being employed here, than to be working with people who know what they’re doing and WHY they’re doing it.
From a marketing standpoint, it has been a privilege to market a product that solves the pain points expressed by our industry. It’s one thing to market something I believe in, and another when the industry is actively asking for a solution we’re already building. The more the scientific community vocalizes their concerns, the more convinced I am that BioBox is a solution that needs to be created. I feel a sense of responsibility in magnifying the work of my peers and it’s my job to ensure that their work is seen, heard and understood.
During the time I have been working at BioBox, I can confidently say that the team has given me ample support to run with my own ideas and initiatives. In 4 short months I have had to opportunity to:
Develop the entire website from scratch (twice) — prior to BioBox I did not know how to code.
Build and monitor all digital acquisition channels
Manage all social media platforms & content creation
Lead sponsorships & partnerships
My ability to do these things are made possible by a team who consistently pushes me to produce good work, seek opportunities and take risks.
In The End (which is really a new beginning)
So at this point in the post, you have watched a pretty epic dance video(IMHO) and learned about my brief history in 5 minutes or less. And now you’re probably wondering what the two have in common.
Whenever new opportunities come along, I never know where they will lead. When I auditioned for a dance team 7 years ago, I didn’t know that it would play a part in defining my life. The same way that the opportunity to join BioBox came out of left field and is reminiscent of my early dance days.
Both events are representative of a new start, with a sprinkle of mystery.
As for the outcome of this event? Well I don’t know, you’ll have to follow along and find out. | https://medium.com/bioboxanalytics/why-i-joined-biobox-as-the-director-of-marketing-3-3-69b7a9f763ff | ['Zoe Chung'] | 2020-12-10 13:48:23.392000+00:00 | ['Genomics', 'Biotechnology', 'Startup Life', 'Startup Marketing', 'Saas Marketing'] |
Why Birthday Cakes Mean That The Pie Chart Will Never Die | Why Birthday Cakes Mean That The Pie Chart Will Never Die
Data visualisation gurus passionately advocate against pie charts, but the masses will never be convinced — nor should they be.
Image by Ruth Black on iStockphoto
It is almost a rite of passage, perhaps even seen as a professional responsibility, among those working in data visualisation to voice their distaste for pie charts and to be seen to broadcast stern warnings for them to avoided at all costs. I am not convinced. Indeed, my presentations and dashboards include them and I teach others to construct them in my training courses. Am I a rebel, a pragmatist, or is there something fundamentally wrong with the message that pie charts are ‘evil’?
Why all the hate?
Edward Tufte, author of the data viz bible ‘The Visual Display of Quantitative Information’ and someone who was once described by the New York Times as “the daVinci of data” once said:
“the only thing worse than a pie chart is several of them” — Edward Tufte
He is not alone in his views. Countless books, articles, and blog posts by data visualisation leaders promote the same message paired with equally passionate titles. Check out “Death to pie charts” by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic and “Save the pies for dessert” by Stephen Few.
Their argument is that the human brain is not wired to measure angles (the basis on which pie charts are constructed).
Image by LibreTexts Mathematics Library
Our brains are designed to quickly process information and assign meaning to it, but the types of attributes it uses to do so are things such as similarity, proximity, and enclosure. They’re referred to as pre-attentive attributes or the gestalt laws of perception and Elijah Meeks wrote a good series of articles on how these apply to data visualization — check it out here. There are 7 attributes and angles aren’t one of them.
It is this that prompted Walter Hickey, data journalist and Senior Editor, Data at Insider, to open one his blog posts with:
“The pie chart is easily the worst way to convey information ever developed in the history of data visualization.” — Walter Hickey
Measuring angles is hard. Measuring and comparing multiple angles is even harder. I won’t argue with that. It’s why we learnt to use a protractor at school and why none of us would contemplate constructing a pie chart by hand.
But…
Your brain didn’t know how to assign meaning to letters, words and sentences when you were born — you were taught (and I assume you have reached a pretty decent skill level in this regard else you wouldn’t be reading this article). The same is true of pie charts, albeit in a different context.
Why I think pie charts are great
From the moment we are born our families press on us the importance of celebrating the anniversary of our birth, and those of the people close to us. Central to this celebration is always the birthday cake. We quickly learn that the size of the slice is an important metric. Quantity wins over quality every time as a kid, so quickly identifying and nabbing the biggest slice provides a competitive advantage. Also important, if you have siblings, is ensure that whichever slice we get is at a minimum bigger than that of our siblings. Or if you’re born into a family of control freaks, as I was (and where I was perhaps the biggest culprit), you’ll get the ruler or protractor out to make sure everyone gets the exact same sized slice.
This puts us in good stead for a future business context, when faced with data presented in a pie chart. As long as the slice sizes are noticeably different and there are not too many of them (remember that our brains can only retain about 5 bits of information at once), then we can do a good job at interpreting the data.
Stephen Few once said:
“Data visualization is the graphical display of abstract information for two purposes: sense-making and communication.” — Stephen Few
I believe this really is crux of the argument. Data is presented in order to convey information to an audience. True, as a method to present data, the pie chart is one of the more complex and difficult for our brains to process — but just like human language — we have practiced it since birth so we understand this type of visualisation innately. It is this familiarity that outweighs the gestalt laws and lifts pie charts to one of the most valuable chart types (alongside bar charts) for communicating data to business audiences.
(bring on the internet haters and trolls…)
I am no rebel, I accept the intrinsic flaws of pie charts, but I am also a scientist who trusts observations over theory. In my 20 years experience presenting data and teaching data visualisation — audiences are more baffled by cognitively simpler alternatives to pie chart types such as tree maps and waffle charts (as much as I love them). It is no accident that bar charts and pie charts are the default and most prolific of all chart types.
When precision is key, chose a bar chart — it will always do a better job for comparing values, but when the data and point you’re trying to make allows for it, feel free to use pie charts.
That is not to say that I am advocating for free reign with pie charts, or their cousin, the donut chart. The easiest way to get me to lose interest in your data is to present a 3D, exploded pie chart, but that’s a whole other story. It is critical to be mindful of good information design — all elements of the chart must support effective communication of the information of the audience.
Image by various via Google
Image by various via Google
Designing your chart, regardless of its type, for maximum clarity and communication is key. Pie charts are not ‘evil’, do not need to be avoided, and can actually be a great asset in your data visualisation toolbox as they are easily consumed by your audience (pun intended). | https://towardsdatascience.com/why-birthday-cakes-mean-that-the-pie-chart-will-never-die-e128e390017 | ['Tessica Dall'] | 2020-01-11 05:43:30.336000+00:00 | ['Pie Charts', 'Charts', 'Data', 'Data Visualization'] |
Graceful | A girl with aspirations -is what defines me the best . I was a secret writer who is now exploring the public world.
Follow | https://medium.com/haiku-hub/graceful-aad79e0a36a6 | ['Dilpreet Kaur Virk'] | 2020-06-10 18:45:49.917000+00:00 | ['Haiku', 'Moms', 'Graceful', 'Contemporary Haiku', 'Haiku Poetry'] |
Vite Insights #4: What Types of Coins are ViteX’s Gateways Looking For | Our gateways constantly receive recommendations of prospective coins from our community. We hope this article will shed some light on the types of coins these gateways find interesting.
TL;DR: The best coins for the gateways tend to meet four criteria: no presence on major exchanges, loyal community, active github, and the “it” factor.
Lack of Presence on Major Exchanges
This one should be quite obvious. If a coin is already on Binance or Coinbase, it is generally difficult to attract liquidity away from these major platforms.
But these exchanges do not have a monopoly on the world’s worthy coins, simply because large exchanges don’t have the bandwidth to be fully aware of the vast number of quality projects out there. Indeed, some projects refuse to be listed on these major platforms for a variety of reasons (Digibyte initially declined to list on Binance, for example).
Active OTC trading is a great area to look, because this implies high interest in trading.
Loyal Community
The number of followers/subscribers in the various social channels (Telegram/Twitter/Discord) is not as important as the quality of the community. To get a sense of the true following of the project, one must look at the activity of the users (are they asking meaningful questions?), the experience level of the users (are there whales showing interest? Endorsement by legitimate industry players?), and the speed at which the community is organically growing.
If a project has a miner community, that’s a positive sign because these stakeholders have incurred considerable sunk cost and will likely continue to support the ecosystem.
Older projects also have communities. The fact that they were delisted by major platforms exposes an opportunity for smaller exchanges. For example, PASC got delisted by Poloniex, and Gridcoin got delisted by Poloniex and Bittrex.
Active Github
There should be at least some software commits in the last two months. Here, the commits must be indicative of serious, not symbolic development efforts. The more developers, the better. Developers with frequent media exposure would also be a plus. The amount of forks and stars are also indicative of developer interest in this project.
“It” Factor
Some projects have a distinctive concept or model, are well related to current trends, or have connections with well-established projects. For examples, see some recent DeFi projects.
We hope this article provides some insight into the coins ViteX gateways are particularly interested in. We look forward to your continued recommendations.
Submit a Listing Recommendation: https://forms.gle/krgsR48AfMRNpkD17 | https://medium.com/vitelabs/vite-insights-4-what-types-of-coins-are-vitexs-gateways-looking-for-c24e9a52cb48 | ['Christy Li'] | 2020-09-17 11:05:45.979000+00:00 | ['Vitex', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Cryptoexchnage'] |
[Live-Stream]Catholic-B.R. vs C.E. Byrd — Louisiana High School Football 12/27/2020 | Live On Northwestern State University | Click Here To watch Live: https://mediatvnews24.com/online
Catholic-B.R. vs Byrd — Louisiana High School Football Live Stream 12/27/2020
Click Here To watch Live: https://mediatvnews24.com/online
Bears
8–2
Yellow Jackets
10–0
The Byrd (Shreveport, LA) varsity football team has a neutral playoff game vs. Catholic-B.R. (Baton Rouge, LA) on Sunday, December 27 @ 6p.
Game Details: at Northwestern State University
This game is a part of the “2020 Allstate Sugar Bowl/LHSAA Non-Select Prep Classic — Division I” tournament. | https://medium.com/@finalsfree/live-stream-catholic-b-r-vs-c-e-byrd-louisiana-high-school-football-12-27-2020-e900c7d338db | ['Luice Cadinal'] | 2020-12-27 04:05:25.176000+00:00 | ['Streaming'] |
Why Frogs Are Too Smart to Stay in a Pot of Slowly Heating-to-Boil Water | by William Seavey
Photo by Zdeněk Macháček on Unsplash
There is an apocryphal tale that if you put a frog in a pot of water and slowly heat it up until it boils, the frog will, before he knows it, suddenly cook.
It can’t be true because I know frogs, and they don’t like warm and certainly NOT hot water — they wouldn’t be in either one in the first place unless forced to be (cruel). And odds are they would escape.
Every spring or so I stop soaking in the hot tub I placed within an outdoor geodesic dome I built and pretty much abandon it to the frogs. The tiny tree frogs live in my backyard and were initially brought there from a nature reserve we have nearby. (But they were brought as tadpoles, scooped up in creek beds that were drying up and most likely doomed if I hadn’t rescued them.) Initially, I put them in trash barrels in which I collect rain water and there they thrived until they found my abandoned hot tub.
What I know about them is that they live anywhere there is a source of pure, preferably flowing water. They sense where the water is and they find it by squeezing under the trash barrel lids or, in the case of my hot tub, its insulated cover. I never cease to be surprised, however, when I find them.
Most recently I found a half dozen happily swimming in the quite cool hot tub and showed them off to my granddaughter Farrah, who immediately became fascinated. She asked me to catch one — rather difficult since they have good reaction times and jump really well — so that she could take it home with her. I explained that frogs MUST stay in or near cool water and that they eat very small insects. (Amazingly, one hopped into our living room a year or so ago and was residing in a planter. I suspected he wasn’t likely to find many insects, so I relocated him).
Frogs really do turn up in the strangest places.
When it’s time to drain and refill the now very cold hot tub before heating it up again, I leave open trash barrels nearby that they can, hopefully, survive in. (With the cover off before draining they get the message that they aren’t welcome anymore and start searching for a new home). I know this works because frogs have lived in my yard for over 10 years now, with no replenishment. And have survived our often very dry summers.
Maybe this commitment to the frogs’ survival is one reason I got the nickname “nature dude” when I worked for a summer camp years ago. I do honor nature and our yard of 1/3 acre is a coniferous forest with redwoods, Monterey Pine, cypress, and a eucalyptus tree and I love it. Occasionally we see wild turkeys, deer, and granddaughter Farrah swore she saw a rabbit when visiting the other day.
Anyway, it should be no surprise to anyone by now that if you heat a pot up with frogs in it they won’t cook before they realize it. They aren’t stupid.
Perplexing question: might humans?
_____William Seavey is the author of such books as AmeriCanada? (Cross Border Connections), Moving to Small Town America and How to Never Become Homeless. He lives in Cambria, CA near world famous Hearst Castle. | https://medium.com/journal-of-journeys/why-frogs-are-too-smart-to-stay-in-a-pot-of-slowly-heating-to-boil-water-66e0a59308b1 | ['William Seavey'] | 2020-12-03 16:53:50.940000+00:00 | ['Global Warming', 'Climate Change', 'Environment', 'Conservation', 'Nature'] |
Prison abolition in the time of Covid | “Imagine Abolition” by Molly Costello. www.mollycostello.com
Recognizing the intrinsic worth of individuals is a cost/benefit exercise to Texas politicians, a truth driven home during calamities. Political calculations are always utilitarian, more so when the choices are falsely couched as between a legal application of the state’s apparatus of punishment or the granting of mercy.
I am an abolitionist. Let’s not quibble on definitions, but an abolitionist’s foundations are based on duty, not on consequences. Human worth is not negotiable. The value of individuals is not based on their age, gender, wealth, ethnicity, occupation, or what they can perhaps contribute to the greater good. People are not disposable, despite what they have done or have been convicted of doing. Every criminal justice policy change must rest on those truths and reflect the long-term goal of eradicating incarceration-based punishment for everyone and replacing it with community-based accountability.
Covid-19 has presented hard choices to abolitionists. The dangers of the virus are not assumed equally. Certain age groups are inarguably more vulnerable, as are those with identifiable medical conditions. Arguing for an unconditional release from confinement has long been our tenet, but with the virus cutting deadly swaths among certain segments of the confined population it seems almost pedantic to insist that those most likely to die not be given precedence.
In a way, I have been living in a theoretical bubble. This country is not anywhere close to opening cages or to implementing meaningful alternatives to incarceration. While the defund-the-police movement has gained traction, even that simple declaration has enormous opposition in mainstream politics, with national figures twisting themselves into rhetorical knots in attempts to distance themselves from “defund” and its most basic meaning — to take money away from law enforcement and give it to community-based programs.
With cages and cops not anywhere near eradication, most abolitionists have been able to propose and refine theory without the need to advance actual policy. The immediate nature of the pandemic has stripped away that cover. The mortality rate of caged humans who contract the virus is more than twice the rate of other Americans. The simple precautions that would reduce transmission and infection are almost impossible to implement in prisons and jails, and the substandard health care provided incarcerated individuals almost guarantees those already at-risk face highly increased chances of dying if they contract the virus. This leaves release as the only humane option, and that brings us back to utility — politicians will not consider any type of “early” release for anyone who has been convicted of a violent crime, or who has only completed a small fraction of their sentence, or who fits into any category that could be used by a future political opponent as a bludgeon.
So our most valuable allies — the family members who have loved ones in prison and who want us to push for their release — are impatient with my continued insistence that any policy aimed at reducing caged populations be all inclusive: I will not agree that any individual is more worthy of mercy than any other. And that grates, because I begin to see I’ve been wrong.
Policy is messy. It’s not pure. Theory is fine, but if I am not willing to bend, to understand that small steps are sometimes necessary to alleviate a small piece of the pain that exists in the world, the larger pain may never be lanced.
Freeing them all means freeing one first. And if in that freedom, the cascade is begun, I’m OK with that. | https://medium.com/texas-after-violence-project/prison-abolition-in-the-time-of-covid-449c1101c972 | ['Jorge Antonio Renaud'] | 2021-01-08 19:53:27.586000+00:00 | ['Formerly Incarcerated', 'Prison Abolition', 'Directly Affected', 'Covid 19', 'Prison Reform'] |
The Best Time I Ever Actually Listened To Lyrics | You keep samein’ when you oughta be changin’.
That’s…so universal. I can’t even handle it. Wait, two versions! Both Nancy! | https://medium.com/the-hairpin/the-best-time-i-ever-actually-listened-to-lyrics-cc345bcbb0a2 | ['Nicole Cliffe'] | 2016-06-01 19:40:05.691000+00:00 | ['Music', 'Nancy Sinatra', 'Deep'] |
Internet Routing Protocols | Photo by Compare Fibre on Unsplash
The internet is an enormous network of innumerable devices all connected which are constantly sending and receiving data everywhere, the data ranging from a simple request to another device to multimedia documents and more, but there is a certain limit of the amount of data that can be sent at once which depend upon the physical limitations of the network. This limitation introduces the need to split the data into sizable chunks or ‘packets’. This is where the Internet Protocol (IP) comes into the picture, these are a set of rules which guide the routing and addressing of packets of data making sure that the data packets are delivered to the proper destination in the most optimum way.
This brings ahead the concept of IP and router.
Internet Protocol: This is a way to uniquely identify each device connected to the internet, the ‘IP address, this makes it possible to specify the destination of the message, it is a connectionless service, and works with TCP i.e the Transmission control protocol, as TCP/IP or UDP i.e. User Datagram Protocol.
Router: A router is a device that connects two or more packet-switched networks or subnetworks. It serves two primary functions: managing traffic between these networks by forwarding data packets to their intended IP addresses and allowing multiple devices to use the same Internet connection.
The IP packets contain headers(20 or 24 bytes long) and data which can vary in size. The header contains the IP address of the source and the destination, and other requisite information, while the data is part of the content being sent.
Wikipedia defines a routing protocol as:
A routing protocol specifies how routers communicate with each other to distribute information that enables them to select routes between nodes on a computer network. Routers perform the traffic directing functions on the Internet; data packets are forwarded through the networks of the internet from router to router until they reach their destination computer. Routing algorithms determine the specific choice of route. Each router has a prior knowledge only of networks attached to it directly. A routing protocol shares this information first among immediate neighbors, and then throughout the network. This way, routers gain knowledge of the topology of the network. The ability to route protocols to dynamically adjust to changing conditions such as disabled connections and components and route data around obstructions is what gives the Internet its fault tolerance and high availability.
Protocols vary according to the way they avoid routing loops, and how they select preferred routes, the use of hop costs and the time required for routing convergence, scalability of it, and other factors.
Laptop connecting to a server for sharing packets, through a network of several routers.
The process of transferring packets happens in several steps, which are as follows:
Step 1: Send packet to router
The laptop/device sends the first packet to the router which is closest to it, as seen in the diagram.
Computers send the first packet to the nearest router.
Diagram with a laptop on left and router on right. Arrow goes from laptop to router, with the message “TO: 91.198.174.192” and “FROM: 216.3.192.1”.
Step 2: Router receives a packet
When the router receives a packet, it looks at its IP header. The most important field is the destination IP address, which tells the router where the packet wants to end up.
Step 3: Router forwards packet
The router has multiple paths it could send a packet along, and its goal is to send the packet to a router that’s closer to its final destination.
Diagram with the router on the left and 3 routers on right. The left router has a line going to each of the right routers, and the lines are labeled 1, 2, and 3. A question mark is shown above each line.
How does it decide? The router has a forwarding table that helps it pick the next path based on the destination IP address. That table does not have a row for every possible IP address; there are 2^{32}2322, start superscript, 32, end superscript possible IP addresses, and that’s far too much to store. Instead, the table has rows for IP address prefixes.
IP addresses are hierarchical. When two IP addresses start with the same prefix, that often means they’re on the same large network, like the Comcast SF network. Router forwarding tables take advantage of that fact so that they can store far less information.
Once the router locates the most specific row in the table for the destination IP address, it sends the packet along that path.
Diagram with the router on the left and 3 routers on right. The left router has a line going to each of the right routers, and the lines are labeled 1, 2, and 3. The second line, labeled 2, is highlighted with green arrows going from left to right and shows a packet above it.
Step 4: Final router forwards the message
If all goes well, the packet should eventually arrive at a router that knows exactly where to send it.
The router can now send the message to the destination IP address, which may be a personal computer or a server.
Diagram with the router on the left side and laptop on the right side. Arrow goes from router to laptop with packet displayed above it. | https://medium.com/@spacebound-aditya/internet-routing-protocols-fc7f6da7d195 | ['Aditya J.'] | 2021-06-01 07:47:50.764000+00:00 | ['Network', 'Internet', 'Computers', 'Router', 'Communication'] |
From goat to the G.O.A.T — How the biggest insult in sports became its biggest honor | Photo by Mike Von on Unsplash
Bill Russell, in a promo for game 7 of the 2016 NBA finals, said, “Game 7. The best two words in sports.” When the winningest player in NBA history said that, there was little argument from pundits and analysts. Probably because G.O.A.T didn’t exist back in the ’60s and if it did, Bill Russell would have been its ultimate answer. So, what exactly is the G.O.A.T?
Greatest of all time, or simply the G.O.A.T, has been doing rounds on media for the longest of times. The earliest reference of the term can be traced back to 1992 when Lonnie Ali, Muhammad Ali’s wife, set up a company called G.O.A.T. Inc.(rightfully named) to manage the rights and licenses of Ali’s personal and intellectual properties for commercial purposes. Also, according to Merriam-Webster, a 1996 article about Orlando Magic and Penny Hardaway read, “Penny is the GOAT (Greatest of all Time)”. But, all of this never made the term to be an acronym until in 2000, rapper LL Cool J released his studio album titled “G.O.A.T. (Greatest of all time)”.
Let’s pause and press the rewind button and see what all this meant 30 or 40 years ago. Tiger Woods in a recent interview was questioned about who he thinks is the G.O.A.T — LeBron or Jordan. He started off with “When I started playing, the goat was a bad thing, you know what I mean..”. Yes, Tiger said it. The goat was never the ultimate honor for anyone. Rather, it was the ultimate insult to “be the goat”. Although the word was bipolar in the old and new testaments with multiple interpretations historically, the earliest usage in sport can be traced back to the Kentucky Derby of the 1950s. The person who made the dirtiest and most laughable plays or underwent the biggest collapses in the most important of times was the goat. Andrés Escobar was the goat to his murderers because for them, his own-goal was the reason for Colombia’s elimination from the 1994 World Cup.
It’s always been about the media, the ratings, and the viewership. Tying the most famous athletes on the planet to any discussion makes headlines, increases online impressions, and skyrockets revenue. With the rise in social media and integration to video platforms, it’s a common sight to see talk shows cover “Who’s better, X or Y?” when the respective sport is in off-season mode. Let me give you an example — if LeBron James gets a 30-point game, he’s compared to Michael Jordan and if he’s had one of those rare off-nights, then the discussion revolves around how the G.O.A.T debate is baseless. Roger Federer, often regarded as the greatest and one of the most graceful players to ever pick up a tennis racket, had a meltdown in the 2019 Wimbledon finals against Novak Djokovic when he had two match points in hand only to give them away and eventually lose the match. The media reception for the same 50 years ago would have been barbaric, but the same Roger, a couple of months prior to the match, was quizzed by a kid reporter on why he’s considered the “G.O.A.T”. Similarly, if the 2018 NBA Finals had happened 25 years ago, J. R. Smith would have been the goat for holding the ball and exhausting the clock when the scores were even. But instead, he became the laughing stock who took away the win from LeBron’s “G.O.A.T” ish 51 point game.
From racism and slavery to taking the knee, from Bodyline to restriction on bouncers, from no red cards to VAR, Sport has come a long way and so have its terminologies. It’s not confined to a country, sect, or race. Personally, I think it’s the greatest form of live television and a platform for athletes to empower the downtrodden; a secret mix to bring people together from across borders. At the end of the day, there is no definitive answer to it in any sport but all one could do is make a case to support the argument. | https://medium.com/@akhileshbalakrishnan/from-goat-to-the-g-o-a-t-how-the-biggest-insult-in-sports-became-its-biggest-honor-7f10d33b2776 | ['Akhilesh Balakrishnan'] | 2020-12-24 10:45:40.940000+00:00 | ['Basketball', 'Tennis', 'Football', 'Sports', 'NBA'] |
Is it possible to lose weight without diet or exercise? | Photo by Fuu J on Unsplash
In this article, we detail some tips and tricks that could be very useful if you want to lose weight without diet or exercise.
Also, I will reveal my best recommended product
to lose weight without complications in less than 3 months.
Everyone talks about diet and exercise when it comes to having a toned and fit body. Although these techniques pay off 100%, they may seem too restrictive and exhausting for many.
For this reason, Here are some tips and tricks to lose weight without the need to go on a diet or do rigorous physical exercise.
Chew your food well
Chewing food well is a golden rule when eating food. This takes time, therefore, it makes you eat more slowly and eat less. In addition, while we eat slowly, you also give your body time to register that you have just eaten, making you feel more satiated and full, so we will eat less and with less craving.
Use a small serving plate
When it comes to food, controlling portion sizes is extremely crucial. So even if you’re not on a diet, switching to a small plate can work wonders . Besides reducing your food intake, it will also give you a feeling of fullness.
Get enough sleep
The lack of sleep can often lead to weight gain. As has been shown, when it comes to obesity and other unexplained weight gains, it has a lot to do with the hormonal imbalances that can be triggered by sleep deprivation. Therefore, get enough sleep and rest.
Drink water before your meals
Another tip for when you are very hungry and feel like you may overeat is to drink plenty of water before meals. This will not only reduce our anxiety when it comes to eating, but it will also make us feel more satiated and full, so we will eat less.
When you’re hungry, eat healthy snacks
There are many alternatives to bingeing or snacks. If you are a person who likes to eat something at regular intervals, you can resort to healthy snacks to eat such as chickpeas, unsalted nuts, frozen fruits, etc.
Don’t overeat
Bingeing may sound like fun, but once you start keeping track of how long you’ve binged, you will realize how many calories you’ve been consuming outside of your regular meals. Therefore, reduce your binges and you will see how you lose weight in no time.
Say no to stress
Suffering from stress and anxiety can be triggers for excessive and disorderly eating, which can lead to weight gain . These sensations release a hormone called cortisol that has a tendency to increase appetite and can lead us to overeat. Therefore, if we think that we have put on a lot of kilos lately, control the level of stress and do positive activities that raise your spirits.
Keep junk food out of sight
The reason is simple. The less we see junk food in our home, the less we will be tempted by it. Therefore, it is advisable to keep junk food out of sight to avoid the dangerous snacking between meals that so many make us all fat.
>>>27,293 people have lost 20 pounds or more, eating all the foods they love.
Find Out How In This Free Video | https://medium.com/@ninane/is-it-possible-to-lose-weight-without-diet-or-exercise-b38684f2356e | ['Ninane Med'] | 2021-12-18 21:41:40.597000+00:00 | ['Weight Loss', 'Lose Weight Fast', 'Weightloss Foods', 'Weight Loss Tips', 'Lose Weight'] |
A Year in Albums: 10 from 18 | For the last two years I have been listening to a new album of jazz or improvised music every day. At the end of each year, I post the entire list. However, 365 albums are a lot to sort through. To make it easier, I’ve created a list of ten of my favorite albums that I listened to in 2018 along with some personal notes to accompany each one. You can also listen to a spotify playlist with a song from each of the albums.
Fly or Die
Jaimie Branch (January 21)
Fly or Die is an incredibly visual album. It crafts a highly detailed portrait of the subway that runs under Branch’s home in Brooklyn. The interwoven motifs from the ensemble, the various creaks and static, and the dancing trumpet lines wonderfully depict the daily hustle beneath the city. Like a train, this album has incredible energy at its center, pushing the music forward.
Ahwar
Nadah El Shazly (January 29)
“Ahwar” is the Arabic word for “marsh,” which I think is a great way to describe this album. It is slow, thick, and constantly makes you feel as if you are sinking. At the same time, El Shazly’s music surrounds you with an incredible beauty and diversity of sound.
Irreversible Entanglements
Irreversible Entanglements (January 31)
Irreversible Entanglements’ self-titled album is difficult to listen to in the best way possible. The band creates an abrasive and chaotic soundscape that both feeds off of and empowers the poet’s words. Moore Mother’s time-traversing lyrics, use of repetition, and manipulation of tonality bite at the listeners. Irreversible Entanglements is an incredible work of political protest because it so effectively ties musical pain to that of oppressed people in America.
Amore Per Tutti
Tredici Bacci (June 12)
Tredici Bacci is a modern 14-piece chamber-rock orchestra that transports you to the world of 1960s and 70s Italian cinema. Composer Simon Hanes creates a sonic environment so exhilarating, goofy, and beautiful that it completely envelopes you.
Your Queen is a Reptile
Sons of Kemet (August 11)
There is an incredible group of young musicians coming out of London right now. Sons of Kemet’s Your Queen is a Reptile, with its combination of jazz, hip-hop, west African drumming, diasporic influences, and killer rapping packaged together with political consciousness and London pride, perfectly encapsulates this British sound.
Trail of Tears
Jacques Coursil (August 19)
I love Jacques Coursil. He has such incredible control of the trumpet and is able to produce sounds on the horn that I can’t even fathom. However, what I love most about Trail of Tears is that it demonstrates how beautiful and melodic free improv can be.
Hannibal in Antibes
Hannibal Marvin Peterson (September 5)
I’m not going to lie the recording quality of Hannibal in Antibes is pretty poor even for a live album from the 70s. But I still listen to it time and time again because it’s such a great lesson on how hard free-jazz can groove.
When Harry Met Sally…
Harry Connick, Jr (September 24)
Maybe it’s because I love the movie. Maybe it’s because the arrangements are great. Maybe it’s because sometimes I find it nice to hear a big band led by a great singer play a few standards. Regardless, this album has a special place in my heart.
Origami Harvest
Ambrose Akinmusire (November 16)
There’s a reason Origami Harvest has consistently been at the top of many “best albums of 2018” lists. Each track is its own magnum opus: complex, dense, and foreign, while still intimate and alluring. Akinmusire brought together jazz, contemporary classical, electronic, and hip-hop musicians to create a work that deserves all of the immense praise it has received.
Reed Streams
Terry Riley (November 19)
I first listened to Reed Streams while taking a walk from my house in Somerville to Davis Square on a grey Fall day. On my way, I became wonderfully lost in Riley’s endlessly repeating and slowly shifting phrases. Through this technique, Riley creates an album that is less about specific moments and more about an entire experience. | https://medium.com/@jakezaslav/a-year-in-albums-10-from-18-43a430514be | ['Jake Zaslav'] | 2019-02-24 06:35:57.662000+00:00 | ['Improvisation', 'Jazz', 'Music', 'Music Review', 'Year In Review'] |
Sex Workers at the Forefront of Anti-Trafficking | Kate D’Adamo, Partner at RHJ
Right now, anti-trafficking conversations live in a false binary. If you read most of the articles on anti-trafficking efforts there is often an unquestioning, glowing review from one side and sex workers saying no on the other. Media coverage of anti-trafficking overwhelming lack any critical lens, and the desire to do something is, in and of itself, success. Any voices which point out the consequences of these intentions are portrayed as exclusively oppositional, as opposed to wanting more than thoughts and prayers.
What this ultimately obscures is the overlooked space that both honors sex workers rights as both complimentary and foundational to serious anti-exploitation work. But not only are sex workers rights and anti-exploitation work not in opposition — they are integral to each other.
In every other industry which fights trafficking and exploitation, workers are understood as both the experts and the changemakers. In any basic understanding of anti-trafficking in industries from factory labor to domestic work, labor rights and economic justice frameworks are centered instead of criminalized. In many other places in the world, this is also true for the sex industry, and there are meaningful lessons that we can take to improve anti-exploitation and anti-trafficking efforts in the sex trade. While many of these efforts would face criminal penalty in the United States, there is much to learn about the power of organizing, self-employment and what happens when sex workers find human rights instead of violent rescues.
Worker-Owned and Co-operative Workspaces
Many of us have openly opined about what it would be like to be able to work in a space which is collectively managed and owned by the sex workers who also are employed there. Many of us were spurred into this conversation by Thailand’s famed Can-do bar.
Trafficking is the exploitation of another person through force, fraud or coercion. Addressing anti-trafficking work means creating anti-exploitation practices in workplaces, creating low-barrier pathways to accessing resources for marginalized communities, and improving access to justice (and not exclusively criminal legal system-based answers) for those who have been exploited.
When workers are more in control of their workplaces and working conditions, vulnerability to exploitation is reduced. Worker-driven solutions to employment concerns have been a foundational way of addressing exploitation in other areas of work. This is a natural outcome of co-operatively owned and operated businesses. Especially for industries that lack access to traditional labor enforcement mechanisms (like informal labor) or where labor rights enforcement is scarce (fucking everywhere — you know Texas and Florida don’t have Departments of Labor?), developing industry and workplace standards means changing culture instead of policy, making worker-owned co-operatives all the more important.
In Thailand, all aspects of sex work are criminalized, with frequent raids and arrests of sex workers. In 2015, the Empower Foundation, a sex worker-focused and led organization counted 53 separate raids (GAATW). Despite this, the Can-Do Bar was established in 2006 by Empower to provide a message to the world about what a safe space can be for sex workers. The first floor of the bar is touted for a good atmosphere and affordable drinks, while the second floor operates as an art space which talks about the experiences of Thai sex workers. The space is cooperatively owned, organized and run by sex workers and has been heralded as a model to address human trafficking by the United Nations Convention on Women.
Co-operative spaces in the sex industry are not entirely new the United States. In 2003 the already unionized Lusty Lady moved to a co-operative model for their club in the wake of management announcing they were going to close the club. Upon collectivization, workers began receiving an hourly wage, and worker-owners who bought in were able to split profits at the end of the year. The club has since closed, but it’s emblazoned in the story of workers rights for sex workers in the US.
Collective Organizing Against Economic Violence
VAMP is an India-based collective which has already changed the world. The organization, which evolved out of SANGRAM in 1996, now boasts thousands of sex worker members, and decades of success in fighting the harm in every day lives of sex workers. When the organization began health and HIV/AIDS transmission was the most pressing issue in the day to day lives of its members and the organization began pushing back on the health systems which were refusing to serve sex workers, compromising their health.
When health conditions began to stabilize, VAMP shifted its focus to addressing violence and working conditions in the local area. While trafficking is an issue in many communities, trafficking and exploitation is widely contextualized as one form of violence experienced by workers at the hands of management, clients, and the state. Anti-trafficking work may be best situated within the scope of broader anti-violence work, a battle that VAMP was willing to take on.
The development of sex worker collectives was essential to pushing back against the varied perpetrators of violence that were impacting peoples’ lives. VAMP’s collectives confronted exploitative brothel owners, violent clients and local political officials who were enacting violence against members. “They became spaces,” said Meena Seshu of SANGRAM, “that if you were in trouble you could go and they’d help resolve your problems, including like that of debt-bondage which is more on account of local caste-based money lenders than madams.” The use of these collectives to address problems such as debt bondage, one of the common mechanisms for trafficking and exploitation, was instrumental in changing exploitative practices, and now “it is the women who set the rates of interest and not the money lenders.”
The use of collectives to confront problems is not an outlier but a common intervention for those who subscribe to transformative justice and community accountability mechanisms. To this day, VAMP harnesses the power of community accountability stemming from collective organizing to address exploitative practices against sex workers.
Organizing Harm Reduction and Mutual Aid
One of the most power anti-exploitation and anti-violence tools that is the backbone of sex worker organizing across the globe is the sharing of information and resources that come with sex worker organizing. “Harm reduction” and “mutual aid” are often applied terms for things like “hanging out and talking” and “this is just what we do for each other” that make community building life-saving. When sex workers get together to share bad date information, tips on how to improve or diversify their income streams, advice on which strolls are more lucrative and shielded from cops, sex workers are doing the life-saving work of harm reduction and mutual aid. While this often happens on couches or text threads, some organizations are able to provide a space for this kind of work to happen. Stella, based in Montreal, Canada is one of those organizations and communities.
Stella provides a range of support and services for sex workers in the area, with an ethos of trying to “meet sex workers where they are at and provide a space for sex workers to determine their own path.” This comes in the form of direct support, information, and building the community to offer both of those things. Butterfly is a similar community-based organization which specifically organizes Asian migrant sex workers, a community both disproportionately vulnerable to exploitation and disproportionately impacted by anti-trafficking violence. Workers described that the organization had provided “legal information on how to face police, offering emotional support and connecting them to other workers, supporting them to leave an exploitative workplace ‘carefully’ so ther would not be ‘trouble n the future,’ taking them shopping or to medical appointments, or, in [one worker’s] case, ‘assisting with communication outside of detention,” (GAATW, 186).
In a very real sense, these organization are providing the information to allow sex workers, especially migrant sex workers, the information needed to avoid exploitative situations, recognize exploitation, exit strategies to leave exploitative settings, and avoid the negative consequences of anti-trafficking efforts.
Collective organizing in the United States is the foundation of worker-led change, and a weighty criminal offense for sex workers. Information sharing and mutual aid easily falls within the purview of facilitation of prostitution or receiving the proceed of prostitution. A worker-owned collective would be brothel keeping. And if any of these forms of support use a listserv or website, SESTA/FOSTA would put you up for a maximum of 25 years in federal prison. Decriminalization won’t end trafficking in the sex trade. What it would do is lift one of the major barriers to serious anti-trafficking efforts for sex workers that are grounded in economic justice, worker-driven solutions and human rights-based anti-trafficking work. There are incredible strides being made across the world to fight exploitation, and it’s long passed due that we are able to recognize, celebrate and maybe even implement them at home. | https://medium.com/@reframehealthandjustice/sex-workers-at-the-forefront-of-anti-trafficking-3b82ad648b66 | ['Reframe Health'] | 2020-01-14 19:26:22.506000+00:00 | ['Sex Work', 'Sex Trafficking', 'Sex Work Is Real Work', 'Feminism', 'Trafficking'] |
7 Books Everyone Should Read By Black Women | 7 Books Everyone Should Read By Black Women
‘I am Not Your Baby Mother’ is one of my favorites
photo by Thoughts catalog, Unsplash
Everyone has their favorite authors. Many of us don’t choose our books based on authors, but based on the genres we are interested in. However, as a black woman, reading from other black authors is where I get my inspiration. I love the following books for different reasons and I think these stories should be experienced by everyone, no matter what race they are, because they are insightful and intellectual.
1. Slay In Your Lane, by Yomi Adegoke & Elizabeth Uviebinene
This book is known as the principal book for every black British woman to read. It delves into the understanding of being a black British woman, the microaggression that black women face, and how to deal with it. It explores history, statistics, and will educate readers on the impacts of white supremacy on black women. The authors have also launched a podcast discussing and sharing the aftermath of the success of the book.
2. Why I Am No Longer Talking To White People About Race, by Reni Eddo-Lodge
This is an emotionally charged book focusing on the educational system that is designed to be pro-division. This book breaks down racial micro and elements of macro aggressions as well as stereotypes. It also provides an understanding of the correlation between class and race.
3. I Am Not your Baby Mother, by Candice Brathwaite
The book truly represents the experiences and obstacles black mothers have faced due to prejudice and discrimination. This is a book that everyone should read to get an insight into this group of women dealing with motherhood. It also removes the cliche of the media’s portrayal of being a British mother.
The author is also the founder of Make Motherhood Diverse.
“Such a funny, thoughtful book. A book I didn’t even know I needed to read. I don’t tend to read mummy bloggers' books because, quite simply, they aren’t very interesting to me anymore and follow pretty similar paths. Candice Brathwaite stands out, not just for being a black woman, but also for ‘spilling the tea’ on whatever it is she talks about, whether that be secrecy in the black community about mental health issues or the white supremacy of the mummy blogosphere. Please don’t think you need to be BIPOC to enjoy this.”
4. Queenie, by Candice Carty Williams
This bestselling book features a character that has been described as the black Bridget Jones. This book is a diary illustrating a black woman living in south London journeying through career and dating. This book, despite it being fiction, discusses existing businesses and areas of London where she lives, making the character all the more relatable. Be prepared for a funny, charming, and poignant story.
5. This is Us: Black British Women and Girls, by Kafayat Okanlawon and Marai Larasi
The portrayals of a black woman between the ages of 4–86 in this gripping book illustrate the lives of women across multiple generations through a collection of Poetry from strangers, acquaintances, friends, and family. This book is more than just for reading, it is a representation of truth, brutality, and sisterhood. It was an honor to be able to read this book and grasp and respect the amount of time and effort it may have taken to gather transcribe the individuals’ biographies.
Reading this book felt so personal as if someone had cut several pivotal chapters of my life and put the pieces together. Its raw and awakening stories keep you gripped and provides a front and center no-filter approach to being a black British woman.
6. Young, Female, and Black, by Heidi Safia Mirza
Black women in western countries are faced from birth with all factors of a fundamentally unequal society. We do well in school and are ambitious and hardworking professionally, yet the success rate in stable professional situations don’t quite match with what is deserved.
I find this book compelling because of the extensive research done by British, American and Caribbean scholars. It provides an uplifting reminder and debunks the status quo myths that black women consistently underachieve in education and the labor market. Instead, it reexamines our misunderstandings and defines what is meant by educational underachievement through the lens of black families and, in particular, black women in Britain.
7. Black Women For Beginners Book, by Saundra Pearl Sharp
The title is exactly that, a timeline of all the strengths and shortcomings of this group of women and their versatility as warriors, healers, teachers, mothers, queens and liberators on all seven continents. It details how they have managed to sustain themselves despite numerous hurdles and hindrances and these stories are to be celebrated and shared. | https://medium.com/the-innovation/7-books-everyone-should-read-by-black-women-5861eb9414f7 | ['Cathy Assoba'] | 2020-12-30 12:18:34.259000+00:00 | ['Inspiration', 'Black Women', 'Culture', 'Cathysculturecontent', 'Books'] |
Designing for the Data Visualization Lifecycle | Designing for the Data Visualization Lifecycle
Illustrations by Hajra Meeks.
Everywhere you look today, and especially in a data-driven organization, you’ll find data visualization. Data visualization is key to how modern companies create impact. It’s built into every tool and workflow. It’s an important part of the job not just for data engineers, data scientists and data analysts, but also the people without “data” in their title. It’s in product presentations, ad hoc communication on Slack, leadership reports to the shareholders and even in marketing materials.
We want to challenge the tool-centric and role-centric approaches we often see in data visualization which force a person to jump between tools or the artificially created walls of different roles.
At Noteable, we’re explicitly designing our data visualization functionality to reflect how people use data in their work today, not how they did it 15 years ago. We’re looking at how the expectations of data workers and data consumers have grown and converged regardless of their job title or the problem they’re addressing. We want to challenge the tool-centric and role-centric approaches we often see in data visualization which force a person to jump between tools or the artificially created walls of different roles. We feel this will encourage diversity of data visualization expression by bringing in strengths from other approaches. That means, even though we’re developing a computational notebook product, that we need to look at data visualization outside of the confines of a traditional notebook and place it within the broader context of how everyone is using data visualization.
Existing tools tend to be specific to the job/function
The design of tools used to create data visualization has not changed to reflect its ubiquity. Currently available tools are usually tied to and optimized for a specific use case. If you’re a data scientist, you’re focused on validating an approach and typically you’re using Jupyter notebooks or RStudio. If you’re an analyst, you might be using Tableau or Looker. If you’re creating explanatory graphics, it might be D3 if you’re a software developer or it might be Powerpoint if you’re not. If you’re working in finance or human resources, it might be Excel.
Many tools were designed before the data science boom
These tools were designed when data literacy was lower, organizations were less data-driven, and technical limitations meant that tools could only do so much. While the industry has continued to develop, many tools have progressed too tightly coupled with particular kinds of data, approaches to data and professional roles. This can lead to tools which feel highly specialized, such as the BI tools that are primarily used by data analysts.
Tight coupling between approach and tool is also the result of the evolution of data roles, which as they’ve matured have reinforced that the tool defines the job: Graduate courses advertise how to become a data scientist by learning python notebooks, bootcamps tell you to learn D3 so you can be a data viz developer, and countless workshops help you become an analyst by learning Tableau.
But the kinds of work being done by an analyst or data scientist or PM are not discrete, isolated moments of data visualization. The approaches used in one of these areas is not fundamentally different from the work being done in another area. Quite the opposite: the skills and approaches used in one approach could be very useful if incorporated into another.
We see these steps in isolation not because that’s the best way to use them but because they currently take place in isolation.
That’s why it makes more sense to move away from the idea that the data visualization an analyst does is different than that of a data scientist. We see these steps in isolation not because that’s the best way to use them but because they currently take place in isolation. It’s how our convenient rules like “Don’t use pie charts” or “Never use a rainbow color scheme” or “Maximize your data to ink ratio” were created even though they continue to be challenged when analyzed for tasks outside of the isolation in which they were created. But these steps are part of a process that transforms data from raw material into insights and actions. That process spans from the earliest exploration of the data all the way through to the presentation of that data to stakeholders and leadership.
The Data Visualization Lifecycle
It’s best to look at data visualization uncoupled from role or tool, and instead to focus on where it’s used in the process of working with data. Each of these discrete steps requires specific features of data visualization, from the exploratory data analysis of raw data, through validation of hypotheses and explaining patterns in the data, into productizing the charts produced into regular reports and other data resources.
Long gone are the days when organizations were trying to find data; now they all have too much data and the challenge is finding the right data and getting the right summary of it to the right people.
Let’s take a look at each step to see how data visualization is used and how it’s supported today. | https://medium.com/noteableio/designing-for-the-data-visualization-lifecycle-42d854cbf7d4 | ['Elijah Meeks'] | 2021-06-15 16:26:31.960000+00:00 | ['Dashboard', 'Design', 'Exploratory Data Analysis', 'Data', 'Data Visualization'] |
Fast Growth, and Lots of it, Is Right Around the Corner | Every day, legions of economists dismiss Donald Trump’s economic agenda and forecast of 3% growth as a wild-eyed fantasy. CREDIT: Cheriss May/NurPhoto/Sipa USA/Newscom
Commentary by Stephen Moore
Every day, legions of economists dismiss Donald Trump’s economic agenda and forecast of 3% growth as a wild-eyed fantasy. The consensus is that the economy “can’t possibly grow at 3%,” according to The Wall Street Journal. “Slow growth is the new norm, so get used to it,” wrote Rucir Sharma, chief global strategist at Morgan Stanley, in Foreign Affairs magazine this month.
Question: Why does anyone bother to listen to economists anymore? The profession has become an embarrassment, and the most respected economists have shown themselves to have as much predictive power as a deck of tarot cards
Almost everyone in the economics field — with a few, ahem, exceptions — bought into the Keynesian idea that massive government spending, a “stimulus package,” would revive the economy after the Great Recession of 2008–2009. The trillions of dollars of government borrowing here and abroad created a decade-long anemic recovery. The number of jobs created under President Barack Obama’s stimulus turned out to be fewer than the number we would have had if the government had done nothing — according to the Obama administration’s own analysis. So we got $9 trillion of debt with almost nothing to pay for it.
Amazingly, every Obama budget forecast that annual growth would reach 3.5 to 4.5%. Bullish growth was just around the corner. (Remember Joe Biden’s “Recovery Summer” tour?) Consider how these bullish forecasts squared with reality.
In 2009 they said we would get growth up to 4.6%.
In 2010 they said we would get growth of 4.3%
In 2011 they said we would get growth of 4.4%.
In 2012 they said we would get growth of 4.1%
In 2013 they said we would get growth of 3.6%.
In 2014 they said we would get growth of 3.4%
We never got growth above 3% under Obama, and the average growth was 2%, ending at 1.6%. The reality was, on average, about 1.5%age points below the projection, which was about an 80% overestimate of growth. Maybe we should have just hired the tarot-card readers. Their predictions couldn’t have been any worse.
So now the very people who made these preposterous forecasts are telling us 3% growth is a fantasy under Trump. Under their model, tax increases create 4% growth, but tax cuts can’t get us to 3% growth.
The major reason that we can’t get growth, we’re told, is that we have so many millions of baby boomers retiring. But we have 100 million people over the age of 16 outside the labor force today or unemployed, and that’s a giant labor pool to get workers from. Most of them are young, not old. This is a gigantic pool of workers we could tap into — if Washington would stop spending $1 trillion a year paying people not to work.
Another fallacy is that this long recovery means the economy is due for a recession. No. For much of America this has been a long recession, not a long recovery. We are suffering from a severe growth deficit. The economy is $3 trillion behind where it should be because of the shallow recovery. It’s teed up for a boom, not a bust.
How do we ignite that boom? Nearly every policy during the Obama years was anti-growth: tax increases; minimum-wage hikes; ObamaCare; Dodd-Frank regulations; massive debt spending; the Paris climate change accord; an EPA assault against American energy; massive expansions of food-stamps programs and more. If Trump is able to shift those policies into reverse — especially by getting tax rates down, not up — then 3 to 4% growth is easily achievable, and the economics profession will be proven dead wrong again. | https://medium.com/the-heritage-foundation/fast-growth-and-lots-of-it-is-right-around-the-corner-d5d6992d5c52 | ['Heritage Foundation'] | 2017-06-22 16:38:37.400000+00:00 | ['Politics', 'Economic Growth', 'Heritage Foundation', 'Economy'] |
Fletcher and Flynn Family Tree | Phineas and Ferb is an animated television show that premiered on Disney Channel, from February 1, 2008 till June 12, 2015. The show features on Phineas and Ferb embarking on grand and unrealistic projects during their Summer Break.
Phineas Flynn is an optimist and creates large projects and activities with his brother, which is the premise of the show. The two of them together have built a roller coaster, been to space and even made their own beach. He is also quite clueless and oblivious to emotions and isn't aware of Isabella’s feelings for him fo the longest time though later she becomes his girlfriend and attends the Tri-State State College together. Though he is an even tempered person, he has had shown temper flares when he discovered Perry the Platypus lived a double live and lied to him and even yelled at Candace for being egoistical.
Candace Flynn is a 15 year old teenager and her main goal is to get her brother in trouble. Her other obssesion is Jeremy Johnson, her high school crush. She possess a obsessive and iratic behaviour but considers herself as an adult. She has benefited and enjoyed her brother’s schemes some times and has even managed to bust them in alternate realities. Once grown up, she goes to law school and presents her disertation about busting and receives a standing ovation from her professors.
Linda Flynn-Fletcher had a short stint as a pop star and released her album/single I’m Lindana and I Wanna Have Fun but later got dropped by her record label and became a one hit wonder. She still participates a Free-Form Jazz Band with the other mothers from the neighborhood. She is unaware of her sons antics and the amazing but dangerous projects they do, and does not believe Candace’s words.
Tiana Webber shares similar red hair with her sister and hot married to Bob Webber in the series. She promised Candace that she would be her bridesmaid and even entrusted the boys, Phineas and Ferb with planning her wedding. She has travelled all around the world and plans to go to the Galapagos Islands after the wedding.
Bob Webber or Captain Webber is the Head of Lake Nose. He travelled to the South American Rainforest and Mount Kiliminjaro with his spouse, Tiana Webber. He is depicted as a nice man and doesn't take his job too seriously.
Betty Jo Fylnn was a proud roller skating derby athlete during her early adult life and still compete whenever possible. She has a rematch with Hildegard Johnson her arch enemy that she lost to, but it ended in a tie. She is quite a competitive person.
Clyde Flynn hosted Camp Phineas and Ferb and lives in Danville woods. He is a great story teller and weaves tales about Bigfoot and Badbeard to teh children. He also can sing campfire songs, play the bugle and entertain the childrens.
Lorainne identitical twin sister to Betty Jo Flynn. She and her sister play a prank on the children's; once a year.
Jeremy Johnson is a laid back person and has a serene disposition. He has a crush on Candace and is a guitar player for Jeremy and the Incidentals. He also has worked at the Mr. Slushy Dawg and Mr. Slushy Burger fast-food chain.
Xavier Johnson looks similar to his Dad, Jeremy and typically does nothing, unlike Fred and Phineas. But after meeting the younger Phineas and Ferb due to time travel, he and his brother start building 5th-dimensional roller coasters.
Fred Johnson,, along with his brother, is shown as inactive and sitting in front of the digital tree doing nothing.
Amanda Johnson, she is similar to Candace’s teenage self, though she gets upset that her siblings do nothing. She pushes them to do something cool during the summer holidays. She always complains to her mother that they are not doing anything.
Ferbs Fletcher or better known as Ferb is a quite person and rarely speaks. But he has wry wit and is not afraid to speak his mind. He is talented and able to stay calm under pressure. He can speak various language including Martian and Dolphin. He is also technically and technologically proficient. He also does not show his facial expressions and rarely even smiles. He likes Vanessa Doofenshmirtz, who he will end up with 10 years later.
Lawrence Fletcher is Ferb’s biological father and is curios about history, cultures and ancient events. He works as an antique dealer and has a vast interest in world history. He has a child like personality and is quite absent minded. He is aware of Ferb’s and Phineas’s and actively encourages it. He owns teh largest collection of Pinhead memorabilia and used to be an expert fisherman.
Adrian Fletcher he always wins in soccer competitions against his brother. But is quite bad in them so his brother lets him to win. He named all his 5 sons after David Beckham and Pele.
Lucy Fletcher is quite proud of her husband for winning several soccer competition against his brother, Lawrence Fletcher.
Eliza Fletcher is quite lady like and proper. She lives in England with her family and has been trained at a young age to be reserved and elegant. But she has knack for punk rock song and has a hidden aggressive side. At the request of Candace, she taught her how to be civilized to impress Jeremy.
Reginald Fletcher possess a thick Leeds accent lives next to the former castle of the Black Knight of Worcestershire. He used to be a dardevil in his youth and rode his motorbike and jumped over large and vast things such as whale, mother’s tea club and even the queen. He has quite a lot health problems in his old age such as lumbago, bad trick knee and the onest of senility.
Winnifred Fletcher but her husband call her Winnie. She has a great enthusiasm for tea and owns teh entire collection of Sherlock Holmes book series. She lives in countryside with her husband at the Fletcher Homestead.
Reginald Fletcher’s Father is long gone and only appears Reginald’s scrapbook. His name was not mentioned. He used to own a restaurant named “Fletcher & Son Fish & Chips” in England.
Reginald Fletcher’s Mother is still alive and healthy. She is a member of teh tea society and attended the Endangered Animal Benefit in Danville. | https://medium.com/@wikidata/fletcher-and-flynn-family-tree-dbf81ee933f2 | [] | 2020-12-11 08:31:42.223000+00:00 | ['Animated', 'Disney', 'Phineas And Ferb', 'Family Tree', 'Cartoon'] |
Design Patterns Saga: Manta Ray vs Butterfly | What’s the problem?
Before you jump to create a swimmer guide, take a look at the description of the movement of each stroke. Just to make it visual, I organized everything into a spreadsheet and highlighted things that caught my attention.
The Freestyle and Backstroke both swim in a horizontal position, but Backstroke swimmers do it on their back (obviously). Breaststroke and Butterfly use a prone position, but in different ways as well. Butterfly’s body executes a wave-like undulation. The same notes on arm movements. Now, take a look at leg movement and breathing. Freestyle has exactly the same flutter kick as Backstroke and same breathing instructions as Butterfly. In Backstroke, there are no special instructions at all, since breathing is not restricted.
Consider the implementation of the swimming guide above. We can override each behavior by concrete swimming stroke classes. Let’s assume that flutter kick is the default leg movement, then whip kick and dolphin kick are overridden behaviors. Butterfly with Manta paddle and Dolphin kick, that’s what I call a naming embarrassment.
So far so good. Now you want to add the additional swimming stroke, let’s call it Pupa (still think about 🐛 → 🦋) that has a 100% dolphin kick. I’m guessing you will add an additional base level (or will just copy the Breaststoke’s leg movement implementation).
Then you will add some additional strokes, heaven forbid, Synchronous Swimming, that has hundreds of positions. From here on it’s a short slide into madness 🤪.
It’s becoming apparent that our previous example suffered from excessive tight-coupling. When code is tightly coupled to a specific solution (or the current model of the problem) it becomes difficult to extend it. The world, for better or worse, is a dynamic place. The problems we already fixed change and our old solutions become irrelevant like yesterday’s news.
The Strategy Design Pattern is an attempt to provide extensibility in a dynamic world that achieves a set goal. The method of doing things may change but the end goal remains the same. | https://medium.com/swlh/design-patterns-saga-manta-ray-vs-butterfly-db6622167a04 | ['Gene Zeiniss'] | 2020-07-05 05:07:40.269000+00:00 | ['Design Patterns', 'Object Oriented', 'Composition', 'Java', 'Programming'] |
Why You Are Not Able to Get a Job | Photo by Yanalya on Freepik
If you’ve been looking for a job for a little while now, you’ve probably already sent dozens, or maybe even hundreds, of job applications to employers. You might be feeling pretty frustrated if you haven’t really been getting many responses. Well, you’re in luck because in this article, I’m going to walk you through the four reasons why employers aren’t calling you back, and exactly what you can do about it.
You’re not showing that you’re a true fit for the job
This is the biggest reason why employers are ignoring. You have probably not done the work of showcasing to them that you are the perfect job candidate. If you don’t do the work of showing to them that you’re a match for them, how can you possibly expect them to give you a call?
To break it down, there are actually three key areas where you potentially may not be showing that you’re a fit for the job. The first one is your resume or CV. Is your resume lacking a clear strategy? When you look at your own resume, do you feel that an employer who sees it would be like, ‘Oh my goodness, this person is the exact perfect fit for the job’? Or do you think they see it and go like, ‘Yeah maybe, not sure.. let’s see what else is out there.’ If you feel that there is room for improvement in your resume or CV, then you are most likely right.
Your resume is the ticket that will get you into the door. If you don’t know how to write your resume in an attractive and compelling way, your resume will simply be thrown to the side. You see, employers get hundreds of resumes all the time. You really need to make sure that your resume stands out from the rest.
The second place where you might not be showing that you are an attractive, high-quality candidate to the employer is in your LinkedIn profile. I know this may sound silly, but when was the last time you actually updated your photo on LinkedIn to not only be one that’s recent, but also one where it shows that you have a bright, energetic and cheerful personality? Your photo on your LinkedIn profile will either help to increase or decrease your chances of getting that initial phone call.
The third place where you’re likely not showcasing your value enough is in your interviews. If you have gotten called for a couple of interviews here and there, but you never got a call back to move forward to the next round, then there’s only one major reason for that. The reason is you’re not telling compelling enough stories in your interviews to the employers. Knowing how to tell compelling stories in your interviews is the key strategy to hooking the employer’s interest in you and getting them to choose you over anyone else. If you want them to give you the job, be sure to tell compelling stories.
Your job applications are not even being seen in the first place
If the only way that you’re applying for jobs is through online job applications, along with hundreds of other people who are also applying through the same job portals, there’s a good chance that employers aren’t even seeing your resume or application. If they can’t see you, they’re definitely not going to be able to hire you. So what do you do?
Firstly, you want to apply to only the freshest jobs — those that have only showed up within the first or second day. If you’re waiting to apply for a job and it’s been posted for a week or two, there’s a good chance that you’ve likely missed the boat. Apply for the jobs that show up right away. Strike them when they’re hot. Employers are likely to look at the actual applications that show up within the first one or two days. You have a higher chance of having your resume being seen by the employer if you apply straight away when a job is posted. Another way to get your job application be seen is to reach out to the employer directly.
You don’t believe that you’ll be able to get the job
No matter how much you want a job, if somewhere inside you’ve lost confidence in yourself and don’t believe that you’ll get the job that you want, then you probably really won’t be able to get it. The lack of belief that you have within yourself is actually what’s causing employers to also have that lack of belief in you.
Be extremely mindful of the thoughts that you’re telling yourself, and how they’re making you feel. If you want employers to change their mind about you and to see you differently, you need to see yourself differently. It all starts with you and ends with you. You need to change the way you feel about yourself. You need to see the value that you can offer to organizations, and then from there you’ll be able to express that in the interviews. That self belief is going to increase the chances of you getting your dream job offer.
You don’t have a hint of the relevant technical skills or qualifications
You need to have relevant skills, experiences and knowledge that can easily translate to the job that you want to get into. That doesn’t mean that you have to have done the exact job before, but if you have transferable skills, experiences and knowledge, those are going to help you increase your chances of getting the job offer. So if you have the required skills, you need to highlight them on your job applications and interviews.
Go after the positions that you really want to get, but also make sure that they align with the skill sets that you currently possess. | https://medium.com/swlh/why-you-are-not-able-to-get-a-job-fed36a9a4a74 | ['Sana Uqaili'] | 2020-01-16 19:21:40.549000+00:00 | ['Careers', 'Job Search', 'Career Advice', 'Jobs', 'Job Hunting'] |
5 Ways to Make a Career Change into Marketing | It’s 5 o’clock on Friday; you’ve been watching the clock for hours in anticipation for that dinner you have scheduled or that Tinder date you swiped right on earlier in the week. And while the idea of getting out of that office hell hole before 11pm is on your mind, all you can really think about is how to get another job.
We see this all the time in Japan, people work at their jobs day and night until all hours of the evening, for no overtime and rarely a thank you. To make matters worse, it doesn’t take a rocket science for those same people to see what’s happening in the US, China, and other part of the world- youthful risk takers climbing corporate ladders, 28 year old CEO’s, and millennial silicon valley millionaires.
As a result, many Japanese look to three potential options for marketing career success. They could build a new life and career overseas, or take the unlikely route of starting up their own business amongst a culture that often frowns upon individuality and disruption. Both of these scenarios of course thick enough in detail for their own essays, but for now lets look at a third option, making a career transition.
Sounds simple? Just not in Japan.
Jumping jobs in Japan is kind of like committing career suicide. While in the US it’s considered strategic, smart, and advantageous- in Japan it’s often considered disrespectful, inconsiderate, and irresponsible. So how can you find a new job in marketing without ending up in someone’s judgmental crosshairs?
Do your homework
Marketing is a giant ecosystem, so what exactly drives you the most? What do you want to learn more the most and what would you not mind being tasked with doing till all hours of the morning night over night? What’s really great about marketing now is that it’s changing faster than ever, digital is offering new opportunities to connect with customers in so many ways that companies need experts badly to help them make this transition. Is that expert you? Find out, create a niche, do your homework and set some goals.
Build a portfolio
Secondly, build a portfolio of work or learnings. To be honest, even as we’re writing this now, we’re not complete experts on all things Japan, we’re just learning more and more everyday and then sharing everything as we learn it so that our followers and clients can be better marketers. You can do the same thing for whatever specialty you’re looking to dive into. Create a blog, take on a free client, test your chops and get going.
Establish a brand
I think this is a little more complex and will require some additional reading, but don’t hesitate to create your own brand so that you can stand out from the rest. Show that you know your field and then practice it. Are you YouTube expert? Then have a YouTube channel. An Instagram know it all? Then post some really cool pics! I think you get the point and I can tell you personally that when it comes to hiring — 9 times out of 10 we’ve hired people who have expressed outside of a resume that they’re an expert in their field because we know if they can do it for themselves, they can do it for our clients too.
Believe in yourself
I’m going to put this in here because I think it’s specifically important for talent in Japan to think more of the talents within themselves when thinking about navigating new opportunities. If you’re in the position of making a move like this then it’s for a reason or even something bigger, a calling. But your execution is only as big as your belief is in yourself to be able to do it. So, think big, stay smart, and believe that as long as you can go step by step, only you and old self-doubting habits can get in your way.
Network like there’s no tomorrow
Finally, networking. I love networking and find it to be one of the most advantageous things to do when it comes to building new relationships that can lead to new opportunities. Join the meetups relative to your industry, attend a conference, make as many connections as you can and be intent on identifying how you can add value to them. Do this right and who knows Maybe that’s just the very thing that gets you that new opportunity you’ve been looking for and at the worse a few new friends as well. | https://medium.com/career-relaunch/5-ways-to-make-a-career-change-into-marketing-74f0f0c8f1e9 | ['Advertising In Asia'] | 2017-10-03 14:45:52.407000+00:00 | ['Marketing', 'Career Change', 'Startup', 'Careers', 'Japan'] |
A Healer’s Food-forest | Since the lockdown was imposed here in the Nilgiris, Janagiamma, a senior healer from the Kurumba community, who I worked with extensively for Soul of the Nilgiris, set up camp a few kilometres from her home in Vellaracombai, at the edge of a hill overlooking her ancestral land and the plains beyond.
With almost no access to towns, she was literally locked in in the forest for months. During this time she took it upon herself to create a subsistence food forest in her ancestral land which was on a slope higher-up hills. She grows a host of grain, legumes, vegetables and millet for consumption for both her family and the village.
I made a couple of trips down to Vellaracombai to see her when the lockdown eased out a little ( I was in Coonoor for a considerable time during this period) It was a joy to see her after what seemed was a long time. When I went up with R., my husband, she came down from her camp (where she pretty much lives nowadays) to fetch us from her house below so we could see her farm atop. After a quick coffee she showed my her produce of Thenai or Foxtail millet which looked glorious. Nearby, her granddaughter was keenly surveying the dehusked batch in the red winnow. | https://medium.com/@soul-of-the-nilgiris/a-healers-food-forest-e0c628976f85 | ['Soul Of The Nilgiris Ramya Reddy'] | 2020-12-02 12:26:16.123000+00:00 | ['Grow Your Own Food', 'Nilgiris', 'Indigenous Food', 'Conservation', 'India Travel Stories'] |
A Conversation with Composer Cormac Bluestone on It’s Always Sunny and The Cool Kids | Cormac Bluestone is a long-time composer and musician with an extensive background in television, film, and theatre. His styles range from New Orleans-inspired jazz to hip-hop to gospel and everywhere in between. Best known, perhaps, for his original songs and music for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, he’s currently composing for FOX’s The Cool Kids.
In our interview below we talk music composition, television, storytelling, removing bias, creativity, and the importance of taking a chance.
Cormac Bluestone
Andrew Cheek: You have experience in a variety of media — from writing music for the theatre, for film, and television—to working as a director, an editor, and even an animator, through all of these things do you feel you have one true calling?
Cormac Bluestone: You know, in this business you don’t always get to choose what you do. So I’m lucky I’ve gotten to do a lot of things. I think at the end of the day if I could write music I would be so happy to do that. All of those things [you mentioned] are interconnected, though, and having a bigger picture of what’s going on and production and post-production, makes you better at each of the individual things, too. As far as callings go, yeah. Definitely music!
Andrew: When writing music or theme music for a show, and again whether thats for theatre or television or anywhere else, how do your interactions with the actors and writers influence and shape the music?
Cormac: In television and film you’re definitely dealing with producers and the creative team, and I try to let them take the lead. You want everyone to feel comfortable and feel good. You want them to feel good that they’ve put this in your hands. So, if they want to give me music, if they want to give me scripts… just being receptive to their process. I think being a composer you have to be a translator, too. You want to be open to how they want to translate what they’re looking for to you. With a lot of scores you get a cut with a temp track. I love good temp tracks. I’ve been lucky to work with editors and producers that take terrific temps. That’s a great jumping-off point.
In a case like The Cool Kids we really were trying to get the music and theme before we had picture. In that case I talked with Charlie Day, who’s one of the creators on the show, a lot about the music and we were kind of in the same ballpark about what we were thinking—kind of this bluesy, New Orleans type theme for the music. In that case I just kept sending demos and we kept talking about it.
I feel every project is a little different and you just have to be open — or at least I try to be open — to how the producers want to run the show. I love it when producers have a lot of ideas and want to give you a lot of demos. And I also love it when they’re laissez-faire and don’t want to have anything to do with it and say “Just give us something that we’re going to fall in love with.”
Andrew: Yeah. Sometimes they may have something more specific in mind that they want to have matched up with visually, and then other times as you’re saying with The Cool Kids you’re working from the sound first.
Cormac: And you’re trying to get that music in so the editors are cutting with your music. I think that’s a big goal. So, they start to fall in love with your music because it’s been there as long as the cut has been there.
Andrew: In that case the music isn’t just an add-on but is more centrally located in terms of the importance of the whole work.
Cormac: Exactly.
Andrew: So how did you get started writing music and working in the film industry? Those may be slightly separate things, I guess, but…
Cormac: I started writing music when I was really young! I took piano lessons and guitar lessons and I really loved musical theatre growing up and… always wrote songs and had ideas for what the next American musical would be. So I was constantly composing and once I got to high school I had a great faculty and music teachers who gave me some real, grounded music theory. I started to notate, and learned to arrange music properly.
In grade school I was really lucky — we had an electronic music teacher who taught me (I was probably the only kid interested in it) who taught me how to use MIDI instruments, you know, during the eighties when they were just inventing MIDI instruments. I really learned how to, at a very young age, sequence music using Performer 1.0, which was one of the original Apple sequencers. Just writing, and arranging, and composing it was something I was doing because I loved the technology and I loved to play so much.
Andrew: So that interest came out of initially playing music, more? And then from there you transitioned to composing?
Cormac: Absolutely. Although I think I was probably writing as soon as I could play. And I still feel I’m a little like that—when I learn to conquer a new part of my playing I instantly want to incorporate it into my tool bag of writing. You know, constantly growing outward — “What can you do?”
Andrew: What do you see — and this kind of goes off of that — what do you see as the intersection between composing music and interpreting or playing something someone else has written?
Cormac: For me, and I’ve been lucky enough to work in comedy, I think it always boils down to the same thing. Really wrapping your head around the given circumstances of the project you’re on…. whether it’s Shakespeare (which I’ve done a lot of music for), to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Really keeping an eye on the given circumstances and leaning into the given circumstances rather than the idea. I think that is generally the most effective way as a composer to be board with the storytelling. So you’re never winking at the comedy, you’re never making a dramatic moment too, what would the word be, dramedy, not dramedy… You know what I mean. Too overdone.
Andrew: Yeah. I know what you mean.
Cormac: So, that is I think the big intersection. Not getting in the way. Not adding time to the piece, just being a part of those given circumstances so the story can shine through.
Andrew: Do you have a lot of experience playing?, as a performing artist playing an instrument?
Cormac: I have played with a lot of rock bands. I lived in L.A. for a number of years where I was a side man for a couple bands. I still play. I love playing in bands with other people’s music it, it just gives you a different perspective and you kind of get to sit back a little bit and get to have someone tell you what to do (which is always nice).
I love getting to also be a cog in the machine. It makes you a better player, it makes you a better composer, and it kind of goes back to that original point — the more you know about the wider variety of the process the better. If you’re arranging for, you know, any given instrument… for woodwinds, I don’t play woodwinds, but I’ve spent a lot of years in New York arranging for a clarinet player. The more I knew about that instrument the better a score I could write because I started to learn “Oh, it doesn’t really work if you do xyz on this instrument.” So it all, I think, is very cumulative. And figuring out the larger picture.
Cormac Bluestone — in action.
Andrew: It’s almost like removing a bias, I think. Because then you’re not approaching other instruments with the understanding of just one instrument or even from just one media either.
Cormac: Yeah, it is like removing bias! It’s having a broader understanding of the intricacies of what’s happening with each instrument. [It] makes the whole score more effective.
When I score, one thing I really try to keep an eye on especially for parts that are going to be played live is that they’re fun to play. That’s kind of the big thing in my mind — that you’re giving the musicians or, I play a lot of my own stuff, giving myself something that is actually fun to play. That people aren’t just these little cogs in the machine there just to elevate an idea that they’re not really a part of.
Andrew: It’s easy to maybe have an idea about how a piece could function ideologically or with some contrast or… the more intellectual side behind it. But if it’s not fun or interesting it can kind of fall flat.
Cormac: I totally agree. If it’s not fun you’re doing it wrong.
Andrew: Yeah. So, how would you encourage someone to compose if they’re not really sure where to begin?
Cormac: I’ll start with this. Say yes. Take a chance and say yes. When I talk to young composers myself, they go “Oh I don’t know how to do… this that and the other.” You know, I think that’s what separates the professionals from the amateurs — that the professionals are willing to learn and figure out how to do things they don’t know. There have been plenty of times where I’ve been asked to do things — “Oh, can you do this?!” — and not having a clue how to do it in the moment you say yes. Because I have confidence that I’ll be able to not only figure out how to do that thing, but to conquer it and to deliver something really great.
People when they start out, they’re so aware of their limitations they forget how much they have to offer. And sometimes you really have to take a chance. You mentioned animation before. One question people ask me — and I’m not an animator, I’m not known for animating I just like the workflow of it — someone will say “How do you use Adobe After Effects?” And I’ll say “Well, what do you want to do with it? It does everything. What do you want to do with it?” Figure out what you want to do and then do that thing. Learn how to do that. And then that goes in your tool bag. Then learn something else. Put that in your tool bag. Young composers need to take a risk and say yes. They’ll know where they need to go — the only trick is figuring out how to get there.
Andrew: I really like that. That’s really smart.
Cormac: [Laughs] Off the record it’s really smart until you say yes and you just can’t figure it out. But I think people generally can figure it out. If you have the drive and you want to do it, do it.
Andrew: In the internet age we live in I think we’re very lucky to be able to have so many tutorials and resources. For example, I was going to do video editing and I downloaded Premiere Pro and I was like “Oh my god” — it was the same thing — “You can do everything! But I feel like I can only do two things.” So it took awhile to do even very simple things. But then once I started getting the hang of it through lots of tutorials online I was gradually learning the language of the software. So, availability of resources helps but the drive, too, is important.
Cormac Bluestone — on stage.
Cormac: I 100% agree. I don’t think I’ve ever really called customer service for anything and I was working on something for It’s Always Sunny a couple of years ago, and I hit a real snag. And I could not fix this snag and finally said “Well, off to customer service I go.” They could not solve this problem. I actually had unearthed a bug in the software and they said “Keep an eye out for it in the next release…”
That’s what it came to. I totally agree with you, though, all the information is out there. Learn how to Google it! There’s no reason you can’t figure out how to use Logic, Pro Tools, Ableton, etc.
Andrew: Is there a dream project you have your sights set on or that you’re working on currently?
Cormac: Oh man. A dream project…!
Andrew: Maybe it’s not the project but just a type of project or something that you’ve had in mind for a long time…?
Cormac: I love the old John Carpenter films like They Live. I would love to do one of those kind of noir eighties synth-type films. Kind of like Mark Mothersbaugh a score he just did for Thor: Ragnarok. I would love to do something like that. Or work with Edgar Wright. I think his directing work is incredible. The Gutter Brothers. I just love that genre-twisting work. Or even Doug Liman I mean, he’s incredible. Kind of, one of those guys in there. Not even a big action movie but, something like Drive or something in that vein where you get to have a lot of fun with the score and it’s highly stylized. | https://andrewgcheek.medium.com/an-conversation-with-its-always-sunny-composer-cormac-bluestone-c684d1e6112d | [] | 2019-10-31 22:44:29.455000+00:00 | ['Its Always Sunny', 'Composer', 'Television', 'Music', 'Interview'] |
Biking the Memories of the Vietnam War | Biking the Memories of the Vietnam War
The documentarian Rebecca Rusch conceived a challenge that would be as physically demanding as it would be emotionally draining. Luke Bradshaw Follow Nov 13, 2017 · 8 min read
© Red Bull Content Pool
In 1972, her father died in the Vietnam War after his plane was shot down near the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and Rusch wanted to ride her mountain bike from one end of the trail to the other, visiting the crash site where her dad perished along the way.
The challenge would involve ludicrous mileage through dense jungle, and required substantial planning to ensure its success. Doing it by bike was just about the most ambitious way of doing it, but would also be the most immersive. As a result, the accompanying film captures an amazing journey, bringing together strangers and cultures into one poignant story.
Rebecca Rusch and her riding partner, Huyen Nguyen, pedal the Ho Chi Minh trail. | © Red Bull Content Pool
‘The great thing about Red Bull is that they don’t tell their athletes what to do, they ask us what we want to,’ Rusch explains. ‘I had the idea a few years ago and I went to them without the intention of doing the ride, but as the story unfolded it developed into something bigger. It was supposed to be a short film, but we felt it had to be come a feature piece because the story became so rich. We kept getting better footage and there were important parts that needed telling, it kept growing and evolving along the way.’
The Ho Chi Minh Trail runs through Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. The network of passages and roads stretches for almost 10,000 miles. It was a support system, something that the Viet Cong used to smuggle manpower and materials during the Vietnam War. The North Vietnamese, trying to unite the country under Communist rule, knew they didn’t have the same military strength as the United States (who were supplying weapons and forces to stop the unification), and so had to resort to this type of guerrilla warfare to level the playing field.
Bikes and elephants were used to carry supplies before the trails were wide enough to use vehicles. When the US implemented choke points to stop the flow, the trail was rerouted to the east, into Laos and Cambodia. If the trail was bombed, it was repaired it as quickly as possible. Half a million bombs were dropped over Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, and three million Vietnamese were killed. The sheer destruction the trail has played a part in has led to its alternative name: ‘Blood Road’. There are controlled explosions to remove hidden devices that never detonated, but at the current rate of removal, the government are still 100 years away from clearing all remaining mines left after the war.
Endurance athlete Rusch has tried her hand at most things; whitewater rafting, climbing, cross-country skiing, mountain biking, you name it and there’s a good chance Rusch has not only tried it, but been successful at it. On top of that, she’s also a firefighter in Ketchum, Idaho, where she lives with her husband. According to her mother, Rebecca’s father, Stephen, loved the outdoors just like Rebecca, sharing her wanderlust nature. It was Blood Road that helped address some issues that have been left dormant.
Rebecca’s father, Stephen, the inspiration behind Blood Road. | © Red Bull Content Pool
Stephen was a reluctant participant in the Vietnam War, and served as a US Air Force F-4E Phantom pilot during the conflict until his plane was shot down by ground fire near the town of Ta Oy, in southern Laos, when Rebecca was three years old. For years afterwards he was officially missing in action, before the crash site was found and excavated in 2007 and he was identified by his dental records.
‘My family thinks I’m a little bit crazy anyway, but this was very much like opening an old wound. It wasn’t an easy process to go into the memory bank and ask my mum to go into my father’s death.’ Rusch continues, ‘It hasn’t been easy but it’s been a healing process — I found out more about my dad, and why my sister joined the military. It gave me the opportunity to discuss these things. Vietnam veterans tend not to talk about their experiences, never bring them out to examine them, so sharing these stories with them and other family members has been incredibly important.’
The challenge would take nearly a month in total to complete. Rusch decided to do the challenge with a partner in tow. Huyen Nguyen, a Vietnamese competitive biking champion, would provide some local expertise, not to mention a companion for the challenge itself. As a pair, they would cycle together from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi, stopping off at the crash site on the anniversary of Stephen’s death. Along the way, the pair would learn about each other’s perspectives of the war — with Nguyen’s uncle and father facing American resistance, opposing Rusch’s father.
Nguyen and Rusch before the Blood Road screening in Santa Monica, CA, USA. | © Red Bull Content Pool
Rusch openly admits she was very sceptical about doing the trip with a stranger, calling it her ‘biggest worry’. ‘My original preference would have been to choose a teammate, who spoke my language and knew my personality, but the experience was one of the most beautiful parts of the film. It made me have to grow and see it through her eyes as well. The language barrier ended up being such a gift because we were forced to communicate non-verbally so often. A lot of her sentiments I didn’t know until they were translated in the film and the depth in which she understood me was incredible.’
The scale of their task was extraordinary. No one had ever taken a mountain bike and done the whole trail start to finish. The route they took involved passing through 1,200 miles of unknown terrain. The crash site had been excavated a long time ago and logistically paving the way for the team — a mechanic, navigator and local guide, plus film crew — provided its own struggle. The support team was required, but it wouldn’t be able to access every part of the trail in the way that the bikes could. Each point at which the support team could meet up with the pair had to be planned beforehand, and Rusch and Nguyen had to be 100% self-sufficient during the moments they were alone.
Another challenge was the differing agendas. Rusch’s plan was to arrive at the site of her father’s death on the anniversary and, as a result, was in race mode. It’s a completely natural state of mind for a professional athlete, but it’s at odds with that of a film crew.
Rusch and Nguyen approach a village in Laos. | © Red Bull Content Pool
‘This was a very personal story and opening it up to a film crew, who were strangers, was a challenge. Midway through I played everyone a song by my dad [the only lasting memory of her dad’s voice] because we were operating as two separate teams — one wanting to slow down and get footage and me wanting to speed up to get to the site on the right day. We weren’t working together and that song was my attempt to bring everyone together for a sole purpose.’
As a result, there are two very distinct parts to the trip — the journey before the crash site and the journey afterwards. Rusch explains: ‘After visiting the site it was just huge relief. I could process everything and take the blinders off a little bit. For the first time in my life I wasn’t trying to get somewhere. It gave me a lot more days afterwards of riding to meditate on everything, enjoying the ride and enjoying the culture without an agenda. The second part I had to push Huyen physically because of the distance we’d covered, but during the first part she had been pushing me emotionally.”
The end result is undeniably thought provoking. It tells the story of an American athlete and a Vietnamese athlete, sharing the scars from separate sides of a war that neither wanted to be associated with, building up a relationship and an understanding of one another as they trace the literal destruction that the conflict inflicted on the land. Throughout their ride they frequently come across metal from airplanes, some left as reminders, some used to make tools, equipment or boats still very much in use today. The fishing ponds in the villages are craters created through American bombing and there are thousands of unexploded mines still hidden in the ground today, with children playing around them.
Nguyen and Rusch board a boat made from an airplane wreckage. | © Red Bull Content Pool
I asked Rusch whether her nationality contributed to any sense of guilt upon seeing the damage first-hand. ‘I felt a sense of trepidation about how we’d be received, but all of that was put aside when I spent time with the local communities. They were opening their arms and welcoming us into their home, regardless of what had happened before. My dad may have shot at their family, and all those negative feelings were quickly dismissed. Huyen told me, “The past is gone. There are wounds, but as a team we’re healing them.” ‘
Rusch has been back to Southeast Asia four times since riding the trail. She believes this experience has not only brought her closer to her father and her family, but has also led to awareness being raised regarding the removal of unexploded ordnance (UXO). Under Barack Obama, the US pledged £90 million dollars to help with the process and there is a page on the Blood Road website where you can donate to the effort.
What started out as one person’s idea has now grown into an amazing cause. Through riding the Ho Chi Minh Trail, Rusch found answers to questions she’d had since childhood, and a greater appreciation of issues that were either ignored or misunderstood. While her personal journey was the driving force behind the ride, its legacy continues to go far beyond that.
Blood Road will be available to watch on Red Bull TV on November 11, or for details on screenings head here.
An original version of this article was published on Culture Trip, where all of Luke Bradshaw’s work can be read. | https://medium.com/the-omnivore/war-wounds-revisited-by-riding-the-blood-road-2654b35f1a5e | ['Luke Bradshaw'] | 2017-11-20 10:05:08.605000+00:00 | ['Vietnam', 'Sports', 'Sports Journalists', 'Bikes', 'War'] |
Understanding of spirituality | Spirituality is not related to any religion or sect, but spirituality is about how you are within yourself.
In fact, the true meaning of spirituality is to be able to experience life beyond physicality and the true meaning of a spiritual person is that a person who feels god through his imagination and can understand god, then that person is called a spiritual person. This type of person slowly starts understanding all the mysteries related to this world.
That is why if someone gives you knowledge of any scripture or puranas, then do not consider it as a spiritual person. Those people are just pundits who try to explain the knowledge of scriptures written by someone to you. | https://medium.com/@creativequote/understanding-of-spirituality-892d2b0eecf1 | ['Sahil Patel'] | 2020-12-25 13:22:21.522000+00:00 | ['Spiritual Growth', 'Spirituality', 'Inspiration', 'Creativity', 'Motivation'] |
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