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Ocean Acidification from CO2 Overdose | Recent mass coral bleaching event on Great Barrier Reef, caused by ocean acidification. OSU. CC BY 2.0
Our oceans are becoming acidic at an unprecedented rate, and research into the effects of global warming on oceans indicate that this process is happening faster today than at any time in the past 300 million years.
In This Article:
What Is Ocean Acidification?
What Is The Cause of Ocean Acidification?
How Acidic Is The Ocean Today?
The Chemistry Behind Ocean Acidity
The Ocean’s Ability to Absorb CO2 is Likely to Diminish
The Effect of Ocean Acidification on Marine Life
How Does Ocean Acidification Impact Humans?
How Can We Stop Ocean Acidification?
References
What Is Ocean Acidification?
Ocean acidification means that sea water is becoming increasingly acidic. This is bad news for creatures that live in the sea, many of which are highly sensitive to subtle changes in acidity and ocean chemistry. In the case of corals, ocean acidification significantly impairs their ability to develop their skeletons.
Acidification is happening because the sea is absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere at an unprecedented rate. When CO2 dissolves in seawater, the water becomes more acidic and the ocean’s pH — a measure of how acidic or alkaline it is — drops.
Ocean acidification is a big worry, because it’s happening ten times faster than at any time over the last 300 million years. In the past 200 years alone, the ocean has become 28 percent more acidic.(1)
Such a quick change in the ocean’s chemistry does not give marine animals time to adapt. In combination with other stresses caused by global warming, like marine heatwaves, and a reduction in ocean oxygen levels, ocean acidity has the potential to decimate marine ecosystems around the world. And once this happens, much of the damage will be irreversible.
Ocean acidification — not unlike ocean deoxygenation — is sometimes referred to as climate change’s evil twin, because it is a very real and harmful consequence of global warming, but we do not see or feel it because the effects are happening underwater and out of sight.
Ocean Fact
The ocean covers two thirds of the earth’s surface, and exerts a significant influence on our weather and climate systems. Oceans emit most of the water vapor that falls as rain on land. Exactly how oceans influence climate change, is an important area of research in atmospheric science and climatology.
What Is The Cause of Ocean Acidification?
Is a nutshell, we are. Since pre-industrial times, humans have been pumping greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere at an alarming rate, via the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. When released into the troposphere, these gases boost the greenhouse effect, which heats up the planet — hence the climate crisis that we face today. Our climate plan can’t cope with the rate of change.
The point is, at least 25 percent of all anthropogenic, or human generated, carbon dioxide is absorbed by sea water.
Marine scientists used to think that this was a good thing. If the ocean can suck 25 percent of our greenhouse gas emissions out of the atmosphere, then maybe it could help us out by mitigating some of the effects of global warming. Now, they realize that slower warming comes at a cost — and that cost, is a change in the ocean’s chemistry.
In 2017, about 36 billion tonnes of anthropogenic CO2 was released into the earth’s atmosphere (2). As CO2 doesn’t just disappear, but lingers for years — it is estimated that up to two thirds of that CO2 will be absorbed by aquatic systems over the next 20 to 200 years, while the remainder will contribute significantly to global warming.
In other words, even if we stopped all emissions today — what we have already emitted will continue to harm us all for generations to come.
A recent study showed that European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) lost their sense of smell when exposed to higher levels of carbon dioxide. (3) Photo: Caitlin Childs /CC BY-SA 2.0
How Acidic Is The Ocean Today?
The upper ocean’s pH is currently 8.1 units.
It has decreased 0.1 units since preindustrial times which means it has become 28 percent more acidic. If this doesn’t sound like much, consider that many chemical reactions, including those that are essential for life, are sensitive to small changes in pH. For example, if our blood pH range drops by as little as 0.2 units, it can lead to seizures, comas and death.
Now consider that by the year 2100, the surface ocean pH is expected to decline to between 8.05 and 7.75, depending on future emissions. (4). Since a difference of one pH unit is equivalent to a tenfold difference, a drop to under 7.8 means the ocean will be 150 percent more acidic than today.
Not every part of the ocean will experience the same rate of change however. The largest increases in ocean acidity are projected to occur at high latitudes like the Arctic Ocean, with smaller increases in the tropics.
Initially, deeper waters will experience less of an increase, with models forecasting a decline in pH of between 0.2 and 0.5 at a depth of about 1’000 meters, depending on the emissions scenario and location.
Did you know: The ocean plays an important role in the carbon cycle, in fact it is earth’s largest carbon sink with huge reserves of blue carbon, some dating back thousands of years.
The Chemistry Behind Ocean Acidity
The ocean is constantly exchanging gases with the atmosphere — dissolved gases evaporate from the ocean into the atmosphere and atmospheric gases dissolve into the ocean, in a process called the ocean-atmospheric exchange.
The rate of exchange is almost constant — meaning, the amount of gas in the atmosphere and ocean is almost equal. The more CO2 there is in the atmosphere, the more the ocean will try to absorb to reach equilibrium.
When CO2 enters the ocean it dissolves in the water. This dissolution triggers a series of chemical reactions which produces carbonic acid and ultimately hydrogen ion (H+) — leading seawater to become more acidic.
In the process, it also causes carbonate ions to be relatively less abundant. Carbonate ions are important building blocks of structures for marine creatures who use calcium carbonate in their exoskeletons and shells. These creatures include: crustaceans such as crabs and lobsters, certain sponges, shelled molluscs, including oysters, mussels, snails, clams, chitons and nautilus, and some shelled zooplankton; as well as coral reefs.
The changes in ocean chemistry can affect the behavior of non-calcifying organisms as well.
The Ocean’s Ability to Absorb CO2 is Likely to Diminish
Even though the sea is huge, we have to assume that it has a limited capacity to absorb carbon dioxide. Rather like a sponge can only absorb so much liquid. A recent study (5)concluded that the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide will diminish. At the same time, researchers say, acidification in the ocean will accelerate.
The Effect of Ocean Acidification on Marine Life
A small change in the pH of seawater can have harmful effects on marine life’s reproduction, growth and even how they talk to each other. (6) Even if a sea creature is not directly harmed by acidification it may be affected indirectly through changes in its habitat or changes in the food web. The main impacts on marine life include:
1. Calcifying Species
A more acidic environment has a dramatic effect on species that build their shells with calcium carbonate such as clams, sea urchins, coral reefs and marine snails. The picture below shows what happens to a marine snail called a pteropod, when it is exposed to ocean water adjusted to sea water chemistry projected for the year 2100. Its shell melted after about 45 days. This is similar to the way acid rain corrodes limestone buildings.
When shelled organisms are at risk, the entire marine food web is at risk. For example, a 10 percent drop in the pteropod population could result in a 20 percent drop in the body weight of pink salmon, one of its main predators. Whales, krill and many other smaller fish also rely on pteropods for their source of food.
In recent years there has been a near total failure of oyster harvests in both natural ecosystems and aquaculture facilities along West Coast, America. The sea is becoming so acidic that it is dissolving the shells of baby oysters. No wonder the weakening of calcifer’s structures is sometimes called the osteoporosis of the sea.
Another vulnerable group is phytoplankton. One species in particular, foraminifera, is responsible for the sequestration of 25–50 percent of the carbon absorbed by the oceans and thus plays a vital role in limiting atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Foraminifera also generate about 50 per of the oxygen we breathe through photosynthesis, form the basis of marine food webs and fuel the biological pump that transports carbon from the surface of the ocean to the deep interior. Now, researchers have discovered that foraminifera shells are being significantly thinned by ocean acidification.
2. Corals
Increasing ocean acidification has been shown to significantly reduce the ability of coral reefs to produce their skeletons. Corals depend on a specific pH balance to extract calcium from the seawater, a need which is particularly important for young polyps, as they settle onto rock and start building their skeletons. Studies have shown a 50–70 percent decline in larvae settlement in waters with lower pH levels.
Research indicates that, by 2100, coral reefs will erode faster than they can be rebuilt. Ocean warming and ocean deoxygenation don’t help either. This puts the long-term viability of these ecosystems and estimated one million species that depend on coral reef habitat, in danger.
Bleached Acropora coral, with normal coral in the background. Coral reefs are among the most diverse of all known marine ecosystems. As many as 1 in 4 of all ocean species depend on reefs for food and shelter, at some point in their lives. Rising sea temperatures and ocean acidity are putting coral reefs in danger. According to the IPCC’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (2018), 1.5 degrees of warming will wipe out 70–90 percent of all warm water coral reefs, and 2 degrees will wipe out 99 percent. Image: Creative Commons CC-SA-3.0
3. Chemical Communication
Most marine species use chemical cues to determine what to eat, and when to fight, run or mate with other creatures. A sea animal can assess gender, social status, and even the reliability of a mate’s sperm, through signals from info-chemicals. When the chemistry of the water changes, it upsets this delicate balance.
Other pollution in the sea, such as microplastics, are also disrupting communication. After floating for a while, plastic begins to send out a chemical signal called DMS (dimethylsulphide). DMS acts as a foraging cue making many marine species like penguins, sharks and albatrosses think that the plastic is food.
4. Hypercapnia
Hypercapnia is a condition of elevated CO2 levels in internal fluids. (7) In certain marine animals like squid, hypercapnia can affect mobility, survival and the ability to reproduce. Fish must continually maintain a optimum internal pH, which differs from the pH of the surrounding water. If there are changes in pH in the surrounding water, the fish must work harder to maintain their internal pH level, meaning it has less energy to expend on growth and reproduction.
It is not known yet, given the rapid rise of CO2 levels in the sea, whether fish are approaching their upper limit to fight off hypercapnia. Embryos and larvae tend to be more more vulnerable to environmental stress than adults. So, even if elevated CO2 levels in aquatic environments are tolerable for adults, fish populations may still be affected through the decreased survival of eggs and larvae.
Ocean Fact
Scientists are beginning to realize how important microscopic marine microbes like bacteria and viruses are to the marine food web. However their sheer numbers of species makes it almost impossible to determine the effect of rising temperatures and global warming on their activities and numbers.
How Does Ocean Acidification Impact Humans?
The effects of climate change on humans are reasonably well known, but we tend to be less well aware of what is happening in our oceans. Perhaps, because unlike bushfires and other extreme weather events, ocean changes are less visible.
Yet, ocean acidification is affecting the entire world’s oceans, estuaries and waterways. It is impacting the economies who are dependent on fish and shellfish and the three billion people worldwide who rely on food from the ocean as their primary source of protein. (8)
Nearly 50 percent of all U.S. seafood comes from Alaska, a sensitive region where ocean warming and ocean acidification are already damaging marine habitats. In the West coast region, ocean acidification has caused the near-total failure of the $100 million a year oyster industry over the past 5 years. (9)
Acidification can be worse in coastal areas due to hypoxia, which is considered a driver for ocean acidification. Where there are more humans, there is more pollution — increased sewage and nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate flowing off the land. This causes eutrophication, literally excessive growth of blooms and marine algae. This in turn causes a lack of oxygen in the water which can cause many aquatic species to die.
TIP: The Ethics Of Climate Change — who should pay?
Beyond the loss of biodiversity, and the effect on fisheries and aquaculture, and food food security for millions of people, ocean acidifications threatens coastal tourism and other sea-related economies.
How Can We Stop Ocean Acidification?
Although scientists understand the chemistry behind acidification, just how exactly it will impact biological life is not yet known. Scientists have been tracking ocean pH for more than 30 years — ever since more accurate spectrophotometric pH measurement methods were introduced — but studies into biological impact really only started in 2003, when the rapid shift caught their attention and the term ocean acidification was first used. What we do know, is that the ocean will look very different in years to come. Some organisms will survive and adapt, but many more will struggle and go extinct.
Meantime, we know that ocean acidity is a direct consequence of man-made CO2 emissions. Which means, if we want to help our oceans, we must cut those emissions drastically. To avoid serious harm, atmospheric levels of CO2 need to fall to around 320–350 ppm, compared to present-day levels of about 410 ppm. (10)
Climate change mitigation technologies such as carbon capture and storage may contribute towards this goal, as well as geoengineering schemes like planting more mangroves and seagrasses to suck carbon out of the water and bury it deep in their roots. A recent study, for example showed that seagrass meadows can increase surrounding sea pH levels by 0.38 units. That would give coral reefs about an extra 18 percent growth rate.
Related Articles
Climate Change Essay — in 1,000 words.
Does Tree Planting Stop Global Warming? The real scoop.
References | https://medium.com/@karinacollins/ocean-acidification-from-co2-overdose-f4e9e67642a2 | ['Karina Collins'] | 2021-06-17 11:45:35.112000+00:00 | ['Oceans', 'Ocean Acidification', 'Marine Life', 'Climate Change', 'Tipping Point'] |
How To Build A Branding In Your Mobile App | With thousands of mobile apps being launched every day, how will you make sure that your app will stand out among all other apps in the niche? Well, it all depends on the design, functionality, and branding of the app. Yes, along with the design and functionality, the correlation of branding in the mobile app is essentially important. The Logo or the App Icon is the first thing that appears when users start searching for your app. Believe it or not, a logo or app icon does say a lot about your branding.
According to Statista, as of Q1 2020, there were 2.56 million apps available at Google Play Market and 1.85 million apps available at Apple’s App Store. Competing against such a huge number needs a lot of work. You need to understand that nowadays a mobile app not only needs to be of high quality but strongly branded to compete. It is very important to adopt a mobile-first approach to implement a branding strategy in the app successfully.
If you want to build a brand for your mobile app to stand out from the crowd, you need to learn to create an effective mobile app branding.
What is Mobile-App Branding?
Branding is one of the first steps for any marketing strategy. Without proper branding, your product will remain nameless and lost in the pile of unsuccessful products. Branding helps businesses to create an identity in the minds of people. Let’s check the simple definition of Branding.
Branding is a set of activities conducted through a set of distinguishing features. It is an act of promoting awareness and recognition of the product or service on the market. Through proper branding, a product creates its identity in the market.
When it comes to mobile app branding, it is a complex structure of a variety of factors such as the name of the app, log of the app (main identification of the company or product), font color (it should match or compliment the logo), the background of the app (it should complement your product or service), slogan of the app, description, and details of your service or product.
To understand how to build a branding strategy for your mobile app, let’s discuss why mobile app branding is so important.
Why Mobile-App Branding is Important?
Here’re a few pointers to define the importance of building a mobile app branding strategy.
Users may forget the name of your product or company, but if it is played right with an attractive logo and combination of catchy words, it remains memorable for users.
Most users provide their first-hand feedback on using the app and leave. If the customers’ feedback is shared humbly and responded promptly, then you can get your identity as a brand that listens to its customers.
Creating a brand image helps users to remember your company name like Coca-Cola, Nike, Adidas, etc. It makes the identity of your company in your customers’ minds.
Good branding strategy involves personalization at the greatest level. Keeping your customers in mind, you can create an offer which they cannot refuse. By giving a personalized touch in your branding strategy, you can make your customers feel important.
Now let’s discuss some of the main features of branding.
Core Features of Branding
Branding aims to establish a significant and differentiated presence in the market that attracts and retains loyal customers. An excellent mobile app branding strategy consist of the following features:
Targetability
The entire world can’t be your target audience. Your target audience is specific to the needs that your product or services fulfill. A business should first identify their target audience and plan the strategy accordingly. The branding strategy should be created after knowing the basics of your target audience, such as their age, income, gender, lifestyle, and buying habits.
Brand Awareness
Creating brand awareness is very important. It can increase your audience reach by planning and executing marketing and advertising efforts. The logo of the app should be well-thought and attractively designed to increase the popularity of the brand.
Brand Loyalty
A good branding strategy doesn’t end by creating only an identity of your product or service. But, as people start knowing what specific way your product is benefiting them, they become brand loyal. Add more affordances in your branding strategy to create a brand loyal customer by keeping in touch with them, such as congratulating them on their big day like birthday, mother’s day, etc.
Brand Consistency
Customers always have expectations from your product or services. So, keeping consistency in your brand strategy, along with the newest innovation, is very important. All the claims you made for your brand should be fulfilled.
Now, let’s move on to the most important part of this article and see how to build a branding strategy for our app.
How to Build a Branding in your Mobile App — Branding Strategies
The main motive of this article is to give an idea of how to build branding in a mobile app. Let’s discuss some major steps that every business should consider while designing the strategy for their app branding.
Keep User Experience in Mind
The customer is KING. Every business should remember this golden rule to achieve more success. Similarly, when you are developing an app or have developed the app, it should be after detailed research about what your customers want. Make a list of things that your customer is searching via your app. Find out more details by research. Once you get a good idea of your customer demand, you will be able to create a user-centric brand.
Logo and App Icon
What do you think, is your logo should be your app icon? Well, most businesses do use the logo of the company as the app icon. The practice is not wrong but not recommended by the experts. For creating a successful mobile branding strategy, you need to understand that a logo of your website is not the app icon.
The major difference between a logo and app icon is the dimensions and shape. Logo can be created for a particular size and proportion, whereas, for an app icon, you need to consider the limitation of app stores. It should be designed with every possible resolution.
User Interaction
Adding options through which users can keep interaction with the app is the best strategy. For all non-gaming apps, you can add features like leaderboard, badges, challenges, bonuses, ratings, and reviews for user motivation. Using graphics in brand stylistics support brand awareness and make your app recognizable to users. You can add options where users can achieve higher scores that they can share with their family and friends. It will also increase your app’s reach and visibility.
Refer a Friend
Continuing the above point about user-interaction, there’s one more strategy that works like a charm. Having an option to earn points, bonuses, and extra discounts via referring the app to a friend helps you increase brand visibility. More people refer the app to their friends. The more downloads you will get. The number of downloads helps your app rank on a higher position on app stores for relevant keywords.
App Name
Before building the app or even started designing a strategy, you should select a name for your app. Your App name should be in connection with the functionality of the app. It should be different, short, and memorable.
Landing Pages for the App
A landing page is a web page that emphasizes a specific aim and a quick call-to-action. Building landing pages that correlate with the website is very important for a mobile app branding. The landing page purpose is to provide a direct download link for the mobile app and brief details about its uses and advantages. Various other landing pages for the mobile app can be created according to the needs of the target audience. We can take a good example of the “How to Installation Process,” which can be covered in detail on a landing page.
Built-in Support and Service
Customer services have become a backbone for every brand. The option is very important for your branding strategy. Your app should provide an option to users where they can contact someone related to their issues, queries, and feedback.
We have talked about branding and how to create branding in a mobile app. Now, let’s move on to the next part where you learn about things that you should know before creating a branding strategy for your mobile app.
The question you should ask yourself before building branding in your Mobile App?
Before you start building a brand for your app, you should consider answering these questions so you will have a clear path where you need to go. Answering these questions will validate your idea of branding your mobile app.
These questions are:
Who is going to use your app, and why?
What is your unique selling point?
What makes your app unique in comparison to other apps?
What does the look of your app say about it?
Which feelings does your app evoke?
What is the tone of your app?
What are the channels of communication with users?
How will users get information about your app?
Note: If you are considering branding your mobile app, we have a perfect package at Selleo. We have experienced a branding specialist who will do the job nicely. With years of experience, our team will research your target audience and keep it under consideration, and your goals will be to develop an outstanding branding activity.
Let us explain to you more how, we at Selleo, have taken an out-of-the-box approach to develop fintech applications.
What was our approach during developing the Fintech Application?
Our first step was to make sure that the mobile app’s design is as per the expectations of our target audience.
After several tests and trials, we made iterations in the mobile app design to improve the UI/UX with an eye-catching design .
. After accepting the branding designs, we started implementing layouts into real-world screens in the mobile application. During this phase, we found a major space for improvements in UI. We added these improvements while building the app constantly with the help of our expert designers. These designers not only meet your expectations but will also guide you with better ideas for the app look and feel.
After all branding designs were implemented, the application was given to a small group of Quality Assurance people, who gave us the feedback to help us improve our branding functionality.
After the final QA from our employees and the selected group, we released the application officially into the market, knowing that everything will work fine.
To better communicate our point, let us explain in detail about the unique branding features we adopted.
What was the unique branding feature?
The feature that makes our application unique was the ability to change its branding depending on the customer’s needs. The company needed to change its branding, and we provided a way to do it smoothly.
As the technology chosen for the project was react-native, the most convenient way to provide such functionality was to use the Context API provided by the React.js library.
As the first step, we have to make a BrandingProvider. It may look like this:
Next, we must wrap our application with BrandingProvider
In the end, all we need to do is to consume data that is provided by BrandingProvider:
This is how we did it to make our clients satisfied.
Wrapping Up
Want to build your own solution or need help with improving your existing one? Our FinTech team of specialists will be happy to work with you!
Do keep this in mind that building branding for a mobile app is a very thoughtful process that needs plenty of attention at many levels. But if done in the right way, a mobile app branding can increase your sales and the popularity of your product or services.
The main components of a branding strategy are the target audience and UI/UX design. The simple the interface is, the better the results will be. People like a simple and easy-to-use interface, but you can always research and check your customers’ demands. | https://medium.com/selleo/how-to-build-a-branding-in-your-mobile-app-77b23f90ac0a | ['Łukasz Kubok'] | 2020-07-22 13:26:48.712000+00:00 | ['Software Development', 'Mobile Apps'] |
Writing Technical Specification, and Why it Matters | Why tech spec?
Imagine if you jump to coding right after receiving project requirements, you’ll either repeatedly changing the design during the implementation, delivering a buggy product, or even jump back to where you started because the result is “not what’s expected”. Even worse, if you give a promise based on your intuition, and then you found out that the deadline is too early, or the budget isn’t enough.
Chart picture by Raygun
Remember the chart above? I believe you saw it somewhere in some form. Basically, it says “the earlier it is detected, the cheaper”. The same applies to design changes.
For me, technical specification is a document to outline how we are going to tackle technical issues in order to achieve a goal. Usually, this document will be written by senior engineers or leads before implementation.
Furthermore, below are the benefits of writing tech spec:
Knowing the unknowns , when you breakdown all the work, you’ll then realise the possible blockers, potential performance issues, something missed (such as security approval, or you just forgot to update a particular script), possible risks, etc
, when you breakdown all the work, you’ll then realise the possible blockers, potential performance issues, something missed (such as security approval, or you just forgot to update a particular script), possible risks, etc Documentation , tech spec can be revisited anytime required, such as on an audit (can also act as decision/design logs)
, tech spec can be revisited anytime required, such as on an audit (can also act as decision/design logs) Work consensus , by getting approval from the tech spec’s reviewers, meaning that they've agreed with the solution
, by getting approval from the tech spec’s reviewers, meaning that they've agreed with the solution Reduce the effort on explaining to parties , when you need to explain the work to team members or other teams, you can always bring this tech spec to make them easier to understand
, when you need to explain the work to team members or other teams, you can always bring this tech spec to make them easier to understand Better task distributions , the team can easily understand what will be done and feeling confident to work on it because the tech spec was agreed by required parties
, the team can easily understand what will be done and feeling confident to work on it because the tech spec was agreed by required parties Faster development and better quality , things are prepared and the team understand what to do before the execution
, things are prepared and the team understand what to do before the execution Better estimation, because you know what to do
because you know what to do Cheaper failure, because design changes and bugs will be detected earlier
Prerequisites
Requirements are the core of software development, so ensure the requirements are clear and you understand it correctly. I recommend you to write it in a document (if there isn’t) and get an agreement with your project manager or stakeholder about it. Furthermore, I’d recommend you to check out “Software Requirements” part of SWEBOK (an ISO for software engineering) to better understand this subject.
Suggested Format
The below format is the most ideal tech spec format based on my experience, but feel free to change it according to your requirements because different context might need different treatment.
Head
Author , the tech spec’s author name
, the tech spec’s author name Reviewer(s) , the tech spec’s reviewers name
, the tech spec’s reviewers name Status, it’s either stable or draft (default), to set the reader’s expectation
Table of Contents
For reader to easily navigate through the document.
Introduction
Business requirements , can be links of the related requirements document and story/epic link. This is the goal of your tech spec, so it’s really important to put this
, can be links of the related requirements document and story/epic link. This is the goal of your tech spec, so it’s really important to put this Glossary, any jargon that is related to specific domain, or perhaps not everyone knows
Solution
Technical decision , describe why you choose this technical decision over the others, including proof of concept, performance impact, etc
, describe why you choose this technical decision over the others, including proof of concept, performance impact, etc Implementation , describe the current state and suggested changes that must be done to satisfy the requirements based on the technical decision that was made
, describe the current state and suggested changes that must be done to satisfy the requirements based on the technical decision that was made Metrics , list of success metrics of the work, or it can be a list of definition of done
, list of success metrics of the work, or it can be a list of definition of done Possible risks, anything that might harm/block this solution. It is recommended to include these components: Possible Risk (what is the risk), Preventive Action (Actions that can be taken to prevent or reduce the risk). e.g:
Plans
Test plan , how the work should be tested
, how the work should be tested Release plan (usually checklist), how to release the work to production, it is recommended include these components: Who (who will do it), Action (what will be done)
(usually checklist), how to release the work to production, it is recommended include these components: (who will do it), (what will be done) Rollback plan, as a contingency plan when something went wrong. It is recommended to include these components: Fail Type (e.g deployment error, test failure, SQL error), Scenario (e.g fail to execute migration script), Solution (e.g if this then that, if that then this), Appendix (e.g script to clean broken data caused by the failed migration)
Supporting resources
Any resources that are related and able to support the tech spec.
Almost there!
Remember to ask relevant parties to review your tech spec, and iteratively improve the document until an agreement is reached. Then, you can change the tech spec status to Stable and distribute the work to team members.
Conclusion
Writing a technical specification requires an extra effort at the early process of your development cycle. But, the benefits in the long run are well worth it. However, if you still doubt or not used to it, you can try to write it in one or two epics of your project and see how it goes. Furthermore, I also recommend you to read this article to broaden your knowledge. | https://medium.com/easyread/writing-technical-specification-and-why-it-matters-b9ea78fbeb49 | ['Anggie Aziz'] | 2020-08-23 05:52:16.479000+00:00 | ['Software Development', 'Engineering', 'Process', 'Software Engineering', 'Agile'] |
Gaslighting, The Political Tactic of our Time | Gaslighting, The Political Tactic of our Time
Not Just An Interpersonal Dynamic
Photo by Philippe Mignot on Unsplash
Gaslighting. Most of us know what it means. And many of us have been its victim. Gaslighting is most often associated with personal relationships, but its insidious nature is also evident in the social and political realms.
Wikipedia defines gaslighting as a form of psychological manipulation in which a person or a group covertly sows seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or group, making them question their own memory, perception, or judgment, often evoking in them cognitive dissonance and other changes, including low self-esteem.” It is important to note that the definition includes both individuals and groups; both can be targets of gaslighting.
That may be why the term gaslighting is now being applied to the tactics of politicians like Donald Trump. A particularly effective, albeit opaque, aspect of gaslighting used by our president is that of projection, a psychological defense mechanism, and therefore unconscious, which involves projecting one’s rejected, undesirable feelings, thoughts or personality qualities onto someone else. Examples include calling people “nasty,” “liars,” “not very smart,” “ weak,” and even “racist.” Such comments distract people from recognizing those same qualities in him. Projecting weakness, incompetence and inferiority is especially effective with people or groups who may already be vulnerable to self doubt or prone to being scapegoats.
The term gaslighting has its origins in a 1938 play, Angel Street, by Patrick Hamilton, which was adapted into a movie, Gaslight, starring Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer. The film chronicles the descent of a young woman (Ingrid Bergman) into a severe state of self doubt at the hands of her husband, who works tenaciously and systematically, for his own purposes, to erode her sanity. He does so by making subtle changes in the environment (dimming the gaslights, for example) and then denying that anything has changed. Since its opening in 1944, the term has entered the public lexicon as a real thing.
G aslighting and Intimate Relationships
Psychologists were the first to define gaslighting as an interpersonal dynamic between two people, often a romantic couple, in which one partner is manipulated into doubting their sense of reality. The term has since expanded to include other kinds of relationships.
As a psychological concept, it was analyzed in several professional journals and finally popularized in Robin Stern’s 2007 book, The Gaslight Effect, which describes gaslighting as a phenomenon of “mutual participation” between “gaslighter” (perpetrator) and“gaslightee”(victim). However, Stern placed responsibility on the“gaslightee” to fix or get out of the relationship. This, of course, ignored the existing power differential in relationships between men and women.
More recently, Dr. Jennifer Sweeton, a Stanford- and Harvard-trained trauma specialist, defined Gaslighting as “a ‘sneaky, difficult-to-identify form of manipulation (and in severe cases, emotional abuse)’ that results in the gaslightee questioning his or her own perception, experiences, and even reality. In severe cases, this psychological warfare can result in the victim becoming dependent on the gaslighter for his or her own sense of reality.” This is essentially what happens in the movie Gaslight, when Ingrid Bergman’s character begins to question what she sees and to depend instead on her husband’s sense of reality.
A 2017 article in Psychology Today says, “Gaslighting is an insidious form of manipulation and psychological control. Victims of gaslighting are deliberately and systematically fed false information that leads them to question what they know to be true, often about themselves. They may end up doubting their memory, their perception, and even their sanity. Over time, a gaslighter’s manipulations can grow more complex and potent, making it increasingly difficult for the victim to see the truth.” Victims of gaslighting often describe feeling “crazy” during this time. Some have no idea, even afterwards, what to believe since their ability to trust their own judgment has been severely damaged in the process.
Who Are Gaslighters?
So what kinds of people tend to be gaslighters? Psychologists say narcissists are likely candidates because they are more invested in getting what they want, regardless of the needs of other people, and then feeling no remorse. According to Sweeton, the gaslighter generally holds the following beliefs, either consciously or unconsciously:
It is acceptable to override another person’s reality
2. People can be controlled and possessed
3. Being challenged is unacceptable
In recent years, the phenomenon of gaslighting has been evident in cases where certain groups lack social or political power. According to Sweeton, the following examples fall into this category: the genocide of Native Americans, the watering down or erasing of aspects of slavery, the invisibility of bisexuality, and what she calls “The Matilda Effect,” wherein women’s scientific accomplishments are erased from history books. The term is taken from a book by Ellie Irving about a young girl who undeservingly loses a science competition and learns that her grandmother, an astrophysicist, had her discovery of a planet stolen from her by her boss fifty years before. Matilda sets out to set the record straight.
Early on, it was believed that women were almost always the victims of gaslighting because they lacked the power held by men in relationships and in society a a whole.
Gaslighting as a Social and Political Construct
Paige L. Sweeta, a postdoctoral fellow with the Inequality in America Initiative at Harvard University, claims that gaslighting is primarily a sociological rather than a psychological phenomenon and should be “understood as rooted in social inequalities, including gender, and executed in power-laden intimate relationships.” She argues that abusers mobilize gendered stereotypes to win over their victims and says gaslighting could not exist “without inequities in the distribution of social, political and economic power.”
For gaslighting to be effective, the victim must hold the gaslighter in high regard (as is often the case in romantic relationships) or project power onto them. The gaslighter takes advantage of this power inequity. For example, politicians, like Trump, feel they can attack others with impunity because of the enormous power of their position. In Trump’s case citizens, as well as other governmental officials, are fearful of fighting back. Disagreement can result in being fired, publicly attacked, ridiculed or threatened.
A 2017 Medium article by Xanj noted that gaslighting is fueled by any attempts at confrontation or dismissal of the gaslighter. “In response to being called out, a gaslighter will try to weave an even more intricate web, sometimes a nonsensical one,” says Xanj. “As their sense of control slips, the attempts to regain it might reveal a desperate, fearful individual grasping at straws.” We recently witnessed this after Trump’s tax returns were revealed and he was then diagnosed with Coronavirus. Instead of backing off, he amped up his diminution of the effects of Covid, despite the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.
Beating Down the Opponent
Tenacity and repetition are critical components of gaslighting, particularly in politics. Lying, denying and twisting reality to deceive and gain control is a classic characteristic of gaslighters. The idea is to wear down the victim by constantly challenging what they believe to be true. Repeated claims that news is fake, science is fake, the coronavirus is a hoax (nothing to worry about here folks!) are typical examples of undermining people’s judgment and encouraging them to doubt what they can clearly see and hear for themselves.
Two related tactics are perpetual lying and denial, overt or implied. Recently, Vice President Pence, in a televised debate with Senator Kamala Harris, claimed that the Trump Administration going forward would be making policy on the basis of science, yet refused to acknowledge that the state of the environment posed an existential threat or that decisions about the coronavirus were currently adhering to the dictates of medical experts (which clearly they were not). He then blamed Presidential hopeful Joe Biden for being anti-science. Such comments can feel crazy-making.
A certain amount of truth-twisting is not uncommon in politics. Most politicians inflate or bend the truth at times, but we have never seen the degree of serial lying that we are witnessing today. Remember that gaslighting is defined as a form of psychological manipulation in which a person covertly sows seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or group. It involves consistent lying, denial, projection and obfuscation.
Collective Gaslighting
The ultimate danger of gaslighting is not just insanity but death. In the modern era we have seen cult leaders skillfully guide their followers into collective death. In the same way, we are being asked today to tempt death by ignoring warnings to wear masks at rallies for the purpose of lauding a leader who cares little about the effects on his fans. For some, that may indeed be a death sentence. In personal gaslighting relationships, victims of gaslighting have been known to commit both literal and figurative suicide as they slip into deeper and deeper levels of perceived insanity. The willingness to put one’s life at risk was highlighted in a recent interview with a Trump supporter who, when told about the dangers of not wearing a mask, said, “If I die, I die.” She was willing to go to her death in support of Donald Trump, claiming she was free to do so.
Sometimes, if lucky, the victim of gaslighting may be rescued by a loved one and encouraged to seek treatment. But who can rescue an entire group of people, let alone a deeply polarized nation, from mass self destruction? How do we wake a collective willing to go to their deaths (or force death upon others through irresponsible acts) rather than awaken to the spell of gaslighting? This November we will know if help is on its way. | https://christitjones.medium.com/gaslighting-c9146ea4997b | ['Christi Taylor-Jones'] | 2020-10-27 00:01:59.378000+00:00 | ['Trump', 'Social Change', 'Culture', 'Psychology', 'Politics'] |
Flying in the Time of Covid | It is no longer a given fact that there are flights to your destination.
Before the pandemic, flights to most destinations are almost always available that we didn’t have to think if there were flights or not. But not in these Covid times. Borders have been opened then closed then opened again. It can change anytime. For example, the mink farm situation in Denmark suddenly prompted European countries to block travellers from Denmark. A similar experience happened to travellers from the UK as they were not welcomed in other countries when cases surged around July.
This also means you are taking a bigger risk in booking a flight a month into the future. Some airlines have softened rebooking policies though so this is something passengers might be able to take advantage of.
The new travel requirement : a PCR test certifying that you are negative for SARS-CoV-2.
There are 2 things worth thinking about for this new requirement.
The timing. For most destinations, the test should be done not earlier than 72 hours before the flight. Therefore, you have to plan the timing of your PCR test to ensure you are within the required cut-off. If you are ordering the home kits, you need to plan the time you supposed to receive the kits, send your sample to the lab and the number of hours you expect the result to get back to you so you can be allowed to board. If you are going to take a test in a clinic, you have to book an appointment in advance or find clinics that allow walk-in clients. The cost. In the UK, the PCR test cost mainly depends on how urgently you want your results to be delivered. The range of costs in London are typically GBP 109, GBP 145, GBP 250, or above GBP 300. The cheapest option is the home kit where you order a kit to be delivered to your home, you do the swab yourself, and send it to the lab. The results can get back to you in 24 to 48 hours depending on the circumstances. This is a higher risk given the 72-hour cut-off (see point number 1). The higher priced tests mean that you pay for being able to a walk in a clinic and get your results prioritised, for example, receive it on the same day or within 24 hours. The PCR test cost can go as high as GBP 350. This is quite a big budget for the trip considering that one can get a return ticket for travel within Europe for as low as GBP 17.
Self-quarantine requirements might be in place for the country of destination.
Some countries have set specific requirements to self-isolate once you have entered the border. Always check the travel authorities’ home page as some countries, e.g. the Philippines, may require you to book specific hotels only. Others like the UK also allowed Airbnb booking for 14 days.
Your reason for travel may not be permitted and you may be blocked at the border.
If you have the negative Covid test certificate and have successfully boarded the plane, the next hurdle you could face is the travel policy of the country itself. Some countries now require only specific reasons to enter. For example, some countries like Denmark may allow only those with direct family ties to the country and the rest with no such “strong reason” might be asked to book a flight out. | https://medium.com/curious/flying-in-the-time-of-covid-91b0c73eefa6 | ['Valerie Dela Cruz'] | 2020-12-07 23:11:43.880000+00:00 | ['Airline Flights', 'Travel', 'Air Travel', 'Coronavirus', 'Planning'] |
This Is How The Data Center Serves In A Campus….. | Whenever we hear the word data, we start thinking about information,knowledge. isn’t it? We know that data is everywhere.But where it is actually ? It can be in a pen drive, hard disk,CD and many more . all these type of devices have a limit to store data up to a specific amount. so how can we store the data in large amount at one place ? Its actually stored in a server. But there are also many number of servers and how can we manage and maintain the data? So here we use Data Centers. Data Centers are nothing but centralized locations where computing and networking equipment is concentrated for the purpose of collecting, storing, processing, distributing or allowing access to large amounts of data.
A data center is a facility that centralizes an organization’s shared IT operations and equipment for the purposes of storing, processing, and disseminating data and applications. Because they house an organization’s most critical and proprietary assets, data centers are vital to the continuity of daily operations.
Here in above figure the various departments or sections of college are shown. these sections are interconnected with each others via lets say routers and all sections are managed and maintained from a centralized system i.e. switch. Anyone in the campus can access the data through switch as it acts as data center of campus. Suppose a student from hostel wants to access the moodle he/she can access it irrespective of time . User can sent connection request to the other user sitting in next department in no time to achieve the the task via switches. This improves the accessibility of the data in college.
Benefits of Data Center:
As load is distributed across the cluster nodes the performance of the system gets improved. Due to backup of systems ,the services are available always without any fail The users or customers need not have to worry about hiring people for maintenance in order to manage the data centers.
Drawbacks of Data Center: | https://medium.com/@shreyassakri9860/this-is-how-the-data-center-serves-in-a-campus-7afd8eff0284 | ['Shreyas Sakri'] | 2020-12-26 12:55:08.856000+00:00 | ['Data Communication', 'Backend', 'Data', 'Servers', 'Data Center'] |
Introducing the Inaugural Venture Fellows Class | Abhijeet Patra
Abhijeet has worked on technologies at the interface of life sciences and engineering for the last 8 years. Some of the technologies he built during his graduate studies at the National University of Singapore are now being commercialized by startups. He is drawn to anything which looks like science fiction but is just, in fact, science. He loves to study businesses built around deep tech offerings. He is very interested in figuring out routes to productization and using technology refinement as a growing moat for startups.
Cait Collins
Cait was most recently COO at Mango Health (sold to TrialCard in Sept. 2019). She is a startup executive with depth in operations and consumer experience and a background in product development, mobile marketing, and scaling & automating systems. Cait is driven to have an impact on people’s lives by building teams who are happy, healthy, and productive and by creating products and services that improve people’s health and well-being. Outside of work, her goals are to get a good night’s sleep and to hike every mile of Tilden Park with her wife, 2 sons, and 2 dogs (2 is her lucky number).
Derick En’Wezoh, MD, MBA
Derick is an entrepreneurial physician specializing in the area where clinical medicine, business, and politics overlap. Currently, Derick is the VP of Growth at Viz.ai where he is leveraging artificial intelligence to identify and triage acute medical conditions. Before Viz.ai, he was a surgical resident at Stanford Hospital. He completed his MD at Harvard and MBA at Stanford.
Elliott Mack
Elliott’s career experience spans across banking, marketing, and technology. As a banker in JPMorgan’s Global Funds Group, he managed a portfolio of alternative investment firms, and also led institutional partnerships at Swivl, a Silicon Valley based education technology startup. An early employee at OneTeam Partners, Elliott currently leads strategic partnerships and sits on the OneTeam Ventures diligence committee. Elliott is a graduate of William & Mary, where he was captain of the Tribe football team, and Georgetown, where he received the Tropaia Award for Outstanding Student Achievement. Outside of work, Elliott enjoys spending time with his close-knit family and friends.
Emma Qian
Emma is an undergraduate at Caltech studying computer science. She has experience in research engineering from her time at DeepMind and Facebook AI Research, and she has worked in quantitative research at a top proprietary trading firm. Emma is a member of the first undergraduate team to win the Data Open, the largest university-level data science competition in the world. At Caltech, Emma helped start the Data Science Organization and serves as the Vice President at Society of Women Engineers. In her spare time, Emma enjoys winter sports and poker, previously winning the annual poker tournament at Caltech.
Iyore N Olaye
Iyore is a product leader at the intersection of the digital and physical worlds. She thrives at the forefront of disruption, directing B2C & B2B product launches and strategies in a range of industries: consumer technology, IoT, CPG, micro-mobility, e-commerce, and marketplaces. Currently, at Bird, Iyore builds products to solve core growth, reliability, and operations problems crucial to the future of cities and transportation. Prior to Bird, Iyore headed up R&D at Walker & Company Brands (acquired) and was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2018. Iyore earned a BS from Cornell.
John Morrison
John currently works as a Strategic Partnerships Lead at Affirm, where he builds relationships with leading e-commerce and payments platforms. Prior to Affirm, he worked in partnerships at Lively, an HSA provider (YC, W17), and in strategy at LendingClub. Previously, John also worked in investigative journalism, nonprofit media, hospitality, and physical commodities trading. He’s a native of San Francisco and a graduate of Boston College and the London School of Economics. Outside of work, he’s active in rock climbing, martial arts, kettlebells, and cycling. John also advocates for underrepresented and marginalized communities through Out in Tech (LGBTQ+) and Techqueria (Latinx).
Kalvin Karsito Wang
Kalvin was born in Jakarta and lived in Indonesia, Singapore and Taiwan before moving to the U.S. After graduating from Stanford with a degree in Computer Science, he started his career on the engineering side, working as a Software Engineer at various start-ups of different stages before transitioning to Product Management — where he’s currently a Growth PM at Noom. Outside of work, Kalvin enjoys marrying his love for Soccer and Maths to delve into sports analytics. He also enjoys exploring new foods and restaurants in whatever city he finds himself in.
Kam Phillips-Sadler
Kam founded Dream Delivered, a subscription box service for career exploration and Dream Outside the Box, an app connecting college students with PK-5th graders for imaginative career experiences. Over the last decade, DOTB has scaled to 16 chapters nationwide & been recognized by President Obama. Kam had the honor of serving as the University of Missouri Commencement Speaker in 2019 and her TED talk, “How Mentorship Can Change the World” has garnered global recognition. She is a Venture Associate at The Fund & serves as co-Director of The Black New Venture Competition at Harvard Business School where she is an MBA candidate.
Lajhem Cambridge, MS, MBA
Lajhem is a discoverer at heart, with a love for the scientific method. After pivoting away from bench research, she pursued a career in operational and strategic clinical research management roles at Memorial Sloan Kettering and UCSF. Currently, she is living and breathing healthcare data at Verana Health. Lajhem holds a BA in Molecular Biology with a minor in Neuroscience from Princeton University, as well as an MS in Human Nutrition and Metabolic Biology from Columbia University and most recently received her MBA from Wharton. She is passionate about health equity and doing work that contributes to the social good.
Manji Pal
Manji was raised in India and moved to the US to study computer science and engineering at UW-Madison. During an internship with Intuit, Manji learned how much he loved spending time with customers and went on to join Microsoft as a Product Manager, where he worked on communications (Outlook) and collaboration apps (Wunderlist/To-Do & OneNote), used by millions worldwide. Currently, Manji is Product Manager at Houzz (Sequoia-backed). His mission in life is to create an environment that helps others be successful, which is what he wants to apply by investing in founders and helping their companies succeed.
Megan Ruan
Megan is an entrepreneur, investor, and advocate based in New York City. Born and raised in the Midwest, she is passionate about building communities in which women and minorities have equal access. Currently, Megan is an investment analyst at the Johnson Company, the family office for Robert Wood Johnson IV, US Ambassador to the UK. In addition, Megan is also a Director at Gold House, the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing Asian American success and representation, where she leads founder and investor initiatives, including the Gold Rush accelerator. Megan earned dual degrees from Yale in Economics and Psychology.
Riley Finch
Riley is an Accounting Associate at Clearbanc, a financial technology firm based in Toronto Canada, where he focuses on helping founders properly account for new funding, and optimizing their business. Prior to Clearbanc, he spent 4 years campaigning for the Rio 2016 games on the Canadian National Sailing Team. Outside of work — he is an avid cyclist, sailor, and skier. | https://medium.com/susa-ventures/introducing-the-inaugural-venture-fellows-class-7d66c005bee0 | ['Susa Ventures'] | 2021-09-02 16:38:07.264000+00:00 | ['Venture Capital', 'Technology', 'VC', 'Fellowship', 'Startup'] |
Hilma af Klint: Visualizing the Spirit World | The art world has been knocked off its feet by Hilma af Klint. Shaken by a completely unknown woman artist who, 69 years after her death, challenges the historic timeline and authorship of abstract painting. af Klint’s work is bright, bold, often monumental in scale, and decidedly non-representative in nature. Her paintings flatten 2-dimensional space in a way that pre-dates Wassily Kandinsky and the modernists by a few years that has initiated a debate about who invented abstract painting.
Hilma af Klint in her studio in 1895
It gets even more interesting —shortly after graduating with honors from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Sweeden, Hilma af Klint rejected her formal training in favor of Spiritualism and joined Madame Blavatsky’s Theosophical Society in 1889. There she met four other like-minded women and founded “The Five” in 1896. The group held spiritual séances, regularly communicating with spirits, taking detailed notes and practiced automatic drawing.
Then in 1904, after eight years of esoteric training with “The Five”, Hilma af Klint was instructed by the spirit world to carry out a major assignment: a series of works called the “Paintings for the Temple.” This ambitious vision from beyond was to be a series of paintings installed in a specially designed spiral temple that would facilitate spiritual meditation on the transcendent reality beyond the physical world. This astral plane commission would occupy af Klint for the next nine years.
Hilma af Klint, “The Ten Largest, №4, Youth”, 1907
For the rest of her life, af Klint’s metaphysical research would continue, often extending into semi-scientific visual research, but she never truly exhibited or shared her work with the world. She led a quiet life, largely spent inwardly focused on her mediumistic artwork. When she died in 1944, she left a huge archive of 1,300 paintings and 125 notebooks to her nephew Erik af Klint, a naval officer. She left a note that explicitly stated that her work could not be exhibited until 20 years after her death and that the collection could never be split up.
Now, 74 years after her death, the Guggenheim Museum hosts “Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future” now on view in NYC until April 23rd, 2019. The first major exhibition of her work in the United States, it’s being hailed as one of the most globally important exhibitions of the decade with preeminent critics lining up to heap praise on af Klint’s fascinating story and newfound place in art history.
Hilma af Klint “Evolution, №15, Group IV, The Seven-pointed Stars”, 1908
Abstraction vs Visualization
My interest in af Klint’s work is to explore her relation to scientific visualization. Many voices in the art world are claiming that af Klint’s works represent the “first” abstract paintings, but I think they are jumping to the wrong conclusion. I think her motivation was actually to visualize spiritual concepts. They see this as presaging abstract expressionism when really it’s part of a movement toward diagramming the immaterial world. The two concepts are very different.
Wassily Kandinsky, “Composition IV”, 1911 link
Abstraction in the visual arts is the practice of focusing on the elements of the work of art itself. We see this in Kandinsky’s focus on color and line as a means to themselves, Mondrian’s gridded compositions, Picasso’s fracturing of the picture plane, and Pollack’s dripping paint. The elements that comprise a painting are the focus of the work, aesthetics the outcome. In 1911, Kandinsky himself refers to the work “Composition IV” as “The relation of the light, delicate and cold to the sharp movement (war) makes the main contrast in the picture.”
Of course, abstraction (or formalism) isn't meaningless either. We know each of the artists above folded additional layers of meaning into their work: Kandinsky’s synesthetic conversion of music, Mondrian’s graphic analogies to the city, Picasso’s inspiration from the invention of the X-ray and Pollack’s interest in the mandala.
Visualization, on the other hand, is entirely different.
The 19th-century was filled with invention. Not only was the term visualization invented in 1883, but various types of visualization shaped how the sciences were presented to the world. Mendeleev’s invention of the periodic table in 1869 was represented in the form of a chart. Tales of mechanical innovation were initially spread by illustration, then by black and white photographs.
A Russian periodic table based on Dmitri Mendeleev’s original, 1869
The Oxford English Dictionary defines the term ‘visualization’ as “depicting the formation of mental images of things not actually present in sight.” In Orit Halpern’s great book “Beautiful Data: A History of Vision and Reason since 1945” he elaborates:
“Visualization slowly mutated from the description of human psychological processes to the larger terrain of rendering practices by machines, scientific instrumentation, and numeric measures. Most important, visualization came to define bringing that which is not already present into sight… Visualizations are about making the inhuman, that which is beyond or outside sensory recognition, relatable to the human being.”
Scientific illustration and Theosophical Visualization
Seeing as the Theosophical Society was an organization formed to advance the “study and elucidation of Occultism” and “encourage the study of comparative religion, philosophy, and science.” It only makes sense that the Spiritualists would incorporate the language of scientific visualization when transcribing the astral plane. Curator Iris Müller-Westermann explains: “You have to understand this was the age when natural sciences went beyond the visible: Heinrich Hertz discovered electromagnetic waves [in 1886], Wilhelm Röntgen invented the x-ray [in 1895].”
The Line of Grace from “The Principles of Light and Color” link
One of the best examples of this study can be found in Edwin D. Babbitt, whose 1878 book “The Principles of Light and Color: The Harmonic Laws Of The Universe, The Etherio-Atomic Philosophy Of Force, Chromo Chemistry, Chromo Therapeutics, And The General Philosophy Of The Fine Forces, Together With Numerous Discoveries And Practical Applications.” With a title like that, it’s no wonder Klint was a fan.
“Unity” from “The Principles of Light and Color” link
Babbitt’s first chapter “Harmonic Laws of the Universe”, is essentially a spiritualist translation of scientific theory that spans biology, physics, sociology, and architecture. Each discipline is described using largely artistic terms such as light, shade, and hue and contextualized with similar looking examples. “Unity” is seen in the forms of snowflakes, microsomes, and geometric diagrams. “Gradiation or Progression” “may be seen in the forms of many grasses, leaves, flowers, shells, streams, etc. is called the line of grace, named also by Hogarth, and is a spiral. It is seen in the climbing of vines as they encircle a tree, in many seashells.”
Snowflakes photographed by Wilson Bentley (1902) link
The Theosophical exploration of scientific illustration quickly became entangled with astral visualization. The first photographs of snowflakes became indirect evidence of sublime symmetry. The diagrammed veins of a leaf used to underscore the profundity of divine computation.
af Klint was born into an educated home; her father was a military officer, her two brothers were scientists and she held a life-long interest in Botany. “The Harmonic Laws of the Universe” clearly had an important influence on af Klint, its changing focus from macro to micro evident in many of Klint’s paintings. We see a botanical line in af Klint’s paintings that represent “a parallel world with unities within unities.” Flowers become dimensions become cells become natural forces at play on human consciousness. | https://towardsdatascience.com/hilma-af-klint-visualizing-the-spirit-world-bb54781d9beb | ['Jason Forrest'] | 2019-02-15 10:03:17.633000+00:00 | ['Contemporary Art', 'Spirituality', 'Art', 'Painting', 'Data Visualization'] |
Taking a Break | So I have finally decided to take a break from my professional life. Many around me questioned my whim of taking a break at this early stage in my career, since it’s been only two and half years, since I started working. Well, it’s kinda hard to explain. I am feeling little burnt out even though my work has been really interesting till now.
This briefly describes my life so far:
After studying hard in high school, I was able to secure a seat in one of the premier technical institutes of India. I slacked off a bit for the first two years of my college life. I was reading and learning stuff but without any focus. I had squandered a ton of hours on Greek and modern philosophy, on video games and so on. I was interested int math. So for the last two years of my college education, I indulged a bit on math and decided to pursue Masters in math. I also got sidetracked towards the MBA dream a little bit. One could easily notice the lack of focus here. A weakness of my trait was that I found (and still do) so many things interesting, I got lost in them without any goal or focus. I took up a job to save some money for higher studies. Life took a turn there. I had then started to develop an interest for Coding and Machine Learning while working on my job. Well the Buzz surrounding “Data Science” also helped a bit. I left my idea of pursuing masters. In fact I started to resent academics for some reason.
For compensating my unproductive college years, I learnt and worked a lot in the past one and half years. It was too productive and satisfying for me. I never knew that I could learn so many things in such a short time (simultaneously cursing the past me). I have done a lot of very interesting prototypes, some of which went to production and the rest sitting on my laptop without a ray of hope.
After this….
That productivity came at a cost. It’s been one year since I read any book other than technical books. I didn’t watch any good movies. Travelled a lot less than I would have loved to. I developed a keen interest in distributed systems theory and I almost never got time to work on that since it’s far off from my typical field. There were a bunch of other personal problems too. All of these finally pushed me to take a break. I don’t know how long it will last. Until I feel replenished mentally, I am planning to continue with this break. I am also contemplating to improve my writing skills in the meantime. | https://medium.com/@rajasekar3eg/taking-a-break-1abab14b620f | ['Raja Sekar'] | 2019-03-09 20:19:23.506000+00:00 | ['Rustlang', 'Programming', 'Rust'] |
VC’s Lessons for Leadership before it is too late | By Asot Michael
MP St. Peter’s Constituency
St Johns, Antigua, December 8, 2020 — The Right Honorable Sir Vere Cornwall Bird would have turned 110 on the 9th December 2020. So, we sing to the heavens in joy and praise and thanksgiving:
Happy Birthday Papa Bird!!!
We celebrated his life and times with deep recognition and appreciation for his outstanding leadership role in creating the modern Antigua and Barbuda and in advancing the cause of political integration in the English-speaking Caribbean.
Indeed, we remember the father of our Nation as a giant of the regional integration movement whose leadership example in the cause a united Caribbean Community merits careful study by politicians in regional leadership circles at this time, and may I dear say especially here in Antigua and Barbuda.
We recall that following the 1962 collapse of the West Indian Federation and the seeming disappearance of regionalism as a distant dream, Sir Vere teamed up with Errol Barrow of Barbados and Forbes Burnham of Guyana to form the Caribbean Free Trade Association at Dickenson Bay in Antigua in 1965. This was the forerunner of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) which today comprises 15 member states.
Immediately after securing independence for Antigua and Barbuda in 1981, V C Bird again played a crucial role in the stalled regional integration process. Caribbean Community leaders had not met for eight years and the regional movement was limping along with no real direction.
VC Bird Snr made public calls for a Heads of Government meeting, offering to host it himself in Antigua. In the end, sensitive to Jamaica’s sometimes lukewarm approach to integration and anxious to keep the Jamaican government in the fold, he embraced the idea that the Conference should be held at Ocho Rios Jamaica under the Chairmanship of the then Jamaican Prime Minister. Thus, the Caribbean Community and Common Market were reborn with a new lease of life, which has steadily grown since then.
In July 1998, he was awarded the Order of the Caribbean Community by the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community and Common Market in recognition of the special role he played in the development of the Caribbean countries and their people.
Sir VC Bird’s success on the regional integration front was driven by his servant leadership, his commitment to the advancement of Caribbean civilization, and his capacity for managing with respect as a consummate team player. His relationship with other regional leaders showed deference to the importance of comity among them. As a quintessential peoples’ person, our National Hero was a model of courteous and considerate behavior to others.
I have had reasons in recent times to express concern about the relationship between Prime Minister Gaston Browne and his CARICOM colleagues. I have cautioned him against cursing and insulting regional heads of government over differences of opinion because this is certainly not good for Antigua and Barbuda in particular and the region in general. Today, as we have just celebrated VC Bird Day 2020, I call upon him to reflect carefully on the harmonious, productive relationships that the father of our Nation built and enjoyed with his regional counterparts and take guidance accordingly.
Prime Minister Browne keeps raising eyebrows in the region with what observers describe as maverick, eccentric antics of a young vibrant leader. Others see it as a bully bent on constantly reminding colleagues that he is the “maximum” leader of Antigua and Barbuda
An editorial in a Barbados online publication this week characterizes a leader whose style and conduct is totally opposite to the leadership legacy of Sir VC: it said;
“His reputation for shouting across the Caribbean Sea, demanding answers from other Prime Ministers, and issuing orders have made him infamous.
“He has questioned Barbados’ right to label his homeland at high risk or medium risk for COVID, threatening to take action. Again, he is seriously floating legal action against Barbados over LIAT.
“His decision to place St Vincent and Barbados on the re-emerged LIAT flight calendar while a number of outstanding matters remained on the table was a bold move on his part. We have been told that issues including monies owed to Barbados-based former LIAT employees, landing rights for the new incarnation of LIAT, and outstanding airport fees continue to stand in the way of LIAT’s transition.
“But Browne appears highly offended that his Government-rescued carrier has been held up in St Vincent and the Grenadines and Barbados. One expects this episode is likely to create even more fractures in an already shaky relationship among some of our political leaders”.
I think it would serve Antigua and Barbuda well, I also think that Sir VC Bird, with all due respect for his position as leader of Antigua and Barbuda, would have sought to sit down with his counterparts and negotiated resolutions in an atmosphere of good humor, mutual respect, and cooperation to seek out and promote the common good between us all.
Rather than a conciliatory image and approach, we seem somehow to cast ourselves into a self-styled paramilitary like leadership role. Our objectives seem to be centered on a “maximum” leadership status.
Whilst we do this we also seem to be allowing our organization to frail at the seems happy to move forward without persons who have been loyal and committed to our Party and Country.
Whilst today's leadership digs in its heels into a deteriorating relationship with fellow CARICOM leaders and weakening of the party base the question must be asked if it is working for all and I particular for Antigua and Barbuda.
National remembrance of the legendary servant leadership successes of the father of our nation VC Bird Day, 2020, represents an opportune time for all in a leadership role to reflect and change course before it is too late. Indeed The Country, The Party the Cause is greater than any one man, that is any one of us may be left behind, you just never know when it might be you. | https://medium.com/@asotmichael/vcs-lessons-for-leadership-before-it-is-too-late-95282146fc6b | ['Asot Michael'] | 2020-12-23 15:02:32.760000+00:00 | ['Birthday', 'Antigua And Barbuda', 'Caribbean', 'Government', 'Lessons Learned'] |
Can We Predict Deforestation in Amazon Forests with Machine Learning? | Introduction
Deforestation is a clearing, destroying, or removing trees due to farming, mostly cattle, logging, for materials and development, mining, and drilling. All of this combined responsible for more than half of all deforestation. Over the past 50 years, nearly 17 percent of the Amazon rain forest has been lost and losses have recently been on the rise.
Exploring the domain
While exploring and analyzing the data I noticed a tendency that most of the deforestation happen not far from places where it occurred in the past. Mostly it is connected with farms, where more space needed for the cattle to grow, logging to produce more paper or wood materials and other work.
Check my web app for more visual analysis & a little demonstration. (For the app I used sample set from the population set due to size limitations)
Jobs in Big Data
Dataset
I took the dataset from terrabrasilis.dpi.inpe.br/en where records quantified deforested areas larger than 6.25 hectares from 2008 to 2018 discretized per year.
The dataset includes columns: gid — unique identifier of each feature;
origin_id — unique identifier for traceability of the feature in the origin for geo data;
geo data — feature composed of one or more polygons — geometry obtained by visual interpretation of satellite image;
uf — state abbreviation;
pathrow — scene code formed by line of the satellite (the land is is divided in squares as in 2d space);
mainclass— name of the main class assigned to the feature;
class_name — name of the specific class assigned to the feature;
dsfnv — indicates if there was a cloud in the previous year about the feature;
julday— julian day;
view_date — date of the scene used to obtain the feature;
year — year of deforestation, used to facilitate queries to the areakm database;
areakm— area calculated for the feature in km²;
scene_id — identifier of the scene in the database, used for publish_year queries;
publish_year — used to allow the publication of data on the GeoServer with temporal dimension.
Wrangling and Cleaning the Data
I used pandas profiling to look at my data and features closely and see the distribution, check for cardinality, zeros and nulls. Most of the features didn’t make sense to me in predicting the locations of the deforested area except for the states and view_date, also I took into consideration area in kilometres squared (areakm_squared), some states have more deforested areas than others. Geo data had the longitude and latitude, the centroid of the deforested area, which I decided to be the targets for my predictions.
clean-up data
Visualizing the data
Mapbox plot below shows deforestation areas spread out through all Amazon states. We see that most of the deforestation comes to Para state and least goes to Amapa.
Mapbox plot with areas of deforestation in Amazon states
The Process
The aim is to predict the location of an area (centroid)where deforestation most likely to occur. I decided to try different models for my predictions and see which performs better. Since it is a spatial data, for the sake of simplicity I decided to treat the location as it is in 2D space and not the sphere and predict latitude and longitude as two separate values using two different models.
Top 4 Most Popular Ai Articles:
I made a time-based split of the data - train, validation and test. Train data 2008–2015, validation 2016, and test 2017–2018. After cleaning up and feature engineering, I ended up with only five features: [‘areakm_squared’, ‘day’, ‘month’, ‘year’, ‘states’].
Ridge Model
The first model I tried is Ridge model, which of course is not so good at predicting coordinates, but at least I wanted to see where I stood. For the encoding I chose TargetEncoder, also I scaled values with StandardScaler, and used SelectKBest for the features.
For metrics on validation set, I chose MAE (mean absolute error), RMSE (root mean absolute error)and R² score (r-squared).
Ridge model validation MAE: 1.3207 lat
Ridge model validation MAE: 1.8468 lon
Ridge model Validation RMSE: 2.8329 lat
Ridge model Validation RMSE: 5.4658 lon
Ridge model Validation R^2 coefficient: 0.7949 lat
Ridge model Validation R^2 coefficient: 0.8801 lon
The plot below shows the predictions on validation set, and as I expected, it performed poorly, even though the metrics look good. | https://becominghuman.ai/can-we-predict-deforestation-in-amazon-forests-with-machine-learning-2dc7785e5e49 | ['Iuliia Stanina'] | 2020-05-27 01:20:45.126000+00:00 | ['Predictions', 'AI', 'Machine Learning', 'Deforestation', 'Modeling'] |
Storage + Commercial Buildings: Load Forecasting | The energy storage market has yet to explode, with technical & cost challenges yet barring widespread deployment. However, we’re very close to the inflection point, which will open the doors to a whole new technology category that will forever change all facets of the broader energy sector. Starting with this project, we seek to better understand this massive technology wave (so we don’t miss it!) 🌊
Project Objective
As we seek to better understand the challenges & opportunities in the commercial storage sector, we’re modeling the dispatch of a generic battery storage unit in a commercial building setting.
Specifically, we’re trying to answer the following questions:
What are the key determinants of commercial building load (kW)? In which regions is the value proposition of commercial storage strongest? What’s preventing existing commercial-scale storage companies from hyper-growth? What are the key factors & constraints to consider when dispatching batteries in large office buildings?
We’ll first explore commercial building load, then use machine learning techniques to generate a forecast for our geographic location of interest (this post). Then, we’ll use the building load forecast as an input to test & refine our storage dispatch algorithm (coming soon ⏳).
Overview: Commercial Load Forecasting
One of the most important variables for a behind-the-meter energy storage unit is the building’s hourly energy consumption (in kWh). In order to appropriately model the optimal dispatch of a behind-the-meter energy storage unit in large commercial buildings, we need a multi-year forecast of the building’s load.
We employed supervised learning techniques (specifically polynomial regression) to predict this commercial building load. The rest of this article walks through the details of the process.
1. Identify Key Drivers 💭
We intend on using supervised learning techniques (specifically polynomial regression) to predict this commercial building load. Commercial building load depends on a variety of internal & external factors, including:
Hour
Temperature
Size (space volume)
Lighting type & consumption
HVAAC type & consumption
No. of employees
Working hours
# of electrical vehicles (EV)
# of rooms
and so on…
Unfortunately, most of this data is incredibly hard to come by in training sets. For the purposes of this analysis, we’re taking a simplistic approach to commercial load forecasting for a single building by using Outside Air Temperature (OAT) and hour as the independent variables.
Specifically, we’ll be using DoE’s Reference Building 7 (“Office”) Long-term energy consumption & outdoor air temperature dataset (source), where they’ve published hourly modeled building load data, along with a corresponding timestamp and OAT.
2. Explore Relationships 🔎
Just by digging into the relationships between our independent (hour-of-day, temperature) and dependent (building load) variables, we can identify clear patterns & insights.
Time Series (temperature, load)
To get a birds-eye view of the training data, we plotted the hourly time series data for both temperature & load. When looking at the two charts together, you can already start to draw the relationships between them (extreme temperature = higher building load).
Temperature vs Load
Things get more interesting when we observe the relationship between temperature & building load. Generally, building load seems to peak during extreme weather (0–20 ℉ and 80–100 ℉), most likely due to increased cooling & heating. This is unsurprising, as HVAC systems (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) comprise of ~28% of total energy consumption for office buildings.
We do notice numerous occasions where despite extreme temperatures, energy consumption stays relatively flat. This is somewhat counterintuitive and will be worthwhile to investigate in the future.
Hour vs Load
The relationship between hour & building load is also fairly intuitive (though the pattern is relatively less “clean-cut”). Energy consumption levels are higher during typical working hours (9 a.m. — 5 p.m.) and drop significantly starting at 6 p.m. (a.k.a. “Happy Hour” 🍸).
One unexpected observation is the energy consumption levels between 5 a.m. & 8 a.m. are noticeably higher than during night/dawn hours. One hypothesis is that office buildings could be starting the warming/cooling a few hours before employees arrive (kinda doubt it, as it means buildings need 4 hours to cool/heat 😒). Either way, definitely worth a look later 🕵️♀️
3. Modeling 🤖
Based on the exploratory analysis in #2, it’s clear that the relationships between the dependent and independent variables are non-linear. Thus, we’ll use polynomial regression with regularization as our model.
To identify the best combination of hyperparameters (i.e. degree-of-polynomial, regularization alpha), we used scikit-learn’s GridSearchCV feature.
[More details on evaluation metrics coming soon… 🔃]
4. Results 📊
To forecast building load for our location of interest (Seattle, WA), we needed to obtain hourly temperature data for that city. Fortunately, this was readily available for various cities in the Historical Hourly Weather Data 2012–2017 dataset from Kaggle (source). We used this data (after some preprocessing) as inputs to the regression model we trained in #3 to predict the corresponding hourly building load.
Though the resulting hourly load shapes differ somewhat from our training dataset from OpenEI, the general trends are in line with the observations we made in #2.
Load peaks during working hours:
Load peaks during extreme weathers (mostly during cold winters):
Conclusion
Since energy consumption in commercial buildings tends to peak during working hours (especially during extreme weather events), we can make a preliminary conclusion that metro cities where temperatures get really hot (e.g. Arizona, Austin, Denver) or really cold (e.g. New York, Chicago) are more likely to be attractive markets.
Given the predicted values generally make sense and are in line with the training data, we start testing the storage dispatch model using this dataset as inputs. In parallel, we intend to further refine & test our modeling to generate more refined hourly load shapes.
As noted in the beginning, this is definitely an incredibly simplistic load forecasting model for commercial sites, as in reality there are many other variables that dictate a building’s energy consumption. While we can maintain the same assumptions by the DoE’s reference building for practical purposes of this project, it may be worthwhile extending our regression model to consider additional variables (to the extent that it’s possible).
The GitHub repo for the analysis above can be found here.
Project Contributors: Jae Beom Bae, Niel Patel | https://towardsdatascience.com/storage-commercial-buildings-part-1-load-forecasting-8d3c4d1e083d | ['Jae Beom Bae'] | 2019-12-23 06:09:38.803000+00:00 | ['Machine Learning', 'Energy', 'Battery', 'Python', 'Data Science'] |
Infinite Lists With Paging 3 in Jetpack Compose | Infinite Lists With Paging 3 in Jetpack Compose
Image on Jetpack Compose offficial docs
Previously there was no official support for paging in Jetpack Compose, but with the release of compose version 1.0.0-alpha06 , jetpack officially released the paging-compose library which provides integration between compose and Paging 3 library.
As a quick recap from my original article on how to use Paging 3 library to display data in a RecyclerView , paging is an efficient way to load small chunks of data at a time, and as soon as the user reach at the end of the list, more data will be loaded.
Code snippets in this article are taken from: | https://proandroiddev.com/infinite-lists-with-paging-3-in-jetpack-compose-b095533aefe6 | ['Vivek Singh'] | 2020-11-25 04:18:15.114000+00:00 | ['Android App Development', 'Android', 'AndroidDev', 'Paging Library', 'Jetpack Compose'] |
How to Send and Withdraw INCNT from your Dashboard | Once you’ve earned your INCNT, you might start to wonder what you can do with it, so here are some tips on how you can use some of the newest functions of the Incent Loyalty platform.
Two different functions allow you to send funds internally to other users or withdraw them from the platform to an external Waves wallet. Incent’s backend tech works almost exactly like an exchange. We hold users’ balances in a secure cold wallet, with a small amount in a hot wallet for day-to-day operations. You can withdraw your Incent to an external Waves wallet at any time which will allow you to exchange it for your preferred currency.
Our setup also lets you move balances between other Incent accounts instantly and for free with the new Send function — which is what you’ll see Rob doing when he settles the tab for the Owl House with Amir.
To SEND Incent to another marketplace user:
Go to www.IncentLoyalty.com and log in to the platform.
Using the drop-down menu to the right of your balance in the top right of the screen, select Send.
Type the name of the recipient in the bar — you’ll get an instant-search list of matching names as you go — and the amount.
Click Send. Your transfer will show up in your Transaction History tab.
To WITHDRAW Incent off the platform to a Waves wallet:
Go to www.IncentLoyalty.com and log in to the platform.
Using the drop-down menu to the right of your balance in the top right of the screen, select Settings and then Transfer Out from the left-hand menu.
Enter your Waves address and the amount you want to withdraw. There’s a minimum amount and a fee for external withdrawals.
Click Send. Once again, the transaction will show up in your history.
That’s it! | https://medium.com/incent-loyalty-blog/how-to-send-and-withdraw-incent-from-your-dashboard-2cdefa12a083 | [] | 2018-06-12 06:52:14.022000+00:00 | ['Fintech', 'Rewards', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Bitcoin', 'Incentloyalty'] |
A Quick Introduction To Tokenomics | In recent years, tokens were introduced to the market with the primary reason for giving adequate liquidity to permit clients to purchase and utilize tokens at a reasonable cost. However, the tokens were listed on the Exchange, the lack of a logical pricing formula made these tokens the target of speculative intentions. The users of the tokens enormously decreased to buy them after seeing such exaggerated fluctuations. This situation substantially diminishes the readiness to purchase and utilize the token. The result runs counter to the original purpose.
What is Tokenomics?
Tokenomics is a self-funding mechanism for projects within the crypto economy and helps build the ecosystem around the underlying project of the token. It combines elements of economic incentives, game theory, cryptography, consensus, and computer science. Tokenomics deals with setting the feasible incentive mechanism, distributing the tokens and preventing fraud in the system, etc. The appearance of blockchain technology makes the value exchange possible on the internet leading to the rapid growth of business models based on blockchain in recent years.
Tokenomics plays a significant role in connecting the programmable token with a specific service and creates a circular ecosystem with a level of uncertainty. Still, it is crucial to explore and find out the general rules for tokenomics.
How does a token’s value increase?
A token can get its value in two ways. The first way is by its intrinsic value and speculative value.
Though speculative investors are imperative in any ecosystem, it is dangerous to price a token absolutely based on its speculative value. For real sustenance, it is essential for a token to be intensely dependent on its intrinsic value. But how does a token get its intrinsic value? Well, the intrinsic value is decided by the underlying project and how much percentage of this value is captured by the token.
William Mougayar came up with three tenets behind a token’s value. They are:
Role
Purpose
Features
Each token role has its own set of features and purpose which are detailed in the following table:
An explanation of each role of a token :
Right :
By taking ownership of a specific token, the holder gets certain rights within an ecosystem.
Value Exchange :
Tokens create an internal financial framework within the limits of the project. This will help the buyers and sellers to trade value within the ecosystem. This creation and maintenance of individual, internal economies are one of the critical tasks for tokens.
Toll :
This can also act as a toll gateway to allow users to utilize certain functionalities of a particular ecosystem.
Function :
Tokens can enable the holders to improve the user experience within the limits of the particular ecosystem.
Currency :
It can be used to conduct transactions within and outside a particular ecosystem.
Earnings :
Helps in the equitable distribution of profits or other related financial benefits among investors in a particular project.
To conclude, if a token fulfills more than one of these properties then it will become more valuable. More properties a token attain, higher will be its value.
Tokenomics, while still a developing field of study, gives a few curious opportunities for analysts and investors alike to evaluate each token project’s potential for success.
03/12/2019 | https://medium.com/flowchain-knowledgecamp/a-quick-introduction-to-tokenomics-758f7243c867 | ['Yoshitha Chowdary'] | 2020-01-07 08:51:18.159000+00:00 | ['Token Valuation', 'Blockchain', 'Token', 'Tokenomics', 'Global'] |
Is shared warehousing the New Normal? | The recent studies in the economic and financial arena have highlighted a new trend of a shared economy. The field and niche of warehousing which is more or less very capital sensitive have also decided to go into the arena of a shared economy. Most of the time bulk spaces of warehouses are unable to generate the kind of revenue that they are supposed to, which is why offering warehouses as a service becomes more beneficial if it works on the matrix of shared warehousing.
As a warehouse owner, one of the primary ways of showing profits is by increasing the storage capacity over a period of time. Generally, this would mean that a person would need to invest large sums of money to build or buy a new property from scratch. However, with the concept of a shared economy in place shared warehouse space has also become very viable.
There are a number of benefits of going to the shared warehouse space way. For starters, since the beginning, there has been a big tussle between investments and optimization of the warehouse space that is owned. Over the years warehouse owners have realized that they need to come up with a better model manage excess storage capacity and come up with ways of making profits from all the dead space that otherwise go to a complete waste.
Let us take a closer look at some of the primary benefits that one can get out of shared warehousing.
● One needs to pay only for the space that they are occupying.
● There is more flexibility in managing peak demand through the shared warehouse inventory management systems.
● We get quicker responses as per the changing supply chain needs.
● Better scalability of business and profits.
● The capacity for managing the volume spike economically.
If it is one thing that the year 2020 has taught us, it is the fact that the future is rather unpredictable. Most people will now look for shorter contractual terms when leasing out warehousing space. Hence, most of them will look for co-sharing or shared warehousing space so as to reduce the costs and have the ability to get access to a place that does not have lock-in periods.
With 2021 almost around the corner and the possibility of more uncertainty still looming, shared warehousing is the only beneficial way of making profits. Rather than investing huge capitals and investing in warehousing which means that you need to pay for all the maintenance and upkeep, shared warehousing will help you share the costs and the profits both.
The future of shared warehousing is bright and it is most definitely going to be the new normal in the years to come. | https://medium.com/@anyspaze-co/is-shared-warehousing-the-new-normal-f74f34fca54e | [] | 2020-12-07 08:50:43.080000+00:00 | ['Logistics', 'Warehouse Management', 'Warehouse', 'Supply Chain'] |
No, the Age of Aquarius is not here (and that’s good!) | Disclaimer: This article was originally published at TAB UOL, in Portuguese.
This week we watched for the first time in 400 years the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter. On Monday (21), the astronomic event was all that social media talked about, though the reason wasn’t only its historic rarity, but the fact that the solstice also supposedly greeted a new Age of Aquarius. But, as Alexey Dodsworth already explained in this article, we haven’t entered in any new age, less so in the age of Aquarius.
More than explaining why this misunderstood happened, what I want to address here is the euphoria caused by a supposed astrologic event. Classic musicals such as “Hair” and the symbolic meaning of the Age of Aquarius for hippies have been important references for the collective imagination of the 20th century. That’s because the Age of Aquarius supposedly announces a time of technological innovation, rebellion, humanitarianism, idealism, freedom, and democracy. But what’s the meaning of this nowadays and why so many people paid attention to that?
In “History of the Future” (2016), the French historian Georges Minois offers a retrospective of the importance of people such as fortune tellers, oracles, astrologists, tarot readers and all the practitioners of “macies” (chiromancy, pyromancy, necromancy etc) in the formation of Western culture, from Mesopotamy to the end of the 20th century.
We travel back to old temples, where oracles, such as those in Delphos, were visited and paid to forecast the future, especially in the case of wars and political arbitrage. From Ancient Greece to the Napoleonic Wars, Minois shows that there was always the figure of a fortune teller as someone who was capable to orient and organize the reasoning of great leaders such as Napoleon Bonaparte himself, but also writers such as Robespierre and the journalist Marat — after all, as Minois states, “foreseeing an event is already a means to favor its fulfillment due to the psychological impact that is created in the process.” If the fortune is optmistic, then the consultant will be more confident, but if it’s negative, then it will reflect on their decisions and preventive actions.
The historian mentions how occult sciences, mysticism and, especially, astrology was always around in the history of the West, even during the times of Church sovereignty or the unravelling of Enlightenment. If, during certain times, this kind of service was mostly credited and searched by peasants, in other moments, fortune tellers and astrologists were rather celebrities and the main attraction in the parties held by the elite. Minois says that even when these practices were forbidden and professionals could even go to jail, they still worked underhand. That was also a moment of celebration of the occultism and distant cultures, such as it was the idea of an esoteric Egypt that, as we now know, was a stereotype created by Greeks and other Europeans and had nothing to do with the actual habits of the Egyptians.
In any case, all esoteric knowledge was less inclined to be scientific than to actually create attractive narratives that would be read through the Tarot cards or in the coffee grounds. As argued by Minois, many times people weren’t even interested in knowing their fortune, but rather find some comfort before psychoanalysis and psychology ever existed. Such behavior confirms that these people were actually “physicians of the soul, and their consultants, the sick. In a way, pretending to foresee the future is actually healing.” What the Church once did through confessions is now a duty to these oracles. In his words,
“Like a father, the astrologist is a confidant to whom we tell our secrets and, in exchange, they reveal our personal future. There are profound similarities between the psychoanalyst and the astrologist, and the fortune tellers of the 19th century had already realized their duty of acting like psychologists and cheering friends who were tasked with interpretation. The consultant of the astrologists and fortune tellers were people that were sick, anguished, wacky, people who were seeking for support and safety, for attention from the others. Astrologists knew that very well, as one realizes after reading their stereotyped predictions: massaging the ego is much more important than predicting the future.”
With the beginning of the French Revolution and the “era of the masses,” it was even more urgent to have a narrative that moved millions of people with new ideals such as a nation, a homeland, freedom, democracy, and the mobility that came after this moment of change. Although it may sound contradictory, Minois argues that the ascension of Liberalism during that time actually brought a complementary element of individualism to the people, because that was a moment when life was no longer stratified by the monarchy and heredity. In fact, it was a time characterized by a stronger flexibility that needed to be tunned by specialists — fortune tellers or astrologists, for instance. Any similarities with our present time filled with coaches, fortune tellers, astrologists and healers are no coincidence.
When these grandiose narratives brought inspiration to the people, they didn’t only suggest visions of the future, but the creation of utopias that ultimately could be turned into idologies — or aren’t ideologies themselves propositive utopias that try to convince people that is possible to change the world? By the end of the 19th century, several libertarian and anarchist communities were created around the world, even in Brazil. But what has been observed since the end of the 20th century is that utopias are only good when they are only dreams. When concretized, utopias turn into what Minois calls “counterutopias” or, more popularly, dystopias.
Scene from the movie 1984
This becomes clear in the work of science fiction authors who abandoned optimist extrapolations such as Jules Verne’s to find a more reflective path such as H.G. Well’s. That led us to the blatant pessimism of novels such as “We” by Yevgeny Zamyatin, “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley and “1984” by George Orwell.
If utopias are characterized by times when happiness, stability and plenitude are achieved, it means that this system has already achieved its balance and won’t be facing any conflicts or even evolutions, because it would have reached its “ideal form” yet.
But, as phrased by Eduardo Galeano, “utopia is on the horizon. I move two steps closer; it moves two steps further away. I walk another ten steps and the horizon runs ten steps further away. As much as I may walk, I’ll never reach it. So what’s the point of utopia? The point is this: to keep walking.” In other words, utopia was never supposed to be the destination, only an inspiration.
What “Brave New World” and “We” show us is what happens when utopia is achieved: there is no poverty, no sadness, violence or criminality. The price of that? Genetic edition for designation of castes, end of privacy, ritualized sexuality for reproductive ends strictly, individuals as parts of a bigger mass. In the case of “1984”, however, Minois argues that plenitude is achieved not after everyone is happy, but rather by keeping people in a constant state of neuroticism, fear, discomfort and anguish reinforced by the idea of a war that never ends, by the simplification of the language as a means to limit reasoning, by the manipulation of history as a means to control the present and the future, by the extinction of libido as a means to control emotions, among other strategies.
It becomes clear that, in these great novels, the authors are reflecting on how technological innovations could rather be the ultimate means to achieve technocratic utopias or, in fact, how our pursuit for pleasure and freedom are rather the very reason why we are never happy. In “We”, Zamyatin writes:
“You know, that old legend that the paradise is us, it is absolutely real. They asked the two inhabitants of the paradise to choose: happiness without freedom or freedom without happiness, no other solution. The idiots chose freedom and, naturally, they ended up sighing for chains during centuries. We just discovered a means to recover happiness to the world.”
In the presentation of “Brave New World”, Nikolai Berdiaev also wrote that “utopias are much more achievable than it was believed. Today, we are confronted by a new question, which became urgent: how can we avoid the ultimate achievement of utopias? Utopias are achievable. Life walks towards utopias.” Would that justify the reason why we are living in a moment saturated by dystopias and pessimism? Minois says that he does not “judges” the 20th century humor because, after all, it has been one hundred years marked by two world wars, genocides, Chernobyl, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the end of the URSS, economic crisis such as the one in 1929, among other incidents. So, would it be fair to ask us, in 2020, during a global pandemic (to say the least), to be optimistic?
Ashtar Sheran represents this marriage of hippie ideas with pacifist science fiction that is brought up by Georges Minois. He combines the figure of salvation from messianic religions at the same time as well as the idea of alien technology supporting heavenly power.
Maybe the issue is less related to our feelings than it is related to our attempt to structure our thoughts. This was something that not only astrologists, but also economists and philosophers tried to do by creating models that would ultimately explain history. Curiously, in 1982 and 1988, we watched another conjunction, but that time it was between Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto in the constellation of Capricorn, but this same event also made people go after all kinds of esoteric explanation. One of the manifestations in this sense was the development of the New Age movement. For Minois, this is an example of an Americanized astrological milenarism that aims to announce “the imminent advent of a renewed world where each person will recognize the presence of God inside themselves, as fragments of a cosmic consciousness of the universal spirit. The Christianism, which coincides with the Age of Pisces, comes to an end. All religions will be united and it will start as the sign of Aquarius brings a paradisiac age of 2.160 years which will allow men to concentrate in all their positive aspirations.”
Are we experiencing a revival of this feeling during this week? If so, how much does this reveal about our desperation, our faithfulness and, ultimately, our inability to be patient and wait for things to change, preferably for better? For Minois, “there is something pathetic in this optimism that is forced, ambiguous, and that recites like litany the list of all evil to the mankind, as if this would exorcize them.” According to the historian, the New Age movement is thus the child of a marriage between hippies and a pacifist science fiction that “dreams with some kind of spiritual freedom, until now painfully captive by material impositions. In fact, it is more about a dream than a prediction.” Likewise, these predictions and visions of the future have less to do with what is coming next, they are rather a reflection of our feelings about the present and the learnings we achieved from the past.
Since then, futurology of the broader field of futures studies have been structured in publications such as Alvin Toffler’s “Future Shock” and in organizations such as the World Futures Studies Federation. This is all an attempt to stress the fact that these foresight professionals have nothing to do with fortune tellers or astrologists, because they don’t even argue they work with predictions but rather reflections, sociologic studies of the present and of the past in order to think about the future. These forecasted scenarios are much more conservative and even a little obvious, according to Minois, because they don’t want to fall prey of prophetism, as well as they are more inspired by economic projections and sociologic studies rather than an heavenly annunciation or the channeling of outwordly voices.
However, we are still attracted by these grandiose visions of new ages and astrologic events. If we take Minois’ retrospective as a reference, we are less inclined to find out what is actually going to happen in the future than we are to be supported by charismatic individuals who will say what we want to hear, even when it’s something negative — it is about prevention, not damnation. For the historian, as time goes by, our reality grows more complex and “impossible” for a human mind to make sense of, so this is why we end up using artificial intelligence in some tasks and projections. But, similarly to the issue of fake news, are we really more inclined to calculate a projection of how fast the universe is expanding or are we already satisfied by just believing that the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius will bring good news? | https://medium.com/@lidiazuin/no-the-age-of-aquarius-is-not-here-and-thats-good-a12f995f61cd | ['Lidia Zuin'] | 2020-12-24 21:11:30.163000+00:00 | ['Science Fiction', 'Future', 'Astrology', 'Futurism', 'New Age'] |
Build Website like Flipkart | Here is the least of basic functionality one need, based on each page when he wants to launch a website like Flipkart:
Home Page
The development of Home page will have below details:-
The header will have Logo on the top left corner
Search Box with search for products, brands and more
Links to My Account, More & Cart
Categories list with subcategories
5–6 Slider Images
Deals of the day slider
Suggested Product Slider
Top offers slider
In Footer area there will be a copy right in left end side and Social Media links in Right end side.
Product Search Page
Development of Product Search page will be done in which have below things to be developed:
User can sort by
Relevance
Popularity
Price High-Low
Price Low-High
Newest First
Filters
Categories
Price (Min- Max)
Discount
Type
Size
Color
Brand
Customers Rating
Availability
Ideal for (Men, Women or Both)
Offers
Apart from this user can see the search result below the search area.
Product Thumbnail will show:-
Brand Name
Product Type
Product Assurance
Price
Discount
Size
Wish list
User can purchase the Product by paying price on the product
Payment Gateway Integration
Payment can be done with Multiple payment option depends upon Payment Gateway.
Add to Wish List Option
Detailed Product Page
Development of Detailed Product page in which Product thumbnail will be shown with below details:
Product Images
Below Product Images:-
Add to cart
Buy Now
Brand Name
Product Type
Product assurance
Seller Details
Price
Discount
Time left on Discount
Rating and Reviews
Available offers
Delivery Details
Similar Products
Recently Viewed products
Create Account Page
Development of this page will have a form which needs to be submitted by user for below details:
Mobile No.
E-mail
Password
Terms and Condition Validation and link to Terms and Condition Page
Sign In Page
Development of this page will have a form which needs to be submitted by user for below details:
Email / Mobile No.
Password
Request OTP (For Mobile No Login)
Forgot Password Feature
User Dashboard
Development of User Dashboard which will have below options
My Orders
Track Orders
Purchased Order History
Account Setting
Profile Information
Email
Phone no.
Change Password
First Name & Last Name
Deactivate Account
Address
Name
Mobile NO.
Pin code
Locality
Address
City/District/Town
State
Landmark (Optional)
Address type (Home/ Work)
Save/Cancel
Payments (Payment Gateway Integration)
Gift Cards
Saved Cards
Wallet
My Stuff
My Coupons
My Review & Ratings
All Notifications
My Wish List
Log Out
Sellers Landing Page
Development of this page which will have below things:
Fee structure
Detailed Description of Fee Structure
Services
Resources
FAQs
Login For Existing Seller
Register For seller account
Create Account Page for Photographer
E-mail
Mobile No.
First name and Last Name
Password
Address
City
Country
Product To Sell
Preferred Payment Details
Identification of Seller
GSTIN
Bank Account
Products to sell
After filling all this he need to submit it for the review. Once the user submits that there will be a thank you page for the submission.
Seller Dashboard Page
Listing
My Listing
Track Approval Listing
Inventory
Inventory Health
Orders
Active Orders
Returns
Cancellation
Payment
Payment Overview
Previous Payments
Transactions
Invoices
Statements
Growth
Performance Overview
Opportunities
Advertising
Promotions
My Freebies
Reports
Advertising
Chat With Buyer
Notification
Account Details
This will showcase all the information provided at the point of registration and user can change it.
Contact Support Page
Development of Contact us page where two different forms will be designed to contact. Below the forms there will be a Google map which will display the address of the Company.
FAQ Page
Development of FAQ page which will have information in frequently asked questions and Answers.
Terms and Condition Page
Development of this page which will have information on terms and condition to use the services provided by the company online.
Admin Side Features
Menu Hierarchy Management
Banner Management
Content Article Management
User Management
Seller Management
Category Management
Image Management
Product Management
Order/Sales Management
Static Page Management
Contact Us
Image sitemap export feature
Global product type price update
Product type discount pricing feature
Online Buyers & Sellers logs
Media & category stats feature
Black List IP Management
Pricing Management
If you want to develop eCommerce website like flipkart or amazon, get in touch with our business development team via [email protected] or call us at +1 909 475 0113. | https://medium.com/@chirag-dave/build-website-like-flipkart-6d7b4ac9dd39 | ['Chirag Dave'] | 2021-01-27 13:01:51.968000+00:00 | ['Online Selling', 'Ecommerce', 'Marketplaces', 'Clone Of Flipkart', 'Website Like Flipkart'] |
Keto Diet: A Comprehensive Guide to a Low-Carb, High-Fat Eating Plan. | You’ve probably heard a lot about the keto diet lately. Maybe you’ve seen it on TV, read an article about it, or heard from a friend that they’ve been following this plan. But what is the keto diet, and what does it do for your body?
The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat eating plan that originated in the 1920s as a way to manage seizures in epilepsy patients. The keto diet was effective at reducing seizure frequency because it forces your body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates for fuel.
Since then, research has shown that following the keto diet can also help treat conditions like diabetes and PCOS by regulating blood sugar levels and balancing hormones. If you’re interested in knowing more about how this eating plan can benefit you, keep reading!
The History of the Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic diet was first developed in the 1920s as a way to manage epileptic seizures. The diet is based on the idea that consuming very few carbohydrates can help manage seizures by forcing your body to burn fat for fuel instead of carbs.
Since then, research has shown that following the keto diet can also help treat conditions like diabetes and PCOS by regulating blood sugar levels and balancing hormones. If you’re interested in knowing more about how this eating plan can benefit you, keep reading!
The Keto Effect
The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat eating plan that forces your body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates. This change in fuel source has been shown to be effective at reducing the frequency of seizures for patients with epilepsy, as well as treating conditions like diabetes and PCOS.
So if you’re interested in learning more about how the keto diet may benefit you, read on!
What Can the Keto Diet Treat?
The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat eating plan that typically helps to regulate blood sugar levels and balance hormones.
Because the keto diet forces your body to burn fat for energy, it is effective at reducing seizures in epilepsy patients. In fact, since the diet was introduced in the 1920s, its effectiveness at treating seizures has been confirmed by numerous studies.
In addition to being an excellent treatment for seizure disorders, research has shown that following the keto diet can also help manage conditions like diabetes and PCOS. It does this by regulating blood sugar levels and balancing hormones in your body.
If you’re considering trying out the keto diet but want to know more about what it entails before diving in, read on!
How to Start a Ketogenic Diet
The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat eating plan. While you can’t eat any type of starch or sugar, there are plenty of other foods to enjoy.
Here are some tips for starting a ketogenic diet:
● Plan your meals and snacks in advance
● Keep your house stocked with healthy foods
● Don’t aim for perfection
● Start slow and focus on consistency
In this post, we’ll cover everything from the benefits of the keto diet to how to start it successfully. To learn more about this diet and why it might be right for you, keep reading!
Tips for Managing Your Keto Diet
The keto diet is a commitment. It can be very difficult to maintain, especially if you’ve never done it before. But the rewards are worth it! You probably won’t have any trouble with ketosis at first, but as you continue on the plan, your body will adjust and become more efficient at burning fat for fuel.
Some people find that they have success by making small changes to how they eat. For example, you might try swapping out one or two of your meals per day for keto-friendly alternatives. The best way to figure out how to manage your own diet is to track your progress over time. Make note of the days when you feel well-fueled and mentally sharp, and also note when you feel sluggish or too hungry. This will help you identify what works best for your individual needs.>>END>>
Conclusion
The ketogenic diet — or keto, for short — works on the principle that when the body produces ketones, which are derived from fats, for energy, it’s naturally less hungry and sets into motion a series of hormonal changes that help keep the body slim.
Getting into ketosis takes some work and discipline, but it’s not impossible. But before starting a keto diet, it’s important to talk to your doctor about what your specific needs are and how to avoid or address side effects. | https://medium.com/@johnmoorejohn107/keto-diet-a-comprehensive-guide-to-a-low-carb-high-fat-eating-plan-a07f48d3d8da | ['John Moor'] | 2021-12-27 02:07:08.852000+00:00 | ['Health Foods', 'Health Recipe', 'Health', 'Recipes For Cooking', 'Healthy Lifestyle'] |
What Really Happened to Monique Christine Daniels? | Monique Christine Daniels — missing since 1992
Monique Daniels was born on June 16, 1976, and was the oldest of six children; three siblings and two half-siblings. By all accounts, the Daniels household appeared to be a less than happy home. In 1992, Monique and her siblings were living with her mother Candyce and step-father Charles “Chuck” Daniels in Moore, Oklahoma. Chuck was a sergeant in the Air Force and Candyce was also in the military.
Years prior, Candyce divorced Monique’s biological father who was sexually abusive and would later be thrown in prison for sex offenses. However, little is known about him. Candyce’s marriage to Chuck wasn’t much better. According to their children, the couple fought often and were phycially and verbally abusive to one another and the children.
On June 2, 1992, a neighbor claimed to have seen fifteen-year-old Monique loading clothes into a blue Chevrolet pickup truck driven by an unidentified Caucasian male. On this particular day, Monique’s mother was on a choir trip with a couple of her siblings, Angelique and Bryan, and her step-father took her other siblings, Andrew and Charlie Jr. on an impromptu fishing trip. No one would ever see Monique again after that day.
In addition, Monique’s disappearance wouldn’t be reported to authorities for almost two years.
According to her parents, their reasoning behind not reporting Monique as missing was because she had run away from home and assumed she would come back. Monique had run away months earlier after she became pregnant and her parents forced her to have an abortion, but her best friend convinced her to return home.
Monique’s aunt Leslie discovered that a report had never been filed when, six months after Monique’s disappearance, Leslie attempted to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and have them add Monique into their database. Candyce told Leslie that she would get the police report, but never followed up. Candyce and Chuck made it appear to all as if they respected their daughter’s decision to run away. They wouldn’t report her missing for two years and only after Monique’s sister Angelique ran away.
Upon returning home from the choir trip that Candyce, Angelique, and Bryan were on, Chuck would simply tell them, “She’s gone again.” Angelique would later mention that the house, which was normally kept very clean, was a complete mess. Beer cans and cigarette butts were lying out, and there was an empty pregnancy test box sitting on the bathroom counter.
Roughly one week after aunt Leslie’s inquiry, the Daniels family received a phone call and a couple of letters supposedly from Monique, postmarked Dallas, Texas. The family had been informed that Monique was now married and gave birth to a daughter named Chelsea, and she and her husband and child they were currently in Alaska but frequently traveled for his job. Relatives were suspicious and asked police to analyze the handwriting on the letters and see if it was really hers. The day before Candyce was to bring them to the police for examination, the letters, along with some CDs and a boombox, were supposedly stolen in a burglary at the Daniels’ home.
While Chuck claimed that their home was much more peaceful without Monique, life would not get much easier for the Daniels family. In January of 1994, Angelique ran away from home to live with her aunt in Michigan. When she left, unlike with Monique, Candyce and Chuck reported Angelique missing immediately. As soon as she arrived at her aunt’s house, she filed criminal complaints against her parents, alleging physical and mental abuse to which Candyce and Chuck later pleaded no contest. Angelique also admitted to police that Chuck had made her write the letters and fabricate the phone call that were supposed to be from Monique. Chuck even drove her to Texas specifically for the postmark. Chuck admitted that the allegations by Angelique were true. According to Chuck, Candyce had become suicidal in the wake of Monique’s disappearance and attempted to convince Candyce that her eldest daughter was safe and happy. After finally filing a missing persons report on Monique, Chuck and Candyce were asked to take a polygraph test and both declined.
Two decades later, in 2013, Monique’s brother Andrew would offer more information on that fateful day.
According to Andrew, Chuck and Monique had been fighting earlier in the day. Chuck suddenly announced that he was taking Andrew and Charlie Jr. fishing in the rain. Before leaving, Andrew claims he said goodbye to Monique through a crack in her bedroom door where he thought he saw her sitting on the floor, not moving nor speaking. Charlie Jr. claims she hugged him goodbye. Oddly, the three left for their fishing trip without their fishing poles.
Chuck and the boys drove in one direction for two hours, stopped at a fast food restaurant, then drove back home. Chuck parked the car in the garage where he told the boys to wait as he went inside the house. The boys would be waiting inside the car for their father for approximately an hour. When the boys were permitted back in the house, Chuck rushed them in, forbidding them to look around the bathroom. Chuck proceeded to tell them that he was off to search for Monique and locked them in their bedroom for two days. During their confinement, Charles took one of his other sons for a ride in his truck ride in the middle of the night. His son recalls seeing an oil barrel in the back of the truck but knows nothing about what it contained.
Before long, the Daniels family was forbidden from talking about Monique. Chuck and Candyce were determined to remove any trace of their eldest daughter from their lives. Photos of her were taken down and replaced with new family portraits. All traces of Monique having lived in the Daniels’ home vanished.
When questioned about their other children’s allegations, Chuck and Candyce deny everything, claiming that Angelique and Andrew are unstable and have substance abuse issues. They now live in Florida and refuse to make any further statements about their daughter. Prior to ending up in Florida they would move to Germany. Coincidentally, Chuck had gotten a military transfer to a new base out there after Angelique and her aunt appeared on ‘A Current Affair’ to discuss the case.
Monique’s case remains unsolved. | https://brenmar71.medium.com/what-really-happened-to-monique-christine-daniels-35d54ecf7224 | ['Brenda Thornlow'] | 2019-04-09 00:05:05.117000+00:00 | ['True Crime', 'Crime', 'Missing Persons', 'True Story', 'Murder'] |
The Role of Sun Salutations in Your Vinyasa Flow | One of the many beautiful things about yoga is the diversity of styles you can choose from. Whether you’re after a calmer mind, a more flexible body, or greater strength, whether you wish to be still or move quickly, there’s a yoga discipline that’s right for you.
What is vinyasa flow yoga?
Vinyasa flow is a type of yoga that is more faster-paced than other styles. The word “flow” refers both to the continuity of the motions and their synchronicity with the breath. Controlled breathing is a crucial part of this yoga style, in which upward movements are combined with an inhalation, and downward movements with an exhalation.
Speed, Grace and Power
The fluidity of vinyasa yoga makes it more physically demanding than slower, more traditional styles. Though vinyasa movements are graceful, the effort necessary to transition from one pose to the next will increase your heart rate while testing your balance and flexibility. Certain poses, especially standing poses, inversions, arm balances, and backbends require body resistance that stimulates muscle growth, resulting in greater strength and stamina.
Grounded Energy
Many vinyasa yoga adherents report an increased sense of energy and wellbeing. Regularly practicing this discipline — as with any form of physical activity — can positively impact mental health. Not only do the movements and poses provide the physical benefits of both aerobic and anabolic (muscle-building) exercise, they decrease stress and stimulate the release of endorphins and energizing, mood-boosting neurotransmitters. Because steady, controlled breathing is integral to this style of yoga, you will remain grounded even as your energy levels rise.
Salutations to a Shining Star
The sun — though a staggering 92,894,992 miles from earth — makes living on this planet possible. Hindus have worshipped the sun for millennia, considering it to be the source of all life. The term “sun salutation” refers to a series of fluid, continuous yoga poses which begin and conclude with the hands joined close to the heart — a gesture called a “mudra.”
The exact sequence of poses varies from one style of yoga to the next. In the case of vinyasa, saluting the sun often starts and ends with the arms raised skyward, before finally allowing them to rest at the sides of the body. The process usually comprises a series of twelve movements.
Why Salute the Sun?
Performing the sun salutation helps…
To continue reading this article, visit https://www.mukhayoga.com/blogs/the-community-hub/the-role-of-sun-salutations-in-your-vinyasa-flow
By Suzy Bennet; All Rights Reserved @2015 | https://medium.com/@sharonp-94230/the-role-of-sun-salutations-in-your-vinyasa-flow-1d9a986ceebd | ['Mukha Yoga'] | 2020-12-26 19:07:13.867000+00:00 | ['Exercise At Home', 'Vinyasa', 'Yoga', 'Sun Salutation', 'Self Improvement'] |
Out of One Box, and Into Another | The human brain loves to identify, label, and categorize things. It’s how we learn and how the brain can store so much information without ever having an upgrade, or even an update, across the entire span of human life. It’s really quite amazing but is also the source of considerable suffering, mainly because there is no such thing as an operations manual for humans. If you are lucky enough to stumble upon this information, it definitely helps you understand why you are the way you are, and why other people are the way they are, which certainly helps. But, understanding our innate tendencies to create boxes based on this whole identify-label-categorize thing doesn’t stop us from continuing to do so. It just helps us understand that this is what we are doing.
Learning about this tendency helped me understand why I had been trying on different attributional theories for why I am the way I am ever since I was a child. Every kid notices that they are different in whatever way they are different from the other kids. They might be smarter or slower, more socially awkward or a social butterfly, athletically inclined or possessing two left feet. And once they have noticed this, they understand which social category they belong in, which “box” is their box. Queer, Nerd, Jock, Drama Queen, Druggie. By the time we reach high school, we know our box intimately, as well as who else is in there. This can create a sense of belonging that used to be found only in the church or our family of origin. Now, instead of allowing themselves to be assigned labels and having their boxes determined by others, increasing numbers of people, largely due to the internet and social media, in particular, are creating their own.
But what happens when the box we are in, whether chosen or assigned no longer feels like home? What do we do when we want to uncheck the box and relocate our identity to another category or even try to go it alone without any box at all? I have tried on a variety of identities, boxes of different shapes and sizes over the years. I used to think that what made me different was the fact that I was adopted. Later on, being adopted and abused was the shape of my container. Eventually, I came to see myself as someone whose characteristics were determined by the fact that I was an Aries. By the time I was in college and had discovered personality assessments, I had come to identify myself with my Myers-Briggs profile.
Later on, I had a religious conversion, so my box was evangelical Christian, wife, and mother. After going to graduate school and becoming a clinical social worker, my profession had become the box I checked. And then, the year I turned 40, I had a bit of a mid-life crisis and did my best to uncheck as many boxes in one fell swoop as I could, or so I thought. All I had succeeded in doing was swapping one set of checkmarks for another. Now my identifiers were middle-aged, divorced, a single mother and agnostic. I was even mistaken for a cougar when I was spotted out to dinner with my very attractive oldest son with whom I am very close.
Now in my 6th decade, I am really desperately trying to be as wise as I am old. It really doesn’t seem possible to live free from all the boxes, not as long as I still have this human brain in my skull. It is just so accustomed to labeling and categorizing and so are all the other humans I am surrounded by. I discovered just how attached I had become to my identity as a psychotherapist when I decided to move from my home state to another and become a coach, rather than earn my state licensing credential all over again. I was happy to be a coach and truly didn’t want to be a therapist any more, but I also wanted potential clients to know that I had been a therapist, for a very long time, so none of them would think I was “just a coach”. Even after I had decided to let go of being a therapist, I was still hanging onto that label, that identity, that box when had been checked for such a long time.
It reminded me of the day when my divorce papers arrived in the mail and I opened it and read the words “final decree” and “dissolution of marriage” and the reference to me being an “unmarried woman” and how I burst into tears. OMG. I was the one who decided to end the marriage, for chrissakes! But there it was, evidence that my box had been unchecked and my identity was changed. And this time it was legal. I felt a little bit crazy on that day, thinking there must be something wrong with me to be upset when this was the change I wanted. It helped me to understand how the human brain works and why I’ve heard so many times how people hate change. I have met lots and lots of people that genuinely hate change. I also know for sure that I am not one of them. I actually like change, in fact, if I don’t get enough change on a regular basis, I get pretty cranky. But, I also know that even though I like change, my brain does not. It still likes the boxes that are already checked and want to keep it that way. I know I am the boss, but my co-pilot will always try to negotiate for things to stay exactly like they are. | https://medium.com/@diann-wingert/out-of-one-box-and-into-another-346e07dbff42 | ['Diann Wingert'] | 2020-12-19 01:11:15.085000+00:00 | ['Blog', 'Confidence'] |
Top Reasons Why AngularJS is the Most Preferred Framework For Web Development? | Why Angular is still popular and more preferable?
In this blog, the reasons give you a clear idea behind why people prefer the AngularJs framework more.
Usually, as per the current flow to take care and maintain the customer ratio, all the enterprises are moving towards hybrid and native apps, or you can say adopt the Angular in their business. So, Angular is the most preferable to develop web and mobile apps.
AngularJS is the open-source framework launched in 2009. It is used to create beautiful interactive websites, single page and dynamic apps.
The Popularity of AngularJS:
Angular gets vast popularity among all the developers and businesses across the world. In a highly competitive world, Angular is the best choice and an excellent solution for business.
In 2017 the new version of Angular launched called Angular 4. It made a dominant position as the best JavaScript programming language of the year. Angular 4 is the best example of the improvement in features, security, and many more.
Since 2009 Angular is continuously growing in popularity. By looking at this image you can analyze the popularity of Angular.
(According to Google Trends the popularity of the Angular web Framework)
What are some Important Key Features of AngularJS?
Reusable components Services Templating Unit testing MVC/MVVM design pattern Form validation Routing Declarative HTML approach Filters
Benefits of AngularJS for Web Development:
#1. Easy to get Started
There is no difficulty in getting started and running the program. It is effortless for programmers to run up with the simplest imaginations with Angular. The first app is completed in just a couple of minutes, but the attributes into HTML additionally needed.
#2. Time-saving
Earlier it took months to build web development and more time in completion of the project. But now, in your project, the developing process is very fast using Angular. Angular takes very little time to complete the project. There are no extra codes needed when the app is divided into different MVC components, and it takes charge.
#3. Easy to Use
Angular is more famous for easy use because it cuts down the code to write. There is no need to write getters and setters in programming; that's why it is more preferable by developers. You can manage the project easily through Angular.
#4. Affordability
Angular is the best framework with the help of it you can create a custom web development. This is done at your affordable price. It is more popular to create a fast application, and it is more capable for the improvement of the user experience.
For any business, Technology is costly for them. To make the beautiful, high Performance at the lower cost is the added extra benefits they can get for their business.
#5. Ready-made Solutions
Businesses prefer most, and developers love to use Angular because it provides the ready-made complete and simplest Solution for a project. Before the developers follow the strict structure, but in Angular no need to follow any of the complex structure, you can build the app quickly with various structures. Also, you can create hybrid applications.
#6. Simple Data Binding
Most of the other similar Frameworks of the Angular are failed in the few tasks. Binding to an apps' UI, it is a difficult task to create the text model. Angular makes it easy to reduce this difficulty by delivering the ultimate results; that's why Angular is different and most preferable.
#7. Client-side Solution
Angular is the most flexible for both desktop and mobile browsers. This Angular works as the best solution on the client-side. You can leverage the framework without modifying the backend, and it is the best selection for any front-end application project.
#8. A Declarative UI expression
For the whole team, declaration UI is the simplest and easiest to understand the multiple components. The markup is accessible for the designer to learn.
Who uses AngularJS?
In all industries like; sports, Transportation, Heath, and fitness, travel industry, tools, productivity, entertainment, weather AngularJS Framework are the most preferable and trustable for their app and web development.
Let's see some popular websites examples of AngularJS.
Guardian
Netflix
PayPal
Lego
Upwork
Winding up:
The points mentioned above and information give you a clear idea about the popularity and reasons behind why Angular Framework is most preferable. To sum up this, Angular is the best JavaScript framework to develop customized, scalable, friendly web at the reliable Price.
If you are planning to hire AngularJS developer for your next project, it is a remarkable decision. It is the most promising JavaScript framework.
Also Read: The comparison of most popular front-end Frameworks- Angular vs React vs Vue.js. | https://medium.com/devtechtoday/why-angular-is-still-popular-and-more-preferable-50e80e6e1e92 | ['Binal Prajapati'] | 2020-06-03 09:32:20.301000+00:00 | ['Web Development', 'Technology', 'Framework', 'Angular', 'Software Development'] |
5 Things a Love of BDSM Says About You and Your Relationship | BDSM Interests Those Who Crave Giving Up Control
For many who enjoy BDSM and bondage, this enjoyment is based around an opportunity to give up control completely. For many of us, life is full of situations that we feel we have to constantly control, constantly have a grip on. This can get pretty tiresome. In a life where keeping control of any given situation is often so challenging, many of us crave the opportunity to give up all sense of control over anything for even just a short period of time. This is particularly true of those who prefer to be submissive in the bedroom.
According to one Reddit user:
“I try very hard to have a lot of control in my life and there is something about being submissive in the bedroom that is foreign and exciting, in a way. I wouldn’t live the lifestyle that goes with it, but just the intimate part of it can really be fun.”- u/Albimau
For many submissives, this giving up of control is also sensual and meaningful. As a submissive, it is important that they have complete trust in their partner. BDSM, after all, is all about trust, communication, and consent. In order for it to be a fun, enjoyable, and comfortable experience for everyone involved, there must be nothing but trust between a submissive and a dominant. When that trust is there and the submissive feels completely comfortable giving up control completely, it’s actually a meaningful and beautiful thing that can strengthen the bond between partners. This is thoroughly explained by another social media user who says:
“For me, it’s being at someone else’s complete control that knows you and you trust them. It can be absolutely thrilling. I’ve had other people tell me that they control everything else in their life, so they want someone else to take control in this area of their life.”- dontcallmevicki
BDSM is For Creative-Minded Individuals
When it comes to sexual expression, many of us crave a way to express our sexuality that is exciting, thrilling, and unique. That’s exactly what BDSM offers so many who enjoy it. Overall, BDSM is for creative-minded individuals who crave exploration, newness, and adrenaline. This is a huge reason that role-playing is such a popular component of BDSM; it allows those involved to fully explore another side of themselves and express their sexuality in a way that they are unable to using less creative methods.
As one person explains, these acts can even spark creativity in those who partake in them:
“The most exciting perk of enjoying BDSM is the role playing. When done safely, the bondage and roles become a total escape from reality. For gays & lesbians, BDSM tends to be an extension of reality, since in many cases our regular sex lives have surprising parallels to bondage, particularly the dominance and submission. Another unexpected benefit whilst partaking in bondage: It’s quite a creative form of expression, and it sparks creativity within us, giving us a rich source of material for writing, acting, art, film production, and even video game development!”- Daniel
If you consider yourself an especially creative person, BDSM and acts of bondage allow both fun and safe ways to express that creativity sexually. That’s why so many of us tend to find ourselves drawn to it.
BDSM is For Those Who Enjoy Experimentation and Exploration
Another reason that so many people gravitate towards BDSM and bondage is found in the fact that it allows for a safe environment to try out new things, especially those new things we’ve been dying to try but may have been reluctant to admit in the past. This, again, is something that expresses just how important trust is between partners who engage in BDSM acts.
BDSM is all about experimentation and exploration, finding what we like and don’t like, and giving things a try that tells us more about ourselves and our partner. To engage in this type of behavior, trust is key. For so many who enjoy BDSM and bondage, however, the fun that can be had experimenting and exploring is unrivaled when we find a partner we can trust completely.
People that enjoy BDSM tend to be people that crave new discoveries, are inherently curious, and always looking to learn more about the world that we live in. For these types of people, BDSM offers the perfect way to get to know ourselves, our partners, and the world around us better.
As one Redditor explains:
“There’s something about exploring and trying things with someone I trust that’s just a lot of fun.” — u/molly-ofcourse
BDSM is Perfect For Those Looking For a Temporary Escape From Reality
If you’re someone familiar with BDSM, you’re probably accustomed to the sense of reality-shattering sensory stimulation that is so common to the experience.
For submissives, BDSM allows them to fully give up control and enjoy an overload of sensory stimulation that acts as a temporary break from reality in many cases.
For dominants, on the other hand, BDSM offers them the chance to become a different person, living a different life for a short period of time.
During these acts, everything we know seems to change. This is especially powerful for those of us who are prone to overthinking in our day-to-day lives. Constantly second-guessing everything we do and say can be exhausting and the act of sex set under specific rules, terms, and goals allows us the freedom to simply enjoy sex without having to overthink.
Often, we find ourselves so wrapped up in sensation that we don’t have the time to allow those negative thoughts and feelings in. These moments allow us to almost rise out of our bodies and find ourselves encapsulated in the current moment. In this way, this feeling is almost like a meditation. For those of us looking for a temporary escape from reality, BDSM and bondage certainly have their perks.
Brianne McGuire, host of the Sex Communication podcast explains this feeling perfectly saying:
“I am most often acting as a receiver in a BDSM exchange (or scene) and being overpowered, restrained, struck or yelled [at] takes me out of myself and allows me to be so overcome with sensory stimulation that I am utterly lost in the moment. To experience such complete surrender is disorienting and emotional and I come out of it feeling spiritually cleansed. When such an exchange or scene is done for the purpose of orgasm and not just play, the orgasms are extremely intense and the level of intimacy felt with my partner is unparalleled in those moments. “Losing myself” through BDSM play is so appealing because I overthink constantly and it’s awful. It’s especially awful when it happens in sex and so engaging with a partner under specific terms with specific roles, takes all of that away. There’s simply no capacity left to think when I’m so fully consumed by physical sensation and mental assault. To that end, being yelled at, insulted, etc., is probably the most effective method of achieving the escape and surrender I seek. I only engage in such exchanges with people I have a real connection with, who fully understand that what is allowed to happen in the specific moments of exchange are sacred and don’t carry over to any other area. I ALLOW them to do and say the things they do, with absolute trust and knowledge that we respect each other and our boundaries.”- Brianne McGuire
BDSM Inspires a Greater Sense of Well-Being
According to a Psychology Today article entitled The Surprising Psychology of BDSM by Brad Sagarin, Ph.D., BDSM and bondage can actually lead to a greater sense of well-being in our day to day lives. While Sigmund Freud famously suggested that anyone interested in BDSM was in need of psychological treatment, recent research tells a much different story of those who find themselves drawn to BDSM.
According to researcher Pamela Connolly who compared BDSM practitioners to published norms on 10 psychological disorders, BDSM practitioners actually reported “lower levels of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychological sadism, psychological masochism, borderline pathology, and paranoia.” While it should be noted that they “showed equal levels of obsessive-compulsive disorder and higher levels of dissociation and narcissism”, another study also supports that those who engage in BDSM have a greater sense of well-being overall.
In this second study, Andreas Wismeijer and Marcel van Assen compared non-BDSM practitioners to BDSM practitioners on major personality traits. The results showed that, in comparison to non-practitioners, BDSM practitioners “exhibited higher levels of extraversion, conscientiousness, openness to experience, and subjective well-being. Practitioners also showed lower levels of neuroticism and rejection sensitivity.” That being said, the one negative trait that emerged from the study was agreeableness, which was lower in BDSM practitioners than non-practitioners.
An Interest in BDSM Does Not Make You “Sick”
When I first realized my interest in BDSM and bondage, I immediately assumed that there must be something wrong with me. In fact, many of us go through this kind of self-analyzation process upon noticing our interest in BDSM. At the end of the day, however, substantial research literature shows that BDSM-practitioners are no more likely than the general population to suffer psychiatric problems. Further, research also shows that those who engage in BDSM practices have no psychological disorders unique to their kinky proclivities.
As another article by Psychology Today entitled What Kind of People Enjoy BDSM? by Michael Castleman M.A. states, “BDSM players are as sexually and emotionally healthy as the general population”. The article goes on to say:
“BDSM players are a cross-section of the population, the people next door, mentally healthy and typical in every respect — except that they find vanilla sex unfulfilling and want something more exciting and intimate.”- Michael Castleman M.A.
It’s as simple as that.
Along with being a perfectly healthy way of life for two (or more) consenting partners, BDSM and bondage also create a stronger bond in romantic relationships. In my own relationships where my partner was comfortable engaging in BDSM and bondage, I noticed an elevated sense of respect and love for them.
As a dominant, I knew that they trusted me to take care of them, trusted me to communicate with them, and to respect their boundaries. In relationships where BDSM is frequently practiced, opportunities to actively practice communication (one of the most important parts of any relationship) are utilized constantly. How many other romantic relationships can say that? | https://reneerosewrites.medium.com/5-things-a-love-of-bdsm-says-about-you-and-your-relationship-e13083530f64 | ['Renee Rose'] | 2020-09-11 19:09:17.335000+00:00 | ['Sexuality', 'Sex', 'History', 'BDSM', 'Relationships'] |
How to establish your tone of voice | You have worked hard to develop your logo, brand colours and corporate imagery. But that is just the icing. In order to get your message across, you need to actually say (and write) something. And when do you it right, you theoretically don´t even need your logo next to it anymore. Here´s how…
Content is key - visuals are mostly the key ring
Visuals vary from mere eye catchers to real eye candy. Really meaningful imagery is rare to find. But nevertheless are they important for your wholesome brand experience. Visuals should be chosen wisely as they have the power to support or undermine the verbal message.
What is the verbal message and why is it so important?
Everything you say or write in any channel (e.g. your website, social media, newsletters, posters, magazines, fairs, conferences and so on) is your verbal message. This is how you communicate with your target group. And just as your visual brand is unique, so is your verbal brand, thus your tone of voice. It pays to carefully develop and establish your brand tone of voice because:
1. It establishes your identity
Both, to the outside world and to the inside of your company, your brand tone of voice gives you your unique identity and shows, who your company is. It is a statement and part of the personality of your company.
2. It builds up trust
It takes time to build up trust with someone. Trust grows in consistent and coherent environments. If you want to win the trust of your audience, your brand needs to consistently and coherently convey the same values and sense of purpose.
3. It makes you recognisable
When your content as well as the way you bring it across is consistent, you will be recognisable. Just like a powerful visual brand will immediately trigger the association with your company and your products in your audience, so will an established tone of voice.
How to find your tone of voice?
1. What are your values?
What does your company stand for? What do you believe in? What do your employees value in order to fit into your team? When faced with a dilemma, what helps you guide your way? These are your company values.
Don´t look at your mission statement, look at the values your company practices. Define your company values and live up to them in any part of the company (if you don´t, then redefine your values). If you are clear on what your values are you will have no problem finding your tone of voice. In fact, your true values should reflect in all your messages and all channels — inside and outside of the company.
2. What are your key words and phrases?
Look at your website and all those old newsletters, posts and tweets and write down any key words and phrases you can find repeatedly. Also look out for synonyms and ask yourself if you want to use them as such or rather stick to one single word. The benefit of sticking to certain words is, that you can make them your key words and form your audiences´ understanding of those particular words, thus have them associate your company with them.
Further, get rid of the pieces that don’t connect to your brand. Identify the content that truly reflects your values. Then analyse the tone, the personality, the phrases, and words used and create a guideline for future messages.
3. Who is your target group?
Who are you speaking to? Every group of audience communicates differently. Your goal is to identify the language they use, what they value in life, how they would like to be addressed. If your messages are authentic and meaningful plus in line with your target group, then your content will truly reach them and resonate with them.
4. Who can help you?
There are many consultants and agencies out there which specialise in brand development. Ask your network for recommendations and have the finalists pitch for you.
BUT you can save that money, if you simply get your team involved. There are creative and motivated people in every team, who will love the challenge of developing something so profound and long-lasting as your tone of voice.
Organise a brainstorming session and ask each team member to write down three words that they find describe your brand. After compiling all words, try to find a common thread and cluster them into logical areas. When you found the those core words, which you are happy with, break them down some further until you reach the “Wow, that´s us!”-feeling.
5. What is your story?
Who are you? Where do you come from? What is your company´s history and what is its its goal? Your story does not only build character, it also helps others to relate and connect to you.
Don´t say something to make noise, but make noise to say something!
When you found and established your brand tone of voice, it is important to stay true to it and use it in every message and every channel. But most importantly to keep your audience happy and attentive to what you want to get across: Don´t make noise unless you have to say something. Use your voice carefully and purposefully. And when you do have to say something: make noise! | https://medium.com/@mareike-mutzberg/how-to-establish-your-tone-of-voice-d8a1b6448bca | ['Mareike Mutzberg'] | 2020-12-27 15:52:28.895000+00:00 | ['Corporate Identity', 'How To', 'Tone Of Voice'] |
Books That Make Great Holiday Gifts | Thinking about giving books as gifts this holiday season? It makes sense to consider the people receiving the gift. Most people have different interests. The idea is to buy a book recipient will enjoy reading. Not what the gift giver thinks they should read.
Consider things like age, gender, reading level, and interests. Put some effort into learning the genre the recipient enjoys. Giving the gift of reading is an excellent choice, especially in winter when in many climates inside is where people stay.
Books About Sports History
A book on sports history is a brilliant choice for any sports lover — baseball, basketball, tennis, track, Olympic sports, and football. Go to Pigskin Books and look over their inventory of football history books. Find books about famous players or teams. This buying strategy works for fans of any gender or age.
Cookbooks Continue to Give Year-Round.
Recipe books are perfect gifts for people just learning to cook or know their way around a kitchen. The choice is almost infinite — well-known and talented chefs share their secrets in books. From Bbq to gourmet cuisine and baking, books will teach the beginner or veterans something new.
Children’s Books
Even before they can read, books should be an essential part of childhood. As parents read to them, their children are getting their first lessons in literacy. This experience is the first lesson in how writing, sounds, and language all work together. And the bonus, they enjoy hearing the story and learning at the same time.
The Young Adult Genre Helps Experience Life Through Reading and Imagination.
Youth on the verge of adulthood is the time of life when thoughts fill with the possibilities. Relationships, the first stirrings of romance, and emerging sexuality make for a confusing, exciting, and sometimes painful time. Reading once again offers knowledge, experience, imagination, and exploration under the safety net of words on a page.
Many other genres exist, Action/adventure, Self Improvement, adult romantic, humor, historical fiction, and many more. The trick is understanding what the receiver of the gift will appreciate. Match for the book to the reader, and it is a win. When done with care, gifting books brings joy and often becomes a cherished treasure. | https://medium.com/@editakaye/books-that-make-great-holiday-gifts-8addd9085d3f | ['Edita Kaye'] | 2020-12-23 16:53:07.598000+00:00 | ['Edita Kaye', 'Author', 'Holidays', 'Books', 'Reading'] |
Want to learn effectively? Familiarize yourself with the “Pomodoro Technique” | Have you ever done a task and then realised that you’d spent way too much time on it and you blamed social media for your tragic demise? If yes, I have some good information for you — in the late 1908s, Francesco Cirillo created a simple technique that helps people be more efficient, focused and, as it is said on his website, “work smarter, not harder.”
While at the university in Rome, Cirillo got interested in challenging himself to time his tasks in order to overcome the inability to focus on them properly. After giving it a try several times, he noticed that his focus had improved. At first, he divided his tasks into 10-minute blocks, however, after noticing the positive effects, he increased the number of minutes to 25 that were followed by 5 or 10-minute breaks to let his mind wander freely and rest. To measure the time, he used a kitchen timer shaped as a tomato, which later gave the name of his technique (ENG tomato — ITA pomodoro).
What does the Pomodoro Technique consist of?
It all comes down to a few simple steps.
Choose ONE task you need to focus on. You learn to prioritize your tasks here, which is an additional advantage of this technique Set your or the Tomato Timer for 25 minutes Do your task (ONLY that task). Give it your 100% attention. Do it until the time is up Take a 5-minute break Repeat the steps 2, 3 and 4 three more times After those four repetitions take a longer break (20/30minutes)
In today’s era of social media, it’s getting harder and harder to focus on things that have to be done without checking our phones every few minutes. The thing is, taking phones to our hands has become more of a habit than a neccessity.
How many times have you checked your phone to see what time it was and ended up doing everything but checking the time?
I thought so.
It’s high time you stopped doing so if you want to get things done and avoid going to sleep angry or disappointed with yourself. Besides, such feelings are likely to affect your sleep quality and can therefore make you both groggy and counterproductive next day. Who wants that, right?
Find yourself a pomodoro and learn to focus.
P.S. — There’s a free eBook written by Staffan Nötteberg called The Pomodoro Technique Illustrated which can help you with your productivity even more. | https://medium.com/inter-alia/want-to-learn-effectively-familiarize-yourself-with-the-pomodoro-technique-5ca60fd612b8 | ['Karolina Biernat'] | 2018-05-05 22:40:13.407000+00:00 | ['Self Improvement', 'Work', 'Productivity', 'Techniques', 'Learning'] |
Scrittura | Photo by Elina Krima on Pexels https://www.pexels.com/@elina-krima-1743227
How many savor the
vastness of night
or the depths of devotion
without an inkling of cynicism?
How many realize that the
story will end without
voices to
breathe life into its
fading soul?
How many static minds
will question the sweetness of
life itself? | https://medium.com/scrittura/-6bb1e8dfcb4 | ['Kevin E. Pittack Jr.'] | 2020-12-13 15:50:39.007000+00:00 | ['Scrittura', 'Poetry', 'Questions', 'Life', 'Poetry On Medium'] |
Week 2 | After the first week, I become much more familiar with Glen Raven’s environment. I can remember a lot of coworkers’ name on the floor.
The second week is a tight and busy week for me. A lot of travels, meetings, and works. I first worked out a way to play around with the touch sense fabric. I can use it as an input for electronic projects.
On Tuesday, comes an exciting trip to Anderson Plant with all the interns. We met each other in the morning then we drive to Anderson with Diana and Jamie. A lot of talks on the car made us know each other better, most of them are local people or study at Elon University, so it’s very fancy to hear people talk about things around. And they are very nice and easygoing. We ate dinner at Greensville, and we arrived at the hotel at Anderson at night. I slept very quick after 4-hour-drive.
The next day, we went straight to the Anderson Plant; this is the place where Sunbrella was made. The two managers accept us, and they introduced their experience here over the years and a general description of what’s going on here. Then he led us into the plant. We walk through all the manufacture line from the raw material to the end fabric. Several points really leave me a deep impression.
Sunbrella doesn’t buy yarns from other suppliers, because they want to get full control of their product, from the start to end, if they’re going to change the way they produce, they can call begin or stop from the very beginning. To guarantee the fabric’s color, they managed to control that also from the beginning, different shades of the raw material are processed in their only closed room, so that’s why Sumbrella won’t fade over a very long time cause they got no way to decay. The whole process from raw material to yarns take seven days to finish; it is a lot cost comparing to buy yarns from others. However, Sunbrella spares no efforts to do this; just want the best quality. The whole process is tranquil, and it’s different from what I imagined a factory should be. And machines and workers are running orderly. I can get a strong feeling of Machine Aesthetic. Sunbrella cares both their works’ mental and physical health, and they built a gym inside the plant, which makes them the easiest to access. They built a long track around the forest, and I feel a deep relaxation after I walked out of the plant and see those greens across the small river.
Anyway, it’s one of my most valuable trips, I see a lot, and I learn a lot.
I had two calls meeting on Wednesday with Paige and Andrew; it’s a long conversation, my first video call in a company.
Lauran showed me all the materials in the fabric gallery where I need to spend a lot of time here to study, and introduce me to all the branches in Glen Raven.
On Friday, we went to the First Friday trip to Raleigh, NCMA is our first stop, it has been a time that I didn’t visit a museum, so I was then attracted by those Italian Paintings, especially looking at people’s facial expression, it helps me to cool down inside and let my mind wanding somewhere. After that, we dropped two more art museums, and it’s a lot of fun. Finally, we had a lovely drink time at a bar, and it’s a great relax for this whole week.
This week is tight but unforgettable. | https://medium.com/rui-wang/week-2-1d9985700504 | ['Rui Wang'] | 2019-07-16 11:56:21.759000+00:00 | ['Manufacturing'] |
Strong. | What it feels to be hidden behind a mask of strength
When I was first diagnosed with my mental diagnosis, I was told to not tell anyone I was being treated and on medication. This created a problem within me because I was never the one to hide my emotions. It got to the point where I would get extremely frustrated with myself. I was compressing every single emotion I felt.
When I finally decided to tell people about what happened to me, I couldn’t stop. I found myself oversharing as a coping mechanism. Once I started I didn’t want to stop; I did it way too often. I would tell my whole class information that they did not need to know and it got to the point where people accused me of faking or making up stories.
I remember feeding off of the adrenaline I received from telling people things I once felt like I had to hide. I felt strong. I felt powerful. I felt free. This opened a lot of doors to people bullying me. I had a lot of hate accounts made about me and a lot of people making accusations towards me.
Luckily, with time, I got better with who I trusted, and I became more wary about what I shared.
Now, as someone who has been seeking help through the form of therapy,I have learned a few things. One of which being, I tend to bottle up my sincere emotions behind a mask of strength. What this means is that I tell myself I have to be okay, due to the fact that I have been told numerous times I am strong.
This “strong” mentality is a reputation that I have put an immense amount of pressure on myself to fulfill. I will occasionally post my mental health issues as a way for reassurance, which tends to leave my Direct Messages flooding with people telling me their story. Ultimately, this leads to a ton of pressure on myself to be there for those who are going through the same things I did or am, despite it deteriorating mental health.
I feel like I always have to be okay for others; I need to be okay in certain moments. This mentality has jeopardized my own mental health and relationships, which is something I have to personally fix. The bottom line is that I should not feel obligated to be there for people, especially when my mental health is not at the best.
In no way am I saying I wish people wouldn’t trust me with their stories. I just need to learn when to take a step back and how to not get emotionally invested. I have finally acknowledged that this was draining to me; therefore, I can get better within time.
With that being said, I will continue to document my journey of learning that it’s okay to not be okay all the time. | https://medium.com/@etperdue/strong-ef5a042dcbf1 | ['Emily Perdue'] | 2020-12-19 23:22:48.230000+00:00 | ['Mental Health Awareness', 'Mental Health'] |
GraphQL Kotlin Tutorial with Spring Webflux | In this tutorial, we are going to build a simple API with the GraphQL kotlin libraries from Expedia Group.
GraphQL kotlin provides collection of libraries to ease the development of GraphQL applications with kotlin.
GraphQL Kotlin documentation:
https://expediagroup.github.io/graphql-kotlin/docs/getting-started.html
In this example we use the Spring boot autoconfiguration library graphql-kotlin-spring-server. This library built on top of Spring Webflux, provides us with automatic schema generation, graphql-playground and out of the box support for kotlin coroutines.
Configuration
Create a Kotlin project with gradle in spring initializr:
This project uses the following dependencies:
This project runs with h2 database. As reference, I also added MySQL dependencies if you to use a regular database instead or replace with your preferred database dependency, and it’s r2dbc driver.
We tell graphql-kotlin to expose schema objects in the base package com.prueba.graphkt and configure the GraphQL web server. We specify the base package in the application.yml. You can take the included application.properties file located at src/main/resources and replace it with the application.yml file.
H2 database needs no configuration, but if you are using MySQL, set up r2dbc adding the following configuration and adjusting the configuration for your database.
The project uses the schema.sql, and the data.sql files in the classpath to bootstrap database data.
To load these files in the database, we have to create a db initializer class and specify of our sql files.
Queries
Let’s get to the actual code now. We start with a basic query that fetches a mock weapon database.
First we implement the query interface to create the entry point for our graphql server. Graphql-kotlin would pick the methods in our class and generate the schema for us. In this first example we have a find all function witch returns all the weapons, and a find by id function witch receives the weapon id as parameter.
Our first repository is simple, a set of mock data.
This is the data class.
Now we start the application and graphql-kotlin automatically creates the schema and the playground for us. Let’s head up to localhost:8080/playground and try some queries.
We see at the left, the query to retrieve our mock weapons. We are asking our graphql server to fetch the id and the name of the weapon. There’s a play button in the mid section, click it to make the query. At the right section we see the actual result of the query and two tabs.
The first tab is the documentation of the API and the second is the schema generated by graphql-kotlin. If we click the docs tab, we see a nice autogenerated API documentation.
The second tab contains our schema.
As we see, graphql-kotlin has generated the graphql schema for us with just defining a query class, and a data class.
Now let’s play around a little. I’m going to return a different type, List in our mockWeapons query to see what happens. This will generate an error.
Despite our source code compiles, we get the below error.
If we have a query returning a different type in our mock query, graphql-kotlin would throw a reflection error, as this library uses kotlin reflection to generate the schema matching the query name with the return type name.
Finally, we revert our source code to fix the error.
Now we saw the basics of graphql-kotlin, we are going to a more realistic example using the actual Spring Webflux this library runs on.
Webflux and coroutines
In this section we are working with a more realistic setup, fetching data from the database using the Webflux ReactiveCrudRepository.
Our data class is the same as the mock version.
Notice the @Id annotation needed for Spring Data in order to map our data classes to database records. Now let’s see the query class.
We use the Webflux ReactiveCrudRepository findAll and findById stock methods to fetch our weapons, then we use the Reactor’s kotlin coroutines api to transform the resulting Flux to a suspend function. Kotlin coroutines have built-in support for graphql-kotlin-schema-generator, if your are using other asynchronous models like RxJava and Reactor, you have to specify your own data fetcher. Form more info about other asynchronous models, follow this link https://expediagroup.github.io/graphql-kotlin/docs/schema-generator/execution/async-models.
Now we have finish our graphql API, let’s try some queries on graphql playground.
We are querying now data from our database and have the full schema. Let’s try some more queries.
There you go, a fully working graphql server easily implemented with Spring boot and graphql-kotlin.
We have a lot of flexibility for defining our queries with this setup, for example, we can arrange our application in three layer architecture. For a tree layer architecture setup, we can move the query class logic to a service.
Our query class be the following.
The application is still working as expected.
That’s it for this tutorial.
Conclusions
We created a graphql server with graphql-kotlin. The implementation was easy as we only have to provide the data with the help of kotlin coroutines. We can have Spring boot application as complex as we need and allow our clients to decide on how they fetch the API. As long as the query name matches the resulting entity name. The next steps is learning how to make paginated queries with the help of Spring data, avoid DDOS attacks because of recursive queries and to secure our API with Spring security.
For more information on GraphQL Kotlin check the library documentation and examples: https://expediagroup.github.io/graphql-kotlin.
Link of finished tutorial repo: | https://medium.com/swlh/graphql-kotlin-tutorial-344f5fe0c71a | ['Julian Muñoz'] | 2020-12-17 11:05:35.437000+00:00 | ['GraphQL', 'Spring Boot', 'Kotlin Coroutines', 'Spring Webflux', 'Kotlin'] |
Concept about JoInTest: My solution to Class Tests | You see I had a little problem when I started out I had just learnt Node.Js and started to write the code for this in Node but then I wanted free hosting and I started out with firebase because of it being free so that I could provide the service for free. But Firebase hosting is not like VPS so Its like you only have access to var/www/ and its an apache/ngnix server. So the app.js file I had written was to be dumped.
Necessity is the mother of invention.
And then came a thought how do you handle any random value added to domain as jointest.ml/authgc/ you can’t create this many folder.
But one way you could do that was by configuring the Error page to deliver tests with our fav JavaScript. That’s what I did using Firebase Data Base as data storage and window.location.pathname as identifier. Later I realized that this would also help in WebCrawlers finding out page and devouring the free limit firebase had given me! (yeah!, a true genius our mind is).
So if you want to create your own Google Forms let me tell you it can be free. But might require a lot of real work. Sip a coffee and sit in a chair , relax and think start working night long. Stack Overflow is there my friend! | https://medium.com/@vednig/concept-about-jointest-my-solution-to-class-tests-1e21590d1067 | [] | 2020-11-26 06:41:48.537000+00:00 | ['Forms', 'Free', 'Javascript Development', 'Forms Design', 'JavaScript'] |
Monster Chiller Horror Restaurant Playhouse #1: | Monster Chiller Horror Restaurant Playhouse #1:
The Overbooked Restaurant
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
In college and for a number of years thereafter, I supported myself waiting tables. My initial positions were in “family” type restaurants that required wearing nurses shoes and a striped pinny adorned with a giant badge that said Ask Me About Our Famous Pie. After a year in these trenches, I was elated when I scored a position at one of the very few fine dining establishments in my smallish college burg.
My attire as a server was now black pants and shoes, white shirt, black vest, black bow tie and a discreet black bar apron with pockets in which to keep an order book and wine-opener. Very elegant, I felt like Cinderella plucked from the ash bins and taken to the ball.
The owner of my new gig ran a well-known pizza/Italian restaurant on the other side of town when he decided to embark on his upscale adventure. Although successful, mostly as a result of being the only place around open until 3:00 am, the proprietor had a reputation for being “difficult”. In what was probably an unwise business decision, he entwined the name of the smaller pizza-type restaurant into the name of the new establishment, as in Difficult Guy’s Pizza and it’s fine dining sibling Difficult Guy’s Restaurant Extraordinaire.
It turns out that there really wasn’t much of a call for an expensive, upscale fine dining restaurant in the town beyond what already existed. Business was extremely slow except for Saturday nights or when there was a conference in town creating an influx of expense accounts and people who didn’t carry a grudge against Difficult Guy. Weeknight business averaged maybe twenty to thirty covers a night, just enough to keep the business on life support due to the high average cost per customer.
In the restaurant business there is one truism you can count on : Serving staff always wants to go home early, especially in slower restaurants.
The servers begin sidling up to management five minutes into their shifts and say “If you cut someone off, could it be me? I have an exam tomorrow,” or something similar. Then staff start quarreling among themselves about who left early the day before. The hectoring of management will be relentless, until finally, they give in and send two servers home and keep two on.
Twenty minutes later, the door opens and in walks fifteen conferees and two unrelated tables of four and six guys who want to watch the game and eat at the bar. Because that’s how the restaurant universe works. It is foreordained that at any given time a restaurant will be either over or understaffed.
Oh, did I mention they also let the bartender go home early and DG’s wife is tending bar and she doesn’t know what “muddle” means? The twenty nine customers will all get wretched service and leave to spread tales of their woe to locals who will respond “You went to Difficult Guys Restaurant Extraordinaire? Wow, wish I’d known, I’d have warned you. Next time go to the Little House of Ivy on the Commons.”
Because I needed the money and never left early and was actually a decent waitress, I managed to survive on my tips and didn’t leave the sinking ship, although many did. There was constant turn-over, which was especially bad because this restaurant had a menu which involved things like a Caesar salad tossed tableside, Steak Diane flambeed in a chafing dish, Chateaubriand served from a trolley, etc., a real challenge for even long experienced servers and cooks. The menu was huge. We had duck, we had lamb, we had scampi. Oh, wait, the Scampi.
I hope you don’t think this is scampi! Source
Our Scampi was similar to langoustine, and cooked in a Madeira reduction, NOT shrimp or prawns in garlic butter sauce; Difficult Guy enjoyed nothing more than going out into the dining room and pontificating about the difference between Scampi as known in the Mediterranean region and Europe in general vs “scampi-style” shrimp as served in inferior American restaurants.
Bets would be taken in the server station over how hot the discussion would become and whether the customer had the fortitude to withstand it without tossing back their martini and calling for the check before ordering entrees. The staff begged DG to simply change the name of the entree, to no avail. One of my co-workers wrote a very funny little handout called “So You Want To Order Scampi” which laid out the etymology, the carcinology and the epicurean history of the dish complete with illustrations and a pop quiz. Unfortunately a copy was carelessly left at the bar, and after extensive investigation that rivaled the search for the Zodiac Killer, the author was outed and fired.
But I digress. The title of this episode, is after all, The Overbooked Restaurant. How did Too Fancy For You, ever become overbooked?
Two words — Graduation Weekend. Imagine if you will, a small university city over saturated with pizza and burger joints and underpopulated with restaurants of the caliber required for major celebratory life events involving large numbers of family members. The calls for reservations began coming in months before and not surprisingly, DG’s wife, the Inept Bartender, proved even more inept as Reservations/Host/Scheduler for the annual Biggest Restaurant Weekend of The Year. They owned another restaurant in town, so there really is no excuse for what occurred that weekend, that year, in that town.
When DG’s wife finally began collating her various Post-it Notes and loose scribbles and multiple notebooks to cobble together at the last minute the reservation plan for the Big Day, it was discovered that she had insanely overbooked the place.
With all the dining rooms open, the place could seat around 200. She had reservations for around 800 people, clustered in prime time and in large parties. This is critical because large groups take more time in turning over tables. It’s possible that this restaurant could have served close to the amount of people it booked IF they had been spaced coherently timewise and if the menu had been reduced, neither of which happened. She had no way to rectify the situation as she had rarely collected phone numbers for confirmation, which wouldn’t have mattered anyway, since this was before cell phones and all of the numbers would have been useless because they were home numbers and right now all those happy glowing parents were NOT AT HOME. They were here, in-town, clogging up every street and hotel and inn and store and shop and soon they would be at our door.
The horror of what was about to occur was made known to the staff by the junior hostess, the one who worked almost every day and understood spacing and turnover and who had not been allowed to handle the BIG DAY bookings. When she saw the reservation sheet and the numbers and the times, she knew she was about to experience a day similar to that of the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae (she was a history major). She realized that our puny server and kitchen forces would eventually be overcome and overwhelmed by the hordes of graduation celebrants. She understood that her goal and ours in this fiasco was reduced to the most primal of all instincts — survival. And so it began.
The very first round of customers had a close to normal experience; they were similar to people who could say, “Well we had a perfectly wonderful passage on the Andrea Doria just last month.” But, their unremarkable sojourn bore no resemblance to what was going to befall their replacements. The later comers were about to turn off the Oregon Trail of normalcy onto the shortcut undertaken by the Donner Party. They too would experience despair and hopelessness and starvation, although they would avoid cannibalism. (Credit here again to the history major hostess who outdid herself with historical similes).
Inevitably, early into dinner service, all hell broke loose.The kitchen was already running out of food because, who could predict that everyone would order the most popular entrees? Who knew that Caesar salads were so enticing and that four sets of tossing tongs would be inadequate? Who knew that three trolleys would not accommodate the flurry of tableside orders? Who could ever imagine anyone taking control and eliminating tableside entrees altogether? (Something that should have happened, but didn’t). DG was STILL giving his scampi treatise, like an unhinged General Custer ignoring his outmatched troops falling like bowling pins ( credit again History Hostess whose onsite commentary recalled the reporter in Lakehurst New Jersey watching the Hindenburg dock).
Word reached the server front lines that two line cooks had disappeared out a side door. As the infrastructure crumbled around us, we servers had to go back to tables that had been been waiting over an hour for food and tell them that what they had ordered was not available. With each additional table seated, the list of what had been “86’d” grew longer and longer.
And the tables of customers were trapped! They had no options or alternatives, every restaurant within a 60 minute driving distance was booked to capacity. Even the fast food places had lines that wrapped three times around the building. As observed by the English major, they and we were like characters in a Sartre play.
It was predictable that someone would snap. Surprisingly, it was one of our longtime servers, Candy, a grizzled non-student veteran, who announced in the the walk-in cooler “I can’t take it “ and marched out into her section of the dining room where she clapped her hands and asked for the attention of her diners and made the following announcement:
“I just wanted to let you know that I am leaving. I don’t have any idea whether you will eat or not, although I tend to doubt it. Good-bye.” And she walked out the front door and left. She was followed by clans of people waiting in the lobby who finally recognized they had a better chance of obtaining sustenance if they went to a church and prayed to Saint Anthony of Padua (comment of the Religion major).
This act brought down the house of cards. Tables who had not yet received food (the majority of tables) stood up to leave . Difficult Guy ran among them threatening to sue everyone who was leaving, although how he was going to do that since he had no documentation other than Smith, Party of 15 was difficult to discern. Some servers also followed Candy’s example and left in her wake.
There’s not much left to tell. Finally accepting defeat and debacle and in an eerie Nostradamus type foreshadowing of a TV show called Hell’s Kitchen which would invade the airwaves decades later, Difficult Guy shouted “Shut it down!” He actually evicted customers who were eating and planning to pay as well as the small group of Pollyanna-type incurable optimists who were still loitering in the lobby thinking they would finally get a table and a meal.
Who will be surprised to learn that when I showed up for work the next day, there was a “Closed For Renovations” sign on the front door which stayed in place until the building was sold to a major food franchiser?
After suitable breast beating and voicing of regret, I was allowed to dust off my white nurse shoes and striped pinny and re-attach my Famous Pie badge, and trudge back to work at the family restaurant that I had deserted for the siren call of Fine Dining. All’s well that ends well, right? Not so fast.
Join me next time for the second installment of Monster Chiller Horror Restaurant Playhouse:
No, We Can’t Do That | https://medium.com/thecabbagegarden/monster-chiller-horror-restaurant-playhouse-1-9b0a3e59fa6b | ['Valerie Kittell'] | 2019-02-14 10:06:00.652000+00:00 | ['Short Story', 'Humor', 'Life', 'Restaurant', 'Work'] |
Forget New Year’s Resolutions. Start Quarterly Life Planning. | If writing New Year’s resolutions feels futile during the pandemic, you are not alone. With the rollercoaster of 2020 behind us, it can feel strange to set goals for the next 12 months, when you can’t even predict what will happen next month. As someone who finds value in self-reflection and setting intentions, there’s a happy medium that has served me well: Quarterly Life Planning.
I started Quarterly Life Planning when a close friend introduced me to “The Wheel of Life” exercise, created by Paul Meyer. We used it to create New Year’s resolutions for 2016. Little did I know that 2016 would be one of those years where nothing goes according to plan; it included the breakup of an important romantic relationship, the end of my dream job, and the gut-wrenching experience of working on Hilary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Life was changing too quickly. To take stock and ground myself through all these ups and downs, I started doing the Wheel of Life exercise every three months.
Five years later, I have completed this exercise twenty times. I prefer the shorter time period because I have a clearer picture of the next three months than the whole year, and it allows me to set smaller, more realistic goals. In addition to the Wheel of Life, I’ve added some “behavioral hacks” to help turn my intentions into actions.
For those in the tech industry, this may sound like OKRs for your personal life. I’ll be the first to admit there are similarities in setting goals within a set timeframe. Unlike OKRS, the primary purpose for me is not achieving goals. Rather, the value comes from the process of trying things out (prototyping) and evaluating how they affect my overall wellbeing. Quarterly Life Planning also shares similarities with retrospectives — reflecting on what worked, what didn’t, and why, in order to highlight opportunities for change. Ultimately, these incremental changes allow me to make larger improvements in my life.
For me, the purpose for Quarterly Life Planning is to:
1. Reflect on each area of my life to identify what needs more focus, and what needs less. 2. Develop habits and start new projects. 3. Repeat to continue “prototyping” my life.
So if that appeals to you and you have 2 hours, let’s get started!
0. Get yourself ready
Find an accountabilibuddy.
You can do this alone, but I like doing it with 1–2 people. This can be a vulnerable activity, so I recommend doing it people you feel safe opening up to. I’ve done this with roommates, close friends, and my romantic partner. Block off 2 hours.
I like to do this in the morning or early afternoon on a day off. Print out a copy for each person.
If you don’t have a printer, feel free to draw it out yourself. Here is a template you can download. Find a comfortable, quiet place to write and talk.
It can be nice to do this outside of your home so you are free from distractions, and get some distance from your daily life. Make a cup of tea, bring snacks, and put on some relaxing music. You are going to be here for 1–2 hours. Make yourself comfortable. Pick categories for your Wheel of Life.
You will be reflecting on and setting intentions around these areas of your life. Here are the eight I use, but feel free to adapt them to your values. There are more examples here. | https://uxplanet.org/forget-new-years-resolutions-start-quarterly-life-planning-840013cff1a4 | ['Suelyn Yu'] | 2021-01-01 11:21:06.010000+00:00 | ['Design Thinking', 'Design Process', 'Goals', 'New Year Resolution', 'New Year'] |
No BS explanation of Abundance mindset and Visualization | Photo by Kyran Aldworth on Unsplash
I learned about the concept of abundance a few years ago but it wasn’t until this year that I really understood and started practicing an abundance mindset. Before you click away thinking this is some “law of attraction”/The Secret article, let me throw some science your way.
Firstly, what does it mean to have an abundance mindset and what can it do for you? We have an easier time picturing what we can lose rather than what we can gain from any situation. For example, during the stock market crash in March of 2020, the rebound in April caught many investors (including myself) by surprise, because we focused too greatly on what the virus can destroy rather than what will be created out of this pandemic. We have an easy time imagining all of the jobs that will be lost, all of the disruption in logistics, all of the opportunities that we will miss out on, and ultimately all of the lives that will be lost. It is much harder to imagine all of the new opportunities the pandemic might bring; where people will be spending their money, how some companies will adjust and even prosper during these times, all of the new jobs that will be created, and how the world might change for the better. My argument is not that the pandemic was a positive thing at all, I am just trying to show you how disbalanced our perspective is.
Reticular Activation System (RAS)
To completely simplify the definition (for people like myself), the Reticular Activation System (RAS) is a part of the brain that filters the input that we receive from our senses to bring our attention to only the important information, or the perceived important information. This is the same part of the brain that starts noticing the car that you want to buy everywhere you go, why did you not notice the car being everywhere before? That’s because your RAS didn’t think it was important enough to bring it to your attention.
The RAS also works to validate your beliefs. If you think the city that you live in is filled with angry people, you will start noticing all the angry people, hence validating your belief. Your RAS will even go as far as blocking out bits of information that might disprove your beliefs. Coming back to the angry people everywhere example, if you happen to encounter a nice person during that day, you will either completely disregard them or you will be convinced that they are only nice because they want something from you.
So how is this information useful to us? Well, the same way your RAS works to point out all the negative things, it can also point out all the positives. If you believe there is an abundance of new opportunities out there, your RAS will work towards finding those opportunities, or simply “revealing” them to you. The same way it “revealed” that car that you want to buy. It didn’t actually place that car there in front of you, it simply brought it to your attention.
So in essence, living with an abundance mindset is simply focusing on the things that you want to see more of. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the universe will magically bring more happy people into your life, it just means that you will be paying attention to the happy people more than the angry ones. This will result in you meeting more happy people. Your brain has an awesome function, so why not utilize it for your benefit?
I believe this concept is way over complicated and given a mystical feeling that really isn’t there, or maybe it is, who knows, but at least for me I like to have scientific explanations where possible because it’s very easy to start going down the unscientific rabbit hole. In turn, it loses a big audience that might benefit from it. The same way that visualization is over complicated and made a into pseudoscience. Visualization is a tool to help your brain see possibilities. Your brain does not automatically know what it does not know. So visualising what you have not seen or experienced before is beneficial in that it gives your RAS something to look for. | https://medium.com/@iskurbanov/abundance-vs-scarcity-58f9c89b2459 | ['Iskandar Kurbanov'] | 2020-12-22 04:14:04.993000+00:00 | ['Self Improvement', 'Focus', 'Visualization'] |
Static Website Publishing to PubSub | Overview
Do you ever find yourself crafting JSON data you want to send into PubSub? Wish you had some kind of GUI, WebService, or CLI to make it easier?
How about a static webpage, hosted internally on an https endpoint, as a quick-and-easy approach?
This is also relying on GCP’s native security model. The webpage acts as a formatting tool (like a CLI!) for publishing the data using the end-users credentials using OAuth.
Show me!
These are a series of steps — small steps — to build up an HTML webpage. Error checking, user feedback, and style are all left as an exercise.
HTML Form
First we will start with a very simple HTML form. This will show a form on the screen with a message and publish button.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset='utf-8'/>
<body>
<!-- Form for submitting data to the topic -->
<form onsubmit="publish('testTopic', [window['message'].value]);
return false;">
<input type="text" id='message' name="msg"></input>
<input type="submit" value="Publish"></submit>
</form>
</body>
</html>
The only thing missing is the publish(topic, message) method.
Publish Message
The publish(topic, message) method is a thin wrapper calling this REST API endpoint. This is implemented below and it uses the gapi.client.request method — which manages OAuth — which is implemented in the next section.
<!-- Publish -->
<script type="text/javascript"> const PROJECT_ID = '<your-project>'; // Publish topic (as a promise)
async function publish(topic, messages) {
const attrs = {
'sent_by': 'publish.html'
}; // Create payload to send as per REST specification
let body = { 'messages': [] };
for (let i = 0; i < messages.length; i++) {
console.log('publishing', messages[i]);
body['messages'].push({
'data': btoa(JSON.stringify(messages[i])),
'attributes': attrs
});
}
return await gapi.client.request({
'path':'
PROJECT_ID + '/topics/' + topic + ':publish',
'method':'POST',
'headers': {},
'body': body,
});
}
</script> // Returnreturn await gapi.client.request({'path':' https://pubsub.googleapis.com/v1/projects/' PROJECT_ID + '/topics/' + topic + ':publish','method':'POST','headers': {},'body': body,});
GAPI Client Initialisation
We will use Javascript’s async/await in order to load the GAPI client, initialise it with the CLIENT_ID, Scope, and API_KEY, and, finally, sign in if needed. This is using the GAPI Javascript client API. This will prompt the user to authorise the client to act on the user’s behalf.
The CLIENT_ID and API_KEY will be detailed in the next section.
<script type="text/javascript"
src="
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
const CLIENT_ID = '<CLIENT_ID>';
const PUBSUB_SCOPE = '
const API_KEY = '<API_KEY>'; https://apis.google.com/js/client.js</a> "> const CLIENT_ID = '<CLIENT_ID>';const PUBSUB_SCOPE = ' <a href="https://www.googleapis.com/auth/pubsub'" class="bu jj" rel="noopener ugc nofollow">https://www.googleapis.com/auth/pubsub'</a> const API_KEY = '<API_KEY>'; // Login (as a promise)
async function doLogin() { // Load auth libraries. These need to be
// wrapped in a promise to use async/await.
await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
gapi.load('client:auth2', resolve);
}); // Await the GAPI api to initialise.
await gapi.client.init({
apiKey: API_KEY,
clientId: CLIENT_ID,
scope: PUBSUB_SCOPE,
}); // Sign in if needed
if (!gapi.auth2.getAuthInstance().isSignedIn.get()) {
await gapi.auth2.getAuthInstance().signIn();
}
} // Do the login
// Use promise results to update screen status?
doLogin(); </script>
CLIENT_ID and API_KEY
Both the Client ID and API Key come from Google Cloud’s API Services > Credentials section.
Creating the Client ID
Review Setting up OAuth 2.0 and keep the following in mind:
The authorised Javascript Origin needs to be setup for the static website. This can be localhost (can be http) or an https-enabled webserver. It must be hosted somewhere!
It is a Web Application.
Creating the API Key
Review Using API Keys and create a new API Key. The API Key can also be restricted to a certain domain and APIs to increase the key’s security.
Putting It Together
Before getting it all working keep in mind:
Create a topic with the end-user (the webpage user) with publish IAM permissions. In this example, testTopic is used.
Create a subscription for the topic that you can pull from. In this example, testSub is used.
Webpage
The webpage has a simple input and Publish. “test message!” is the message being sent.
Looking at the browser console is a good place to see if things are going wrong.
GCloud Subscription Pull
After publish, gcloud pubsub subscription pull can be used to fetch messages:
Conclusion
There is a lot of room for improvement, but creating a simple PubSub-publishing webpage is straight forward using OAuth. This isn’t recommended for public-facing solution (each PubSub message costs money!), but for internal facing tools it may just be the solution. | https://medium.com/google-cloud/static-website-publishing-to-pubsub-b5ea2d35d232 | ['Mark Scannell'] | 2021-08-29 05:09:42.541000+00:00 | ['Bigquery'] |
The Effect of Indonesian Cultural Diversity to its National Economic Growth | Indonesian Diversity. Source: Shutterstock.com
John Dickinson, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, once said, “United we stand, divided we fall”. This slogan is very popular in Indonesia, where the direct translation “Bersatu kita teguh, bercerai kita runtuh” is still widely used as a statement of unity for the country. The reason why this expression is still very relevant now is that it is well-suited to a country like Indonesia. According to Thomas R. Leinbach, Professor of Geography from the University of Kentucky, Lexington, Indonesia, as a country with 17,508 islands and a population of 267 million people, is a place where 1,300 ethnic groups live, hundreds of languages are spoken, hundreds of beliefs and six official religions are practiced, and (2020). Although Indonesia’s diversity has created some major horizontal conflicts and social problems in the past, it is undeniable that Indonesia’s heterogeneity can empower its people’s economy. If these advantages can be capitalized optimally by Indonesia’s government and stakeholders, this nation can be one of the largest economies in the world. The inevitable diversity of the Republic of Indonesia creates a considerable amount of economic potential for the nation, including but not limited to the rise of the tourist industry, the prospect of a more creative and productive workplace, and opportunity for small and middle-class businesses.
Firstly, the increasing number of tourists that come to Indonesia noticing its diversity can create a strong economic potential for Indonesians. According to a publication from the Australian organization “Future Direction”, tourism in Indonesia has grown over 200% overall in the past decade, with several sources claiming that over fifteen million tourists visited this nation in 2017 (Haan, 2018). This data clearly shows that the tourism industry is a booming industry in Indonesia, with many developments can still be done. Looking at the 200% growing rate of Indonesia’s tourism industry, it can be concluded that the trend is still an exponential growth, which most likely refer that Indonesia’s tourism is still under-utilized and there is much more development can be done by this nation’s government and stakeholders. It should also be noted that the tourism industry’s importance is pictured well in its significant contribution to Indonesian economic growth, as seen as the data from World Data Atlas, which states that travel and tourism contribution for Indonesia’s GDP was 69.8 billion US dollars, increasing from 16.5 billion US dollars in 2000 to 69.8 billion US dollars (2019). This data shows a healthy industry growth at an average annual rate of 8.24%. Knowing the significance of the tourist industry in Indonesia, this country should know how to better utilize its diversity for the growth of tourism. For this nation to invest more optimally in this industry, Indonesia’s government can try to look at the success in Bali, a beautiful historic Indonesian island where Hinduism is the religious majority, which according to Statista, welcome over 6.3 million tourists per year (2019). This means that 42% of Indonesia’s tourism come from Bali itself, which reiterate how under-utilized Indonesian tourism are aside from Bali, mainly after understanding how much potential Indonesia can be. This success has not been able to be replicated in other tourism destinations, although the cultural and economic potential is significant. Indonesia must be able to utilize its growing tourism industry potential to succeed further economically.
Bali. Source: Depositphotos.com
One of the major growing sectors of industry that can also be capitalized is Halal Tourism, which is currently growing exponentially (Haan, 2018). Halal tourism is a Muslim-friendly program designated to cater Muslims based on the guidance of this religion’s holy book, Al Qur’an. This kind of tourism has potential in this nation, mainly due to the fact of that 87% of Indonesians are Muslims, on which is making this nation a country with the most populous Muslims in the world, despite not officially being a Muslim country itself (Hirschmann, 2020). One example of cities that can utilize this potential is Aceh, one of the most western Indonesia’s cities. This city, which has been granted a special administration status to keep their Muslim law due to its culture and history, were formerly known as “Serambi Mekkah”, which means a place where Muslims do their transits before going to Mecca to do their worship to the God (Affiyah, 2020). Indonesia can utilize this special administrative status of religion and culture as a way to appeal to halal tourism for Muslims around the world, mainly understanding how respectable Aceh has been for Muslims around the world.
While the potential stated previously seems significant, it is undeniable that there are challenges that hinder the full utilization of the tourism industry, which is the reason why Indonesia have not reached its full potential yet. The challenge and the most common reason of the under-utilization of tourism industry in Indonesia is mostly about the lack of infrastructure (Haan, 2018). As a developing country with a lot of islands need to be covered, transportation and accessibility can be an issue. Not only that, the unreadiness of local people to welcome tourists, which includes but not limited to the inability to speak international languages, the unreadiness of accommodation, and the unpreparedness of servicing foreign tourists can also be problem. The fact that only 16% of Indonesians have ever finished college degree due to cultural and economic reasons only raises more concerns on how unprepared Indonesia is to welcome people around the world (OECD, 2017). The lack of education might create problems such as mismanagement, uncivilized practices, and lack of understanding of servicing etiquettes, that might deteriorate tourist’s experience in Indonesia. Understanding all the challenges Indonesia faces, the Indonesian government must act in the long term to improve the readiness toward tourism industry boom so that Indonesia can utilize its diversity to the nation’s economic welfare.
Another aspect in which diversity helps Indonesia grow its economy is regarding how these cultural varieties create economic opportunity to small and middle-class businesses. The diversity of the Republic of Indonesia creates a demand for micro-businesses to produce culturally unique products such as foods, souvenirs, clothes, and many other goods. One of the most prominent examples of culturally-unique products, which helps a lot of small businesses through its high demand, is a type of clothing from Java Island called “Batik”. These clothes have been used by many world leaders, such as President Bill Clinton, President Barack Obama, President Vladimir Putin, and many others, which makes Indonesians are very prideful toward “Batik” (Rustandi, 2020). Another traditional product that brings new economic opportunity for Indonesian micro-businesses are Rendang and Nasi Goreng, which were ranked as the top two of the most delicious foods in the world according to CNN (2017). Although labelling food products as “the most delicious” are subjective from person to person, this data only shows that the appreciation from foreigners to Indonesian food products is significant. International recognition like these catalyses the opportunity for cultural small businesses, creating even more chances for them to thrive.
Batik. Source: istockphoto.com
The economic opportunity for the people does not stop with Indonesian cultural products mentioned in the previous paragraph. The rise of historical trip due to the rise of historical site conservation is also creating that opportunity for them. In historical sites such as Candi Borobudur and Candi Prambanan, hundreds of small and middle-class businesses that sells various products are thriving as many people enjoying historical and religious trips (Atok et.al 2019). The fact that many of these historical sites can be a potential place for small businesses to sell their products only reiterate that national income, in which these small and middle-class businesses contribute almost 60% on, can certainly be affected positively when the advancements of historical sites has also progressed.
The last aspect that can help Indonesia grow its economy is the possibility to turn a diverse workplace into a place where ideas from a lot of backgrounds are collected and discussed in a productive manner. It is a fact that when a diversity exists within company’s workforces, what most likely will happen is the increased productivity and a more creative environment (Barak, 2016). A diverse workplace, if these companies can create an inclusive workplace environment that is comfortable for all the workers, will resulted in ideas that cater to each background within the Indonesian archipelago. For example, a Sundanese will most likely be able to understand what Sundanese people really interested in, while a Papuan will be capable to understand the concern and demand from fellow Papuans. These holistic understandings from various backgrounds of Indonesian archipelago will certainly be beneficial for Indonesia and its investors to create a more effective system so that operational effectiveness can be achieved. As a nation with the potential of almost 93 million consumers in 2050 according to McKinsey Analytics, investors and businesses in Indonesia need to find a way to create an inclusive system to make sure that their products are relevant for all consumer classes despite their backgrounds (Arief et.al 2012). One of the ways they can pursue is creating an inclusive workplace that listen to as many people as possible from every background within the Republic of Indonesia.
To conclude, the tourism industry, the chances for small and middle-class businesses to thrive, and the prospective productivity and creativity in workplaces are some of the sample aspects which proves that national economic growth can be maximized through the blessing of Indonesian diversity. Despite many major conflicts that have happened in Indonesia in the past due to different religions, races, and backgrounds, this diversity, if utilized correctly, has a lot of potential to provide a boost toward Indonesian economic growth. Although challenges are significant to finally be able optimally utilize Indonesian heterogeneity into a stable economic growth, a steady process of improvement will impact Indonesia positively, mainly to achieve economic welfare to its people and the nation. All actors involved in Indonesian economy should realize that to achieve the full utilization of Indonesian diversity toward the nation’s growing economies, cooperation from governmental bodies, private companies, non-governmental organizations, and Indonesians in general, is much needed.
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Haan, J. D. (2018, March 22). The Indonesian Tourism Industry: A Bright Future and Opportunities for Australia. Retrieved November 13, 2020, from https://www.futuredirections.org.au/publication/indonesian-tourism-industry-bright-future-opportunities-australia/
Hirschmann, R. (2020, April 29). Indonesia: Religion breakdown population. Retrieved November 13, 2020, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1113891/indonesia-share-of-population-by-religion/
Hirschmann, R. (2020, August 12). Indonesia: Bali direct foreign tourist arrivals leading markets 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/976916/most-direct-foreign-tourist-arrivals-by-country-to-bali-indonesia/
Leinbach, T. R. (2020, December 09). Indonesia. Retrieved December 17, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/place/Indonesia
Luib, M. (2020, October 28). How Indonesian Batik Became a UNESCO Intangible World Heritage. Retrieved November 13, 2020, from https://go.kompas.com/read/2020/10/28/202254174/how-indonesian-batik-became-a-unesco-intangible-world-heritage?page=1
McDivitt, J. F. (2020, November 11). Indonesia. Retrieved November 13, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/place/Indonesia
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World Data Atlas. (2019). Indonesia Contribution of travel and tourism to GDP, 1995–2019. Retrieved November 13, 2020, from https://knoema.com/atlas/Indonesia/topics/Tourism/Travel-and-Tourism-Total-Contribution-to-GDP/Contribution-of-travel-and-tourism-to-GDP | https://medium.com/@hans-andrian/the-effect-of-indonesian-cultural-diversity-to-its-national-economic-growth-d9329115986c | ['Hans Andrian'] | 2020-12-26 05:26:18.376000+00:00 | ['Economy', 'Diversity And Inclusion', 'Indonesia', 'Indonesia Economy', 'Diversity'] |
The pinnacle of my Lambda School Odyssey | The story begins
I started Lambda School’s Full Stack Web development track on September 30th, 2019 with the hopes of advancing my skills and knowledge to eventually get a job in the tech industry. I had spent about a year prior teaching myself through various mediums how to program in Java and felt like this step was necessary for me to grow. I was chaotic in my learning, juggling topics and languages never really finding a fit. I realized I needed structure in my learning, and I felt like Lambda was a perfect fit for me at the time.
Fast forward in time to now, and as I approach the end of my time with Lambda School, I would like to reflect on what I would like to call the “pinnacle” of my Lambda experience….Lambda Labs. Basically Labs is a chance for students to put their skills on display working in teams on a project with a prebuilt codebase. On top of your contributions to your team/project, to pass labs students must also pass a technical code challenge and a core web interview.
Mood at the time
To say I was nervous in the beginning would be an understatement. Throughout my time at Lambda I had struggled with imposter syndrome, and finding out about these interviews was nerve wracking to say the least. Not to mention, I was also assigned a mentee through the Lambda Leadership program, so my plate was beginning to get full again.
The first few weeks was dedicated to team orientation and planning. Live coding didn't start until our fifth week, and I was appreciative of this approach because one of the things I seem to struggle with is planning. The project I was assigned to was a pet groomer app where customers would be able to view groomers in their area based on location, and then order services as well without ever having to leave their house. The project was built using Node/React.js, with AntD as our styling library and Okta for authentication. After meeting my team and planning the structure of the app, live coding began. My first task given to me by the team on the Front End side of things was to hook up Redux for state management and add functionality to search for groomer in our database.
To begin, I decided to set up Redux first. My thinking behind this was that it was important to set our initial state and connect components early to avoid confusion or complication once our code base grew. In other words our application would be more scalable this way.
The Search for Groomers
So after setting up our initial Redux state, I was tasked with creating a Search Form that would give our users the ability to search groomers in our database. Since the code was scaffolded already, I decided to try adding a search form directly into the component that rendered the profile list instead of making the searching its own page. I did this by creating my search component and then importing it directly into the profile list. By passing down my handle change function as a prop my search form was able to manipulate the filtered data and display the relevant results. Now I did consider other approaches but this one in my opinions was the least invasive to the existing code base, and would require less changes in other components. In the early stages our search was limited by groomer name, but using the MapBox Api I was able to add the functionality of location based searching.
Using some npm packages (React-Map-GL and React-Map-Geocoder), I was able to abstract some of the code away into a more condense and readable component. I was also able to add markers, which used groomers latitude and longitude positions to display their business location on our map. Honestly this part of the project I think I am the most proud of, mostly because before this project I had no idea this Api even existed and in a few short weeks I was able to add map functionality to our app and even style the map to match our app design.
Not dealing with these cards
The next thing I wanted to accomplish was to make more functional user profile cards. Not only that, but I also wanted to start creating a style and theme for our app. I decided to use the Card component form AntD as a base and then would style it from there using node-sass. I'm a big fan of SCSS and I definitely prefer component level styling , as I feel I get more control of every component’s styling. While some may find it redundant, I have always been a fan of styling this way. But then I had another issue….How was I supposed to fit all of this information on one card? Just think about it, I wanted a button to take you to that users individual profile, I wanted a picture on the card, a name and also a rating.
With all of that on one card I felt like I was losing some things id like to have had on there so with that thought I came up with the idea to have a back and front to the profile cards This way, I could add a rate feature or even display business information on the backside of the profile card. To abstract away this process and make it easier to accomplish this i found a very useful npm package called react-card-flip. It was easily one of the best decisions I made as far as technical choices. I also decided against an on hover flip and went with an onClick approach. I did this because I wanted our application to be mobile friendly and to me it made more sense to flip on a button click.
Home is where the heart is
After the cards, I wanted to make our home page a little more unique. So I went to freelogodesign.org and made a free logo to use in our app. I also created the name Pet-XPress for our app which made sense, and I needed a title for our logo. So with that, and once again using SCSS for styling, I transformed our homepage. I'm very proud of the work me and the team has done, and I felt the style direction we went in (goofy and colorful) was perfect for this type of application.
What's a journey without a few road bumps?
One of the biggest technical challenges me and the team had with this project was trying to store current user data to Redux on login. What made this difficult was the applications use of Okta for authentication. Since this part of the application was already done for us, we had to navigate through different config files just to see what was going where and when. This is where I really credit my team, we were tenacious in figuring out this problem. I remember a few nights where we were in a zoom chat debugging this problem for hours, so once we were able to figure out how to structure the Api call correctly (which fixed the issue), it was a huge relief and felt like one of the bigger accomplishment ive had in Lambda so far.
So…what now?
As me and my team’s time in Lambda school comes to a close, we are now putting the finishing touches on our work. Meticulously going through the work we have done adding relevant tips and comments as we potentially prepare to hand our application to another team to work on. There's still a lot to be done, such as linking individual profiles to their cards to be viewed when they are clicked on, and adding the functionality for payments with the stripe Api. There are some challenge's ahead, as our map component is currently using dummy data the next team will have to need to find a way to Geocode a users location to get their lat/lon coordinates. Hopefully the groundwork we have laid makes it easier for another team to come in and finish our vision.
I have learned a lot during my time in labs, and the opportunity Lambda has given me to simulate a team project like this will be invaluable to my future as a developer. I truly enjoyed working on my team and the feedback I have received from them regarding my technical skills helped me battle my imposter syndrome and ace my two labs interviews. I now enter the next step in my journey more confident than I have ever been and also proud of what I have been able to accomplish during my time at Lambda School. I have met so many kind and amazing developers who all deserve to be working and thriving in this industry. I can only hope to continue to improve and reach my full potential as a developer. I will always consider myself a Lambda School Alum, and will forever cherish my time here. It was well worth it. | https://lucky32815.medium.com/the-pinnacle-of-my-lambda-school-odyssey-666f21827863 | ['Michael Luck'] | 2020-11-19 02:45:49.305000+00:00 | ['Coding', 'Lambda School', 'Reactjs', 'Programming', 'Labs'] |
Attachment Styles in Academia: Choosing An Advisor | Attachment styles are formed in childhood and impact how you interact in relationships well into adulthood. There are four primary attachment styles: (1) Secure (2) Anxious/Preoccupied (3) Avoidant/Dismissive (4) Fearful-Avoidant/Disorganized and they can impact the way people form, maintain, and dissolve relationships. It is possible for these styles to change over time and it is normal for people to have different attachment styles in different contexts. It is possible for a person to be securely attached in friendships and anxiously attached in romantic partnerships. I also believe it is possible for a person to be (generally) securely attached in their personal relationships and have non-secure attachment styles professionally (or vice-versa).
When you enter graduate school and choose a mentor, it is almost like choosing a parent. Obviously, students are autonomous adults; however, the mentor holds a lot of responsibility when it comes to training and guiding students on a successful career path. It is common to refer to labmates as lab siblings and the mentor of your mentor as your grand-mentor. There are clear power dynamics inherent to the mentor-mentee relationship and, as a result, the professional attachment style formed at the beginning of a student’s training can have a long-lasting impact on research progress and the student’s well-being.
In a secure attachment style, anxiety is provoked. The student tries to reduce anxiety by seeking solutions from their mentor. The mentor responds positively to the request, which reaffirms a sense of security and reduces anxiety. Research progress continues.
In non-secure attachment styles such as anxious and avoidant, the student tries to reduce anxiety by seeking support from their mentor. The mentor refuses the request. The lack of responsiveness increases feelings of insecurity and anxiety. The student may give up on getting support from the mentor, suppress anxiety, and distance. Research progress stalls unless another style is used or another mentor is found.
When I started in academia, I was anxiously-attached through no fault of any mentor. I came in that way. I knew it was important for me to find a collaborative mentor that was readily available and able to help me become more securely attached. If you are more securely attached, you might be able to handle a wider range of (non-abusive) mentors. Consider your current attachment style and the type of mentor that would best support your research career. | https://medium.com/@anigwe/attachment-styles-in-academia-choosing-an-advisor-a42f074e73fc | ['Allie Igwe'] | 2020-12-15 06:17:27.842000+00:00 | ['Choosing An Advisor', 'Attachment Style', 'Academia'] |
Getting Started with Numpy and Matplotlib python | PYTHOLABS | Today’s post will focus on introducing NumPy and Matplotlib to beginners where you’ll learn how to create a NumPy array, use broadcasting, access values, manipulate arrays, and much more.
NumPy is, just like SciPy, Scikit-Learn , etc. one of the packages that you just can’t miss when you’re learning data science, mainly because this library provides you with an array data structure that holds some benefits over Python lists, such as: being more compact, faster access in reading and writing items, being more convenient and more efficient.
>>> %timeit [i**2 for i in L] 441 µs ± 3.24 µs per loop (mean ± std. dev. of 7 runs, 1000 loops each)
this list comprehension takes 441 microseconds to compute. whereas numpy array object takes 5.2 microseconds which is around 100x faster :
>>> %timeit np.arange(1000)**2 5.22 µs ± 189 ns per loop (mean ± std. dev. of 7 runs, 100000 loops each)
Before you can start to try out these NumPy arrays for yourself, you first have to make sure that you have it installed locally (assuming that you’re working on your pc). If you have the Python library already available, go ahead and skip this section :)
If you’re working on Windows, make sure that you have added Python to the PATH environment variable. Then, don’t forget to install a package manager, such as pip, which will ensure that you’re able to use Python’s open-source libraries.
$ pip install numpy
There are many types of arrays like 1-d,2-d,3-d, etc :
*Default datatype of np arrays is “float64”
>>> a = np.array([0, 1, 2, 3])
array([0, 1, 2, 3])
>>> a.ndim
1
>>> a.shape
(4,)
>>> len(a)
4
2. 2-D array :
>>> b = np.array([[0, 1, 2], [3, 4, 5]])
array([[0, 1, 2],
[3, 4, 5]])
>>> b.ndim
2
>>> b.shape
(2, 3)
>>> len(b)
2 >>> a = np.arange(10) # 0 .. n-1 (!)
array([0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9])
2. By a number of points:
>>> c = np.linspace(0, 1, 6) # start, end, num-points
array([0. , 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1. ]) >>> d = np.linspace(0, 1, 5, endpoint=False)
array([0. , 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8])
3. Common arrays :
>>> a = np.ones((3, 3)) # reminder: (3, 3) is a tuple
array([[1., 1., 1.],
[1., 1., 1.],
[1., 1., 1.]]) >>> b = np.zeros((2, 2))
array([[0., 0.],
[0., 0.]])
4. np.random : random numbers (Mersenne Twister PRNG):
>>> a = np.random.rand(4) # uniform in [0, 1]
array([0.88533653, 0.79770426, 0.17104927, 0.05253928]) >>> b = np.random.randn(4) # Gaussian
array([-0.88773888, 0.69960706, -1.71071659, 1.31333033])
Matplotlib is probably the most used Python package for 2D-graphics. It provides both a quick way to visualize data from Python and publication-quality figures in many formats.
>>> import matplotlib.pyplot as plt # the tidy way %matplotlib inline
And then use (note that you have to use show explicitly if you have not enabled interactive plots with %matplotlib ):
>>> plt.plot(x, y) # line plot
>>> plt.show() # <-- shows the plot (not needed with interactive plots)
It is of two types:
>>> x = np.linspace(0, 3, 20)
>>> y = np.linspace(0, 9, 20)
>>> plt.plot(x, y) # line plot
>>> plt.plot(x, y, 'o') # dot plot
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt # Create a figure of size 8x6 inches, 80 dots per inch
plt.figure(figsize=(8, 6), dpi=80) # Create a new subplot from a grid of 1x1
plt.subplot(1, 1, 1) X = np.linspace(-np.pi, np.pi, 256, endpoint=True)
C, S = np.cos(X), np.sin(X) # Plot cosine with a blue continuous line of width 1 (pixels)
>>> plt.plot(X, C, color="blue", linewidth=1.0, linestyle="-") # Plot sine with a green continuous line of width 1 (pixels)
>>> plt.plot(X, S, color="green", linewidth=1.0, linestyle="-") # Set x limits
>>> plt.xlim(-4.0, 4.0) # Set x ticks
>>> plt.xticks(np.linspace(-4, 4, 9, endpoint=True)) # Set y limits
>>> plt.ylim(-1.0, 1.0) # Set y ticks
>>> plt.yticks(np.linspace(-1, 1, 5, endpoint=True)) # Save figure using 72 dots per inch
# plt.savefig("exercise_2.png", dpi=72) # Show result on screen
>>> plt.show()
2. 2-D plotting:
>>> image = np.random.rand(30, 30)
>>> plt.imshow(image, cmap=plt.cm.hot)
>>> plt.colorbar()
Besides mathematical operations, you might also consider taking just a part of the original array (or the resulting array) or just some array elements to use in further analysis or other operations. In such case, you will need to subset, slice and/or index your arrays.
If you have no clue at all on how these operations work, it suffices for now to know these two basic things:
· You use square brackets [] as the index operator, and
>>> a = np.array([1,2,3,4,5])
>>> a[1]
2 >>> a[0:3]
array([1,2,3])
· Generally, you pass integers to these square brackets, but you can also put a colon: or a combination of the colon with integers in it to designate the elements/rows/columns you want to select.
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Reference: https://scipy-lectures.org/intro/index.html | https://medium.com/@lope.ai/getting-started-with-numpy-and-matplotlib-python-pytholabs-e5e9d8c2b49d | [] | 2019-02-25 08:39:53.066000+00:00 | ['Numpy', 'Data Science', 'Pytholabs', 'Matplotlib', 'Python'] |
5 mistakes To avoid to build successful financial future. | 5 mistakes To avoid to build successful financial future.
Investing can be challenging for a lot of people. There is always an opportunity in the world somewhere for investment but before you start investing.
I avoided following 5 mistakes and built a better wealth for my future.
Keeping credit card debt
Credit card use is an integral part of our lives nowadays. If you’re short on money and need to make that purchase, you can use it and pay it off later. All the rewards, points, and cash backs make it even lucrative to use the credit cards. The problem starts when at the end of the month you don’t pay this balance, it starts loading humongous interest on your balance, so the item purchased for becomes way more expensive in a few months. The fact is, revolving consumer credit card debt has gone up to nearly $1.1 trillion at the end of February 2020, according to the Federal Reserve G19 Report. Federal Reserve reported in February 2020 that the average interest rate on credit cards that were assessed interest reached an astronomical 16.61%, and some can run as high as 30% for accounts that are under penalty APR terms. There is no way you can get a 16.61% return in any investment vehicle consistently, so instead of using money to invest, use it to pay off credit card debt. If you have excess money over that, use it appropriately towards investment.
2. Not having health or life insurance:
Health and life insurance don’t just protect your health, it also majorly protects your assets at the time of hardship. Both health and life insurance are essential to protecting yourself and your family from financial ruin. Few things to consider are that everyone falls sick at some point in their life, health insurance helps you pay the expense without running through your savings. It also protects you from draining financially if you found to have chronic illnesses like autoimmune diseases, congestive heart failure, diabetes, cancer. Most health insurance also covers the full cost of preventive care. Life insurance is also a must for your family’s financial health. You do not want to leave debt as your legacy to your family, Life insurance helps prevent this from happening. It should be a valuable part of your long-term financial planning. Use term or permanent life insurance according to your personal financial needs and planning but have this backup plan if things don’t go in your favor from your health perspective.
3. Not discussing finance with your spouse:
It is difficult for some to discuss money matters with your partner but it is important to talk about it. As an individual, you are more likely to make a mistake when it comes to financial planning for the family. Vision for your future finance should include your partner’s input as their future is connected with yours. It also helps to get an opinion from someone who really cares, it prevents you from making a financial mistake early in the game. For example, if your spouse wants to build a new kitchen, cost of which would be a prolonged financial burden on you and your family, you should discuss your financial vision with her to come up with a better plan to achieve this goal at an appropriate time with better financial stability. In the end, life is valued by moments lived and not by dollar value but the number of such memorable moments increases when you have good financial stability.
4. Not saving thinking it’s too little
To start investing you have to start with saving. First, save as much as possible. This requires lifestyle changes, living close to your current lifestyle but avoiding major unnecessary expenses to get financial freedom. Second, start saving early. I feel early savings go long ways for your financial success. Another advantage of saving early is to have the time for it to grow. Third, make a habit of saving part of your life. If saving becomes part of your life, you ‘ll not feel like you are compromising in anything, instead, you ‘ll start feeling proud of yourself. Fourth, invest your saving no matter how little it is. Don’t wait because you have 100$ to invest, start today, and keep adding to it before you realize your savings would increase to a large amount. Fifth, don’t stop saving, and don’t stop investing. If you continue both these practices, you ‘ll definitely come on top of your financial plan. Investing is like planting a tree, you cannot expect to have fruit right away, you have to water it consistently and for a long period of time to get the fruit of your hard work.
5. Not Contributing fully to retirement plan:
Contributing to a retirement plan is like securing your future. If the employer matches that contribution than it’s like getting free money for securing your future. As this free money grows, the actual amount at retirement becomes significant. When my wife started working, we had a discussion about how we should contribute to the retirement account, as my income was covering our daily living expenses, we decided to put every penny earned to her retirement account till she reached the max limit, this resulted in her getting the max matching money from her employer, this strategy has paid us handsome return.
So in summary, credit card debt is one of the worst debt one can have as it makes your purchase more and more expensive as time passes, in turn, drain your savings. Absolutely, get rid of it if you can. Health and life are the most valuable gift we have, we should learn to embrace it and protect it. Start saving, do not hesitate to invest that money you saved. Start small and don’t stop. Have your spouse on the same page so you do not make a mistake. And secure your retirement by contributing max.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel: Investing is 4 every1 | https://medium.com/@financehealthbyme/5-mistakes-i-avoided-to-build-successful-financial-future-5b3389d1d7ef | [] | 2020-09-15 20:34:52.603000+00:00 | ['Credit Cards', 'Money Mindset', 'Beginner Trading', 'Wealth', 'Mistakes'] |
Falling Away | The painful act of letting go
SAD (seasonal affect-disorder) season is slowly kicking in. I’ve had a near-constant anxious sensation lately, trouble sleeping, and that…off feeling.
At times, it can feel all-consuming.
The holiday season is nearly upon us with its mixed bag of emotions. Memories of simpler times. Loved ones no longer with us. A new year is just a couple of months away.
The end of the year always has a way of stirring up uncertainty and change.
As someone with a curious mind who rushes into spontaneity, I often find myself at war with the concept of change.
In today’s cultural context change is often held in high regard: “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
We want to break negative patterns. We strive for equality and rising above stigmas. We want to change the world.
In reality, even positive changes can be uncomfortable as they set in. It throws off our daily rhythms. The patterns we were accustomed to are suddenly derailed.
Whether we thrive in a life of consistency or variety, a common denominator is having control over the situation. We control the consistent schedule or the ability to chase a rabbit trail. We’re calling the shots.
For better or worse, change can make us lose the false comfort of control.
Life changes and that loss of control becomes an easy foothold for the intrusive thoughts of depression and anxiety:
They must hate me now that our lives have gone separate ways.
I don’t deserve this success in my new job.
This relationship will only work until they find out who I really am.
The pain is gone, but I’ve forgotten how to live. | https://medium.com/@tyleraturner/falling-away-46d0ff49504f | ['Tyler Turner'] | 2019-10-28 03:26:09.530000+00:00 | ['Mental Illness', 'Depression', 'Sad', 'Anxiety', 'Mental Health'] |
AYS Daily Digest 22/6/21: With too many eyes on Libyan torture, even the EU calls for closure of detention centres | GREECE
Amnesty International’s Pushback report calls out Frontex
AI has published a report which shows that violent pushbacks have become the de facto Greek border control policy in the Evros region. The level of organization needed to execute these returns, which affected around 1000 people in the incidents we documented, some numerous times and sometimes via unofficial detention sites, shows just how far Greece is going to illegally return people and cover it up. Also, they stress the responsibility of Frontex: “All of the people we spoke to were pushed back from areas where Frontex has significant numbers of staff. The agency cannot therefore claim to be ignorant of the abuses.” They therefore call on the EU border force Frontex to suspend or withdraw its Greek operations
One of the many reports documented speaks about people who were forced off the boat and into the water, while one of them who was forced off the boat could not swim and screamed for help as he bobbed up and down in the water and was seen to be swept away with the current.
Excause for violation — the infamous ‘administrative detention’
Greece is intensifying its detention policy under the hypocritical and tolerating gaze of the EU. More specifically, on Kos and — during the operation of the pre-removal centre — in Evros the authorities apply a policy of generalised and systematic detention of newly arrived asylum seekers subject to a few exceptions, whereas even vulnerable people are detained for prolonged periods, RSA report demonstrates. On the mainland, persons without documentation continue to be detained for the purpose of removal, including persons that overwhelmingly wish to seek international protection without having had a prior possibility to make an application.
Every now and then we are forced to sign documents [extension of detention] that are written in the Greek language and if we do not sign them, they hit us.
While in detention, people are in a gap regarding medical and psychosocial services, lack of legal assistance and interpretation, as well as arbitrariness and police violence.
Wandering around a 100 metres backyard for 18 months is torture in itself, one of the detainees, explains.
Following their findings, the RSA calls on the Greek authorities:
To immediately end the generalised and systematic implementation of administrative detention against refugees and migrants.
To comply with their obligation to conduct an individual assessment of the necessity of imposing in each case, taking particularly into account the conditions of detention in light of the pandemic.
To take immediate action to improve detention conditions in accordance with the recommendations of national and international bodies.
To immediately address deficiencies in the treatment of detainees and the prevention of health risks.
To ensure the communication of detainees with appropriate and adequate medical staff, as well as their access to legal assistance.
Neighborhood watch against human(itarian)s
At the same time, while some are being held in horrendous conditions, those who provide some trace of humanity to people stuck in the limbo are, once again, being criminalised. the Greek police has arrested 61-year-old Dutch journalist Ingeborg Beugel on Sunday, June 13, on charges of hosting the 23-year-old man from Afghanistan, Freydun, an asylum seeker. She has been living on Hydra for the last 40 years, is correspondent for several Dutch media. As the Greek media reported, she “met the Afghan asylum seeker and his dog in the camp in Malakasa in December 2018 while she was filming for a documentary the economic crisis and the migration issue. He helped her with translations and when the living conditions in the camp became unbearable for him and his dog, she started hosting him.”
It appears some of the locals called in the police. According to the official information, she could face at least one year in prison and a fine of at least 5,000 euros — or double if the goal is for profit.
Voices from Patras
Our friend from No Name Kitchen give an update from Patras and a note about power dynamics and the ways that humanitarian approaches can influence them:
(…)
A short conversation is enough to realise that people in transit are not the passive victims described by the most common political and social media discourses. They decided to leave their country to save their own lives, to help their families or to search a different life. They made a choice in contexts where the european colonial history still have lot of responsabilities. A border system that produces inequality. The “victim” is passive, can only receive help, and “the saviour” brings help thanks to his kindness, reproducing neocolonial hierarchies. Nevertheless fighting the structural violence of borders is not a about goodness: the solidarity toward people on the move it’s a responsibility to fight injustice. None of the people in transit is simply a passive victim.
FRANCE
Demonstration of force on homeless people on the move and activists who feed them
New evictions of temporary placed tents have been reported and video documented in the north. | https://medium.com/are-you-syrious/ays-daily-digest-22-6-21-with-too-many-eyes-on-libyan-torture-even-the-eu-calls-for-closure-of-bb0f76008011 | ['Are You Syrious'] | 2021-06-23 15:34:32.393000+00:00 | ['Digest', 'Europe', 'Human Rights', 'Refugees', 'Libya'] |
How This Writer Learned That Writing Is a Lifelong Pursuit | When did you join Medium? What influenced your decision to join?
2018. I enjoyed the platform.
When did you join Koinonia? What attracted you to this publication?
A couple of months ago. It’s a great platform.
How long have you been writing and how did you come to it?
I have been writing for 8 years. I started writing when I conceptualized an idea for a novel.
Who are some of the people who most influenced your decision to write?
Jesus. My therapist Michelle. My sister Christina.
Where do you get your ideas? What inspires you?
I get my ideas from Everywhere. Thoughts. Songs. Books. Out of thin air. The Holy Spirit.
What do you like most / least about writing?
I like to help others through my words. I don’t like that writing takes years to hone your skills.
How do you balance professional time with personal time?
Currently, writing fits in with my personal time. I try to take time each week to develop new ideas and work on my craft.
Personal photo of Michael Christopher
What Medium publications/writers are you currently following?
Invisible illness. The inspired writer. Nicolas Cole.
What are some of your favorite things? What makes you unique?
Guitar. Skateboarding. Going for walks.
How is your faith reflected in your writing?
I write to inspire and I aim to uplift.
What are some things you learned from your own writing? From others?
I learned that writing is a lifelong pursuit. I’ve learned this is in both my writing, and the writing of others.
What is your ultimate writing goal?
My aim is to reach others who are struggling in life and give them the tools to lift them higher. And to give glory to Jesus Christ. King of Kings.
What advice do you have for a newbie on Medium?
Be consistent and keep at it. Little by little. Don’t give up!
Where else can we find you on the Internet? Do you have a website, blog, Pinterest board, etc?
www.epiphanyartistry.com | https://medium.com/koinonia/how-this-writer-learned-that-writing-is-a-lifelong-pursuit-d6748944d436 | ['Kimberley Payne'] | 2020-12-05 15:13:16.025000+00:00 | ['Writing', 'Writing Tips', 'Consistency', 'Writers On Medium', 'Writers On Writing'] |
Five bad incentives recruiters have and what job seekers can do about it | When there is big money involved and little chance of getting caught, people do immoral things. As a recruiter, I am often faced with such a dilemma. In over five years in this business, I wasn’t honest or ethical all the time.
When I use the term “recruiter” I refer to a so-called recruitment agent whose only job is to connect job-seekers and companies. This is what I do at coderfit.com.
I will tell you all the (bad) incentives recruiters have, what usually happens as a result, and how you can make the best of it as a job seeker.
1. Actual understanding of who is hired vs. keyword matching
Good recruiter: Before we start to recruit, let’s say, for a senior Java developer role, we first try to understand what the job entails, and what the needed skills and frameworks are. We need to understand that the best programmers are actually programming language agnostic.
We need to find out what motivates candidates going from one company to another and what our client companies offer to them.
Ideally, we have a somewhat relevant background (for instance, I worked as a coder before) and if we don’t, we research to prepare ourselves so as not to waste the candidates’ time.
If someone asks “Does the team you are hiring for use CI/CD?”, we know the answer, and if we don’t, we tell the candidate that we will find out and get back to them. Although we are super busy, we actually do follow up because we understand that a pissed candidate is a lost candidate. We talk to our client firm, get the question answered, and send it back to the candidate swiftly. Our clients trust us to engage with their developers because we’d never headhunt from our client base.
Bad recruiter: Our boss needs us to make commissions as fast as possible. If we don’t perform, we get fired. We don’t have time to deeply understand the roles we recruit for. Moreover, we now have “AI” that matches keywords from job adverts directly to profiles on Linkedin, so why bother?
If we get difficult questions from candidates, we either lie (“of course they have CI/CD!”) or claim that we will find out the answer, but we never do due to three reasons, each one worse than the last: 1. We forget about it, 2. We are too lazy to do it, and 3. We don’t even know whom to ask at our client’s team: We barely have any contact with them, and they’d never let us talk to the technical people anyway because they are scared we will snatch their developers.
2. Real vs. fantasy job adverts
Good recruiter: We send you two to three fitting jobs with firms that we know well and work with for years. With our clients, we either have a retained or very close commission-based relationship. Retained means that they prepay us before we even start working. Commission-based means that they pay on successful “placement” only. Either way, we are constantly in the loop of what is going on in the company, which roles are most urgent to fill, which are passive, the firm’s overall (financial) situation, and the types of people who work there.
Often, we get told details that are too sensitive to be put on a public job advert, like salary ranges or the actual reason why they are hiring (e.g., to replace someone who should be let go). We visit the firm’s office regularly or at least once before the search, and hence we have an idea of how it is to work there.
We give you, the candidate, all the needed details either in an email, a chat, or a call, whatever you prefer. After we made sure all your questions are answered, we compile a full profile about you based on your wishes and send it over to our long-term client companies.
Bad recruiter: We cold-call you and refuse to communicate in any other way, because we need your full attention when it fits us best. After all, we need to call ~50 other people today to fill our “calling quota”. (Our boss bases our performance on how long we are in calls.)
Here an extreme story from a friend who had to talk to a recruiter while on the toilet. If you are very sensitive maybe don’t read this:
A friend allowed me to share their recruiter experience.
We, bad recruiters, present you several dozen “fitting jobs” at companies that somewhat agreed via email that they might look at our candidates but never gave us a proper briefing besides sending a link to the public job adverts. We have no clue about how it is to work there because all information we have is the same available to anyone online.
With some vacancies that we send you, it is even worse: They aren’t actually client companies. Yes, you read that right, we advertise jobs that we don’t even know whether they exist. We found those jobs using automated scraping web tools. Of course, some of the adverts are stale, but we still pitch them to you and waste your time because it might mean a placement to us.
If you like one of our client companies, we send your resume to them straight up, usually with minimal notes about you, which means there isn’t even an advantage working with us vs. applying on your own.
If the firm you like is from the list of “not-yet-clients”, it can go wild: Even if you tell us you are about to apply there on your own, we lie to you that they are a client so we can front-run your job search, and send your profile to them before you can. We may even lie to you later that they rejected you although we just didn’t get any reply to our cold-mail, evil right?
We send your resume to hundreds of firms at the same time with automated tools. Of course, we attach our terms and conditions in which we ask for money, should you be hired.
In the worst case, that means you either can’t apply on your own anymore to those firms because they think you agreed to work with us to find you a job or, in the best case, there will be some friction for you. Some firms put on their site explicitly “we don’t work with recruiters, resumes sent via cold email will be treated as direct applicants”, but since we rarely read job adverts, we either don’t see this or care. If they indeed treat you as a “direct applicant,” we have many other firms that will actually take our cold mail seriously and consider paying us. Our approach is similar to Viagra spam: As long as one recipient shows interest, we’re good. And hey, maybe the “spam method” (we call it “efficient business development”) will get you a job that actually is a great fit for you!
3. High vs. low client expectations
Good recruiter: Clients require us to assess each candidate we send for hard- and soft-skill fit. We need to explain to candidates what our clients do and what jobs they offer, and they find it more pleasant to talk to a human like us compared to reading a boring job advert. Some will refuse to interview with our clients. Sometimes with understandable reasons, at other times because they misunderstood something. We need to represent the companies we work with correctly but find out whether the candidate really does fit, but suffers from Imposter Syndrome. We need to be salesy but not pushy.
We see our job as making sure people who should talk to each other actually talk to each other.
After we send your profile to our clients, the firms review our extensive notes and your CV, and if they are interested, they directly contact you.
The commissions we get are 20% — 25% of the yearly salary, which our clients happily pay. Why? Our work includes lots of things not going anywhere. We do tons of work “for free”. Our fee is fair considering that a new hire generates enough revenue within the first month or two to cover our cost.
Our goal is to place the right person in the right job where they can stay long-term because a happy candidate and client are long-term ones.
Our clients work with maybe 2–3 recruiters maximum or sometimes even exclusively. When something goes unexpectedly wrong with our candidates, we give discounts because long-term relationships with clients are more valuable to us than instant money.
Bad recruiter: Some of our clients don’t mind that we send them resumes of job seekers who haven’t even agreed to interview. (We do as if we don’t know data protection regulations.) If the client firm is interested, they will tell us. Then, we cold-call and pressure candidates into agreeing to talk to the firm.
Since we use the “spray and pray” approach, we don’t need to have big sales skills, we use tools to send resumes around as efficiently and to as many companies as possible. Our commissions here are usually 15%-18%.
Our not-so-great clients also work with many recruiters, likely 20+, which drive down prices. The cheaper the better, they say. We don’t mind that our clients are in competition with one another, because almost all of them treat us badly. Our clients work with so many agencies that often the same candidates will be submitted by several recruiters, either at the same time or months apart. Then, there is often a fight about who gets the commission and the whole thing turns into a giant shit show, very often to the detriment of the candidate.
Our client companies tend to be less great places to work, too, so people often leave after a year or so. Then, we offer a new giant list of companies we can send the resume to because our client base changes so often.
4. Real vs. fake salary negotiation
Good recruiter: Dear candidate, we help you to not only know the salary ranges but we negotiate an offer with the client on your behalf or coach you on how to do it either by actively training you on the phone until you feel comfortable, or pointing you to relevant negotiation resources. If a client firm doesn’t match your compensation wishes, we are okay with your decision, because we know that pressure won’t get us anywhere. If you hate us, you won’t give us another chance to work with you or your friends in the future. Reputation is more important to us than an immediate placement.
Bad recruiter: We ask you to accept any offer, even a low one because all we want is to make a placement to get our commission. If you resist, we call you forty times a day and use evil sales pressure techniques to make you sign the new work contract. I mean, you might like the job after all, so why not “force you into your luck”. Our reputation can’t get any worse, so we have nothing to lose.
5. Communicating rejection reasons: Truths vs. lies
Good recruiter: When our client firm you interviewed with doesn’t at first give us the reason why you were rejected, we keep asking them until they do. We communicate the rejection reason to you in a professional and calm manner.
Bad recruiter: When you ask us why the firm rejected you, we won’t bother the client. We rather make something up, so you stop asking. This might make you think you suck in a certain area where you actually don’t, but we are too busy to care.
As a candidate, how to filter out bad recruiters?
You might now be thinking: “This all sounds like lots of trouble, I don’t want to work with recruiters”.
I understand your sentiment but don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Sometimes recruiters point you to opportunities that you’d overlook otherwise, or even if you apply, you won’t get noticed unless you have someone’s “approval” stamp on your resume. (That is why personal recommendations work best to find a job but sometimes you lack personal contacts and need to find other ways to get noticed.)
Recruiters’ pre-assessments and notes can be helpful for two reasons: First, they prove that someone has checked basic facts about you, like whether you have a work permit and are really open to a new job (many people send around CVs for other reasons, for instance, because they are bored, yes, really). Second, without proper notes about yourself, you might not get the attention you deserve. I had several clients telling me:
Iwan, I wouldn’t have hired this candidate if it weren’t for your notes about them.
To find out whether you are working with a bad or with a good recruiter, ask them:
“How often have you met the firm you recruit for and what did they tell you that isn’t in the job advert?”
I recommend asking this in a call because it is harder for the recruiter to lie on a live call than via an asynchronous email. If they give an answer that doesn’t sound off, then you’re good to continue. You recognize a bad recruiter, if the answers are too wishy-washy — here examples:
Likely a bad recruiter: “I am in touch with the client over email.” *switching topics* Likely a good recruiter: “I just was at their office and had a briefing with Mike, the hiring manager, he gave me a demo of their app, and I must say it has awesome UX. The salary range is X to Y. Are there any other specifics I can answer for you?”
If the answer is detailed and comes fast, you can go ahead. And there is one more thing you can do:
After you have given them the details about you and about which jobs you are looking for, let them repeat this back to you. This is to check if they understood what is important to you. If they fail to repeat what you told them, it means they failed to listen and won’t be able to represent you well to companies.
Great recruiters will by themselves — without being prompted for it — repeat back to you what you told them to double-check if they understood everything right.
As recruiters, our lives aren’t easy. When we are in the heat of the moment we often need to choose between the chance of making a lot of money with dubious means plus little chance of getting caught ( “oops, I thought they agreed that I send their CV around”), or leave money on the table by doing the right, long-term thing. The kind of action your mom will approve of and on which you will look back on your deathbed and think: “This was the right thing to do”. Often, sadly, immediate money is more appealing.
Conclusion
Bad recruiters aren’t necessarily bad humans. Bad behavior can be a reaction to candidates and companies treating them badly. Only the best recruiters can shake off past bad experiences and keep their behavior ethical with a new client or candidate albeit the previous ones screwed them. (How candidates and clients screw over recruiters is the topic for another blog post.)
Naval’s infamous Tweet said “play long-term games with long-term people”. For the sake of your career, you need to understand who plays which game. I hope this article helps recruitment agencies, candidates, and clients to work better together.
If you like my writing style, you might also enjoy:
I educate programmers on what matters in their careers. Follow me anywhere.
👏If this article was useful to you, please hit that clap button a few (dozen) times.👏
Or if you dislike it, send me an angry email: [email protected] 😅 | https://medium.com/@iwangulenko/how-recruiters-can-destroy-your-chances-to-land-a-job-b0a2c63c60c | ['Iwan Gulenko'] | 2021-01-04 08:30:25.052000+00:00 | ['Tech', 'Recruitment Agencies', 'Hiring', 'Recruitment', 'Careers'] |
Countering the Digital Consensus — Technology, Elites, and Elections | In 2016, in Saint John, New Brunswick, I saw a presentation by Peter Hicks, on his paper “The Enabling Society”. It was the most important message I had heard in the open data space in years. Which was funny, because others in the room told me he’d been talking about the Enabling Society since the early 1990s. To grossly oversimplify, Peter talks about the opportunity to use tech and data analysis to improve the delivery of social welfare programs.
Hold onto that idea — the one where we could do a much better job of delivering social policy using tech — and hold it up against the dominant discourse of digital technology. The dominant discourse of digital focuses on the end-user having easy, quick, seamless experiences doing government things. Even in the cases that escape the middle-class focus, say the Ontario Student Assistance Program calculator, it’s about a student getting on a computer and doing the work. It’s not a lot of work, granted, but it’s a self-directed tool.
Focus on the individual is one of the fundamental hallmarks of neoliberal thinking. Much of the current discussion about digital reduces technology to a user/government interaction. This is not a framework for reimagining social policy. This is a framework for entrenching neoliberalism.
A few times a year, I’m tempted to throw the whole idea of open data aside as superfluous, a layer of privileged policy discussion. And after having this discussion with myself and others several times, I arrive back to the one point of open data that remains, for me, a reason to stick with it. Open data is a way to learn about our governments. Beyond learning about them, it enables consultation and public discussions grounded in reality. Real numbers of people, real data on race, real numbers of assets, real amounts of money.
This connects to the idea of openness about the state of government tech. The stakes are high for government technology, but they’ve always been high. Not because of robots, not because of AI, but because technology is the domain of an elite. It has never been applied to anything other than neoliberal governance. This will not sit well with the persistent digital consensus that digital is somehow inherently progressive, but it’s not. And I’m part of that elite. The time to apply technology to a state that recommits to social welfare is thirty years ago. But this could also start now. It’s one way to get to a different future, a different social equity space, and a different government.
One critical piece of background in the relationship between technology and the elite is the history of neoliberalism. How it came to be, how it dominates global culture, and how it brought about public policy changes in the form of new public management. Policy under neoliberalism is not a neutral undertaking. Policy in a neoliberal context continuously puts emphasis on markets, individual’s capacity to work/contribute, and efficiency.
New public management, which occurred in neoliberal times, meant decentralization, with separate agencies, ministries, etc. all working more independently, as business units. And in the name of business management, it was the beginning of more metrics. Benchmarks. Data. Business Intelligence. Analytics. Statistics. And here’s where the technology community missed the first chance to grab the wheel — but why would it have? It’s an elite stakeholder. Technology has been in play in government for roughly thirty years. And rather than use it to rebuild how we serve people, government has been building it on top of and around our policy to center markets and capitalism, and to outsource care of vulnerable people to charities and non-profits.
Government and the private sector together created complexity in digitizing our government. They built complicated and disparate systems to serve government ends and data laws instead of building processes, laws, and systems to serve people, particularly people that need the most help from the state. And there is waste in government IT — there are few places I can say this with confidence about government spending, but this is one of them.
Decades have gone by without anyone properly applying technology to social equity goals. This includes the collection and application of race-based data. This includes the removal of administrative burdens that keep poor people from getting government help and accessing programs. Low-tech tech. The problem is, no one has taken technology up as a political opportunity to work on social equity. These opportunities are important in our discussions of tech because otherwise we continue to make government tech synonymous with neoliberalism. It’s not the only way.
Here I’ll pause to stick my hand up to say that if you are running for office at any level of government, and our values align, I’d like to talk to you. Because there are opportunities and risks abound in how tech is managed in government. There has been an opportunity for a long time now to better apply both data and technology to service delivery. Making efforts to change how all of this works is political. It’s not value-neutral. It’s partisan electoral politics. You cannot de-politicize policy from within government and just do the right digital thing. Tech leadership can be visible or invisible as part of an electoral platform. Either way, it can serve an important role heading into the next set of elections at all levels of government. It’s time to politicize this discussion and challenge the digital consensus. | https://medium.com/code-for-america/countering-the-digital-consensus-technology-elites-and-elections-b866ee5cde51 | ['Bianca Wylie'] | 2017-06-30 17:22:34.040000+00:00 | ['Social Justice', 'Government', 'Civic Tech Network', 'Tech', 'Open Data'] |
Disney Pixar’s ‘Soul’ Review: As Above, So Below | I remember seeing the promo for Disney Pixar’s Soul and being underwhelmed. The only memorable takeaway was that Jamie Foxx is a part of it but what I viewed in the trailer didn’t leave much to the imagination, or in my case, nothing to imagine, at all.
This morning, I saw an ad for the movie in my Twitter feed, mentioning it had debuted on Christmas morning (yesterday), and read the tweets below it. A lot were mixed reviews- some were in an uproar over Tina Fey being the voice of the main Black character, for a portion of the film. At first, I figured what I felt about not having much of an initial pull to watch it was being confirmed by the tweets I read. But if there was ever a time to not listen to the peanut gallery, today was that day, for me.
First, I must say that those who are upset about what I mentioned above simply needed something to be upset about. It doesn’t hold weight, nor does it downgrade the message of the film or the Black character’s portrayal. It simply made sense for how the story was written. Whew, chile…y’all are miserable.
Spoiler alert: The movie’s main character, Joe Gardner is a middle-school band teacher with ambitions of playing piano for a notable jazz band. He gets pushback from his mother (Phylicia Rashad), who is discouraging due to his father chasing his jazz dreams while leaving her to foot the majority of bills at home, and she sees the same pattern in Joe. When he finally lands a gig of his dreams with a popular saxophonist (Angela Bassett), Joe’s excitement distracts him from watching his steps and leads to his untimely death. Instead of traveling the people-mover with the rest of the recently deceased into the “Great Beyond”, Joe escapes to “personality school”, and becomes a mentor for a young soul who has yet to incarnate, who goes by the number 22.
The young soul, 22 (Tina Fey), is actually an old one who has been there for centuries (clearly…22 out of how many billion?) and refuses to believe she has a reason or “spark” to earn her “earth badge” and incarnate into a body. And I’m calling her “she”, simply because the voice of a woman was 22’s choice, so pipe-down gender non-conformists- this isn’t a slight. 22 is scared, has major doubts about living (I don’t blame sis), and is quite comfortable living her non-existent life in the “before” life.
The plot of the movie is based around Joe doing everything he can to cheat The Universe and get back to his body, but when that plan backfires he ends up understanding what it really means to live through 22’s perspective (or lack thereof).
Soul does a wonderful job of displaying how to embrace not living for a passion but to make living, in general, a passion worth savoring. There are messages involving astral projection, “lost souls”, living in the moment, and going after your dreams, in spite of naysayers. It even touches on finally grasping “the thing” (you know, that thing we feel will make us complete and then we can die) and how that can be a trivial pursuit if we lose sight of the journey.
There was a depiction of the yin/yang of being “in the zone”, when demonstrating a passion versus said passion turning into an obsession occupying the same dimension, that made me sit up in my bed in wonder. Somebody was high on shrooms or had a really high-dose of edibles when they envisioned this movie and you can’t tell me otherwise. I have the same convictions with Sausage Party, another movie that I feel went over the masses' heads, just as this one might. However, I believe Soul made everything vividly plain and the visuals were outstanding!
There’s no mistaking the poignancy of spirituality- given the number 22 is a master number that coincides with the character’s personality to a tee. To imagine that the lessons we learn on earth are inspiring to those assigned to inspire us in the cosmos gives another meaning to the saying “as above, so below.”
If you get a chance, watch Soul and share your thoughts. | https://medium.com/@lilisheree/disney-pixars-soul-review-as-above-so-below-bea576c99369 | ['Lili Sheree'] | 2020-12-27 03:08:13.661000+00:00 | ['Disney Plus', 'Disney', 'Disney Pixar', 'Movie Review', 'Film Reviews'] |
Blockchain might just protect free speech. | Blockchain might just protect free speech.
Humanity has been warring over freedom of speech for centuries.
With the ushering in of the digital age, life has become much more comfortable for humanity as a whole. But it has been the reason for many sleepless nights for legislators and policymakers across the world. It is getting proved over and over again that laws drawn up before the advent of computers have disastrous consequences when applied to issues created by technology.
But change is happening, whether we like it or not, and it’s happening across the world.
Photo by arvin febry on Unsplash
London has CCTV cameras set up on almost every corner of its streets and the moment one sets foot in London, they realise that every step that they take is being watched.
Governments across the world are tapping phone and messaging channels.
While some do it under the veil of denial, many do it openly, brushing it off as a “security measure”.
They argue that citizens desire security, even if that comes at a cost.
Even photos are being automatically embedded with geographical information and Instagram has only made it easier to do so.
It is therefore not surprising that legislators in Wyoming have made it illegal to gather data of any kind from open land in their state. Which by extension, also implies that it is also illegal to take pictures of any location that might put the government in a tight position or under a bad light.
Drafted and signed on by Governor Matt Mead, the primary motivation behind this legislation was to keep environmentalists and activists at bay from any site that can provide evidence of wrongdoing on the government’s part. Any evidence gathered by violating it would be inadmissible in court.
Additionally, this legislation gives landowners complete freedom to use every legal tool in their arsenal to protect their land from being trespassed on. A loophole that is a boon for some, but dangerous for others. What’s more concerning is that this may serve as a model for the neighbouring states like Kansas City, North Dakota, Montana, Utah.gov to set up their own similar laws against data gathering.
Regardless of one’s standpoint, this is data censorship at its finest. Violation of these legal statutes carries a prison sentence of up to one year, civil trespassing liability and upto $1000 in fines.
Legal statutes like these seem harmless when read directly as they are, but when one considers its direct consequences, the bigger picture comes into view. In this case, the statute gives reporters and citizens an incentive to “look the other way” when they see anything that points to the government of Wyoming’s wrongdoing; or face severe prosecution.
Where does Blockchain fit in all of this?
It is not news that governments across the world are trying their best to control the information that flows in and out of their countries.
When seen from a different perspective, it makes sense to monitor data, given how valuable it has become in this time and age. But people across the world are standing up against this gross violation of their privacies, and the creation of Blockchain was just a part of that movement. It is therefore not surprising that many governments feel threatened by Blockchain and its applications.
To start off, decentralised currency such as Bitcoin or ethereum flies directly in the face of Government regulation: they don’t behave according to fiscal and monetary policies, they are not tangible and most importantly, they are decentralised.
In other words, there is no Federal Bank for Bitcoins.
Blockchains use stretches far wider than just cryptocurrency, though. For example, while evidence in its conventional form may be subject to tampering and thus become inadmissible in court, a transparent solution using Blockchain technology can easily circumvent this issue because every user in that system has a copy. The risk of misuse of data drops down to almost zero as nothing can be taken offline once it’s in the system because there is no centralised server in use.
Humanity has been warring over freedom of speech for centuries. Thousands have perished defending their rights and failing over and over again.
But when one sees Blockchain’s promising results, it’s hard not to admit that there is a silver lining to all of this — that no matter how hard some governments try, freedom of speech can never be completely eradicated. | https://medium.com/hackernoon/blockchain-might-just-protect-free-speech-d068dc17308b | ['Vinay Nair'] | 2019-06-18 15:51:46.337000+00:00 | ['Blockchain', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Government', 'Decentralization', 'Free Speech'] |
Tips When Purchasing a Bicycle Pump | With so many bike pumps to pick from it can be downright confusing to figure which bicycle pump to buy. Additionally, there are a variety of points now accessible on current bike pumps that have been now not around lower back in the day. Spending the time to choose the bike pump acceptable to your wishes will pay in the lengthy run, as pumps are one of the most heavily-used renovation equipment for avid cyclists. In this article we will go through the factors you ought to reflect onconsideration on when purchasing your bike pump.
bike pump for sale
Valve Type
Bicycles are usually match with one of two valves, the Presta (typically determined on street bikes) and Schrader (typically observed on mountain bikes). The Presta valve is long and slender and is normally observed on excessive performance bikes that require a excessive air pressure. Schrader valves on the other hand are wider and extra impenetrable than the Presta counterpart. Therefore, the head of the bike pumps range relying on the kind of valve in place. However, no need to worry; producers have made our lives less complicated by creating interchangeable pumps that feature attachments for both Presta and Schrader on the same pump. Nonetheless, it is important to know which valve is on your bike to make certain that the pump you purchase is desirable to your bicycle.
Air Pressure
When deciding on a bicycle pump type, be positive to reflect onconsideration on whether or not it will be able to provide the correct air pressure wanted for your tires. A wellknown rule of thumb for air stress is 85 — a hundred thirty psi for road bikes and 30–50 psi for mountain bikes; therefore, it might also now not be truly integral to get a pump that provides a significantly high psi, such as 200. Furthermore, buying pumps with higher strain output can sometimes suggest having decrease extent per pump or having a gauge that is less than accurate. You choose to pick a pump that is a proper stability of each of these items while providing you with the vital air strain for your tires.
Pump Size And Weight
If you do not need to travel with your pump then you can consider getting a large pump such as an digital or song pump for domestic usage. However, if you are an avid camper or regularly travel in difficult terrain, you can also choose to think about getting a smaller pump such as a mini-pump. The tradeoff is that the smaller pumps are commonly for single-use functions and might also not be able to pump as excessive an air strain as the extra sturdy pumps. Therefore, relying on how frequently you cycle, you may additionally prefer to think about having one exceptional pump at home and a lightweight one for travel needs.
Gauge
For smaller pumps, it is not going that you will locate a gauge included; for larger pumps such as an electronic or music pump, you can expect that it will consist of one. Try to locate gauges that are convenient to read and in a position to measure the range of air strain used with the aid of your bicycle. These days it is feasible to find digital gauges that are correct and effortless to read, however they may additionally be more expensive. Gauges are regularly really worth the funding as they help make certain that you are pumping the right air pressure into your tires, which in turn helps extend the life of your bicycle.
Pump Material
A usual rule of thumb is: the extra costly the materials, the greater pricey the pump. High-quality pumps will be made of metal, are greater durable, and typically ultimate longer. Alternative cheaper fabric picks will be made out of plastic and may put on down after lengthy usage. Depending on what you can afford, you may also prefer to consider investing in a pump that will be in a position to keep up beneath repeat usage.
Finding a appropriate portable bike pump is massively dependent on your character needs. If you are an avid cyclist you may also choose to consider buying a compact, lightweight pump that can supply air in between regular pumping. If you are an occasional bike rider, it may additionally not be crucial to buy a pump with all the bells and whistles. Keeping these hints in idea will help you make an informed desire when choosing the best pump. | https://medium.com/@inbikecc68/tips-when-purchasing-a-bicycle-pump-5c18585e028b | ['Chen Chris'] | 2019-06-17 09:59:44.875000+00:00 | ['Cycling', 'Bicycle Pump', 'Bike Pump'] |
What is a Womb Cave + Red Tent Ritual? ( Menstrual Cycle 101 ) | Are you familiar with the Red Tent ⛺️ tradition?
It’s an ancient ritual where women would gather together during their menstrual bleed away from the tribe.
This was NOT done because menstruation was unclean or impure.
It was done because this experience was viewed as SACRED + HOLY.
The Red Tent was a time for women to rest + nourish their bodies, bond in sisterhood and receive intuitive messages that would guide the tribe.
🔺Shedding blood has always been a symbol of strength, the way of the warrior.
👉It is only women’s blood that has been distorted as a symbol of weakness, embarrassment and shame.
If you’re still there, I get it. It took me a DECADE to heal + LOVE this aspect of being a woman. It’s part of the reason I’m so fired up about this work. It doesn’t need to take you a decade to love ALL of you, that’s why you have me 😉.
𝙄𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 CELEBRATE 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙗 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩🩸𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙🩸𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚.
A womb cave is a modern version of this sacred ritual.
𝙄𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 + 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚.
Your womb cave is a time to go inward. To slow down. To release. To heal. To listen within. To receive.
Your hormonal cycles are a 𝙂𝙄𝙁𝙏 of Nature. When you stop fighting and learn to work 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 your hormones, you will experience the 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡, 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨, 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙔𝙊𝙐.
I will be offline for at least the next 24 hours in my Womb Cave,
💋Serena
@serenavamoroso
PS — learn how to align your life with your hormones for flow instead of chaos in Feminine Magnetism. DM for info. | https://medium.com/@serenavamoroso/what-is-a-womb-cave-red-tent-ritual-menstrual-cycle-101-940ff38f787a | ['Serena V Amoroso'] | 2020-12-24 01:52:28.685000+00:00 | ['Hormones', 'Womens Health', 'Menstrual Cup', 'Menstrual Cycle', 'Menstruation'] |
Introducing FA2: A Multi-Asset Interface for Tezos | Introducing FA2: A Multi-Asset Interface for Tezos
A request for comment about TZIP-12: a proposal for a unified interface supporting multiple token types and multi-asset contracts on Tezos TQ Tezos Follow Mar 6, 2020 · 9 min read
Overview
This post introduces FA2 (TZIP-12), a proposal for a unified token contract interface, supporting both a wide range of token types (e.g. fungible, non-fungible, non-transferrable, etc.) as well as multi-asset contracts (a la ERC-1155). FA2 aspires to offer wide expressivity to create novel implementations and even invent token types while maintaining a common interface standard for wallet integrators and external developers.
In initiating a request for comment, we hope to identify opportunities to refine the interface through feedback and early use. And please reach out if interested in collaborating!
Key Resources:
This post introduces FA2 and its motivations at a high level. We recommend reading the TZIP-12 proposal and trying it yourself using Stove Labs’ tutorial.
As noted in “Next Steps”, we will soon provide reference implementations for single- and multi- asset versions of FA2 alongside a blog post about implementation patterns.
Introduction
Background
Over the past several years, Ethereum’s ERC-20 (fungible tokens) and ERC-721 (non-fungible tokens) have become synonymous with blockchain-based assets. In response to growing demand for an ERC-20 equivalent interface standard on Tezos, last year we released FA1.2 (TZIP-7) based on work with Serokell and Nomadic Labs. FA1.2 implementations have emerged in SmartPy, LIGO, Lorentz, and others.
As noted last year, we’ve aimed to follow up FA1.2 with a new token standard proposal, beginning with prototypes inspired by ERC-1155. This eventually led us to FA2, a new token standard proposal we are introducing today for public comment on Tezos Agora.
While FA1.2 has seen robust demand for financial use cases needing a single fungible token contract, FA2 is agnostic to token type and allows both single- and multi-token contracts via one standard API. All entry points in FA2 are batch operations, allowing multiple transfers of different tokens and/or token types to be executed in one atomic transaction.
This allows FA2 to enable all of the familiar functionality of FA1.2 but also broadens the potential for tokenization on Tezos significantly.
FA2 provides developers a wide latitude to define and invent token types with complex token interactions while maintaining a standard API for wallets and external applications. Such examples include NFTs for collectible assets, non-transferrable badges to incentivize behaviors, and multi-asset contracts containing thousands of different gaming items with interactive, transmutable behaviors.
FA2 Design Considerations
The FA2 proposal is also inspired by direct experience implementing tokens (e.g. FA1.2) on Tezos and by feedback on early FA2 prototypes from nearly two dozen external individuals and teams. Included in this group were EIP standards proposers, tokenization platforms, custodians, and institutional users, as well as gaming, exchange, and marketplace builders. We’ve also gathered input from indexer developers, language creators, prominent security auditors, and Tezos core developers. Additionally, we’ve worked directly with early implementers and potential integrators of FA2, incorporating their feedback while iterating on the specification.
Two common themes emerged from our experience with FA1.2 and broader research into how users and developers actually use tokens on Ethereum:
1. Standards fragmentation by token type in Ethereum has been driven by adoption, rather than intent
Ethereum’s major token standards have emerged based on popular token types (ERC-20 for fungible tokens, ERC-721 for non-fungible)
Although FA1.2 has seen early momentum, Tezos is nascent enough not to have strong path dependence towards standards specific to token types
In the long-run, a token standard which is agnostic to token type may produce stronger network effects and less friction as wallets and external applications need to support just one core transport API across multiple token types
2. Permissions standardization must balance flexibility for customization (e.g. whitelisting) with a need to avoid fragmentation (e.g. by compatibility with popular contracts)
Over-specification of permissioning restricts developers’ expressivity to create novel implementations and creates integration friction for wallets, constraining network effects from both sides
Under-specification leads to fragmentation and capture by popular implementations or use cases (e.g. exchanges)
FA2 also led us to reflect more broadly on how standard proposals interplay with Tezos as a self-amending protocol which can add new functionality over time. For these purposes, we have been especially interested in potential core features discussed on Agora such as contract signatures (“stamps”), event logging, and read-only calls, all of which might improve usability and could be useful for updating the standard.
To facilitate rapid iteration and external feedback, we’ve chosen CameLIGO for the initial interface specification and reference implementation, using the opportunity to provide significant feedback to the LIGO language team (in the form of dozens of Gitlab issues). We will also soon publish both a Michelson interface and SmartPy implementation for FA2 incorporating any changes to the spec based on community feedback.
Standard vs. Implementation
What should be the scope of an interface standard and what should be left to implementers?
Standardization aims to solve collective action problems, situations in which users would all benefit by cooperating but find it too costly to do so alone. In the case of a token, the API standard has already been chosen at the time of contract development, i.e. before the user accesses it, making standardization necessary. An API standard instead is used to ensure interoperability with related applications and wallets which want to support tokens but do not want to have to support many different APIs.
However, a standard is enforced on all implementers, so being too feature-rich or over-specified risks taxing all users, not just contract deployers. By contrast, under-specified standards risk fragmentation, creating walled gardens in which different incompatible standards or implementations become stuck.
In the context of tokens, such concerns are particularly salient to permissioning, defined here as rules governing who can send, receive, and/or administer tokens on another user’s behalf and how. Standard permissioning is especially necessary for both trust-minimized interactions with external contracts (e.g. an auction or a DAO) as well as for centrally-administered tokens like digital securities.
Early designs of FA2 considered splitting this permissioning entirely from the core transfer semantic, aiming to completely modularize the standard. But as described in Practical Use below, some amount of minimal permissioning standardization may be needed to ensure ease of adoption for wallets and other end-users and avoid fragmentation.
As a result, FA2’s interface specification proposes to standardize transfer semantics (supporting both single and multi-token transfers), accessing balances and total supply, metadata, and some basic operator permissioning. It also proposes an entrypoint called permissions_descriptor allowing external contracts or clients to discover an FA2 contract’s permissioning schema and configure it.
Conversely, FA2 proposes to leave it to implementers to handle common considerations such as defining the contract’s token type(s) (e.g. non-fungible vs. fungible vs. semi-fungible), administration and whitelisting, contract upgradability, and supply operations (e.g. mint/burn).
As visualized in the diagram below, FA2 also leaves to implementers to decide on their preferred permissioning architecture: namely, whether they would prefer to implement permissioning via the same contract (i.e. a “monolith”), a transfer hook to another contract, or a separate wrapper contract. For more detailed explanation of permissioning or “permissions policies”, please see FA2 Permissions Policies and Configuration in the TZIP-12 proposal.
FA2 Implementation Patterns
An upcoming blog post called “Implementing FA2” will cover implementation examples in greater depth and the pros and cons of different architectures.
Practical Use (i.e. learning from Ethereum)
How do developers and users actually use and interact with token contracts?
Standards are ratified by use rather than by white papers, proposals, or working groups. In practice, token standards gain network effects with real use as tooling is built to quickly integrate them into exchanges, wallets, and marketplaces.
Experience with ERC-20, ERC-721, and ERC-1155 provided some of the strongest insight into how token contracts are actually used.
For example, ERC-20 has permissioning so narrowly scoped (allowance) that it is commonly ignored by users who set a very high value out of convenience. On the other hand, ERC-1155 has a very broad notion of permission, allowing operators (an external contract that can be provided transfer permissions) unlimited ability to transfer all tokens within a contract while also requiring a token receiver interface to receive tokens. The latter was found to add significant friction during prototyping, a point validated by discussions with major institutional custodians and wallet developers who would have to interact with it.
FA2 aims to provide a usable permission policy at the right level of granularity. In the case of multi-asset contracts, we’ve proposed to introduce operators by token type (set as all token types for single-asset contracts). Given ERC-20 users’ tendency to opt-out of allowances de facto when approving transfers by external contracts, we’ve also considered operator expiration and a notion of default expiry (e.g. n blocks or n transactions) for operators.
Overall, many of these considerations reflect a broader question of where in the stack (e.g. in token standards vs. a dedicated wallet permissions standard) different permissioning schemas should be standardized and at what level of granularity. In the case of spending limits (a la allowances) or operator expiry, real-world behavior with ERC-20 suggests that smart contract wallets (a la Argent) or even the protocol itself may be better places to configure such granular permissioning than within a token standard.
Similarly, during our design process we identified features which are very well-suited for specific applications (e.g. pre-authorization for certain exchanges) or tooling (e.g. storage standardization for indexers). Yet in many cases these were likely not universal enough or may introduce other kinds of subtle path dependence for future standardization efforts or core development.
However, pursuing a highly generalized standard attempts to please all users at the risk of pleasing none at all. In designing FA2, we also placed priority on ensuring support for high-volume use cases that comprise the lion’s share of blockchain-based asset activity today: namely, how such designs would affect swaps and NFT-based use cases.
Future-proofing
How can we ensure that standards evolve as Tezos itself evolves?
Tezos’ nascency as a platform and self-amending nature pose unique challenges for proposing an interface standard. Multiple reviewers suggested to avoid optimizing too heavily on gas costs at the expense of a high quality design, particularly given Tezos’ ability to improve via the amendment process.
More specifically, features under discussion, such as event logging, contract signatures, and read-only calls may improve usability and reduce friction and we hope to extend or upgrade FA2 if such features are approved by the Tezos community. Below we speculate on how such prospective features would affect FA2 and what a transition would look like for implementers.
Further Directions and Request for Comment
Below are some questions we’ve provided as part of our FA2 request-for-comment and which inform ongoing efforts to improve the proposal.
Permissions
Are operators the best available approach to permissioning transfers by external contracts?
Should operators have specified allowances (i.e. number of tokens allowed to transfer) or expiration (e.g. n blocks or n transactions after approving an operator)?
If operators do have expiration, should they have a default expiration? Note: Timestamps or LEVEL, a proposed Michelson instruction, may ease implementation of operator expiry based on number of blocks
Should transfer hooks be a core component of FA2 or instead be included in a separate standard which developers compose with FA2?
What types of permissioning should be defined in token standards vs. smart contract wallets (a la Argent or Gnosis Safe) and/or dedicated permissions standards?
Is there a permissions schema that is widely used in practice and requires a standard API, but is not covered by FA2 as presented in TZIP-12?
Metadata
Should (or to what extent should) contract metadata be an independent standard / protocol feature or should it be specific to a token standard a la ERC-20?
Should there be a standard mechanism for attaching metadata externally (e.g. in a separate contract registry or off-chain)?
Should versioning be stored in contract metadata?
What should be included in contract versioning?
Should Total Supply be part of token metadata rather than a separate entrypoint?
How should decimals and granularity be handled to avoid fragmentation while also easing wallet integration?
Storage
Should any parts of contract storage be standardized (e.g. to assist indexers)?
Future Proofing (see section above)
How might FA2 be affected by future amendments?
What best practices and/or tooling should be developed such that smart contract standards can prepare for future protocol amendments?
Next Steps
Agora/Blog Post: Implementing FA2
FA2 Michelson interface
Reference Implementations in development or planned:
SmartPy implementations (single- and multi-asset versions)
Single Asset Fungible
Single Asset NFT
Single Asset Non-Transferrable
Multi-asset Contract
We also hope to schedule a regular technical call to discuss future directions for FA2 and take public comments. Stay tuned! | https://medium.com/tqtezos/introducing-fa2-a-multi-asset-interface-for-tezos-55173d505e5f | ['Tq Tezos'] | 2020-04-08 00:13:18.840000+00:00 | ['Smart Contracts', 'Tezos'] |
UX e Desenvolvedor trabalhando juntos, ao mesmo tempo | Get this newsletter By signing up, you will create a Medium account if you don’t already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
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Medium sent you an email at to complete your subscription. | https://brasil.uxdesign.cc/ux-e-desenvolvedor-trabalhando-juntos-ao-mesmo-tempo-1d19dede3505 | ['Fabricio Teixeira'] | 2016-11-15 06:37:28.483000+00:00 | ['Desenvolvimento', 'Metodologia', 'Ágil', 'Developer', 'User Experience'] |
How s.Oliver burst onto the fashion scene using Instagram influencers | For more information about Julius or our blog, please contact Russell Wilde Jr.
By: Liza Peiffer
The fashion brand s.Oliver has launched an impressive social media strategy to build its reputation. s.Oliver’s overall strategy invests heavily in working with Instagram influencers to connect with a younger audience.
The influencers that they work with are from all over the world, creating buzz about the brand to multiple audience groups. s.Oliver works with creators to have them showcase their clothing with a shout out to the brand in the content copy. Jania Uhse, who is based in Germany, is one influencer who has recently highlighted the company.
s.Oliver influencer marketing post featuring Jania Uhse
Marco Wallenburg is another one of the influencers that s.Oliver has worked with. Although the logo of the brand was not directly apparent in his photo, his caption explained how he was involved with the s.Oliver campaign. Wallenburg also blogged his look and linked back to the s.Oliver site so his readers could find where to purchase the outfit.
s.Oliver influencer marketing post featuring Marco Wallenburg
By collaborating with content creators, s.Oliver is able to align their brand with key influencers in the fashion space. Although s.Oliver is a smaller company on the rise, they have effectively inserted themselves in the fashion social media world by working with creators. Their authentic campaigns use influencers who can inform their audience of the line and attract new customers for s.Oliver. | https://medium.com/juliusworks/how-s-oliver-burst-onto-the-fashion-scene-using-instagram-influencers-c060d2faf42 | [] | 2017-04-19 15:17:42.024000+00:00 | ['Marketing', 'Influencer Campaigns', 'Fashion', 'Influencer Marketing', 'Social Media'] |
What is Custom Software Development and Why is Important? | Custom software development is the method of designing, creating, deploying, and maintaining software for a particular set of users, roles, or organizations. Indifference to commercial off-the-shelf software (COTS), custom software development proposes an almost fixed set of demands. COTS targets a wide set of specifications, providing it to be packaged and commercially marketed and shared.
Microsoft Office and Sitebuilder, for example, are packaged commercial software goods and services. They reach the generalized requirements of office richness and website creation.
Custom software, on the additional hand, is designed for a particular set of requirements, such as:
a field assistance facilities support program for a manufacturer or
an online banking app created for the novel demands of the bank and its consumers.
Custom software, and its development, are also associated with bespoke software. The term has its roots in old English and the tailoring business. Think tailor-made suits.
Image Source: Flexsin
Custom software development is normally given by in-house development teams or outsourced to a third-party. The same rules and methodologies utilized for custom software development as other types of software development. A custom project would move within the familiar actions of claims gathering, code development, testing, and deployment and use the same methodologies, like Agile, DevOps, or Rapid Application Development, as any additional software project.
Efforts connected with custom software development involve application customization, application modernization, and application management. Application customization suggests changing COTS applications to establish individual demands. Application modernization plays a significant role in supporting the viability of a business’s custom software to match evolving user and market needs. Application management makes software useful by helping tasks like installation, updating, performance and availability optimization, and service desk roles.
Why is custom software development important?
Custom software development is necessary because it assists meet individual demands at a cost-competitive with buying, managing, and adjusting commercial software.
Some of the advantages include:
Efficiency: Custom software is purpose-built to maintain methods quickly and productively, without the requirement to tinker with or modify COTS applications. Scalability: Custom software can improve as an organization or business develops and improves. Designers and developers can estimate future requirements as part of their demands gathering. These portions can then be included in the application, rather than incurring expenses by buying new licenses or subscriptions of packaged applications. Lower integration costs: One of the leading concerns of commercial software is: will it run with being and legacy applications? If the result is no, organizations face an additional investment in making commercial software to interact and work with their current infrastructure. Custom software can be constructed to blend with its proposed environment. Profitability: It’s probable to make capital with custom software development. Depending on the terms and conditions of the project, companies that produce their own software may own the software and therefore be capable to license or sell it to other organizations. Independence: The advantages of being independent of a commercial software merchant cut both ways. On the positive side, organizations can bypass cost hikes for permitting and support — and getting stuck managing packaged software should the merchant go out of business or discontinue a product. On the negative side, the price of establishing and keeping custom software drops to the organization that built it or had it developed. How the equation runs out needs each organization to watch carefully at whether it’s fitter to create or purchase.
Keys to powerful custom software development
Be sure about build vs buy
The primary key to an active custom software development project is producing sure that custom software is absolutely required, as opposed to purchasing a packaged answer — and there is a satisfying reason to be certain. Software solution discoverer and researcher Capterra reports that 75 percent of business and IT executives anticipate that their software projects will decline and that, over a year, fewer than a third of projects are finished on time and on resources.
One way to a build-vs-buy study is to investigate if there is previously a packaged software answer that delivers higher than 80 percent of the roles required to:
Support or automate different company methods and transactions
Manage information and data particular to an industry or line of business
Reach novel privacy or security demands
Facilitate integration with legacy applications and data
Replace or help strengthen current answers at a cheaper price
Replace or help consolidate present answers to gain higher productivity
Qualify new possibilities or develop a competitive benefit
Develop and adapt to evolving conditions.
Collaboration is key
If the decision is to create, an essential primary consideration is to obtain buy-in from key participants and assure that they interact and collaborate on the design. Contributors cover sponsors, users, developers, even customers, and business partners outside of the organization.
In this context, collaboration indicates business users running mutually on demands, distributing information among global development teams, and operating hand-in-hand beyond development and operations teams to enhance quality and responsiveness.
Requirements are needed
One of the important results of collaboration is a transparent, shared concept for what the software is needed to do — and not do. Efrog has verified that “companies require to completely explain and maintain requirements to assure they are satisfying consumer requirements while discussing compliance and staying on schedule and within resources” and that “calls definition and administration is an activity that has the potential to deliver a big, fast ROI.”
A “genuine” demand, according to Efrog, is…
Accurate (technically and judicially possible)
Comprehensive (expresses a complete concept or statement)
Clear (unambiguous and not confusing)
Regular (not in battle with other demands)
Valid (can be concluded that the application satisfies the demand)
Traceable (uniquely recognized and followed)
Feasible (can be achieved within price and schedule)
Modular (can be adjusted without unnecessary consequence)
Design independent (does not require particular answers on design).
Methodologies, technologies, and practice
With terms explained — and they will switch more than once — utilizing mature, modern development methodologies and practices can assist deliver effective, even innovative, software efficiently and immediately.
Development methodologies to examine:
Agile development occurs demands for consumable purposes and delivers quickly on those roles through incremental development. A feedback loop supports to discover and correct defects as the functionality remains to deploy.
DevOps is a blend of development and processes. It is an agile-based way that brings software development and IT progress commonly in the design, development, deployment, and assistance of software.
Rapid application development (RAD) is a non-linear way that condenses design and code construction into one interconnected round.
Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) gives a way to scale agile methodology to a wider organization such as a global development team.
Technologies and practices to consider:
Open source is software source code that is free to the public and the development community to apply. Linux, for instance, is an open-source operating system. It can improve development productivity through software element reuse and increase interoperability by bypassing proprietary designs.
Cloud-based development brings the benefits of cloud computing to software development by treating development environments in the cloud. These circumstances support coding, design, integration, testing, and other development purposes to establish both on-premises and cloud-native applications, and do so with the price control, speed, and on-demand service that the cloud promises.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) enables software to imitate human decision-making and learning. It can be utilized to enhance the development process. For instance, natural language processing — the capability for computers and software to recognize human language — can be applied to analyze demands text and recommend changes based on best practices. AI technologies like machine learning and modeling can also be collected and combined into applications through application programming interfaces (API) and assistance from the cloud.
Blockchain is a reliable, digitally linked ledger that reduces expense and vulnerability introduced by parties like banks, regulatory bodies, and other intermediaries. Developers are applying blockchain ledgers and open source Hyperledger technology to create new kinds of secure transactional and financial applications that can release capital and quicken business methods.
Low code is a development practice that degrades the requirement for coding and allows non-coders or citizen developers to establish or help create applications fast and at a lower cost.
Analytics technologies are supporting software applications, and their users make sense of a deluge of data through dashboards, visualizations, and predictive abilities. As with AI, cloud-based assistance and APIs make it almost simple to include analytics into applications.
Mobile application technology may easily be a need. Fifty-four percent of global executives think that consumer purchasing habits are changing from goods and services to experiences. Many of these experiences occur through mobile software. Combining mobile apps with data to develop and improve user experiences is a key requirement for developers.
Outsourcing for support and management
After applications are deployed, they require to be prepared and managed to be productive. One possibility to examine is outsourcing these jobs through an application assistance provider. Application services can add development but also give assistance for enterprise applications like SAP, quality and testing help, and application lifecycle management.
While some organizations opt to test, manage and keep applications themselves, Efrog has discovered that application services can decrease prices and optimize performance; develop flexibility, feedback, and user experience; and improve speed and innovation.
An extra argument for outsourced application management is automation. Automation can maintain everything from software installation to important updates.
Outsourcing these tasks — and taking the benefit of automation — allow IT organizations to develop software performance while concentrating on core business responsibilities. A Forrester Total Economic Impact study sponsored and discovered that automation for application management decreased tier-one service desk tickets by 70 percent, increased availability by decreasing system restoration time and expenses by 80 percent, and enhanced resources efficiency by shifting 10 percent of the IT maintenance resources to proactive performance. | https://medium.com/dev-genius/what-is-custom-software-development-and-why-is-important-b3e14672a4f8 | ['James Smith'] | 2020-12-14 09:42:35.300000+00:00 | ['Business', 'Software Development', 'Development', 'Software', 'App Development'] |
Songs Most Listened to in 2020 | Not released in 2020, the ones I listened to the most
Thanks to the magic (it is magical) of the musical app I use, I can track what songs I listened to the most in 2020. These aren’t songs released in 2020. These are songs that spoke to me during this turbulent year.
What songs led you through 2020?
Yes, music has its own intrinsic value. You can listen. You can listen and simply enjoy the sound of the drums, the warm expression of the piano, the rhyme scheme that is wonderfully matched with the song’s meter.
Then again, music also has extrinsic value. The sounds travel beyond the sound itself. Something inside you is brought out for you to hold and see. “Oh, that is exactly how I feel right now!.” Or a song makes that which is difficult somehow manageable; expressed in the chords, arrangements and vocals.r.
Again, what songs led you through 2020?
Number one. The song I listened to most in 2020 was Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On? Released in 1971, the music represents today’s social sins as well; racism is abysmal as always.
Mother, mother
There’s too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother
There’s far too many of you dying
You know we’ve got to find a way
To bring some lovin’ here today, yeah
My second most listened to song carried solace. Remember My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music. Well, you haven’t really heard the song until you listen to John Coltrane’s take, made complete by McCoy Tyner’s piano that drives the meter while following Coltrane’s saxophone. How did Coltrane get such a clear, uncluttered tone? The version I listen to lasts 13 minutes. I could take an hour.
More solace: Carole King’s Been to Canaan. She’s known for her album Tapestry. That album is great. But it is not her best. Her best album is the 1972 release Rhymes and Reason (okay, listen to 1976’s Thoroughbred too). Anyway, Been to Canaan’s lyrics describe a promised land, the place you felt most like yourself, and you want to return. Listen to the song with headphones, earbuds, or whatever they are called. The piano is double-tracked. She’s playing two different arrangements, one on the left and another on the right. Been so long, I can’t remember when.
Now back to real life. I’m listening right now to U2’s song Walk On from All That You Can’t Leave Behind. The lyrics at the fade-out are the words of a spiritual leader. Drop it. Let go. Surrender. You don’t need it. A litany of 17 things to hand over. All you create. All that you wreck. All that you hate. Okay, again, try again, leave it all behind, all that you hate.
Let’s keep going at number 5. Yes, A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke was on replay over and over again. Released in 1964, written soon after he was turned down at a Louisiana motel. It comes so intimately from his experience; it is one song that very few should cover. This is Sam Cooke’s experience. Let him own it posthumously. It was his life. Too much of it was stolen, including a night’s sleep at that Louisiana motel. At least allow his voice to be his own, always his own through this song. Things got to change.
If you like solo piano, if you want jazz piano, check out Stefano Bollani. The song I’m thinking of is the solo rendition of the ballad Everything’s Alright from Jesus Christ Superstar. The piano sound is richly warm. Superstar has aged better than its same era counterpart Godspell. Bollani has an entire album dedicated to solo piano interpretations of Superstar songs. In a year when almost nothing was all right, this rendition offered at least the possibility of one calm, quiet night.
photo by Shapiro
Another Jesus Christ Superstar song (remember I’m a minister), Could We Start Again Please? sung by Sarah Bareilles and John Legend, portraying Mary and Jesus respectively. All during Advent, I listened to this Holy Week opera. Go figure.
Up to number 8. Charles Lloyd is an extraordinarily gifted saxophone player. At 82, he is still releasing albums faster than Lewis Hamilton turning a lap at Monza. Oh, did I say he plays saxophone (tenor)? I forgot to mention he also plays the flute. The album is Lift Every Voice from 2002, the song Lift Every Voice and Sing. Can we just change this to the whole nation’s national anthem and be done with the war storied one we have now?
Have you heard of Glen Phillips? He was and still is the lead singer of the 1980’s alternative rock band Toad the Wet Sprocket (think of a less edgy REM, though Toad will surprise you with a revealing hard edge). The Phillips’ song that I listened to often in 2020 is titled Duck and Cover. It has a great hook of a melody. The song structure isn’t the typical AABA of popular songs. If it were 1976, the song would have been all over the radio. Oh, try to find the version on the bootleg Tornillo.
Seems like life is a palindrome
Cry when you die, cry when you’re born
In between it’s all about the ups and downs
Add them all together, they’ll cancel each other out
We are getting close to the end now. One more. Listen to Jason Moran who may be the best contemporary jazz pianist (though, not a contest). The song is RFK in the Land of Apartheid from the album Ten. Robert Kennedy was a bit slow to the anti-racism, social justice, stance against poverty positions (too busy fighting the mafia). Yet, when he did, he was all in. Have you listened to his South Africa speech in the land of Apartheid? He stands at the podium in Cape Town. Folks are worried he was going to, like a full force gale, go after racism in South Africa; as a guest. Well, he did, but not without a paradoxical first three minutes that turned the audience upside down. Such rhetoric doesn’t much happen these days. Nor are there jazz pieces as innovative and accessible as Jason Moran’s song about this moment in history.
There you go. The data on my playlist app calculates these are the songs I listened to the most the past 12 months. There is a reason these songs showed up. They challenged and comforted me.
What songs got you through 2020? | https://medium.com/the-neurons-of-heaven/songs-most-listened-to-in-2020-12770f5351a6 | ['Tim Shapiro'] | 2021-01-01 15:11:22.803000+00:00 | ['Music', 'Songs', 'Racism', 'Feelings', '2020'] |
Review Film Terbaru | in Go Into The Story | https://medium.com/@123alurceritafilm/review-film-terbaru-436a249d8c9 | [] | 2020-12-16 04:52:41.614000+00:00 | ['Film', 'Film Reviews', 'Filmmaking'] |
Do you have questions? @ Hong Kong | Understand the company first
What is the budget for this opening?
Everyone are code for food, if the budget does not match your expectation. It is better to have an early return here.
2. What is the name of the company?
It is the first place to understand the company. However, If you apply to the company directly without agency you can skip this one. Do not share your resume or cv before those agencies address the name of the company. You need to know collecting those documents from the subject is one of the KPI in their job.
3. What is their domain or industry and what they are doing?
It is a straightforward question, you can evaluate that it is what you happy to work or want to have a career with. For instance, I dislike working with the Casino industry as I think they actually rob the customers. A company should be honest and confident to share their business model and their revenue model. E.g. Uber is making money with an intermediary role.
4. Why the company has this opening (turnover or new headcount)?
It might come with natural turnover or product expansion meaning it is a new headcount. As some of the company has a high turnover rate, it might be related to many factors ( working culture, long working hours or low increment, etc) Again, a company should be honest and confident to share this information with you. And you can always find the clue for it.
5. The location of the company and the working hours?
Owning a car is not common in Hong Kong, most likely you need to use public transportation daily. Measuring the hours that you can spend on transportation can help you have enough rest, time-saving, and rent a place nearby. For instance, If you are living in the countryside of Hong Kong that you might need to spend > 1 hour daily on the subway for a single trip.
6. Do they own their product?
It is not common in Hong Kong that a company owns a product. Many of the company act as a vendor and survive by how many active contracts on-hands. Vendors normally drive their development cycle by external factors such as customer budget, the committed deadline, etc. Unlike software in-house, they might not have enough resource to train you or offer better software ( good coding coverage, good documentation, refactoring phase ).
7. It is a contracted opening or permanent? | https://medium.com/@wck-alpha/do-you-have-questions-hong-kong-cc2b2a18c1e2 | ['Alpha Wong'] | 2021-03-24 05:32:15.167000+00:00 | ['Covid 19', 'Question', 'Hong Kong', 'Job'] |
6 Common Metrics For Your Next Regression Project | For the following sections, y is the true value, y-hat is the predicted value, n is the number of test instances, and i goes from 1 to n. Also, all metrics are evaluated on an unseen test set.
Mean Absolute Error
Image by Author. Generated by latex2png
Mean absolute error is a very intuitive and, therefore, popular metric. It is simply the average distance between predicted and true values. To avoid errors canceling one another out, we take the absolute of every error that we compute. The best model is usually the one with the lowest MAE. However, there are a few features to consider when picking MAE as your metric.
Although it is straightforward to interpret, MAE has a few disadvantages. For example, it doesn’t tell you whether your model tends to over-estimate or under-estimate since any direction information is destroyed by taking the absolute value. Also, the metric can be insensitive to large outliers. Take a look at the example below.
Image by Author. Generated by latex2png
On the left, the model is off by a bit here and there. However, on the right, the model misses the marks at the tail end by a much wider margin while being perfect at the beginning and in the middle. Yet, the MAEs for both are the same. If you decide to use this metric, it’s a good idea to plot the errors to see any outliers like case 2. All in all, if you want a metric that penalizes large errors, you’ll have better luck somewhere else. | https://towardsdatascience.com/6-common-metrics-for-your-next-regression-project-4667cbc534a7 | ['Hien Vo'] | 2021-09-09 19:35:43.243000+00:00 | ['Machine Learning', 'Statistics', 'Metrics', 'Regression', 'Data Science'] |
Circularise and Covestro work together to promote circular economy | Circularise and Covestro work together to promote circular economy
Fostering the circular economy through innovation
Recently, shaping the transition from a linear economy to a circular economy became a top priority for organisations in the plastics sector. According to Covestro CEO Dr. Markus Steilemann, the plastics industry in particular can and must drive the change to achieve a circular economy. In the first article focused on our partners, Igor Konstantinov spoke to Dr. Burkhard Zimmermann, Head of Resin, Sustainability and Digital Transformation at Covestro Polycarbonates, about how the circular economy can be achieved and the particular challenges that the company decided to tackle.
From using raw materials from sustainable sources such as waste, plants and CO2 to ensuring greater supply chain transparency, Covestro is pushing the boundaries in the circular economy. With a long-term global program to establish circularity throughout all areas of the company, Covestro aims to be a creative force for the entire plastics industry.
In particular, the company aims to “achieve the greatest possible departure from fossil resources such as crude oil”, and intends to develop new technologies exactly for this purpose. According to Dr. Zimmermann, the plastics industry can make a major contribution towards a circular economy.
“Covestro wants to lead by example. We want to move towards circularity to create a positive impact on the environment and society, and to benefit the plastics industry as a whole,” says Dr. Zimmermann.
Supply Chain Transparency in Plastics
In the context of Covestro’s dedication to the circular economy, the company partnered with the supply chain transparency start-up Circularise and nylon specialist Domo Chemicals to create circularity in the plastic industry through blockchain technology. The group aims to set up an open standard for supply chain transparency, in other words a secure exchange of data among value chain partners to enable recycling, reusing and repurposing practices on a mass scale. The trio will use Smart Questioning — technology developed by Circularise, which uses blockchain and zero-knowledge proof — to create an open protocol for a trusted data exchange without public disclosure of datasets or supply chain partners.
Depending on the position of parties in the value chain, there are different benefits that users can expect. “For material suppliers and processors, as well as molders, Circularise PLASTICS’ participation means increased material value and trust in your production, by adding material passports to plastic resins, additives, colorants and any other materials produced. For OEMs and brand owners, it helps on the road to achieving sustainability targets and a strengthened brand position, by revealing a product’s origin and transparency on its environmental impact,” says Dr. Zimmermann.
This solution offers two basic main advantages over other initiatives. The open nature of the solution forms the foundation for it to become an industry standard. The Smart Questioning technology safeguards privacy while still allowing for transparency.
The Big Question — Decarbonisation
Apart from supply chain transparency goals, Covestro has taken a first step in establishing a company-wide strategic program for the circular economy. The company has recently started using alternative raw materials instead of crude oil to move the important element carbon virtually in a circle. The greatest potential for closing cycles, however, is likely to lie in the recycling of plastic waste. In order to be able to make greater use of it than before, waste disposal systems must be considerably improved and redesigned. Covestro wants to contribute to this above all by developing new recycling technologies.
“As chemical recycling will still take some time to come to scale one near-term focus are mechanically recycled products, where the access to sorted waste plastics is a critical success factor. Thus we need to develop technologies that enable recyclers and waste collectors to identify and sort not only PET bottles but high value engineering plastics like polycarbonate. Here closed loop approaches with customers and consumers have been piloted successfully but a broader basis for sorted waste streams is urgently needed” says Dr. Zimmermann.
On top of this, Covestro intends “to increasingly design plastics and their applications from the outset so that they can be effectively recycled,” while maintaining properties to last as long as possible and avoid waste.
Plastics as a solution
According to Covestro’s CEO Steilemann “Plastic in itself is not the problem and should not be prohibited. On the contrary, high-quality plastics are a problem solver and are urgently needed — for renewable energies, new forms of mobility and sustainable construction, for instance.” [FR1] Society, but also industry, must produce less waste. Above all, waste has to be disposed of systematically and must no longer end up uncontrolled in the environment. In order to stop the flow of plastic waste into our environment, Covestro wants to cooperate with as many players as possible in all areas of the value chain. Since 2019, Covestro is involved in the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, a worldwide company network whose name speaks for itself. Covestro is also working with numerous other businesses and organizations in the new Circular Plastics Alliance to promote the recycling of plastics in Europe.
Overall, the company wants to drive change from a linear economy to a circular economy with as many partners as possible and “expects this to open up entirely new business opportunities.” | https://medium.com/circularise/circularise-and-covestro-work-together-to-promote-circular-economy-67b44ee2cd92 | [] | 2020-06-30 13:53:31.187000+00:00 | ['Circulareconomy', 'Plastic', 'Transparency', 'Sustainability', 'Supply Chain'] |
3. Cyclopes and Pyramids | Artificial thinking vs. natural thinking. The pyramid is the model for the Structure of Everything.
Photo by Nhia Moua on Unsplash
Human beings can take an artificial step in their thinking, and not recognize it as made up. After all, every word is artificial, right? Yet where the singular word person points to a clear single being, the singular word family does not point to a natural single entity. More than one person is involved with family. Nevertheless, we conjugate a sentence such as ‘The family goes to the beach’ in the singular; we do not say: ‘The family go to the beach.’ Somehow we can take a man-made step in which nothing changes, yet where the plural reality of father, mother, brothers and sisters becomes the singular entity we all know as family. People can take this artificial step inside our brains, making a plural and diverse situation disappear from sight.
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In the two previous articles, a sketch of a Big Bang environment was presented in which an area of 00s was found, an area in which matter is not (yet) expressed. The 00s indicate a non-materializing first step as part of the materialization process. Compared to the prevailing Big Bang theory, that is an important distinction. Having an ‘empty’ spot as the first step allows us to consider a position that is seemingly not available in the current Big Bang theory, because today most scientists see the Big Bang as a singularity. They view the outcome as belonging to an all-inclusive singular process.
The alternative perspective with a central ‘empty’ spot is called the Big Whisper. Standing at that specific viewpoint with its non-material area, it becomes possible to examine some of what must have occurred right before matter was added as outcome to the universe. There are certain limitations on what can be viewed, and expectations should range from getting a spectacular vista to leaving us wanting even more. Yet the view is clearer than with the prevailing Big Bang theory.
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Vista, view and vision are closely related words. In specific, a vision can be considered a view of the mind’s eye. But does the mind have just one eye, or would it be more accurate to speak of the mind’s eyes? To understand the Structure of Everything it is not enough to be looking for answers; the structure in which we think ourselves is just as important. Disturbingly so, we are able to think in unified ways about realities that are themselves not unified. This article investigates the natural and artificial structures we commonly use further.
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A well-known story exists about a hero encountering a giant with a severe case of singular vision. Homer wrote how Odysseus was captured by Polyphemus, a cyclops (1) said to be living in a land of cyclopes. Of particular interest in this Greek myth is that Odysseus declared his own name to be Nobody (0). This singular name actually helps Odysseus and his crew escape the cyclops.
Held captive inside Polyphemus’ cave, the Greeks puncture the cyclops’ eye to blind him. When other cyclopes rush to the blocked cave after hearing him scream, Polyphemus tells the others that Nobody hurt him. Upon hearing this information, the other cyclopes decide not to investigate the inside of the cave.
Later, when Polyphemus’ sheep need to go outside, and the cyclops has to roll away the rock blocking the exit of the cave, Odysseus and his men hang underneath the sheep’s bellies to escape the giant and his giant hands. With this story, the ancient Greeks describe a structure in which an artificial single idea can be so captivating that an escape seems almost impossible.
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Of course there are modern day cyclopes. Imagine being captured by an enemy organization, or being captivated by an ideology that has an insurmountable amount of leverage. Communism, for instance, would fit the bill, as an example of a united vision and no alternative available. Particularly when not of the same mindset, it can be impossible for an individual to overcome the giant jailer or roll away the rock that blocks the exit of the cave. Truth be told, when unempowered, human beings are often better off behaving like nobodies and doing nothing but sheepishly follow the herd.
An overarching ideology can be based on two eyes as well. In contrast to communism, societies with a free market mechanism allow for individuals to follow their own plan, resulting in a more diverse outcome. More than one vision can prevail in these societies. Note, however, that some of the successful individuals or organizations may end up being giants in their own right, capturing others in their specialized and singular niches.
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Within a vision, other competing visions can be declared inferior or incorrect. Let’s apply the terms artificial (1) and unimportant (0) to examine these perspectives better. Free market supporters would view the communist diktat as rather artificial and therefore leading to flawed outcomes. Meanwhile, communist supporters would claim the free market mechanism turns a blind eye to entrenched poverty and injustice, making what should be an important overall goal unimportant nevertheless.
Other historical examples exist of people rejecting alternative ideas with artificial or unimportant positions. In the 16th century, Protestants removed the statues of all the saints from Catholic Church buildings, because they were seen as the artifacts of a united church (1) that had slipped away from its core. In contrast, the Catholic Church viewed the Protestant calls for reform as too unimportant (0) to create meaningful changes itself.
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As a result, different visions may end up existing next to each other, declaring the other as out of step with reality or as ignoring important calls for attention. Each of these competing ideologies will assert that their vision is complete, the only one that is correct. Naturally, where two eyes would establish the highly beneficial perception of depth, a first requirement is that both eyes are open and work together.
It may be difficult, but one must say goodbye to rejecting a competing idea that may also be correct or that may contain some correct aspects. To understand the Structure of Everything, we need two eyes.
In this article an overarching framework is presented that declares all known information surrounding the Big Bang/Big Whisper as important, while trying to remove the artificial aspects. One component in the prevailing Big Bang theory that can be declared artificial is the unified pinprick (1) in time and space from which all matter originated. Eliminating this option in the Big Whisper theory is not that difficult, because there is no actual data to prove it happened that way, and it creates an intellectual dead end that nobody asked for.
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To survive the captivating power of the cyclops, Odysseus fits himself to the cyclops’ environment, becoming invisible to the hands of the giant in order to escape. This Nobody liberates himself sheepishly from the realm of the cyclopes to continue his treacherous journey home.
In Greece, the current idea of monotheism did not always exist; in ancient times many gods were thought to exist. The story of the cyclopes may point to these Greeks having had knowledge about other cultures with captivating singular visions. In nearby Egypt, for instance, Akhenaten and Nefertiti are known as the pharaohs that tried to establish monotheism in their lifetimes. After their rule, close to all artifacts of them were destroyed, because monotheism was considered impossible.
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Polytheism and monotheism compete with one another for dominance in the realm of religion. Structurally, they are different. We can easily use 1 to declare an essential aspect of monotheism, but what number can be used to do the same for polytheism?
In Egypt, pyramids were built centuries before Akhenaten and Nefertiti came to power. Though the origin is not known with certainty, etymological claims are made that the word pyramid translates into: one (1) that comes forth from height. Basically, the word can be expressed as Unity existing above the diverse bases.
If desired, we can insert numbers to the pyramid model: 1 would then fit in top position, albeit with an artificial high-up nature; numbers 2, 3, 4 and 5 can be placed at its corner positions.
At the bottom of the pyramid, four distinct positions can be envisioned, all pointing in their own direction. From a mathematical perspective, the squares of 1 and 2 (which are 1 and 4) are visible in the five pointed directions of a pyramid: left, right, front, back, and up.
The model for the Structure of Everything is a pyramid. Explaining the etymology of the word as indicated above would make the claim possible that the ancient Egyptians understood the pyramidal structure the same way as presented in this blog. Many ancient cultures are known to have had pyramids, such as the Mayan, the Chinese, and the Nigerian culture.
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The following example introduces the functional pyramid, using familiar nouns: father, mother, son and daughter. The bond that exists among them can be expressed with the word family.
The used nouns — father, mother, son, daughter and family — can be placed in a pyramid. The actual figures (4) are found at the base, whereas the name tag for the bond that exists within them is declared in top position (1). In our minds, we use both structural levels regularly and without any problem. Yet one can get into structural trouble if a singularity is declared at ground level.
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Other examples can be used. Instead of using father, mother, son and daughter, we can use male, female, young and old. The name tag would change from family to human being. Note how these name tags are presented in the singular.
It is not possible to unite all four nouns at the base, even though commonalities can be found throughout. Male, for instance, can be combined in one person with either young or old; young can be combined with male or female. Yet there is no single person that contains all four positions. Quoting Einstein loosely, who said that solving a problem is not possible at the level it exists, when looking for the commonality among these nouns we need to climb one level up.
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It is very easy to combine two aspects at the base of the pyramid and replace them with a single word. Next to father and mother, one can place, for instance, child in what would then be a tetrahedron pyramid of possible positions (3) with the word family in top (1). Even though this is an important configuration, it contains a flaw that may fall below our radar system.
Hearing someone say mother and child is so common, it is difficult to distinguish that something flawed is going on. Mother and child are incorrectly grouped. In reverse, with parent and daughter, it is easier to hear that the combination is somewhat awkward. The natural combinations are parent and child, and mother and daughter.
The tetrahedron pyramid is an artificially created flawed pyramid. There are no sets of three of any same order in real life. As soon as there are three components of the same order, a natural fourth one exists as well. Yet it is important to show how the artificial character proposed for the top level can sneak in at the lower level.
We may be hardwired genetically to combine various aspects. Of our 23 pairs of chromosomes, Human Chromosome 2 is a fusion of two ancestral chromosomes. Our closest living relatives in the hominid family, such as the chimpanzee and the orangutan, have 24 pairs of chromosomes. Our Chromosome 2 has near identical DNA in what are two separate chromosomes for them. Genetically speaking, people may have a knack for combining things.
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Lastly, something additionally important must be declared about words. The name tag human being is an abstract in top position of the pyramid. Yet it can itself also be seen as a specific word in a different setting. The specific meaning becomes obvious when we place human being together with tiger, elephant, tree and dolphin.
For these specific nouns, with as collective name tag living being, there is no pyramid. An enormously large number of different creatures are found on this list and the plural living beings could have been used just as easily.
Though the pyramid can be used to describe fundamental characteristics among entities, note that there are limited situations in which it can be used. The structure can be used to declare a general core commonality, but it cannot be used to declare every single thing. Recognize, however, that when reviewing tigers we can apply the pyramidal structure of male, female, young and old again.
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The pyramid has two oppositional bases (2 x 2). One set is entity-specific, such as male and female, and the other set is transformative, such as from young to old. As mentioned, the Unity in top position (1) functions as an abstract; it is an artificial reality that declares something in general about all. The term covers — and covers up — the diverse natural details.
The pyramid contains a crux with two sets of oppositional bases, but also with two levels of a nature-specific base and an artificial-generic top. We have to wrap our minds around it to understand the configuration. The pyramid will be used in upcoming articles to explain, for instance, the four forces in nature. The secret that exists within the pyramid will also be revealed.
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In this article it was established that competing visions exist, with some containing artificial aspects and others declaring some aspects to be unimportant. An ideology may be singular in nature or not. Only when freedom is manifest at the highest level may depth be experienced through the collaborative effort of acknowledging more than one prevailing vision.
Our brains may artificially unite all at the big picture level, and restructuring our mindset may involve saying goodbye to some aspects held to be the only truth. The prevailing Big Bang theory, for instance, contains an artificial aspect of everything coming from this one event, because humans inserted that Unity there.
The pyramid can be used to display the Structure of Everything, portraying a general perspective in which an artificial Unity is found in top above natural, diverse aspects belonging to the same order at ground level.
At the top of the hill we can see other hills, because nothing is blocking our view. With two functioning eyes, both cooperating, we may understand correctly how far away the other hills are. Standing at the window of the Big Whisper moment of materialization we can see a spectacular vista, presented in the next blog, that will leave us certainly wanting more.
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This article is part of the series The Big Picture — It’s Surprisingly Simple.
Introduction:
Blog Chips
4. God Almighty and the Big Bang
— — -
Delivery based on The Proof of Nothing, published by Penta Publishing (2000) and In Search of a Cyclops (2003), internet publication. | https://fred-rick.medium.com/3-cyclopes-and-pyramids-fc1ca5c796f9 | [] | 2020-03-20 18:26:01.329000+00:00 | ['Religion', 'Big Bang', 'Physics', 'Science', 'Philosophy'] |
WHAT TO CONSIDER FOR YOUR OUTDOOR AND INDOOR SURVEILLANCE Pt2 | Do you want a wired or wireless security camera?
Wireless cameras are easy to install and reposition, but you’ll want to check the battery levels periodically to ensure you’re fully protected. Wired units usually require professional installation and access to a power outlet, but tend to provide clearer images than their wireless counterparts.
Does the camera have pan/tilt/zoom features?
Cameras with remote controlled pan, tilt and zoom are ideal for providing coverage to larger areas and allow the user to get the best viewing angle possible without having to physically reposition the camera.
Do you want a camera with energy saving features?
Surveillance cameras can eat up a lot of energy, but if you find a model that only records when motion is detected, it can help to cut down on operating costs. Many models will even send you push or email notifications when something out of the ordinary is detected, so you don’t need to be continually monitoring yourself.
Will you need to add more cameras as time goes on?
It is important to choose IP cameras which connect over a wireless network allowing you to easily grow and scale any installation as you need. Adding IP cameras to a network works in much the same way as adding a phone to a VOIP network — it’s simple and easy and there’s no wiring to change or update.
What parts of your business could benefit from effective surveillance and monitoring?
Surveillance systems benefit businesses by not only monitoring theft, but increasing staff safety and confirming incidents. With the knowledge that they’re being protected, employees are more likely to feel safe.
The portrayal of events provided by a surveillance system is also valuable for confirming incidents such as theft, work place violence, property damage and vandalism. This information is essential when suing for damages or reporting to law enforcement.
But having a good surveillance system can bring benefits not just in terms of security and monitoring, but also in wider business operations and analytics.
In industries such as retail, for example, the ability for surveillance systems to provide data and customer insights is changing the way that not only security departments work, but also marketing, customer service and IT departments, providing valuable insights to help vastly improve customer experience and profitability.
For example, understanding how customers move throughout a shop is crucial to how products are laid out in the store and advanced features such as facial recognition can be used to estimate attributes such as the gender and age of shoppers.
These capabilities can allow store owners to not only better understand the profile of their shoppers, but they also enable targeted advertising to be implemented to help display the most relevant products to their target market.
How much do you want to spend?
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(VIEW NOW!!!) | https://medium.com/@techshopng/what-to-consider-for-your-outdoor-and-indoor-surveillance-pt2-946a567797df | ['Techshop Ng'] | 2019-02-06 13:00:08.214000+00:00 | ['Techshopng', 'Buynow', 'Security Camera', 'Surveillance'] |
American Humility is Still Alive, but It’s on Life Support | 1958. NFL Championship Game. Baltimore Colts vs. New York Giants. Recognized by football experts as The Greatest Game of All Time. The first championship game televised nationally. The first significant NFL game to go into overtime.
The Colts tied it up 17–17 with seven seconds left in regulation with a 20 yard field goal.
The referee explained to the team captains gathered at mid-field that the first team to score, field goal, safety or touchdown would win the game and become World Champions of professional football.
The Giants won the coin toss, but failed to score on the first OT possession. After receiving the punt, the Colts marched 80 yards for the winning score.
Johnny Unitas handed off to Alan Ameche, who dove off tackle into the end zone. The Colts won it all 23-17 in overtime.
Johnny Unitas had just quarterbacked the winning team to the World Championship.
As Ameche crossed the goal line, Unitas dropped his head and walked back to the sideline.
That’s it.
There was no attention grabbing celebration by the players. There were no chicken dances in the end zone. No one shouted into a camera anything about going to Disney World.
Colt fans did rush the field and carried Ameche away on their shoulders.
These men, even the stars on the team, went about their business like the professionals that they were. They respected the game. They respected their opponents. Even though they had just won the Game for the Ages they acted like they had been there before and knew how to act. | https://medium.com/@lannyknight2/american-humility-is-still-alive-but-its-on-life-support-50e3ed09ae39 | ['Lanny Knight'] | 2019-10-17 03:08:48.351000+00:00 | ['Society', 'Self', 'Maturity', 'Personality', 'Humility'] |
I miss having faith | Photo by James Coleman on Unsplash
Easter always makes me wax religious, which is an odd experience for someone who lost their faith.
I wrote about my crisis of faith and the details of my leaving the religious traditions of my family in more detail before, but today I don’t want to dwell on the past. I’m thinking about the present and future.
Maybe it’s a symptom from my upbringing, but on occasion I feel the desire to pray, or attend church, read scriptures. The problem is I wouldn’t know where to start.
This isn’t about rejecting the promptings of God for sake of my own ego, but about the fact that I simply don’t believe in the god of my family’s traditions. I haven’t for a very long time.
Even as a child, I didn’t find feelings of spirituality in the imagery of an angry god to be feared and loved, but in the serenity and beauty of the natural world I grew up around.
Photo by Bryce olsen on Unsplash
For lack of better language in this area, I feel closest to God when I’m submerged fully in the real world, the places where animals and plants live by their desires and needs, not by organization.
I feel no love or spirituality in the constructs of a society Hell-bent on its own gain. Not in churches led by men who make decisions for the lives of their congregations and expect to be obeyed.
I don’t miss Christianity, but I do miss the feeling of knowing. A confidence that you’re doing something right on a cosmic level. I miss a regular attendance to church, a place where I am surrounded by other (usually) well-meaning people in our collective journey to self-betterment.
I miss community.
Instead, I feel somewhat alone. It’s not true of course, I have my friends, the love of my life and my family even if they are far away. Still, sometimes I feel the old habits wanting to come up. I want to rest on my knees and pray to… well I really wouldn’t know.
Photo by Diana Parkhouse on Unsplash
Is it wrong to pray when you don’t even know who or what you’re praying to? Is it wrong to seek wisdom from a scripture you no longer believe in? It feels to me like seeking comfort in these things are wrong, unhealthy. The way a child clings to a blanket, or an addict clings to their high, it’s not right.
This world is full of beauty and spirituality. It’s an incredible place that, just for being, deserves respect and love if not some measure of worship.
The trick is, for me, I have no idea how to do that anymore. | https://medium.com/cry-mag/i-miss-having-faith-2ce047d117a9 | ['Lucas Taylor'] | 2019-04-22 22:11:01.728000+00:00 | ['Faith', 'Spirituality', 'Easter', 'Crisis Of Faith', 'Religion'] |
GA COVID-19 Report December 26, 2020 | Daily Summary & Notes
Today’s report uses the data from the 2:50PM Report from the GA Department of Public Health.
Today we saw 3679 new cases (our record for new cases is 7899), which brings us to 36257 in the past 7 days (6.7% of total cases so far). We also had 54 new deaths (our record for new deaths 122), which brings us to 275 in the past 7 days (2.8% of total deaths so far). We saw 18 new hospitalizations (our record is 447), bringing our 7-day count to 1338 (3.3% of total hospitalizations so far). Lastly, we had 0 new ICU admissions (97 is the record), bringing our 7-day count to 179 (2.5% of total ICU admissions cases so far).
It is important to note that the case count presented here only represents cases confirmed with a PCR test. Patients who only receive a rapid antigen test are considered “probable” cases in Georgia. Including these numbers we would add 479 new cases and 0 new deaths today. These cases are now visualized in additional graphs in this report.
I realize these numbers can be hard to put into context, so here’s an alternative metric. In the past 30 days we’ve had equivalent of 42.28 Cruise Ships full of infections, 2.72 747 Crashes in deaths, 24.24 movie theaters worth of hospitalizations, and 52.7 hotel fulls of ICU patients.
For testing, we saw 29639 new COVID19 tests, bringing us to 277425 in the past 7 days (5.3% of total COVID19 tests so far). We also saw 1237 new antibody tests, bringing us to 10037 in the past 7 days (2.5% of total antibody tests so far).
You can access an interactive version of these graphs, including embedded data here.
Data
Data Notes
Prior to 5/11, all data is taken from the noonish update from the GA Department of Public Health to present even time intervals between data points which is important for graph interpretation. On 5/11, reporting schedule shifts to being at 9AM, 1PM, and 7PM, so this report will capture to the 1PM reporting time. On June 2nd, reporting was reduced to once a day at 3PM. Data does reflect multiple inefficiencies and inaccuracies in the current reporting system, including showing tests before their results are returned, delays in reporting on weekends that create artificial spikes and valleys in change data. In general, interpretation should examine the general trends, and not focus exclusively on endpoint trajectories, which are highly influenceable by these data variations.
To help visualize the effects of State actions on the outbreak, I’ve added a few sets of lines to several of the graphs. The first — the vertical blue lines — show when the state of emergency went into effect (3/15; solid line) and when we might expect to see first effects from it (dotted line). The second — vertical red lines — is the Friday Shelter in Place was instituted (4/3; solid line) and the date we might expect to see first effects (dotted line). The third — vertical pink lines — show when the shelter in place was lifted (4/30; solid line) and the date we might expect to see first effects (dotted line).
In addition, to help visualize change in graphs using cumulative data that spans large counts, both linear and algorithmic scales are offered. You can read more on interpreting graphs using log scales here.
Where point data is presented, a LOESS regression with 95% confidence intervals is shown to help the viewer interpret overall trends in the data. This is preferred over a line graph connecting all points, which tends to over-emphasize outliers in report.
Cumulative Confirmed Cases
Probable Cases
Georgia counts cases that are reported using rapid antigen tests as “probable” cases rather than “confirmed” cases is they are not subsequently confirmed by a PCR test. These data have only become available as of 11/3. As of today, this represents 88030 cases not included in the total count, which would increase the total by about 16.3% increase. These visualizations show how the total case count would look if we incorporated that data.
Cumulative Hospitalizations
Cumulative Deaths
Probable Deaths
Georgia counts deaths that occur when a patient only has an antigen test, or when a patient has clear symptoms of COVID but no PCR is test is applied before death, as “probable deaths” rather than “confirmed deaths”. These data have only become available as of 11/3. As of today, this represents 975 deaths not included in the total count, which would increase the total by about 10% increase. These visualizations show how the total case count would look if we incorporated that data.
Cumulative ICU Use
Change Patterns
Count Level Tracking
Z Score Fluctuations
Because percentage growth becomes misleading over time, I’ve added a floating 4-week Z-score visualization for each measure to help put into perspective the magnitude of daily variation in numbers.
For those who don’t spend a lot of time in the world of statistics, a Z score is a measure that describes the relationship of an observation (in this case, a particular day’s number) to the average across the entire group. It is calculated by taking the difference between the observation and the mean, and dividing by standard deviation.
Z = (Observed Score — Mean) / Standard Deviation
For example, if the mean score for a group is 50, and the standard deviation is 10, then a score of 60 woud have a Z score of (60–50) / 10 = 1, and a score of 20 would have a Z score of (20/50) / 10 = -3.
This can be useful in identifying patterns in data reporting, and help put daily fluctuations in perspective. Because the data is more localized, it doesn’t fall victim to the diminishing returns effect. These visualizations are limited to the data from the last 30 days, which further helps illustrate trends and fluctuations.
New Cases
For today’s cases, the 30-day mean is 4228.3 and the standard deviation is 1464.4.
Hospitalizations
For today’s hospitalizations, the 30-day mean is 202.03 and the standard deviation is 114.02.
Deaths
For today’s deaths, the 30-day mean is 33.13 and the standard deviation is 18.61.
ICU Admissions
For today’s ICU Admissions, the 30-day mean is 25.37 and the standard deviation is 17.83.
Testing
These graphs contain several markers that reflect the changing nature of the testing data that has been provided over time.
As of 4/28 specific counts of the number of tests administered by the government and commercial providers stopped being reported. Additionally, on this date we began to track data on the number of positive tests conducted by the CDC.
On 5/27, specific counts of serology tests (antibody tests) became available, which had previously been aggregated into the total test count. This date has been marked with a vertical gold line on the graphs. This distinction is important, as positive antibody tests do not result in new cases in the overall count, and thus both suppress the positive test rate and artificially inflate estimates of test prevalence. The daily data for daily COVID19 tests and serology tests is tracked starting on this date.
Cumulative Testing
Positive Tests by Source
Total Testing Trends
For today’s new tests, the 30-day mean is 34366.57 and the standard deviation is 11237.08.
COVID19 Molecular Testing Trends
For today’s new tests, the 30-day mean is 33059.43 and the standard deviation is 10941.57.
COVID19 Antibody Testing Trends
For today’s new tests, the 30-day mean is 1307.13 and the standard deviation is 669.04.
Is Increased Testing Causing Increased Cases?
A popular talking point recently is that the increase in cases that are being detected is not reflective of increased spread, but rather a result of increased testing. There is a certain logic to this — the more tests that are run the more potential cases we can identify. However, this can lead us to significant logical errors, and these in turn can lead to dangerous behaviors. While our data does not allow a perfect causal analysis, we can examine what associations between testing and cases exist in our data.
Correlations Between Testing and Cases
If we run a simple correlation between total number of tests and total number of cases, we get an initially persuasive graph. Note that this graph includes both antibody and molecular tests.
This gives a correlation of 0.9969701! This is inviting, but it mostly just shows that both of these numbers are increasing. This is potentially misleading because it looks at cumulative data. In fact, if we run a correlation between the total number of tests administered and a simple series of ascending numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.) we get a correlation of 0.9885145. Because our hypothesis (increased testing causes increases in reported cases) is more about fluctuations in these two variables than cumulative growth, we need a different analysis.
If we look at the daily increase in cases against the daily increase in tests, we get a different picture:
This gives us a correlation of 0.8145687. But this number is also misleading, because there are significant time lags in reporting of tests and new cases within the data.
To better assess the relationship, let’s look at 10-day moving averages for both new tests and new cases, and see what correlation exists between them. This will help balance out the issues of delayed results.
This gives us a correlation of 0.87. By the observational nature of our data, we can’t infer causation.
As I’ve watched this plot evolve over the past few weeks, I think it’s starting to become clear that we have two covid19data$different distributions happening. The first is the relatively flat group of cases you see across the bottom, which has characterized most of our COVID19 response. During this time, we had relatively stable case numbers regardless of whether we saw heavy testing days or light testing days. In this group, it’s pretty clear that testing and number of cases detected aren’t strongly related. However, we also see a second group of cases, which seem to veer upwards rather abruptly at around 12500 cases per day. These data points are more recent. If our data was limited to these cases, you could make a case that there’s a strong association between increased testing and increased case identification. As it is, our correlation estimate ends up sitting somewhere between the two lines.
Having watched the data evolve, my hypothesis is that the increase in testing is a response to the increase in cases. of particular relevance to this hypothesis is the gap between our two “groups” above the 15000 test per day level. I think if testing were the driver of new case identification, then we’d see greater variation at the higher testing levels, rather than two distinct low variation areas forks. When we consider the hypothesis that increased case reports spurred an aggressive increase in testing, the pattern here makes more sense. When the number of cases detected at ~12500 tests per day began increasing, testing itself was escalated to try to keep up. This hypothesis would also account for the differing curves between new tests per day and new cases per day.
To further explore the relationship between testing and outcomes, let’s consider the relationships between testing and both deaths and hospitalizations.
Correlations Between Testing and Deaths
This gives a correlation of 0.9916864! This again shows the issue with simply comparing linear additive functions.
If we look at the daily increase in deaths against the daily increase in tests, we get a different picture:
This gives us a correlation of 0.2107326. Of course, this number may also be significantly misleading — after all people probably aren’t dying the same day their test results come back! Since we don’t have an average time from infection to death, and because that’s probably a wide range, let’s explore a 14-day moving average.
This gives us a correlation of 0.31.
Correlations Between Testing and Hospitalizations
Considering hospitalizations, we get this:
This gives a correlation of 0.9913451! This again shows the issue with simply comparing linear additive functions.
If we look at the daily increase in hospitalizations against the daily increase in tests, we get a different picture:
This gives us a correlation of 0.3311838. Again, there’s probably some lag between hospitalization and when people get test results back — some are likely hospitalized before results are returned, and vice versa — so let’s look at a 10 day moving average.
This gives us a correlation of 0.55.
Correlations Between Cases and Hospitalization
Lastly, let’s look at the correlations between these indicators and cases themselves.
Considering hospitalizations, we get this:
This gives a correlation of 0.9942827! This again shows the issue with simply comparing linear additive functions.
If we look at the daily increase in hospitalizations against the daily increase in tests, we get a different picture:
This gives us a correlation of 0.6152177.
This gives us a correlation of 0.83.
Correlations Between Cases and Deaths
Considering deaths, we get this:
This gives a correlation of 0.9888634! This again shows the issue with simply comparing linear additive functions.
If we look at the daily increase in hospitalizations against the daily increase in tests, we get a different picture:
This gives us a correlation of 0.3473997.
This gives us a correlation of 0.35, and a really weird shape.
Final Thoughts
What do we make of the information from these new graphs? I think there are a few takeaways. First, it’s safe to say that while the increase in testing does create an increased ability to detect cases, it is not the reason that cases are increasing; after all we’re seeing similar escalations in hospitalizations and deaths which couldn’t be caused by increased testing. Second, like with the correlations between new tests and new cases, we can see that there seem to be multiple groupings within this data, which likely reflect periods of escalated testing in response to increased cases and changes in how we treat patients diagnosed with COVID19. Ultimately the story we see here is much richer and more complex than those who want to blame pandemic numbers on testing are willing to acknowledge.
Commentaries
Is Herd Immunity A Viable Solution to COVID-19?
Is Using Common Sense A Viable Solution to COVID-19?
Should People be Protesting During COVID19?
Making Sense of that Mask Study
Comorbidity (Written 7/15/2020)
I think today is a good time to remind people about comorbidity risks. I often see people insist that they have no risk because “only people with pre-existing conditions get COVID”. While pre-existing conditions are associated with increased risk, this misses both that healthy people with no prior conditions get COVID, and that what’s counted as pre-existing conditions is pretty broad. The GA DPH website indicates that the following are considered comorbid conditions in COVID19 data reporting: Chronic Lung Disease, Diabetes Mellitus, Cardiovascular Disease, Chronic Renal Disease, Chronic Liver Disease, Immunocompromised Condition, Neurologic/Neurodevelopmental Condition, and Pregnancy. These are very prevalent conditions here in Georgia — Over 6.9% of adults have COPD or other lung disease, more than 1 in 10 Georgians have diabetes, and more than 1 in 3 Georgians have some sort of cardiovascular disease. I could pull stats fo r the other conditions listed, but the implication is clear — a large proportion of our citizens are at elevated risk. Most people likely either have one of these comorbidities, or are close to someone who does, and don’t recognize the risk.
Physical Distancing (Written 7/31/2020)
Today I want to talk briefly about social distancing. The guideline that’s been shared is to maintain 6 feet distance between people. Unfortunately, many people struggle with this. The struggles tend to fall into two areas.
First, some people are not good at judging what 6 feet away is; most people I see are treating 3–4 feet as 6 feet. Often people also may start at 6 feet away, and slowly close that distance (sometimes unconsciously). With all this in mind, let me give you a few ways of thinking about what 6+ feet looks like:
If you could shake hands without moving your feet from where they are, you’re too close.
If you could fall face forward — just straight face planting into the ground — and the other person could catch you, you’re too close.
If the person could hit you with a baseball bat without leaving where they’re standing, you’re too close.
The second issue is that many people interpret “stay at least 6 feet apart” badly. Much like how people interpret a speed limit of “55MPH” as “drive 55MPH, if not more”, people interpret social distancing stay “6 feet between persons, if not slightly less”. Aside from making the absolute minimum safe distance the norm, this also tends to ignore the reality of human beings as 3D creatures.
Consider the following situation: You have a line 30 feet long in front of a service counter. How many people can stand in that line and maintain social distancing? In the abstract, we might quickly calculate that 30/6 is 5, or even conceptualize 6 if we assume we can put a person at spot “zero”. Now let’s think about actual human beings. Let’s assume the first person in line stands 1 foot from the service counter. If we assume a personal space bubble of about 2 feet, then a minimum of 6 feet away for the next person is 9 feet from the window; subsequent spots are at 17 and 25 feet. Suddenly we’re down to 3 people in our socially distanced line. If some of our “spots” are filled by groups of people, like families or couples, then we have to build even more space.
With those two issues in mind, I encourage you to think about social distancing as 10 feet away rather than 6 feet. This accounts for our poor spatial judgment, tendency to drift closer, and the issues of humans being 3-dimensional. This also creates space to move in and around people if you’re working in a classroom or retail environment.
On Reduced Testing (Written 8/30/2020)
I’d like to spend a little time today talking about a big problem both here in Georgia and elsewhere regarding information and attitudes about COVID19. As you may have recently seen in the AJC demand for COVID19 testing is down in Georgia. This is alarming, as Georgia has never really tested at levels sufficient to contain the virus, and the decrease will only worsen our ability to monitor and intervene. Decreased testing means more cases will not be detected, which will increase community spread and further distort our understanding of the outbreak. So let’s talk about why testing is going down, and what can be done about it.
One major factor is poor communication about the utility of tests in recent weeks. Recently the press has become fascinated with stories of false positives. This is a real thing that happens, and happens with tests for most medical conditions; however it’s also pretty uncommon — studies of PCR tests suggest a false positive rate below 5%. In fact, you’re much, much more likely to get a false negative, and that problem of false negatives has very real human costs. Where clusters of false positives have occurred, they’ve generally been issues with the labs reporting tests and have been quickly identified. But unfortunately, this has led to considerable misinformation and conspiratorial theories spreading. Rather than recognizing that a national testing campaign may occasionally have errors, COVID deniers have chosen to interpret the existence of these false positives as proof that all positive tests are false, spread unsubstantiated claims that all tests come back positive, and insinuate that asymptomatic cases are all false positives. For people not versed in the nuances of testing, this can be dangerously persuasive.
Meanwhile, significant efforts have been underway to blame individuals for becoming infected and attribute this as a personal fault rather than acknowledge that our public health response has forced people to risk unavoidable exposure to the virus or face financial ruin. This can be seen pretty much everywhere, but it’s particularly visible in Universities, where administrators have chosen to bring students to campus and then shame them for getting infected, ignoring the realities of elevated risks that occur in student housing and poorly ventilated lecture halls and instead blaming parties. While there is some truth to the concerns about parties, the risks inherent in university programming and the risks that students assume when they take on work with the public where they’re often unable to enforce safety guidelines is a much greater concern. This is essentially just a COVID variation of the millenial shaming that’s been a favorite past-time of university administrators for some years. Rather than making students take more precautions, these strategies mostly discourage students from testing and reporting, and makes them less likely to be honest with contact tracers if they do test positive.
On Underlying Conditions (Written 8/30/2020)
Yet further discouraging testing is people’s focus on the idea of underlying conditions. This has been particularly prevalent today, following news reports saying “94% of Covid-19 deaths had underlying medical conditions”. People are reading this and interpreting it to mean that only 6% of people who die from COVID would have survived if not for underlying conditions, and that the risk is wildly overblown.
That would be noteworthy, so let’s look into this a bit. The claim comes from Table 3 on the CDC Weekly Update, which is captioned:
Table 3 shows the types of health conditions and contributing causes mentioned in conjunction with deaths involving coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). For 6% of the deaths, COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned. For deaths with conditions or causes in addition to COVID-19, on average, there were 2.6 additional conditions or causes per death. The number of deaths with each condition or cause is shown for all deaths and by age groups.
If we look at the table and associated data, however, we quickly see a that this is somewhat misleading. What this table is actually doing is reporting “Conditions Contributing to Deaths where COVID-19 was listed on the death certificate”. It’s important to understand that over two thirds of death certificates list multiple causes of death, and this is generally considered a good thing from a health standpoint — he inclusion of multiple factors associated with the death helps us better understand disease interaction and progression. This is different from reporting the “underlying cause of death”, which is the illness that is considered to have precipitated the death, which is often difficult to specify, and which the CDC table does not address. When we consider that when COVID is fatal, the death is usually a result of respiratory or organ failure resulting from damage done to the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys, then it makes sense that most COVID19 death certificates would list things like pneumonia, adult respiratory distress syndrome, respiratory failure, respiratory arrest, ischemic heart disease, cardiac arrest, heart failure, renal failure, and sepsis as contributing factors. If we factor in that 6 in 10 US adults have at least one chronic disease, and 4 in 10 have at least 2, then it also becomes no surprise that these make an appearance on the table. And given the promotion of the Miracle Mineral Solution, AKA Bleach, it’s not surprising that around 5000 of these deaths seem to be poisoning related. Taken all together, it’s surprising that any COVID death certificates don’t list additional contributing factors, let alone 6%!
Because there are conspiracy theorists desperate to capitalize on any data inconseistency, I should mention that the reason that the table lists only 161,392 deaths is NOT because the CDC is quietly removing deaths from the count; it’s because the table relies on limited and delayed reporting. The national data shows 182,149 deaths and 5,934,824 cases.
As a final note, the recent focus on deaths as the only indicator of disease threat is a big problem. We are seeing that COVID19 has significant long term health effects on people who survive it, ranging from ongoing symptoms of fatigue, a racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, achy joints, foggy thinking, a persistent loss of sense of smell, and damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain. Hospitalized COVID patients are at elevated risk of blood clots that can cause strokes, heart attacks, lung blockages, and other complications, and this is particularly prevalent in young patients. Other residual symptoms include neurocognitive impairments, and elevated risk for psychaitric disorders. In children, we’re seeing Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome. And because myths about children being immune continue to spread, we should note that we have evidence of cases and deaths in children as young as 1 year old. Lastly, we should remember that we’re only 9 months into this virus, and we don’t know what the true long term effects will be. Dismissing the health impacts on survivors is short-sighted and likely to exacerbate the human suffering and economic damage this virus will cause.
Final Thoughts
As always, I am not trained in epidemiology, and defer to recognized experts in the field on all issues. These analyses and commentary are solely designed to help lay persons approach the publicly available data and larger public health conversations.
Stay Home.
Wash Your Hands.
Wear a Mask.
Documentation
Code and data available here. Analysis conducted using R. | https://medium.com/@andrewbenesh/ga-covid-19-report-december-26-2020-4cec5637e164 | ['Andrew Benesh'] | 2020-12-27 02:12:27.418000+00:00 | ['Covid 19', 'Georgia'] |
Why God Allowed the Devil to Tempt Jesus, and What is its Ramification | The First Encounter of Man and the Devil (the Serpent)
After Man was made, God gave him authority over all the earth and a commission to do God’s will. God then planted a garden and placed man in the midst of it with a specific command leading to either sustain life or bring death.
Genesis 2:15–18 says, Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; BUT of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
Verse 21 continues, And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept, and He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
In this garden, man would meet his tempter, the serpent.
Genesis chapter 3 tells us of the encounter where man succumbed to the serpent (devil’s) temptation.
1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’ ” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 BUT of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
As God is true, and the devil the father of lies, man’s disobedience to God’s command ushered him to his fall which would end in death.
With that, Adam and his wife found themselves naked in shame, guilty in sin, hiding from the face of God.
17 Then to Adam, He (God) said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake;
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.
Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.
In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.”
— therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man, and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
Man Succumbing to the Devil’s Wile Handed Himself Over to the Control of Satan.
As Paul, the apostle states in Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned — “
By giving in to the devil’s temptation by going against God’s will, man lost three things.
First, The blessing of eternal life and instead received the curse of death.
Second, The loving presence of God, God’s provision as well as God’s protection. He was banished from the place which God has prepared for him.
Third, Although God gave dominion to man to rule over all the earth, he lost the power to reign the moment he submitted himself to the serpent’s will.
So as the man gave himself to Satan’s rule, so was his earthly possession and authority given over to the devil to plunder, a principle which Jesus confirmed in Mark 3:27, “No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.”
Therefore, Satan the devil could tell it to the Son of God when he tempted Him in the wilderness, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; FOR THIS HAS BEEN DELIVERED TO ME, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
That was of course a lie because in the eyes of God that authority still lies with man to whom He gave it. God cannot recognize the devil’s claim since He never gave it to him.
As Adam was in the garden, Jesus was in the Wilderness
In that moment of testing, Jesus was in the same situation as the first man Adam was in the garden. Will Jesus accept the devil’s deception? Of course not, for He only believes His Father’s words. So He responded with God’s word “For it is written:”
“Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.”
Rather than aligning Himself with the devil, Jesus secured His position with God. So the devil left Him, and angels came and ministered to Him.
Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all (Luke 4:14–15).
Now, what would happen if Jesus took the bait of the devil as Adam did? | https://medium.com/interfaith-now/why-god-allowed-the-devil-to-tempt-jesus-and-what-is-its-ramification-1279b3c3baa | ['Noel Corpuz'] | 2020-12-23 04:12:07.522000+00:00 | ['Spirituality', 'Religion', 'Faith', 'Christianity', 'Life'] |
Relationship goals in Travel Industry — UX Case Study of Designing Cancellation Policies | In the early 2020s, COVID-19 struck the world. The travel sector had to face an angry horde of anxious customers wanting to change and cancel their bookings. The load on the customer care teams was immense. The pandemic blindsided us and thrusted upon us numerous complex issues, for which there were no immediate fixes. But the MakeMyTrip team has left no stone unturned in trying to find common ground and makes this experience hassle-free for the consumers while backing our suppliers.
It became imperative for us, as a team, to remain clear and honest with our users, so that they don’t feel cheated. Think about relationships. To avoid an ugly break up, it’s best to be upfront and honest with each other. In the same way, as designers, we need to be transparent with our user. It’s natural to feel cheated if one doesn’t know the entire deal before diving in.
Being transparent with the cancellation policy is the best policy
Beware the angry customer — they can go on a rampage ranging from dialling customer support, complaining on social media, down-rating your app, and creating an overall bad impression of your brand on social media and other channels.
MMT’s Holidays line of business has its own complexity as the packages are created with a combination of Flights, Hotels, Activities and transfers. Each inclusion comes with its own cancellation nuances.
Which is why it’s important that the users can easily find your Cancellation Policy on the website or app. We had to make sure it’s easy to locate and understand.
Defining the problem
For any relationship to work, communication is key. Traditionally, cancellation policies came in long, static, textual, bullet-point formats where everything looks the same.
The aim was to clearly highlight cancellation policy while giving the user an easy way to compare between plans; thereby improving the overall funnel hygiene.
Sometimes an amicable divorce rests on the shoulders of a solid pre-nuptial agreement. Before you break up, it’s important to talk about who keeps the dog and who gets the Netflix account. Before you book with MakeMyTrip, you should know what you’ll be getting back.
Objectives
Display different kinds of protection plans that a user could pick from
Pre-define and convey the difference between date change and cancellation to avoid confusion
Clearly highlight the default plan selected
Process
Defining structure:
As the components were many we decided to have dates as a fixed element to help users compare between the policies and protection plans.
Exploration:
Experimented with different ways of approaching the design e.g. Rate plan, Timeline view, Tabular representation etc | https://medium.com/gommtdesign/designing-our-cancellation-policy-a-ux-case-study-8324f8abb20 | ['Isha Beniwal'] | 2020-11-02 12:27:21.230000+00:00 | ['Travel Design', 'User Experience Design', 'Interaction Design', 'Case Study', 'UX Design'] |
Introduction to let you guys know a little about me. | Introduction to let you guys know a little about me.
My name is Heather and this is the first blog I have ever posted and felt it was important to not be afraid or ashamed of such things I have struggled with and I will be talking more about it in future blogs. I felt that if other people read these blogs who are going through similar situations they won’t be ashamed or scared to get help and to know they are not alone. I have overcome a lot in my life, sometimes their where times were I felt to ashamed to talk about certain things that I have overcome like addiction and suicide . Not only did I feel ashamed but their were a lot of negative people in my life who made me feel even worse about the situation. Over the years I have had the strength to talk more about the things that I struggled with like addiction, mental health, suicide, abuse and rape. Before I go on more I want to tell the readers that I am adopted and have been for almost 7 years to an amazing family who loves me. I am a suicide survivor. I am also a recovered addict who has been clean for almost 8 years and was on drugs for about 5 years. I was abused mentally, physically, sexually, emotionally by my biological father and grandfather until I met my new family when I was 12 or 13. I suffered from bullying in school which needed up getting pretty ugly. When I brought up being abused I felt ashamed for the longest time and tried hiding it and hid my emotions. Over the course of a few years I have learned that the reason I felt ashamed was because I thought I was my fault that it was happening. After spending years in and out of the hospital and going to therapy I realized it was not my fault that the abuse was happening, it was my biological dad father and grandfathers fault. They were old enough to know that this is not right and that this was not okay but yet they still did it. I should also mention they were all pretty bad alcoholics and were on drugs but still that is no excuse. Due to all the abuse I tried committing suicide and was hospitalized about 8 times for attempted suicide. I was self harming pretty bad and was cutting my arms, legs anywhere I could just to help cope with the trauma. Now that I have done therapy I know self harming was not a great coping skill and have been taught new ones like distracting ,myself when I felt like it, but In the moment and at that time I thought that was best. Due from all the abuse I suffer from CPTSD, depression, anxiety and will be talking about those as well in future blogs but have since learned coping skills to help. I no longer have any evolvement with them any more but still coping and dealing with everything that came with it. My future blogs will be discussing more about CPTSD, anxiety, depression, my addiction, self harming etc. | https://medium.com/@harpillman2001/introduction-to-let-you-guys-know-a-little-about-me-95460875e3cd | [] | 2020-12-23 03:52:38.933000+00:00 | ['Addiction', 'Motivation', 'Abuse', 'Inspiration', 'Self Harm'] |
Practical Tips for Remote Retrospectives | Like many in our global Scrum Master community, in the early part of 2020 I had to quickly work out how I could effectively facilitate my now fully remote Scrum Team. Here’s what I’ve learned….
Photo by Jake Kokot on Unsplash
Make it engaging
You get a certain level of interaction and engagement in face-to-face sessions “out of the box”. We don’t quite have that same luxury in remote sessions. Consequently, as facilitators, we need to be deliberate in our actions and go out of our way to invite participation and engage with our teams. If not, it becomes very easy for people to zone out and start doing other things like sending email, instant messages and the like. There is nothing worse than getting an email from one of your participants when you are facilitating a remote session — believe me, I’ve been that guy…
In order to make it easy for participants to interact, the choice of collaboration tool is crucial. If you have access to a tool such as Miro or Mural, then you are in a good spot. Both tools give a facilitator a great deal of flexibility in terms of how they run a session. They are also really easy to use as a participant too giving everyone instant feedback.
If you don’t have access to either of the tools mentioned above, don’t despair — there are plenty of other tools out there. So far this year, I’ve used Reetro (free online Retro board), Powerpoint online and the whiteboard app within Microsoft Teams. With a bit of preparation and creativity you can run an effective retrospective with these tools (Good news for those of you operating in more “corporate” environments).
I’ve also had a lot of success with Mentimeter over the past few months as well. I’ve used it primarily for check-in/ice breakers for my sessions, but my team have responded really well to it and we’ve had a lot of fun. There’s just something about the fact that people can use their smart phones that encourages them to participate with the activities. I wouldn’t be without it now. | https://medium.com/buildit/practical-tips-for-remote-retrospectives-5deaf181f287 | ['Andrew Littlejohns'] | 2020-12-14 16:46:38.304000+00:00 | ['Retrospectives', 'Facilitation', 'Remote Team'] |
Interview: Chatting with DejaVilla About “Gravy,” Turkish Soap Operas, and Their Upcoming Album | DejaVilla
Moments ago, DejaVilla released their latest single, “Gravy,” featuring Runkus, via Ultra Music.
The two halves of DejaVilla are David Marston and Sarah Couch. The twosome hail from Kingston, Jamaica, although David now lives in the U.K. After hooking up as DejaVilla in 2017, they dropped their debut single, “Suit a Rebel,” followed by “Feel Me Running Away” and “Ochi to Mobay,” featured on their self-titled debut EP, on Ultra Music.
DejaVilla’s contagious sound merges elements of dance, reggae, hip-hop, and Afrobeats into captivating sonic confections, blending flavors that, on the surface, wouldn’t seem integrate. Yet they do, resulting in a delicious sound both unique and lacking contemporary equivalence.
Pop Off caught up with DejaVilla to find out more about how they got together, their creative process, and the genesis of “Gravy.”
Hey DejaVilla, thanks for the interview. Can you tell our readers a little about yourselves?
David: Hi — I am David — I am the production arm of DejaVilla. I am Jamaican, but I currently reside in the United Kingdom. Sarah and I met when we were at high school in Kingston, but we only re-connected through music a couple of years ago via a mutual friend.
Sarah: I’m Sarah, singer/songwriter from Kingston, Jamaica. Born and raised! The vocal half of DejaVilla. I’ll go ahead and say, it’s me all the rudeness comes from. The rebel of the two. Lol
There’s a distinct Jamaican influence to your sound. Where do you see yourself fitting in the modern music scene, if at all?
David: To be honest, I have not given too much thought to DejaVilla’s place in the music scene. The goal from the outset of the project was just to make cool music that fused elements of Jamaican music with dance and electronic music.
Sarah: I’m not sure where but I hope we find a place somewhere … our influences are far and wide. David and I find a good way to put it together.
“Gravy” is lovely. Can you share the inspiration behind it?
David: I had made the ‘Gravy’ beat with my friends Ase and Neal, aka MadStarBase, when they came to visit New York sometime in 2019. Musically, at that time, we were inspired by Afrobeats — and in particular, a Ghanaian producer, Juls. We started vibing out on a rough version of the ‘Gravy’ riddim that day in NYC, and I thought Sarah would sound great on the beat. I went to Jamaica later that year and Sarah and I recorded the song together at her house in Kingston.
Sarah: David actually sent me a melody idea for the track chorus and that’s what really inspired the whole thing. I don’t know but maybe because I cook a lot, “gravy” came to mind. But the idea of the song is basically saying “no long talkin’” let’s get to it!
What was the creative process like in terms of linking up with Runkus? Was it intentional?
David: Runkus is a massive talent! Sarah and I have been Runkus fans for a while and we were keen to collaborate with him on this album. We reached out to him to make the collaboration happen and fortunately he was up for it. Soon after, he sent me his vocal parts. I remember being impressed by the intricacy of his vocal recordings.
Sarah: I’ve always been a huge fan of Runkus since his track “my girlfriend” came out. I saw him somewhere and told him about the project. I actually had him in mind for a different song so I sent him both songs and ‘Gravy’ is the one he chose.
With both of you being in separate places, do you see that as a positive or a negative? Why?
David: I think, all things considered, Sarah and I would prefer to be in the same place. We have been able to maintain our creative chemistry despite living in different countries, but I think we work better when we are in the same place and we can build off of each other’s energy and creativity.
Sarah: I think we could accomplish a lot more if we were in the same place, but this is just how it is for now and we have to do the best we can.
DejaVilla
What do you hope your fans/listeners take away with them when they listen to your music?
David: My vision for DejaVilla has always been focused on blending musical styles that wouldn’t automatically be considered compatible. I hope that fans can enjoy a fun and vibrant musical experience by listening to DejaVilla.
Sarah: I hope people can relate to my lyrics and songs. I’ve always listened to music based on my mood and how I can relate to a song depending on what I’m feeling at the time. And what I need from music at the time. I hope people can relate to our music and it makes them feel a sense of validation emotionally.
How has Covid-19 affected your growth, if at all? Any hobbies you’ve picked up?
David: I haven’t started learning to knit or bake sourdough bread, yet, but one thing I have been focusing on is improving my mixing and audio engineering knowledge. I’ve also been making a point to ride my bike more often than I used to.
Sarah: This year has been a year of major growth for me. I feel Covid has really forced me to be with myself, get to know myself and be ok with who that person is.
Which musicians/vocalists, if any, influenced you the most?
David: Musician: Stephen Cat Coore, guitarist of the legendary reggae band Third World. Vocalist: Eva Cassidy.
Sarah: I’d have to say my parents, both of them being musicians and growing up with a recording studio at home. That was the foundation for me. They introduced me to a wide array of music from reggae to rock to jazz and everything in between from when I was a baby. Plenty of legends passed through our studio back in the day like Toots, Gregory Isaacs, Eurythmics. It was all a major influence.
Are there any artists that you are listening to now that we should keep an eye (or ear) on?
David: I’ve enjoyed listening to Liam Bailey’s new album, Ekundayo. His music is remarkably soulful and heavily influenced by reggae. At this moment, another notable artist for me is a Mexican musician called Fer Casillas. And, obviously, you should also keep Runkus and MadStarBase on your radar because they are doing awesome musical work.
Sarah: My playlist is all over the place. I’ve been listening to Mereba, Lucky Daye, Yohan Marley, Mortimer, Jessie Reyez, and Chronixx, of course. Lianne la Havas, Princess Nokia, Quada, and that’s just a few. It’s all about the mood really.
Do you have a guilty music and/or entertainment pleasure?
David: Turkish soap operas.
Sarah: I love trap and dancehall.
Why do you make music?
David: Inherently I feel that I have always gravitated towards music over other art forms. For me, I feel that I can express myself best through music relative to other creative outlets.
Sarah: I don’t know, I’ve been writing songs and melodies from about 8 years old. I think it’s just something that brings me joy. To be able to express myself that way.
Looking to the future, what’s next for DejaVilla?
David: 2020 has been a trip. For 2021, I’m looking forward to releasing all the new DejaVilla tunes on this upcoming album. I hope we can get back to doing some performances and live shows as well.
Sarah: The album. It’s really cool, I think it’s so unique and I’m happy we can give a whole 12-song experience to get immersed in.
Follow DejaVilla Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | https://medium.com/pop-off/interview-chatting-with-dejavilla-about-gravy-turkish-soap-operas-and-their-upcoming-album-860d93c4c0c5 | ['Randall Radic'] | 2020-12-11 11:44:48.876000+00:00 | ['Music', 'Dejavilla', 'Interview', 'Gravy', 'New Music'] |
The Failure of The Last Jedi. | The Failure of The Last Jedi.
How Rian Johnson’s film explores the importance of getting it wrong.
Ever since the prequels wound up being at least a little bit inept, large swatches of Star Wars fandom have delighted in acting like they know more about the franchise than the people actually writing the stories within it. George Lucas might have thought that it was a cool idea to start his trilogy about the emotional downfall of one of the most iconic representations of evil and villainy in all of storytelling with a film centered around a complicated trade dispute, but the guy isn’t a complete idiot. He was fully aware that he was telling the story of the Jedi failure, but fans can have a tendency to talk about this as though Lucas didn’t realize exactly what he was doing. Again — Lucas might have misfired on a lot of ideas when it comes to the prequels, but the subtext of the Jedi Order’s role in the birth of Darth Vader wasn’t one of them.
Now that Star Wars has been soft-rebooted, so to speak, it’s open to a new narrative paradigm that wasn’t really possible before. Open for the first time to storytellers with a bit of distance from its initial conception and execution, the Star Wars franchise finds itself with some unprecedented potential for meta-commentary. Neither the prequels nor the original trilogy were capable of commenting on the legacy they were actively becoming part of, but a 30-year remove puts this new generation of storytellers in a very unique position: Star Wars stories can now be told in a way that thematically and sub-textually comments not only on the very franchise they are a part of, but on the extended legacy of that franchise, its cultural impacts, the nature of its relationship with its fans, and so on. For the first time, Star Wars movies can be about the cultural institution that is Star Wars movies.
Now I’m as staunch an Abrams apologist as they come, but at this point it’s more or less apparent that JJ isn’t interested in taking any real risks with this new potential. His is a deep love of homage, and thinking back to a story about his on-set mantra being “Is it delightful?” during the production of The Force Awakens points to a clear difference in his storytelling goals when compared with Rian Johnson’s work on The Last Jedi. If Abrams’ aim is to delight, Johnson’s is to pick apart all that shit that you’ve been delighted by for the last thirty-some-odd years, thematically shoulder his way right past all your easy nostalgia buttons, and demand that you ask yourself why you were so delighted by all of it in the first place.
And all The Last Jedi needed to be was a rip-roaring Star Wars flick. Delightful would have been enough! Hell, it was fine for Force Awakens and Rogue One, so why not this one? It just wasn’t enough for Rian Johnson. He seems to have set his goals a little higher, and his resultant work has elevated the franchise to heights it hasn’t reached since Empire Strikes Back. Through a series of storytelling choices that elicit a deep understanding of the Star Wars franchise as well as its fandom’s complex relationship with it, The Last Jedi doesn’t just accomplish things that Star Wars had never done before, it accomplishes things that weren’t even possible for Star Wars to do before in the first place.
The Jedi Failure
The Last Jedi made it no secret that Luke Skywalker has grown sick and tired of everyone’s favorite order of magical laser-sword space-knights. Hell, they put it right there in the trailer. Luke is not down with the Jedi anymore, and he wants them to be donezo. Then, at a certain point, Luke explains to Rey that despite all the myth-making and galactic hero-worship, “The legacy of Jedi is failure…hypocrisy, hubris.” He even goes so far as to point out that the Jedi basically let Palpatine rise to power when they were at their strongest. All things that any Star Wars fans will recognize as having come out of the mouths of people who think they understand Star Wars better than Lucas does.
To a degree, this is understandable: While the Jedi failure was clearly and intentionally played out in the action of the prequel films, its interpretation is more or less implicit, and has never — for lack of a better term — been “made canon” in a diegetic sense. Fans have been quick to assume that, since the Jedi have been treated with reverence by most all characters within the Star Wars universe itself, their failure was not rooted in Lucas’ authorial intent. Thing is, most Star Wars stories don’t center on characters who have actually been through all of the core films thus far. Given The Last Jedi’s temporal setting, this makes Old Luke one of the only characters in the Star Wars universe who can actually offer up an authoritative analysis on the events of both the prequels and the original trilogy.
That analysis? To sharply rebuke the Galactic Good Guys for having been a failure and condemn them for having been driven by hubris and hypocrisy, essentially calling for an end to their existence.
Damn, Rian.
But by brilliantly deciding to make failure the thematic throughline of The Last Jedi, Rian Johnson canonizes the Jedi failure as being recognized thusly in the most poignant way possible, elevating it to a vital teaching role within the hero’s journey. At the same time, the Jedi are humanized. De-deified. The Last Jedi shows us that the Jedi have always had their hearts in the right place, even though they sometimes fuck up the execution. At the end of the day, they were fallible. They had to learn from their mistakes and miscalculations, just like us regular, non-magic folk. Even Luke comes to learn that his criticisms don’t need to be quite as sharp as they had been, because the Jedi were never supposed to be regarded as infallible gods in the first place. They were capable of misjudgment just like anyone else, and their true power lied in their ability to learn from these failures and integrate them into their journeys. So sayeth Yoda, in one of the film’s most thematically important moments. The Jedi weren’t perfect Chosen People…they were People.
The Rey of it all
And so it turns out that the Skywalker Saga isn’t just about the Skywalkers. Up to now, it’s been easy enough to interpret the core Star Wars saga as being about a single family around which the fate of the struggle between good and evil within the galaxy seems to hang. In The Last Jedi, however, Rian Johnson thumbs his nose directly at this idea, tossing all that destiny, chosen one nonsense right over his shoulder (remind you of anyone?).
Think about how intentional this decision must have been. There’s no way Johnson wasn’t acutely aware of the conversation surrounding Rey’s origins; remember that this is one of the first Star Wars films produced in a way that actually allows for reflexive commentary. This type of storytelling wasn’t even possible until now, and the reveal that Rey comes from outside the Skywalker lineage has implications that ripple back to the very DNA of the original trilogy itself.
The Last Jedi firmly and confidently asserts that Rey doesn’t have to be the progeny of someone previously-established as being “special” in order to play a vital role in the struggle for good and evil. Rey isn’t a hero because she was born a hero, she’s a hero because she decided to use her gifts and abilities to actively become one. She doesn’t have to be the secret spawn of some major player on the galactic stage the way Luke was. It’s enough that she’s someone who has the ability to make a difference, and is determined to do so in a positive way.
As such, Rey’s call to adventure is entirely her own. It doesn’t come attached to the legacy of some important dude who came before her; it’s borne out of her own agency, and of her decision to use her gifts for good.
The Hero’s Journey
Above all else, Rian Johnson remembered that Star Wars is a telling of the Hero’s Journey. Lucas was famously fascinated with Campbell’s contributions to the field of comparative mythology, and it’s no secret that The Hero with a Thousand Faces informed a lot of the Star Wars blueprint. The Last Jedi has no shortage of heroes that emerge over the course of its movie-and-a-half runtime, but what’s incredible about Johnson’s screenplay is how much thematic depth emerges from a film that allows itself the time to comment on how those journeys actually start.
In its retroactive illumination of how Rey’s hero’s journey started, The Last Jedi strengthens itself with a valuable thematic insight on the very nature of Campbell’s monomyth (and something a lot of ancillary Star Wars material seems to have forgotten) — heroism is universal. It’s for everyone. The Hero of a Thousand Faces is fundamentally about the universality of the hero’s journey, and The Last Jedi makes this idea literal by depicting the Rebellion’s contagious spark as it makes its way across the galaxy.
We are all our own heroes, each of us on our own journeys. Background doesn’t matter. Luke and Rey both stared up at the sky towards the start of their respective journeys with the same wistful look on their faces, a gesture that speaks to a truly universal desire to have our complex, complicated lives pared down to something as elemental and simple as “good versus evil.”
And all this thematic legwork is what makes the oft-derided Canto Bight sequence not just an absolutely indispensable part of The Last Jedi, but also one of the sequences that clarifies Rian Johnson’s deep understanding of the Star Wars mythos.
First of all, consider the fact that the Canto Bight mission fails. Finn and Rose touch down with the goal of finding someone who can help the Rebellion, and they fail. They find someone who does help them, but it’s not exactly the help that they wanted, and it’s not exactly delivered in the way they expected. Just like Rey’s mission to find Luke and bring him back, their Hail Mary play doesn’t go exactly as planned, showing us that failure is always part of the journey. This sequence also zooms out on the Star Wars universe a bit, showing us a larger context for and the impact of the galactic conflict we’ve been following along all these years. It’s not just the Rebels who suffer at the hands of the Empire: both sides are engaged in a massive, churning war machine, and the Canto Bight sequence offers a valuable look at those left in its wake.
Most importantly, though? This sequence sows the seeds for another hero’s journey. Remember, Luke was a conflict bystander who once stood in a shitty place and looked up at the sky wishing he could be part of something bigger. The Last Jedi ends with a poignant shot (perhaps the most meaningfully significant frame in the entire franchise) that shows a slave boy, having recently been inspired by Rose and her Rebels, looking up at the sky and holding his broomstick so it looks like a lightsaber.
The spark spreads. Yet another hero’s journey begins. And not because of special parents, but because someone helped. The Rebel Alliance has started the fire of yet another Hero’s Journey somewhere in the galaxy…even though the Canto Bight mission was technically a failure. It’s all part of the journey. | https://medium.com/idiots-delight/the-failure-of-the-last-jedi-1a5f33962355 | ['Sean Boulger'] | 2018-10-28 17:52:55+00:00 | ['Star Wars', 'Film', 'Film Criticism', 'The Last Jedi', 'Rian Johnson'] |
Is Ethereum Apple? Or Is It IBM? | “It’s early days” might be insufficient
San Francisco’s first real rush of real wealth had nothing to do with Facebook or Google, but it had everything to do with information. In 1872, the industrial Silicon Valley of the world was a hemisphere away, in Liverpool, UK. The exploitation of the Comstock silver lode in Nevada opened up a wildly speculative market in mining companies on the San Francisco stock exchange, manipulated by financiers who had the best information on the state of the mines.
In June of that year, the San Francisco mining stock bubble burst. A year later, the global economy entered a depression, which in San Francisco brought race riots.
In 1872, the Age of Steam was ending; the Age of Steel was beginning. The center of global industrial activity was moving across the Atlantic to new centers in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. About 100 years later, in May, 1968, French workers and students took to the streets on the cusp of the invention of the microchip, a technological innovation that would shift that center of wealth and knowledge, once again. The economist Carlota Perez has observed that social unrest often coincides with a change in the economic paradigm, and this seems to happen about every 50 years.
How interesting, after Facebook, Google and Twitter have been called to account on Capitol Hill, to consider that we may be viewing that cycle play itself out for the Information Age that began in 1972. Among Perez’s crucial observations is the idea that long-wave industrial cycles are not only technological, but economic, social and ideological. It’s been a great run for the information silage model that the FAANG companies represent. It’s true that distributed ledger technology represents a new ideology, based on shared information, trusted for the incentives and rules that govern its many custodians.
However tempting it may be to pinpoint an apogee in an astrology of economic determinism, the center may well hodl for a few turns, yet. While social discontent may be spreading, economic realities are far from what Perez outlined as the business basis of industrial paradigm change. For example, Perez wrote of incumbents:
“Their relative success makes firms amass even more money without profitable investment outlets”
“Profits begin to feel the productivity constriction”
There’s little sign yet that these things are happening. It’s easy to cherry pick facts for almost any narrative, but facts from first quarter earnings don’t seem to match Perez’s pattern for techno-economic paradigm shift:
It might be time for a wave of investment in new technologies and new ways of doing business, as it was in the 1970s. Or, blockchain in 2017–2018 might be more like the invention of the mainframe computer in the 1950s. In other words, Bitcoin and Ethereum may be the IBM and DEC of a nascent industry, with real wealth and innovation to come in a later wave of Intels, Apples and Googles. Even Netscape may not be an adequate simile for how early days it is.
Photo by UC Davis College of Engineering, CC BY 2.0. | https://medium.com/tokenreport/is-ethereum-apple-or-is-it-ibm-c8190fa117b7 | ['Galen Moore'] | 2018-05-22 12:23:06.380000+00:00 | ['Cryptocurrency', 'Economics', 'Ethereum', 'Blockchain', 'Technology'] |
5 Website Design Optimization Apparatuses That Will Launch Your Rankings | There are a portion of the significant things in the marketing scene which are viewed as vital for creating drives, traffic alongside deals inactively. Seo Company in Surat gives benefit and practically 90% of the social encounters typically start with the assistance of a web search tool.
There are around 75% of the clients who in no way, shape or form look to the second page of the outcomes. Additionally, paid inquiry commercials are totally overlooked by 70% to 80% of the clients. This shows that on the off chance that you get natural site positioning on your specific internet searcher. This assists with utilizing your rate potential.
In this way, you ought to basically have some familiarity with about the best equations identified with the SEO which will rocket your specific site to the top situation of the query items.
Here is given a conversation with respect to the five SEO apparatuses which will launch your rankings.
Ahrefs Is Known To Be The SEO Keyword Tool
Ahrefs is known to be a famous SEO apparatus accessible on the web. With regards to being the biggest site crawlers, it is simply second to Google. Website optimization specialists can’t get adequate of the Site Audit element of Ahref as it is viewed as the best SEO investigation instrument around.
READ MORE: Top 5 SEO tools marketers use to optimize website in 2021
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Google Search Console Is One Of The Top SEO Tool
Everybody having a site can get to this free of charge of cost. Once more, this Google Search Console explicitly assists you with appropriately checking and furthermore report on the presence of your site Google SERP.
In such manner, you need to basically confirm your site which should be possible by adding some particular code to your specific site or by going through Google Analytics. For ordering, you additionally need to present your sitemap.
SEMRush Is Known To Be One Of The Best Marketing SEO Tools
There are a portion of the marketing related SEO apparatuses, for example, SEMRush which is generally well known locally of SEO. In this device, you can get to your rankings just as roll out explicit improvements to them. Subsequently, you additionally have new positioning freedoms.
The Domain Vs Domain investigation is known to the best component of this device. This again effectively permits you to contrast your specific site with that of your rivals.
KWFinder Is A Popular SEO Keyword Tool
You can without much of a stretch observe some to be long-tail catchphrases which have a lower contest by the KWFinder which is a famous SEO watchword instrument. This apparatus is fundamentally utilized by specialists to track down probably the best watchwords. Alongside that, it is likewise used to run examination provides details regarding SERP and backlinks.
Moz Is Known To Be The Best SEO Software
Moz is viewed as Seo Services in Ahmedabad which is again the best SEO device that is utilized by the specialists. | https://medium.com/@anvigeet1322/5-website-design-optimization-apparatuses-that-will-launch-your-rankings-f00787d25e99 | ['Anvi Geet'] | 2021-11-26 06:26:12.755000+00:00 | ['Online Business', 'Digital Marketing', 'Seo Servives', 'Website Design', 'Internet Marketing'] |
When We Find Aliens | We’ll be changed forever
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Let’s say our search for signs of extra-terrestrial life finds something this year. What would be the effect on humanity?
There are many first-contact type movies, but I am wondering about the scenario where we detect the signs of life from afar, we don’t know if it’s aware of our existence, we understand it minimally, and we can’t go there any time soon.
For this exploration, let’s consider three situations:
The distant life forms are at an evolutionary state like on Earth about 500 million years ago. At about the same stage as we are now Unfathomably ahead
1. If the alien life is primordial
We may
Carry on, as usual, fighting among ourselves
Carry on, as usual, ruining the planet
Feel superior and unique, at least for a while
Look at the life-harbouring planet as a way out of a future extinction on Earth
Credit our Gods with even more than their hitherto powers and extend their scope vastly out into the cosmos
2. If the alien life seems very much like ours
We could
Feel a completely new sense of oneness as Earthlings.
Ruin our planet even faster, knowing it’s not so special.
Feel tremendous curiosity but little fear, knowing that mutual visits are unlikely any time soon.
Try to signal friendship in case they can help us out in future, wondering if they may be expecting the same for themselves.
Question and discard our religious beliefs and Gods as merely expedient in our evolution, knowing life is not such a unique creation.
3. If the alien intelligence appears to be very advanced
Perhaps we will
See ourselves a lot more clearly and mature rapidly.
Take care of our planet better, knowing there is much to look forward to.
Feel very small, backward and afraid of direct contact.
Try not to draw attention till we know more.
Quietly try to learn as much as we can through observation so that we can catch up.
Wonder if they are the Gods we believe in.
Knowing that an alien life form exists will transform humanity forever. Like isolated tribes of deep rainforests or remote islands are changed forever when they come in contact with us, we will never be the same again, for better or worse. Hopefully, it’ll be for the better.
Now that would be something to experience in our lifetimes. How exciting it would be, how life-changing. Can’t wait!
Hello, hold on, what’s that they are showing on BBC World News?? It can’t be, no, it is…wow, Hubble’s detected something definitely intelligent, and it seems to be coming from….. | https://medium.com/predict/when-we-find-aliens-8062f77096f1 | ['Shashi Sastry'] | 2020-11-19 22:57:14.301000+00:00 | ['Predictions', 'Evolution', 'Future', 'Extraterrestrial Life', 'Aliens'] |
Three Reasons Why Cannabis Edibles and Beverages will be Game Changers | Edibles/beverages will increase general cannabis penetration across all segments
The segment of cannabis consumers with the most potential for growth are “intenders”: those who do not use cannabis on a regular basis but are willing to become regular consumers.
Data shows that intenders represent ~33% of the population today, with over 50% of intenders having tried cannabis in the past. Deloitte suggests that intenders favour extract-based products because they are perceived as a more discreet, safe, and familiar way to consume cannabis. Legalized edibles and beverages will make cannabis more accessible to this segment, subduing the illicit market.
Edibles appeal to 59% of the intenders surveyed by Deloitte, especially male-identified Ontario residents between the ages of 18 and 34, while a younger-skewing 37% of intenders gravitate toward cannabis-infused beverages. Cookies, brownies, chocolate and gummies are intenders’ preferred edible format while tea is their preferred beverage format, suggests Deloitte data.
Dosage control will empower consumers to finally take control
Dosage control is the key to developing sustainable trust across the segment. Canopy Rivers’ internal research shows that US mass-market penetration of cannabis edibles/beverages has failed due to issues surrounding the high-dosed products on shelves, with upwards of 100–250mg of THC in products, equivalent to 8–25 joints.
Over 25% of cannabis “rejectors” (those who don’t plan to use cannabis) had tried cannabis in the past, with a large chunk having been turned off by a high-dosed homemade edible. As the Canadian regulations come into force and the dosage limit of 10mg of THC are put into play, consumers will feel the “Big-Mac effect” — a consistent product, no matter where and what brand they buy, that they can use to properly control dosage.
Cannabis-infused beverages are expected to cannibalize the alcoholic beverage market
Cannabis-infused beverages are in a prime position to capture a share of the multi-billion-dollar alcoholic beverages market, which is predicted to grow to US$1.7 billion by 2025. Based on the Deloitte study, over 1/3 of intenders expect cannabis-infused beverages as an alternative to (and even a replacement for) alcoholic beverages, due to the low calorie intake, and ability to reduce stress, improve mood, socialize, and/or alleviate pain. Cannabis-infused beverages continue to experience rapid growth in U.S. markets, and Canada should anticipate considerable demand for this product category.
The Canopy Rivers Advantage
Canopy Rivers invests in innovative companies that are well-equipped for the emerging cannabis-infused edibles and beverages market. Here are just some milestones that our portfolio has accomplished to date:
Agripharm holds exclusive Canadian rights to the IP and brands of SLANG Worldwide, an industry-leading manufacturer and distributor of CPG products including District Edibles.
In June 2019, TerrAscend acquired Valhalla Confections, a manufacturer of cannabis-infused gummies. Valhalla Confections was co-founded in California in 2014 and rapidly gained popularity as one of the most consistently dosed, best tasting, and fast acting gummies on the market.
Greenhouse Juice, one of the leading North American cold-pressed juice producers, is working on bringing a line of CBD products to market.
Herbert, an adult-use cannabis beverage and edibles brand, is slated to produce THC infused extract-based products out of Greenhouse Juice’s state-of-the-art production and processing facility.
Whether it’s working within edibles, beverages, or other segments of the cannabis value chain, Canopy Rivers helps companies find the right suppliers, distributors and retailers, so that companies can focus on what they do best — building great brands. | https://medium.com/deep-end/three-reasons-why-cannabis-edibles-and-beverages-will-be-game-changers-a6026ebca4c0 | ['Narbe Alexandrian'] | 2019-07-10 13:01:01.690000+00:00 | ['Venture Capital', 'Cannabis', 'Edibles', 'Cbd', 'Business'] |
Through Stoicism, I got over depression and learned to code. | Through Stoicism, I got over depression and learned to code.
How the happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.
One of my reaffirmations. Take it! I made it specifically for the iPhone 11 Pro. Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash, text added by author.
_________________________________
TL;DR
My working hours were cut at the start of the pandemic, got severely depressed, started maladaptive daydreaming, read self-improvement books that didn’t resonate with me, found Stoicisim through Ryan Holiday’s books, learned that most of my issues were within myself (I was making myself upset), learned to value my time, learned to design and code during my free time, slowly got over depression, built a Chrome extension to help in reminding myself to be Stoic, still learning to design and develop in an attempt to get a dev job or freelance.
_________________________________
The root of my problems
In late February/early March, my industry was hit hard by both the pandemic and the pre-existing economic decline of my industry. I normally commute from Canada to the US for work, but with the borders shut down, I was left working from home. During this time my working hours were also severely reduced. With no routine, no physical contact with friends and coworkers, and barely even a job, I was depressed.
The pandemic and economic downturn was a wake up call for many of us, including myself. With idle hands, we tend to get deep into our own heads, and sometimes, we stay there for too long. It was during this enormous amount of free time that I realized that I hadn’t done anything significant in my life. I was severely depressed at this point. Desperate, I started delving back into self-improvement books, only to realize that most of these books never really resonated with me.
It was around late March that I started watching YouTube videos about self-improvement. I came across a YouTuber by the name Captain Sinbad, who created a comedy sketch on Stoicism, which eventually led me to looking up the subject and finding Ryan Holiday and /r/Stoicism. I started reading through the posts in that subreddit and eventually ended up reading all of Ryan Holiday’s books on the subject of Stoicism. Over the next few weeks I started reading Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, On the Shortness of Life by Seneca and Discourses by Epictetus.
Self-awareness is the first step to self-improvement
Eventually, everything clicked: I wasn’t homeless, I didn’t lose any possessions, I hadn’t lost my job, I was only working part-time, and I didn’t get sick. In reality, I was given more time. I now had more time to re-evaluate my life and find out what was the root of my problem. And what I found was that it was my perception of the events that made me depressed.
“Everything hangs on one’s thinking… A man is as unhappy as he has convinced himself he is.”
— Seneca “You are hurt the moment you believe yourself to be.”
— Epictetus “The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.”
— Marcus Aurelius
The Stoics were right. Everything was in my head and I needlessly put myself through Hell. I realize now that self-awareness is the first step to self-improvement. If you don’t know that you have a problem, how do you expect yourself to solve your issues? The practice of reflecting on my thoughts was new to me and drastically changed the way I saw my own behavior and outlook.
It was also during this time that I started to re-evaluate my career goals, so I started to learn basic design and development. I had always wanted to be a developer so I started to learn HTML, CSS and JavaScript through YouTube and a couple udemy courses. Writing this out now, it sounds like I had a complete turnaround after finding out about Stoicism… But that’s not how it happened.
It’s easy to repeat these quotes but embodying these ideas is another monster of its own. Because of this, my depression didn’t disappear overnight, but at the very least I knew I had a problem. I also knew that I wanted to be a developer (although I’m still not a real developer). I was finally aware of my own thoughts, both good and bad. But even with this awareness, it didn’t come easy. On most days my depression would lead me to spending 2–4 hours laying in bed and daydreaming of a different situation, wishing I’d be in a better place and time, fantasizing of a different life, trying to force lucid dreaming, etc.. I started relying on daydreaming to put a temporary on pause my depression. Daydreaming brought me to a different, better world. But once reality hit, once I had to get back to work or do anything related to my daily life, depression hit even harder than the days before. Later on I realized that this was a real psychiatric condition called maladaptive daydreaming. Coincidentally, I’d actually come across this before in the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Nowadays, re-watching that movie really messes me up.
The solution to my problems
Trying to get rid of my daydreaming, I started journaling like the Stoics. Every night I would write down the mistakes I made during the day (like daydreaming for 4 hours, not coding, etc.) and my goals for the next day. Along with these mistakes and goals, I would write down some of my favorite Stoic quotes to reinforce the ideas of Stoicism. The next morning I would read the quotes in an attempt to memorize them, then read the mistakes and try to fix them (or at least, try not to repeat them) and try to complete my goals of the day. I failed most of the time, barely even writing out a single line of code on most days, but every time I succeeded, I would celebrate it because I was 1% better than the day before. Then the next day, another 1%. And then another. And then another. Eventually it got to the point where the small action of journaling snowballed into a drastic shift in mindset that allowed me to accomplish the tasks that I wanted to do every day.
Today I wake up and code. I code during work hours when my hours are cut. I code after work. I code until I sleep. I’m completely aware of my thoughts and how they affect me. I’m completely aware of my time and use of focus. I’ve even taken up the ukulele, jogging and workouts daily. These changes seem drastic on paper, but the changes were achieved over six months. Six months of deliberate thoughts, actions and reaffirmations that pushed me to rewire my brain. And recently, I’ve even been using my own Chrome extension to help reaffirm the ideas of Stoicism in my head.
None of this was easy, so please don’t take this as gloating. That’s not my intention at all. I’m just saying that I appreciate the /r/Stoicism community and that if you’re currently in the same position as I was, there’s a brighter side to everything if you choose to look and take advantage of it.
Through Stoicism I realized that journaling is the greatest form of self-improvement because it is the physical manifestation of self-awareness. And again, without self-awareness, it’s impossible to make positive changes. Through Stoicism I’ve become deliberate with my thoughts, words, actions, time and focus and I’m much happier and more productive because of it.
With that, I’ll leave you guys with my favorite Stoic quote:
“Get busy with life’s purpose, toss aside empty hopes, get active in your own rescue.”
— Marcus Aurelius
_________________________________
I mentioned earlier that I built a Chrome extension. It’s called Stoic. It’s basically a bare-bones version of Momentum without all of the extra features. It simply shows randomized Stoic quotes from famous Stoic philosophers and practitioners. It also shows the date, time and week of the year to remind us to set our priorities, to cherish the time that we have right now, and to figure out what truly matters to us.
If you guys need anyone to talk to, message me here or reddit/IG/Twitter at the same username: kvncnls. Whether it’s about how I got started in design/development, Stoicism or depression, I’m free to talk.
I’ve got lots of free time after all. :)
_______________________________
I posted this story on /r/Stoicism and got some feedback so I’d like to clarify a few things with this edit.
EDIT 1: I mentioned maladaptive daydreaming as one of my issues and looking back, I think it’s a huge byproduct of ego. Ego causes you to tell yourself stories that are untrue; essentially living in imagination. Your daydreaming/fantasizing is the byproduct of your need to be the center of the world. Daydreaming is a “get-rich-quick” scheme, a form of instant gratification; a temporary pause on the real world. I think that if you have a big ego and are prone to instant gratification, you’ll have tendencies of daydreaming… At least, that’s just how I was.
EDIT 2: Some people have mentioned using Stoicism to cure their depression. I don’t think it’s a cure for depression nor do I think that you should do what I did. Stoicism doesn’t replace professional help. My big ego resulted in me having a lot of pride, so I ended up NOT seeking help. If I had professional help for depression, I’m sure it wouldn’t have taken me 6 months to accomplish what I did. | https://medium.com/the-innovation/through-stoicism-i-got-over-depression-and-learned-to-code-d39008340deb | ['Kevin Canlas'] | 2020-09-26 15:46:13.277000+00:00 | ['Self Improvement', 'Coding', 'Depression', 'Stoicism', 'Development'] |
User Research with a non-verbal participant | After the initial surprise, my brain started thinking about how I could make this work. I was really keen to ensure we captured as many diverse experiences as possible, and this seemed like a rare opportunity to engage with someone with specific needs. Autism is a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world. One in 100 people are on the autism spectrum and there are around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK.
I knew that Autistic people can have difficulties with interpreting both verbal and non-verbal language like gestures or tone of voice. Some autistic people are unable to speak or have limited speech while other autistic people have very good language skills but struggle to understand sarcasm or tone of voice. There are some good tips from the National Autistic Society on communicating with people with Autism.
Up until now, the research sessions had been semi-scripted video interviews, with a digital prototype and one of my colleagues taking background notes on Miro. I emphasised to this participant that us adapting our approach was our responsibility, and not at all a problem to accommodate. I was really keen that this user not be denied the opportunity to assist with research, and additionally not to feel like a burden.
After having a chat with my UX colleague, we came up with a solution for the user.
Preparation
We set up a practice Miro board for the participant and sent a link to video tutorial on how to use basic Miro functions such as post-its
Created a separate Miro board for this session — outside of the usual note taking board
The participant established his communication preferences for the session — “If we could set one rule for the session……if I raise my hand, it indicates I need time to type something before we move on.”
Running the Session
We asked the participant to use two tabs — the digital prototype and Miro
The participant then screen shared back to us
I asked questions and waited for the participant to type his response on the Miro post it
Challenges
The slight lag between typing and video sometimes means it looks like they’ve finished but they haven’t — found myself accidentally interrupting the participant on a few occasions
You don’t get the “flow” of thoughts like with “think aloud” — it feels a bit more scripted/stilted, patience is key
Lots more switching between tabs/screens so not as smooth
What we learnt
Allow more time — the process was slower overall, so it’s important to allow additional time for people with accessibility needs
Prepare your user with any software/program you want them to use — a place to practice or experience a tutorial is great
Allow for “lag” — sometimes it looks like they’ve finished but they haven’t
Closed questions are good for clarifications. The advice from the National Autistic Society is to sometimes avoid open ended questions, and I definitely found that these took a lot longer to work through in the research, and closed questions were more effective (as well as the participant not having to type too much/too quickly).
Hand gestures to check understanding
Being non-verbal doesn’t mean their cognitive processing or intelligence are affected
Be comfortable with more silence than usual
You can get in touch with me [email protected] or @racheleightfive | https://medium.com/hippo-digital/user-research-with-a-non-verbal-participant-593c29c71a2c | ['Rachel Abbott'] | 2020-12-18 11:33:20.639000+00:00 | ['User Research', 'Accessibility', 'Accessibility Testing', 'Coronavirus', 'UX Research'] |
Community Councilman Davon “D” Marque Hall Announcing Start of 100th Wilmington Police Academy Class | https://twitter.com/DMarqueHall
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmarquehall/
Community Message from
Community Councilman Davon “D” Marque Hall Announcing Start of 100th Wilmington Police Academy Class
Friday November 20, 2020, 1:11 AM
Praying for Wilmington
Dear Family,
I’m not happy to announce the 100th Wilmington Police Academy. We all know more police do not equal less crime.
Twenty-one new academy class recruits who have completed the paper application and the hour-glass sand sifting process are finishing their first week of training today.
Paper bag test not required.
This week these recruits ran and they jumped. They were timed and they were yelled at. They are being prepared with these simple exercises to protect and serve residents and visitors to Delaware’s largest and most Diverse city.
Our city is actually majority Black and Brown.
The 21 recruits were selected from at least 141 men and women who applied to join the force and just about half of the new class is composed of what the department continue to call, “minority” recruits — including ☝🏿 “black” female- they don’t Capitalize the B in Black!
Six Black males, ☝🏼Hispanic female, and 👩🦰👱♀️👮♀️ white females.
Of the 21, only six actually claim to live in Wilmington, Delaware currently while the others will have to move into the City after graduation to comply with the City of Wilmington’s five-year residency requirement for City employees.
Historically police have lied about their place of residence to bypass this rule. Crimes committed by white male as well as white female officers who do not live in our community have been grossly ignored, such was the case with Ricardo Hylton who was gunned down by a white male and white female officer on August 30th, 2019.
I congratulate the recruits for completing the written exam, which is in many ways culturally biased, a physical agility test, which could be more challenging and interview panels including a chief’s interview with a chief who knows exactly what he is and ISN’T looking for in new recruits.
I wish the group well on their journey through the academy, which is expected to graduate in late spring or early summer- less than 6 months which is not nearly long enough to prepare anyone for the type of power and responsibility they will wield.
The screening process doesn’t check who amongst the white male recruits that make up the overwhelming majority of the force already are involved with white supremacist movements like the “proud boys”. They don’t check their tattoos or social media profiles or comments before they arrive here in Wilmington from whereever they’re from.
“The WPD’s authorized strength is 319 officers. The academy is being held to fill officer vacancies created through retirement and attrition”, is what Cheif Tracey who came from Chicago in 2017 has been saying.
“The Wilmington Police Academy is comprised of a rigorous training regimen that prepares our community’s future police officers for the wide range of scenarios they will encounter in service to the public,” said Chief Tracy.
This from a man who orchestrated the coverup of the police killing of Laquan McDonald on Oct. 20th, 2014. Rest in Peace & Power Brother Laquan.
“Our 21st-century training program focuses on everything from constitutional law and other legal matters to de-escalation tactics, community engagement, and a range of technological platforms and cutting-edge crime strategies.”
As soon as police chief Tracey came here he got rid of the police body camera program which was in place here and we have not had transparency or accountability for this police force ever since.
The recruits start each day at 6:00 a.m. with two hours of physical fitness so I hope they won’t be scared of our community and still feel like they have to shoot first. That PT is followed by eight hours of classroom instruction so I hope they know Delaware criminal and traffic law and follow it accordingly and don’t just follow their own implicit bias which you know is also being baked in in training.
They call people where I come from, “Zombies”… sometimes we call ourselves worse.
We as a community must hold public officials accountable when it comes to them knowing patrol functions, Civil Rights, justice and sensitivity. And we mustn’t not forget to check ourselves in the mirror.
Let’s be honest they’re still being trained to aim for center-mass and to grab their guns as fast as possible to shoot at ANY BLACK perceived threat so we owe it to ourselves and our families to avoid any and all contact.
This sorta training goes for ALL recruits. They all receive training in weapons. We must ALL receive training in defense as well.
The best weapon is one you don’t have to fire so stay out of the way.
As far as the Police Academy class goes:
What about de-escalation? What about crisis intervention tactics? What about first-aid and CPR when your waiting on an ambulance?
This sort of training is necessary for over 6 months along with training on how to specifically deal with people with mental health and behavioral health issues. Ricardo Hylton was under mental distress. Jeremy McDole was under mental distress. And many more young unarmed Black men and teenagers shot by the police in Wilmington Delaware such as Yahim Harris were scared — — — more scared than the killer cop who called him a threat and lied, saying Yahim was holding a gun.
That was not true. James McColl who lied after he shot Yahim- who survived- by the grace of God- also was a part of the group of 4 officers who shot and executed Jeremy “Bam Bam” McDole in his wheelchair and they still locked Yahim up and his missed his Senior year of Highschool. He was supposed to be class of 2020.
Ricardo Hylton was a new father to a 5 month old boy- his first born.
Jeremy McDole was paraplegic. He was 28 in 2015 when he was murdered on September 23rd, on Wilmington’s Westside.
All these young Black males were shot by white officers.***
The Mayor and Chief said, “The recruitment process for this academy class reflected expanded efforts by the City to leverage media exposure and work with the community to attract interested ‘minority’ candidates. WPD representatives attended career fairs and other programs at high schools and colleges — including Historically Black Colleges and Universities — and visited community centers to promote the WPD and reach people interested in a law enforcement career. WPD recruitment teams also worked with City Council members, the faith community, and other community-based organizations to promote the application process. These efforts were supplemented by revamped recruiting materials and an updated and expanded recruitment website.”
They say all that to say they tried but this is what we got. We get what we get.
FAMILY IT’S TIME FOR US TO POLICE OUR OWN COMMUNITY.
“While we are always working to recruit future police officers, our team has also been working to continue to increase the diversity of the department, and to attract a wide range of candidates with a variety of backgrounds,” said “Black” Inspector of Administration Charles Emory. “The WPD is steadily becoming more ‘diverse’”- NOT MORE BLACK.
“And our team is proud that the composition of this latest academy class will continue this trend.”- said “Black” Emory
Not more Black…
Over 70 percent white police force in a city composed of over 70 percent people of color?
Chief Tracy recognized the tireless efforts of Inspector Emory, Captain Tashawn Counts, Captain Anthony Bowers, and the members of the WPD Human Resources Division for working throughout the past year to recruit applicants who look like them and proceed with the selection process amidst the global health pandemic which affects so many of us disproportionately Black America.
It might make us come to an agreement with someone who would call it, “A Plandemic”- it did not come from God and I think we can agree on that and neither did any of these traditions we celebrate today.
This institution of racism and white supremacy can’t be tolerated any longer…. I’m not just talking about the Christopher Columbus statue, Ceasar Rodney or Thanksgiving.
I’m talking about these traditions of hate and protection for racists and racism. See Thomas Webster IV.
I’m talking about policing and police brutality including killings which result from over policing, militarization, jump-out, stop and frisk, task-force Tuesdays and all kinds of unreasonable search and seizures just because we are Black, historically mass-incarcerated, impoverished and live over Northside, or down River or over East or West or basically anywhere we exist.
They even harass and beat poor BLACK people up downtown in the business district- who trained them to do that?
The Chief said in-person meetings with recruits were conducted virtually, testing occurred with social distancing measures in place, and the application timeline was extended to ensure adherence to travel restrictions and other public health guidance.
But whose worried about OUR HEALTH?
OUR SURVIVAL?
OUR DIRECTION?
“The recruitment and hiring process for this historic academy class was perhaps like no other,” said Chief Tracy. “I am proud of the resilience of our department’s command staff and the Human Resources Division, as they navigated these uncertain times to ensure our recruitment and hiring processes continued and that we are able to maintain staffing levels that allow for continued and uninterrupted service to the public.”
Our culture and our future demands that we start giving ourselves an opportunity to grow and to thrive. We don’t need to be over-policed by an occupying force from who know’s where? This academy class will not be the last and it will be just like every other.
Donald Trump will not be our last racist president. Mike Purzycki won’t be our last capitalist mayor. . I am proud of OUR resilience as a community up against so much oppression disguised as a smiling counter to our own miscategorized criminality and perceived unruliness. I was told that I was resisting more than once. They charged me for the crime- the courts threw it out. We’re going to keep resisting and we’re going to need your help. You can’t be afraid to be what they might call loud or even disorderly when the time calls for it.
Plan
PROTEST!
PETITION!
PLEDGE!
PROVOKE!
PROMOTE!
EMPOWER!
In service to the public
Respectfully yours,
Community Councilman
Davon “D” Marque Hall
To learn more about the Wilmington Police Department’s hiring process, and to contact a recruiter about future hiring processes, visit www.wilmingtonde.gov/government/public-safety/wilmington-police-department/join-the-wilmington-police-department.
To learn more about us visit Fineblackart.com/Activist-notes
Sign our petition at Change.org/FIREthisPIG and
Friday night @10PM please help us to plan a path going forward with this #FELONFOCUSED campaign to #educate, #empower and #uplift
Freedom Friday Zoom Planning Meeting to get registered to vote online.
https://zoom.us/j/95043791730?pwd=UjJYd29Vc05wOUFrcHhWQ2pMb055dz09
Meeting ID: 950 4379 1730
Passcode: 9RcdE5 | https://medium.com/@weareallremarkable/community-councilman-davon-d-marque-hall-announcing-start-of-100th-wilmington-police-academy-aa22877cd093 | ['D. Marque Hall'] | 2020-11-20 06:12:08.865000+00:00 | ['Police Brutality', 'Wilmington', 'Police Reform', 'Police', 'Police Shooting'] |
Top 10 Ways of Recruiting Real Estate Agents — Padleads | If you want to excel at a brokerage, you’ll need a strong team of real estate agents. You need agents who know their way around the market and know exactly how to deal with customers. It can be tricky to find such agents, and that’s why is here to help! We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 ways to recruit real estate agents to help you build a dedicated team.
10. Try to avoid commissions
Companies that offer commissions find it especially more difficult to recruit agents. This is because as an employee, it’s hard to make financial plans when your income is based on commissions. If you’re looking to recruit, try offering a stable salary instead.
9. Plan ahead
Sometimes, an agent under your employment will quit on short notice. In such cases, it can be difficult to find a quick and suitable replacement. Thus, you should always plan ahead. Be sure to always have a net cast; always be on the lookout for new blood. That way, even before an employee of yours has submitted their resignation, you will have a replacement in mind for them.
8. Sweeten the deal
The best way to recruit real estate agents is to give them a deal they can’t refuse. Offering them benefits such as healthcare packages gives them a strong incentive to join.
7. Socialize
Take a moment to step away from formal affairs, and have your company host a social event. You can invite colleagues in the same professional field, and use the opportunity to bond with them. This way, you can build a network of potential agents for your company.
6. Mentor them
The best real estate agents are the ambitious ones. They’re fueled by a desire to learn and grow, in order to reach the top. Thus, if you’re looking to attract talent of this sort, you’ll need to offer them a learning experience. You can offer to mentor them and help them evolve professionally.
5. Set yourself apart
To recruit real estate agents, offer something that no other company is. This can be in the form of special training courses, or you can offer marketing resources. Furthermore, highlight the features that set your company apart from others, in order to attract agents.
4. Help them find you
As a company, you shouldn’t just be reaching out to agents. Rather, you should also have a medium through which they may approach you. This is where online content is important. To be specific, your company should be publishing SEO-friendly online content. This way, agents looking for employment through the internet can find you easily.
3. Don’t rely on LinkedIn
LinkedIn has become the go-to platform for many recruiters, and that’s become a problem of its own. The platform is too congested — to find the right agents, consider branching out to other social media platforms as well. For example, Facebook and YouTube offer attractive advertising opportunities.
2. Have a standard interview prepared
Once you’ve picked out the agents with potential, you’ll still need to filter things down to the best ones. Thus, consider preparing an interview with the same standard questions that meet a certain criterion. This should help you assess agents on fair and equal grounds, helping you narrow down the pool of candidates.
1. Hold on to them
Once you’ve selected the cream of the crop, make sure you keep them around. It would be a disaster if your agents are unhappy with your company, and choose to leave it. Thus, cement their stay by promising to cultivate their potential. Furthermore, offer them tools and marketing programs to increase their knowledge and skillsets.
So there you have it. We hope that these 10 real estate agent recruiting ideas do you some good! | https://medium.com/@padleads/top-10-ways-of-recruiting-real-estate-agents-padleads-7299ca3a0b25 | [] | 2020-11-22 16:54:12.992000+00:00 | ['Real Estate Market', 'Real Estate Investments', 'Real Estate Agent', 'Real Estate', 'Real Estate News'] |
Shredding Tears | Tributes are fine, and in many cases deserving, but the best and purest way to honor an artist when they die is to spend time with their art. If you aren’t listening to Van Halen, do so. Put it on in the background, but stop and dedicate a moment to appreciate the magic Eddie had in his fingers. For yourself as much as him.
It’s easy to forget, or never to have known, that in the early 80s, Van Halen was as big a deal as you could be. They were universally acknowledged as cool, crossing party lines — rock, metal, punk, rap — when those party lines were innocently intertwined. See Fast Times at Ridgemont High for exhibit one.
Don’t get me wrong, there were definitely cliques and not a lot of cross-pollinating between groups, but almost everyone shared a lingua franca that has been fragmented out of existence today. Everyone knew Van Halen, or Run DMC, or Michael Jackson, and there wasn’t anything weird about liking them. I think these were better times, but due to circumstances rather than nostalgic superiority.
Things remained this way through most of the 90s. Even at the height of grunge and gangsta, it wouldn’t be uncommon to have Nirvana and Snoop on the same mix. Ironically, it seems like rap-rock permanently upended the equilibrium. It was inevitable that this unholy bastard would emerge, the prophesized antichrist in a backwards red baseball cap.
Rap and rock went their separate ways at the turn of the century. The former flooded the mainstream, while the latter has trickled away to niche streams. Blame what you want: the Internet, 9/11, Fred Durst. Or don’t blame anything. The world moves the way it moves. Great art remains the same. | https://medium.com/@fcollia/shredding-tears-2ee37849244f | ['Frank Collia'] | 2020-10-07 15:17:41.732000+00:00 | ['Eddie Van Halen', 'Music', 'Van Halen', 'Rap', 'Rock'] |
Weekly Wisdom from Karen | You know the wisdom doesn’t come from me, right? All I do is read through articles and choose the ones that resonate with me and match up with the tag of the week.
For your eyeballs this week we go from minimalist living to an underground society of outlaws. I threw in a bit of mask-wearing as it seemed to fit nicely with outlaws and finished off with writing, hustling, and side-busting entertainment.
Noah Levy is a minimalist, a life-changing activity involving less. I’m all for it. What about you?
The way that I see it, there’s are an overarching principle of minimalism that should be addressed. It’s ownership: we must take responsibility for our actions and outcomes of those actions. This means being more conscious of our choices and behavior.
I don’t want to imagine a culture such as the one that exists in Moroccan society. I was stunned when I read the backwards thinking of a court adhering to archaic laws.
From a cultural perspective, every pregnant single woman turns into a scarlet letter. That’s why women insist on getting an abortion without even giving a second thought to such a significant decision. It’s their life on the line.
Zul Bal makes very good points in her discussion on mask-wearing.
In the U.S., COVID 19 has claimed over 154,000 lives since the beginning of this year partly because it received political leeway to roam freely. The infection rate continues to spiral upward. Still we fight over wearing masks as if it is a political issue rather than a matter of life and death.
Emily-Jane Rafferty enlightens us with her experience of the pandemic. She uses reading and writing to cope with the strains 2020 has brought and her grief over her exciting lost future. With the advent of the vaccine, I sincerely wish all Millenials a brighter future than the one they had mapped out pre-COVID-19.
I believe the societies and cultures we experienced in the lead up to this historical year, will force us to change the way we look at ourselves and who and what we hold dear.
I don’t know about you, but the last few months I have truly made the most of my Medium membership. I have found myself reading and reading and still longing for content that I can relate to — content that can help me understand the correlation between world events and my own personal fears and emotions that seem amplified.
What do hustle culture, hard work, productivity, Twitter, and Jack Dorsey have in common? I went straight past this article several times thinking who is he and why should I care about Jack Dorsey’s diet? Shivendra Misra offers true wisdom on the balance of our work and life cultures. I was so impressed by his words, I bought his book, Bend Reality. There’s no commission involved, promise!
We’ve been conditioned for a long time to believe what success looks like and what it takes to get there. And when someone successful does not fit in that definition, everyone goes crazy.
The exception to my own rule, where followers are concerned, and an exceptional writer has to be included as an added reader bonus.
Most Entertaining Story
To finish off this week’s gems on various cultures and prompt next weeks’ subject, I couldn’t resist this scandalous piece from a top writer, Sabana Grande!
There are certain features that I feel this platform is lacking. Sorry Medium, but I’ve had enough. After giving this some thought I’ve decided to come forth with it. My numerous letters to the Medium corporation were rejected, surprisingly. I think they just don’t know what’s best for the platform. I do.
Join me next Sunday for more weekly wisdom from up and coming writers on ILLUMINATION. | https://medium.com/illumination/weekly-wisdom-from-karen-f8ecc00061ab | ['Karen Madej'] | 2020-12-13 12:29:36.118000+00:00 | ['Minimalism', 'Writing', 'Pandemic', 'Culture', 'Satire'] |
Prosper — первая некастодиальная площадка для ставок на ценовые прогнозы на платформе Avalanche | 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/ava-russia/prosper-is-bringing-the-first-non-custodial-prediction-market-to-avalanche-f76ef78e9a66 | [] | 2020-12-17 19:56:13.962000+00:00 | ['Predictions', 'Blockchain', 'Prosper', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Avalanche'] |
Public Key Cryptography Simply Explained | Turning messages into numbers
We want to turn a message into numbers. Previously we assigned a number to each letter, A = 1 and so on. The American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) is a table of all English letters and most symbols along with their associated ASCII code & Binary output.
When you press a key on the keyboard, the keyboard converts this to Ascii as numbers are easier to work with than letters for a computer. If you want to learn more about ASCII, check out this video.
Let’s encrypt the word “cats”. In binary, according to Ascii, this is:
If you add them all together and convert to base 10, you get 4430123. For our example, we’re going to look at how Rivest–Shamir–Adleman (RSA), a public key cipher, calculates public & private keys. We’re also going to use much smaller numbers, so the maths isn’t as hard to read.
Below is a calculator I created for turning ASCII into Binary. View it better on my website ( https://skerritt.blog/how-does-public-key-cryptography-work/ ).
RSA
Choose 2 large prime numbers, p & q.
Prime numbers are numbers that only have 2 factors, 1 and itself. We’re going to pick 5 & 7, not large prime numbers but small for brevity.
2. Compute n = pq, z = (p-1)(q-1)
3. Choose e (with e < z) such that e has no common factors with z.
e = 5
5 has no common factors with 24, and it is smaller than 24.
4. Choose d such that ed — 1 is exactly divisible by z.
The easiest way to do this would be to loop over all possible values of d in code. This code is written in Functional Python, but the language and paradigm doesn’t matter.
Since we’re using such small numbers, we have overlap. Both e and d are 5. Let’s set d to 29, just so we don’t have this overlap.
d = 29
5. The public key is (n, e). The private key is (n, d)
Below is code to generate RSA keys. Note that we have overlap on d with p = 5 and q = 7, as discussed above.
To send an encrypted message, Bob computes C = m^e mod n for message m and key e. To decrypt the message, Alice computes m = c^d mod n.
Encrypting “cats” gives us 42⁷⁵ mod 35 = 7.
Decrypting “cats” gives us 4430123.
Then to send a message m, Bob computes c=m^e (mod N) and sends it to Alice and Alice decrypts the message using her private key d with m=c^d (mod N)
Why does it work?
Prime factorisation. It’s easy to multiply two prime numbers together, but it’s incredibly hard to find out what prime numbers were used to make that number. You can easily multiply these two together:
But if I gave you 992,474,117 and told you to find the prime numbers that were used to make this number, it’s not computationally feasible. Even more so when you realise the prime numbers used are very, very large.
This is known as a trap-door function or a one-way function. While it is easy to go through one way, it is computationally infeasible to go the other way. Boiling an egg is a one-way function because it is easy to boil an egg, but it is not possible to un-boil an egg. Let’s go deeper into the mathematics and explore modular arithmetic.
Back to modular arithmetic
Imagine a finite range of numbers, for example, 1 to 12. These numbers are arranged in a circle, much like a clock (modular arithmetic is sometimes called clock arithmetic because of this)
Count 13 around this clock. You get to 12 and then you need to count 1 more — so you go back to 1. Modular arithmetic is still defined as the remainder of division, however it can also be defined (and is more commonly defined) as a clock.
Functions using modular arithmetic tend to perform erratically, which in turn sometimes makes them one-way functions. Let’s see this with an example by taking a regular function and seeing how it works when it becomes a modular arithmetic function.
3^x
When we insert 2 into this function, we get ³² = 6. Insert 3 and we get ³³ = 9
This function is easy to reverse. If we’re given 9, we can tell that the function had an input of 3, because of ³³ = 9.
However, with modular arithmetic added, it doesn’t behave sensibly.
Image we had this formula:
3^x mod 7 = 1
How would you find out what x is? You can’t put the mod on the other side, because there isn’t really an inverse of modular arithmetic. What about guessing? Let’s input 5:
³⁵ mod 7 = 5
Okay, that was too big. You might want to go lower, maybe 4 or 3 but actually this is the wrong direction. When x is 6, it is equal to 1.
In normal arithmetic, we can test numbers and get a feel for whether we are getting warmer or colder, but this isn’t the case with modular arithmetic.
Often the easiest way to reverse modular arithmetic is to compile a table for all values of x until the right answer is found. Although this may work for smaller numbers, it is computationally infeasible to do for much larger numbers. This is often why modular arithmetic is known as a one-way function.
If I gave you a number such as 5787 and told you to find the function for it, it would be infeasible. In fact, if I gave you the ability to input any number into the function it would still be hard. It took me a mere few seconds to make this function, but it’ll take you hours or maybe even days to work out what x is.
RSA is a one-way function. While it is relatively easy to carry out this function, it is computationally infeasible to do the reverse of the function and find out what the keys are. Although, it is possible to reverse an RSA encryption if you know some numbers such as N.
Let’s talk about N
Recall earlier where I detailed how the RSA algorithm worked. There was one number, $n$. This n is special because under some circumstances n can make this one-way function reversible
N is a product of 2 prime numbers. As we saw earlier, if we take $5$ and $7$ and multiply them together, we get:
n = 35
In order for Bob to send Alice a message, he encrypts the message using Alice’s public key. Now that the message is encrypted, there has to be some way for Alice to decrypt it. There has to be some way for Alice to reverse this, but only for Alice to reverse it. You can’t have Eve or Niamh or Hannah reversing it — because that beats the point of encrypting it.
RSA is designed so the person who knows P and Q (the two prime numbers that are multiplied together to give N) can decrypt the message.
Although Alice has told the world her public key is n = 35, no one apart from Alice knows that P = 7, Q = 5. Note that the prime numbers are intentionally small for brevity.
You may be thinking “it’s easy to guess that 35’s prime factors are 5 and 7” and you would be right. But, with large enough numbers it is virtually impossible to find p and q.
In fact, with large enough numbers multiplying p and q are essentially one way functions. It is possible that in the future, perhaps the near future (with the invention of quantum computers) that factoring numbers becomes easy. Mathematicians have tried and failed for thousands of years to find an efficient way to factor numbers, so for now it is considered secure.
Let’s look more into the maths
Okay, let’s look at how modulus works in all of this. You understand why multiplication works, and how modulus works. But what about the other equations? What are they for?
Let’s demonstrate the deciphering algorithm using an identity due to Euler and Fermate:
For any integer (M), M is relatively prime to n:
This is the Euler totient function giving the number of positive integers less than n which are relatively prime to n. Relatively prime is where 2 numbers only share the factor 1 with each other. In modern day we use Carmichael’s function over Euler’s function, as Euler’s function can sometimes produce numbers too large to use. However, we’re using Euler’s totient function as it is what the original RSA paper used.
This sounds confusing, but let’s break it down. By elementary properties of the totient function:
Since d is relatively prime to ϕ i (n), it has a multiplicative inverse e in the ring of integers modulo $ϕ (n). What this means is that the formula we used for RSA can be reversed (the trap door can be reversed) given some knowledge about the numbers used.
Without this special mathematical property it wouldn’t be possible to reverse the encryption and find out the ciphertext if you know some of the numbers used.
The modular multiplicative inverse of the encryption algorithm c = m^e mod n is m = c^d mod n. All of this maths has built up to this. Modular arithmetic and one-way functions are heavily involved here. In order to encrypt, you calculate c. In order to decrypt, you calculate m. Both of these require knowledge of n, which is the special number we talked about earlier.
If you want to learn more about the maths of RSA, I highly reccomend the readable, origianl RSA paper. | https://medium.com/hackernoon/public-key-cryptography-simply-explained-e932e3093046 | ['Brandon Skerritt'] | 2019-03-04 11:31:00.884000+00:00 | ['Hacking', 'Security', 'Cryptography', 'Computer Science', 'Programming'] |
Download & Read PDF FREE How I Cured My Silent Reflux: The Counterintuitive Path to Healing Acid Reflux, GERD, and Silent Reflux (LPR) | Download & Read PDF FREE How I Cured My Silent Reflux: The Counterintuitive Path to Healing Acid Reflux, GERD, and Silent Reflux (LPR) Dominique harwood 5 days ago·3 min read
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https://popularmediacenter.blogspot.com/media20.php?asin=B08TV3QVNX | https://medium.com/@dominiqueharwood/download-read-pdf-free-how-i-cured-my-silent-reflux-the-counterintuitive-path-to-healing-acid-df3c0819d2c3 | ['Dominique Harwood'] | 2021-09-11 03:38:16.905000+00:00 | ['Epub', 'Amazon', 'Pdf', 'Free', 'Kindle'] |
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart. | I Am Trying To Break Your Heart.
Why life is worth living.
I once knew this woman … I believe her name was Camille.
She was a radiant presence in a room, a boundless fireball of beauty and brilliance, who shined the way the new phone does once you peel the plastic off the screen and start it up for the first time.
Anyway, Camille was a singer-songwriter who would just levitate on stage — all humility and grace — and belt out these sun-soaked melodies with earnest lyrics of longing, lust and chocolate. We liked her just fine.
She’d heard I’d traveled down the road that inevitably leads the ego in all of us to the stage. And we ping-ponged some forgettable dialogue before she asked me, sort of in context but sort of shoehorned, “How can I get better?”
Now, listen, I’m not about to tell people to follow my path in music. For that career, I’m still trying to fight with family members on reconsidering the “Do Not Resuscitate” checkbox. But, there’s a common current underneath all art, and under the overlap in the Venn diagram where it intersects with the path your life takes. | https://medium.com/indian-thoughts/i-am-trying-to-break-your-heart-a4ecb9f7d466 | ['John Gorman'] | 2018-11-01 08:32:24.653000+00:00 | ['Karma', 'Relationships', 'Love', 'Psychology', 'This Happened To Me'] |
5 Mistakes to Avoid as a Startup Owner | It’s not uncommon that startups make mistakes; after all, it’s run by human beings, right! But, It’s crucial to avoid those mistakes to a more considerable extent as more than 80% of startups fail in their initial launching year. Starting a business and building it into a significant profit is not an easy task. There will be many pitfalls to avoid. Here we’re looking into mistakes that you should avoid as a startup owner, to be in the game for a long time.
Not having a strategy.
It’s easy not to plan anything, sit idle, that’s it. This is one of the most redundant mistakes that startup businesses tend to make when they start their venture. Most of them don’t even have a clear idea about what they should do with their business after launching it!.
Many individuals are getting on to entrepreneurship these days, as it seems to be a new trend in society. But, to lead the game, it’s crucial to have a clear strategy for each stage of your business. Let it be the downfall or clear progress; you must be well prepared to deal with it.
It’s advisable to have a business plan as it can help you to keep a written document for all your business's strategy, that can help you track the progress.
Doing everything by yourself.
Yeah! It’s your idea, and you will be the ideal person to handle the stuff, but it’s a complete waste of time. Hire someone, search for people who’re good at specific works and give them those responsibilities. You’re the boss, spending your time doing every task can reduce your productivity, and that isn’t good for business.
So, be ready to delegate the tasks to someone. But, don’t be eager to hire someone to work for you, make sure that it’s an ideal time to hire a new team member.
Underpricing products or services
Know your worth! It’s easy to underprice the products and services you provide. As you’re starting out, there will be a lot of confusion on fixing a price but, do some market research and approach other people in the industry to get a price suggestion for what you do. Be sure not to sell anything for loss, as it can destroy your business’s existence.
Many entrepreneurs tend to underprice their effort as sometimes they don’t value themselves much on their effort, or they haven’t actually done any market research. Getting underpaid can be a demotivator for your business, so, be sure to value your effort.
Skipping the legal works
It’s easy to forfeit the legalities of getting into a business, and many do. It’s critical how startups tend to not appoint a lawyer at the initial stages of their workings; it’s fair as the payment is a bit higher. But, several startups tend to suffer because of their “not that easy” approach to legal work.
Every country has its own rules and regulations to follow, which, when done in the best way, can help you to be in the business for long.
Choosing the wrong team
Choosing a partner for your business, and even hiring a team should not be taken lightly, as all of your business’s progress depends on how effective your team can be. Many startups tend to hire people based on just talent, but, it’s not the only thing to consider. Having that right individual in your team can boost your overall business performance.
So, make sure to choose the right team!
Conclusion
As a business owner, our decisions are significant. All of our businesses’ futures tend to lie in our actions. Understanding that responsibility and acting accordingly could help everyone attached to our venture get a better result for their efforts. Be sure to avoid these crucial mistakes that most startups make; it can help you build a better future for your business. | https://medium.com/startupwriter/5-mistakes-to-avoid-as-a-startup-owner-a489ba431e92 | ['Midhun Areeckal'] | 2020-12-27 14:00:53.045000+00:00 | ['Startup Life', 'Startup', 'Startup Lessons', 'Business Mistakes', 'Startup Mistakes'] |
Monk episode review — 4.3 — Mr. Monk Stays in Bed | Original air date: July 22, 2005
Director: Philip Casnoff
Writer: Hy Conrad
Rating: 7/10
When with her daughter and Monk, Natalie gets way too much change from the pizza delivery guy, so she tracks him down to pay him back. But when she gets there, he’s dead.
And meanwhile, Monk gets the flu, and there is no one less self-reliant.
He has a specific system for Natalie to dispose of his used tissues, and he consults a medical dictionary to conclude that he has the Ebola virus.
Julie also gives him a card that plays music when you open it, and it drives him nuts. As you might guess, that comes back later at a crucial, and satisfying, moment.
With Stottlemeyer and Disher busy with a case of much higher priority, Natalie investigates the dead pizza man herself, finding that whoever it was that was dead was not the person that had come to her door.
She tries to work with Monk, but he’s mostly uncooperative and just all around msierable. So she investigates things herself, even finding the guy that did it. She eventually sneaks into his house when he’s away, and Monk tells her to look for blood on the bathroom lightswitch, which she finds. When he comes back, she hides, but drops her phone.
The “Here’s what happened” is then delivered over the phone by Monk to the killer himself, which leads him to take Natalie hostage as he looks for the one last remaining piece of evidence: the pizza box.
It’s a gimmick episode in the sense that the entire appeal is Monk isn’t out there investigating, but it’s a gimmick I’m not really a big fan of, since that’s why we’re watching the show. It is fun to see Monk do some of his neurotic shit in bed, though, like eating his alphabet soup in order. | https://medium.com/as-vast-as-space-and-as-timeless-as-infinity/monk-episode-review-4-3-mr-monk-stays-in-bed-dd3832c2a209 | ['Patrick J Mullen'] | 2020-08-13 23:36:01.212000+00:00 | ['Monk', 'TV', 'Tv Reviews', 'Comedy', 'Mystery'] |
Not a love story | Photo by qi bin on Unsplash
A girl who fell in love;
a guy who used to be her other half;
a story which has never come to end
because it never got a start.
That day they found each other
was just the day it all would change for her —
she has been waiting for her “one” what felt like ages,
and she could not allow herself to wait a minute more.
And she succumbed to his most thoughtful eyes,
his yearning for the knowledge,
she found his bitterness
to be a mere sense of clarity and a clever mind;
she let him tell her,
how she should never act against his orders —
and she would find the reasons to believe
it was for her sake to comply.
It was a game for him,
and he would choose to take it slow
to tease her
so she could never lose a bit of interest in her part.
It was a life for her,
and every time she’d find him absent,
she’d feel uneasy
of how much it would break her heart.
She stretched her arms to clutch him
in her endless stream of feelings —
he’d turn away and scold her
as if she was a little child.
She would come back to him
to share her deepest fears,
but she would see him leave
without having said goodbye.
Her deepest fear was, in fact, himself —
and losing him for good next second;
her deepest fear was seeing him
slam their bedroom door for one last time.
And since he himself once noted,
how she was such a weakling,
she has decided —
she couldn’t deal with this fear come alive.
She packed her things,
she left his odd and rare presents
and shut the door
without having said goodbye…
to someone who once meant the world to her,
who was the one she desperately needed —
but who had never found the courage to return her love…
Sabine B. 2019 | https://medium.com/blueinsight/not-a-love-story-4de63297c531 | ['Sabine B.'] | 2019-07-08 00:03:26.307000+00:00 | ['Poetry On Medium', 'Blue Insights', 'Love', 'Poetry', 'Short Story'] |
BitBucket Pipelines Configuration | In present most of your project use CI/CD (Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery ) to make release. In the BitBucket they gives pipelines for tracking push of certain branch. We need to add .yml file into our project for setup Bitbucket Pipelines. But they give only default Gradle / Maven & etc. If our project is android, we need to setup .yml file by manually.
Step 01: Add following code into your bitbucket-pipeline.yml file
image: mingc/android-build-box:latest
pipelines:
default:
— step:
caches:
— gradle
script:
# Build apk
— chmod a+x ./gradlew
— ./gradlew assembleDebug
artifacts:
— app/build/outputs/apk/debug/*.apk
step:
script:
# Saving artifact
— curl -X POST — user BB_AUTH_STRING “https://api.bitbucket.org/2.0/repositories/{$username}/{$Repo_name}/downloads" — form files=@”./app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk”
This file need to add your android project. $username means BitBucket username. $Repo_name means repository name & finally BB_AUTH_STRING can generated earlier my article from below.
https://sachithariyathilaka.medium.com/how-can-setup-bb-auth-string-cad52c5dd633
Step 02: Go to BitBucket Repo -> Pipelines
Now you need to enable pipelines by just clicking enable pipeline button. Now you will automatic redacted to the build section. When the push comes to the master branch pipeline identified it & build project & also save certain apk to the download section as followings. | https://medium.com/@sachithariyathilaka/bitbucket-pipelines-configuration-6f95869b8aa2 | ['Sachith Ariyathilaka'] | 2020-12-15 07:24:27.327000+00:00 | ['Bitbucket', 'Android Pipelines', 'Pipeline', 'Git', 'Ci Cd Pipeline'] |
How to Figure Out What Type of Job You Really Want | Are you considering a job change, but you keep putting it off for one reason or another? Most often, it’s our lack of clear ideas for a job or career change that keeps us trapped in our current situation.
What we’re really lacking is the ability to think differently about what’s possible for us.
So, how do you figure out what kind of job/work you want to pursue? How do you figure out what would bring you true enjoyment in what you do every day? Well, in my opinion, it’s not so much of a process of “figuring it out” as a process of getting in touch with and truly listening to ourselves (perhaps for the first time).
To “figure something out” tends to imply a mental or logic-based approach. And perhaps this is why so many of us end up in jobs we dislike. We were leaning too much on our mind’s logical arguments and “shoulds.”
To find what work lights us up, we need a different approach: who we are, what we like and don’t like, what we truly desire is front and center and comes before opinions of the mind.
If you feel stuck, trapped, or unable to think of anything at all that might serve you in finding a new job or career, here are some tips to help you think differently about potential and practicality that could stir up a whole host of new ideas for you.
Answer these questions:
What is it that you DON’T want to do?
Oftentimes, identifying what we don’t want can shine a light on what we do want, simply by considering the opposite. For example, if you absolutely hate the commute, working closer to home or at home might be preferable.
Make a list of those things you DON’T want to do. It’ll make it easier for you to identify things you DO want to do. While listing out those parts, do consider the pros and cons of the said things. This is one of the crucial element which can aid you in the job search.
Do you hate conforming to rules and regulations?
Maybe something that would allow you to work under your own initiative with your own ideas would be ideal. Like writing, for example. Everyone has different career paths that they like to work on, and it’s easy to work in a job that you enjoy.
If you hate rules and limitations, it’s good to search for a job where you can work with your own rules. Try to look out for full time or part-time jobs that can help you to identify if the career or job is a good fit for you.
Are you putting yourself under pressure to conform to someone else’s perceived impression of you?
For example, do you have thoughts like these:
I should have a professional position. I must have at least this much as a salary because of my background. I should have a title that other people will respect and admire me for.
Deep in your heart, maybe you really want to build dry stone walls with your bare hands, on your own, out on the ranch. Stop thinking about other’s opinions about you. Conformity Influence Behavior will only burden you with unhappiness in the long term. This could also be toxic to your mental health and career.
● Check your feelings to see whose rules you are actually following.
You will never be happy unless you follow your own idea of what makes your heart sing. Are you really prepared to let others dictate how you should spend your life and make a living?
What if anything was possible? What would you do with your time?
If you had no limitation in life, what would you do? Try thinking without restraint or limitation. What would you do if absolutely anything were possible?
Would you travel? Would you build something? Would you create? Would you buy and sell? Where would you go? Who would you go with? How much time would you spend there? How much money would you make?
When you answer these questions, you’ll find out that you could have done an endless amount of things in your life and career.
What would you be like if you reinvented yourself completely? If you could turn the clock back and unload all the junk that you’ve collected in your mind and heart so far in your life? If you could eliminate all the mistakes, errors of judgment, and wasted time of the past?
Where would you be, and what would you be doing? Who would you be doing it with? Where would you be doing it and why?
● What if you seized some of the opportunities you’ve turned down and refused some of the opportunities you’ve taken?
What would your life be like now? Where would you be? Who would you be with? What would you be doing? How does that feel?
● What would this brand new ‘you’ look like?
What kind of work would you be engaged in? How much money might you be making? How much joy would you have in your life? Where would you live? Why there? Is this new you inspiring?
What if your new career wasn’t grandiose, world-class, or life-changing for anyone else?
Would that matter? What if it was modest, relatively inconspicuous, but incredibly important to your heart and soul?
Just because some ideas are bigger, it doesn’t automatically make them better. What you are searching for here is a perfect fit for you, not for someone else.
What if you could identify what you really want today? Would you get started? Begin exploring? Begin making that transition from where you are right now to where you really want to be?
Your life is waiting. Time to get busy! | https://medium.com/@aamirqutub/how-to-figure-out-what-type-of-job-you-really-want-a7cbe9115746 | ['Aamir Qutub'] | 2020-12-24 12:07:08.093000+00:00 | ['Career Change', 'Careers', 'Job Hunting', 'Jobs'] |
What My Atom-Built Body has Forgotten | My atom-built body has since forgotten
all that primal potential of the primordial Genesis
written in star-script of chaos burning the inky-rich night sky
an endless scrawl no human mind can comprehend
Where the first fires crawled up the night sky
ever higher and higher from depths unimaginable
fire feeding fire, burning in quiet contrast against the cold
branding the new flesh of that first night sky
Until all those fires settled, and chaos gave rise to spinning stars
galaxies swirling on a tide of cosmic waves
and the rising and falling of all these mighty forces was the first day
and the infinite day-less nights that followed
How far can the night sky stretch?
a mystery written in the scrawl of night-script
infinity piling on layers of itself
what mysteries my atom-built body has forgotten | https://medium.com/literally-literary/what-my-atom-built-body-has-forgotten-2fcbae5108df | ['Gregory D. Welch'] | 2020-08-06 05:31:01.276000+00:00 | ['Life', 'Cosmos', 'Poem', 'Poetry', 'Poetry On Medium'] |
Amadeus (1984) • 35 Years Later | Amadeus (1984) • 35 Years Later
The life and troubles of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as told by Antonio Salieri, the composer who was insanely jealous of Mozart’s talent…
You’re definitely Mozart, mate, and I’m definitely Salieri.
That’s the highest compliment pop star Ed Sheeran can pay to a fellow songwriter in Danny Boyle’s Yesterday (2019), but it’s doubtful Sheeran would have an opinion on the relative merits of two 18th-century composers if it weren’t for Miloš Forman’s 1984 drama Amadeus.
This fictional saga of Antonio Salieri’s (F. Murray Abraham) murderous resentment is surely the best-known movie about classical music. A difficult art to represent onscreen because the works are so comparatively long (you can show a four-minute rock song in its entirety, but hardly a 40-minute symphony). It’s also one of the most successful in both commercial and critical terms, although Roman Polanski’s The Pianist (2002) delivered even better box-office returns and runs a close second to Amadeus for winning major awards.
Certainly, Amadeus wowed the critics in ’84. Few were worried by the over-the-top performances or the feeling that there’s always a proscenium arch just out of sight. It won eight Academy Awards, including ‘Best Picture’, ‘Best Director’, and ‘Best Adapted Screenplay’, and also did well at the Golden Globes. Financially, it was the highest-grossing “serious” movie of that year, although inevitably it couldn’t compete on raw numbers with mainstream fare like Beverly Hills Cop, Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Gremlins.
However, Amadeus has had a profound influence that goes well beyond the cinema, largely because — despite only being loosely based on reality — it has often been taken as an accurate account of Mozart’s life, character, and death. Indeed, it’s remembered not so much as a film as for the historical figures it depicts or misrepresents: the foul-mouthed, infantile, but exquisitely talented Wolfgang “Wolfie” Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) now provides the popular image of Mozart, while poor old Salieri epitomises the unimaginative, conservative artistic establishment trying to suppress true creativity.
Even if many of Amadeus’s departures from strict historical accuracy are minor, this dichotomy between the two main characters is a principal reason that it’s often loathed across the classical music scene. The real Mozart was certainly not above a dirty joke or ten, but equally (as his letters show) he was capable of thoughtfulness and spirituality. Amadeus, however, paints him as a kind of idiot savant, incapable of reflection or judgement but blessed with an incomprehensible genius for producing sublime music from out of nowhere. Everything about the way he’s presented (like he messiness of his home versus the economy and elegance of his music) reinforces this duality.
Equally, though Salieri was no Mozart, he was a more than competent composer — not a talentless plodder as the movie depicts. Ironically although he’d been all but forgotten, except by a few musicologists, his own work has enjoyed a revival post-Amadeus. And there’s no evidence at all that Salieri resented Mozart, which is the foundational idea of this film and the original play by Peter Shaffer, let alone plotted to kill him!
More broadly — and to be fair this criticism can be aimed at many movies about composers, writers, or artists — there’s an annoyance that Amadeus perpetuates the myth of art deriving directly from life. It is simplistic, critics say, to imply that Mozart based the character of the fearsome Commendatore in Don Giovanni so overtly on his father, or to suggest that the nagging shrieks of Mozart’s mother-in-law were translated straight into the shrill Queen of the Night aria from The Magic Flute. Real creation is a more complex process.
There’s some merit to these complaints, but Forman’s Amadeus itself is often misunderstood too. Most notably, when Salieri swears lifelong enmity, depressed by his own inability to produce work like Mozart’s despite his dedication to music, his real foe is not the younger man… but God. Salieri believes he’s made a bargain with the deity to gain fame as a composer in return for leading a devout life. So when bawdy, un-pious Mozart seemingly finds it so easy to produce music so much more glorious than Salieri’s, it seems like God is reneging on their deal. However, though this is made very clear both in the movie and in the rather different stage play, there’s still a widespread idea that Salieri’s hatred is directed at Mozart himself.
In fact, the relationship between Salieri and what he describes as the “dirty-minded creature” Mozart is one of the more interesting and understated touches in a movie that generally paints big, broad pictures rather than finessing the details. Salieri may envy Mozart but he cannot help respecting him too, and (not being a malicious man, at least until twisted by his disappointment) he also cannot help liking Mozart a little, or feeling sorry for him in his final illness.
This comes through in two important scenes. First, when the pair discuss Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro we see that, despite Salieri’s duplicitousness, he cannot restrain his genuine enthusiasm for what Mozart’s composed. Then, later, as the dying Mozart dictates part of his Requiem to Salieri from his deathbed, we perceive an almost intimate connection between them.
On one level, this scene toward the end of the film might represent the triumph of Salieri’s devious plan-having commissioned the Requiem from Mozart in disguise, he plans to pass it off as his own once the younger man is dead. Yet however much he might want to be bad, he can’t entirely overcome his innate decency and recognition of Mozart’s genius. (The whole Salieri-disguise-Requiem scheme is an invention of Shaffer’s with no historical evidence to support it; the identity of the actual commissioner, a minor nobleman called von Walsegg, is known.)
Amadeus does not always, then, thematically say exactly what it’s believed to say. But in many other respects, it delivers just what it’s remembered for: the lavish, colourful sets and costumes often echoing 18th-century paintings, the atmosphere of old Vienna recreated by Forman and cinematographer Miroslav Ondříček in Communist Prague, the dominance of two larger-than-life characters, and of course the torrents of Mozart on the soundtrack.
Sometimes the music is diegetic, at other times not. Sometimes it switches roles, sometimes it’s in the composer’s mind. There’s one particularly impressive scene where Mozart’s dancing around his apartment, thumbing his nose at his father’s portrait to the backing of the Magic Flute overture (presumably in his head) when a sinister figure knocks at the door… and the soundtrack abruptly switches to the Commendatore motif from Don Giovanni, a much darker opera, mirroring the sudden change in Mozart’s mood. This may be an egregious case of Amadeus linking life to music too literally, yet it’s a masterful piece of theatre nonetheless.
Indeed, Amadeus is a very theatrical movie in every sense, right from the schtick with Salieri’s servants bringing him cakes at the beginning. So much so that it’s amazing playwright Shaffer wrote of its “naturalism” and the way it was “not a stagey hybrid”. For example, scenes are very clearly divided and often shot rather statically from a mid-distance, giving the audience a view roughly similar to a playgoer’s. And, of course, there are many actual staged sequences showing Mozart’s operas as well as one of Salieri’s. (For obvious reasons of visual interest, the film tends to concentrate on Mozart the opera composer, and there’s comparatively little of his orchestral or chamber music, for example.)
Amidst all this visual and aural grandeur, Amadeus delivers its ideas — or, more precisely, repeatedly reiterates its one big idea — through the script co-written by Forman and Shaffer. Several of the latter’s plays had already been adapted for the screen, most recently Equus (1977), and Amadeus the movie does take from Shaffer’s play the central notion of Salieri’s aggrieved reaction to Mozart. This was not an original concept: Pushkin had written Mozart and Salieri in 1830, with an opera by Rimsy-Korsakov following later in the 19th-century and a silent movie in the early-20th. But to modern audiences, it was primarily Shaffer’s idea and it was his Amadeus, rather than any earlier version of the tale, which rescued Salieri from obscurity.
All the same, the screenplay was written from scratch by both Shaffer and Forman over several months during which they lived together, and it departs from the play in major respects. Significantly, for example, the first word to be heard on stage is “Salieri” but the first word in the film is “Mozart”. The movie treats them more as co-stars, rather than focusing on the older man.
Yet what really compels is not so much the sometimes repetitive and often mannered script as the performances — particularly F. Murray Abraham as Salieri, a role for which he won ‘Best Actor’ at the Oscars. (Tom Hulce as Mozart was also nominated.) Especially persuasive is the contrast between the suave, outwardly confident, successful court composer of the 1780s and the elderly Salieri confined in an asylum many years later who, in a framing device, recounts to a priest the events leading up to Mozart’s death.
He’s decrepit and self-pitying at one moment, but then wily and dangerous like a cornered animal the next. “I speak for all mediocrities in the world, I am their champion,” he says, and you can’t be sure whether he feels ultimately victorious or defeated in his struggle with God.
Abraham’s performance is not devoid of hamminess, but it’s indisputably powerful. Hulce’s Mozart is even less subtle, though that’s clearly Forman’s and Shaffer’s intention rather than a failure on the actor’s part, and he’s most memorable for what Salieri describes as his “obscene giggle”. But he has great presence and, despite the caricatured way the role is written, he drops hints of depth into his character, especially when conducting. The childish vapidity ebbs away as he sickens toward the end of the film to be replaced by a convincing, urgent intensity; faced by death, Wolfie grows up.
Also strong in the cast are Elizabeth Berridge as his wife Constanze, more changeable in mood than Mozart; Simon Callow (in his movie debut) as Schikaneder, the cheerfully disreputable librettist of The Magic Flute; and Jeffrey Jones as Emperor Joseph II, played with a friendly aloofness that’s perfectly judged. Jones captures in his expression and his manner the emperor’s conflict when he’s intrigued by the idea of Figaro even while feeling he ought to ban it, and the amusement he seems to secretly harbour — though he won’t mention it — at the obsequiousness of his courtiers.
It’s probably no coincidence that several of these actors are better known as stage performers than for their screen work, and indeed Hulce’s movie career post-Amadeus was markedly low-key. He eventually abandoned acting to concentrate on producing and directing theatre productions. Abraham has worked in cinema more extensively, although he never became a huge star in the way his Amadeus success might have suggested. Even the Czech director Forman, who came to the project with the vastly acclaimed and profitable One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) under his belt, made only a few more movies, none of them approaching this one’s prominence.
A Director’s Cut of Amadeus, released in 2002, added 20-minutes onto a film that was already 161-minutes long, restoring some scenes and extending others. Although one new sequence between Salieri and Constanze clarified an aspect of their relationship that wasn’t quite clear in the original-the extent to which he had tried to seduce her — the Director’s Cut made relatively little impact. It gained some positive reviews but many others suggested that Mozart’s famous line about a piece of music having exactly the right number of notes, neither too many nor too few, could be applied to the original film too.
That reference to perfection may be praising the 1984 version too far. Even if the non-narrative aspects like design and music are superb, and individual scenes are never less than engaging, 35 years later there’s a sedate staginess and lack of naturalism that gives Amadeus a dated air. That is not a fatal flaw-it affects many classic movies, after all — but it does mean that Forman’s film isn’t as fresh and stimulating in 2019 as it struck audiences in 1984.
Equally importantly, for a modern audience already familiar with the whole Mozart-Salieri myth, there’s not as much to surprise us as there was back then. So the point can feel hammered home once too often. This is the real problem with Amadeus: it has only one idea which everything else serves. When that idea ceases to be intriguing and novel to more educated viewers, so does much of the film.
Yet what makes it still worth seeing is not (as its creators might have believed) the philosophising, but the performances, especially Abraham’s — rising above the limitations of the script and bringing us a human Salieri who we can at least half believe in, a strange and memorable antihero.
Cast & Crew
director: Miloš Forman.
writer: Peter Shaffer (based on his stage play).
starring: F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge, Simon Callow, Roy Dotrice, Christine Ebersole, Jeffrey Jones & Charles Kay.
Originally published at https://www.framerated.co.uk on September 5, 2019. | https://medium.com/framerated/amadeus-1984-35-years-later-ec347a1e928e | [] | 2020-06-27 18:24:26.621000+00:00 | ['Retrospectives', 'Culture', 'Review', 'Movie', 'Film'] |
The Word-Of-Mouth Marketing Campaign That Built a $9 Billion Company | The Word-Of-Mouth Marketing Campaign That Built a $9 Billion Company
And at virtually zero cost
Fan-made art: Houston versus the world. Source unknown.
Let’s do a super-quick exercise: Go ahead and think of a big purchase you recently made.
It could be a phone, laptop, or anything that required a good amount of research and contemplation before your purchase.
How did you finally convince yourself to buy that product?
Was it because of a collection of positive online reviews? Or perhaps a favorable recommendation by a trusted friend or family member?
I know what sealed the deal for me to spend $600 on a Nintendo Switch was my friends continuously telling me that “it was the only gaming console I will ever need.” Eventually, I caved in.
I wasn’t even intending to buy it, considering I still had a functioning and more-than-satisfactory Playstation 4 at home, but therein lies the indisputable power of word-of-mouth.
As you probably know by now, word-of-mouth marketing can be an incredibly powerful and effective marketing strategy. It not only has the ability to pique the interest of but as the name suggests, but it also gets people talking and conversations moving.
In fact, around 60% of consumers research online for reviews and information before buying a product, and an astounding 90% trust brand recommendations from friends.
Yes, word-of-mouth marketing really does have that authoritative power over any consumer. The fact that it is one of the oldest forms of marketing (long before the digital era and even print ads) still used today doesn’t take away from how amazingly compelling it can truly be.
Word-of-mouth marketing: one of the most effective marketing methods today.
In fact, word-of-mouth marketing is so ridiculously powerful, it managed to get a company to be valued at a whopping $8.82 billion and attain hundreds of millions of daily active users with almost zero advertising cost.
Let’s take a look at the curious case of Dropbox, the popular file hosting service, and its rise to global success using mainly word-of-mouth marketing. | https://medium.com/better-marketing/the-word-of-mouth-marketing-campaign-that-built-a-9-billion-company-6f07673f3d49 | [] | 2020-11-05 14:06:01.303000+00:00 | ['Culture', 'Innovation', 'Technology', 'Strategy', 'Marketing'] |
HOW TO GET SALES FOR CBD | Within the next five years, the global hemp-derived CBD (referred to throughout as “CBD”) market is expected to bring in a colossal $20 billion, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30.7% between now and 2024. As a naturally-occurring ingredient that boasts a plethora of reported uses in the medical, pharmaceutical and health/wellness industries, CBD can be integrated into just about every lifestyle.
In order to take advantage of this global movement, you need to know how to properly and legally market and sell your CBD products online. After all, competition is fierce, and with an increasing number of people choosing cannabis as a treatment for widespread illnesses, ailments and medical conditions, staying ahead of your competitors is key.
So, if you are contemplating ways to sell CBD online, keep reading.
Selling CBD online is perhaps the easiest way to market the popular product (note CBD is not legal in all 50 states), which can be transformed into a wide range of products, including:
oils,
supplements,
sprays,
topical balms,
capsules,
and a whole lot more.
People aren’t hesitant to pay for CBD. Sales of CBD and hemp oil products in the U.S. reached $238 million in 2018 — that’s a 57% increase from the previous year.
Source
While shoppers tend to purchase CBD more often in brick-and-mortar stores, the ease of shopping online is sure to increase the popularity of CBD ecommerce in the future.
Just like with any other online business, selling CBD oil and other CBD-infused products online presents a few obstacles that must be overcome prior to launching a website and kick-starting the marketing process.
What are those obstacles, you ask? From the legalities and rules that encapsulate the CBD industry to the keyword research, SEO-optimized content and link-building that is required to stand out in this already-saturated market, it is well worth brushing up on your knowledge.
A well-informed marketer can feel confident about embarking on a digital journey that is sure to be as lucrative as it is enjoyable, so allow some time to further enlighten yourself on the ins and outs of how to sell CBD online.
What is CBD?
Cannabidiol, widely known as CBD, is a popular natural substance reportedly used to help with a wide range of conditions — from the common cold to chronic pain. It is added into tinctures, edible foods like gummies, oils, and body products like balms and lotions.
Unlike THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is the primary mind-altering substance contained in cannabis, CBD is non-psychotropic.. The cannabinoid can be extracted from both the hemp and marijuana plants, with industrial hemp plants proving to be the most popular for CBD extraction.
Miraculously, the human body is equipped with something called an endocannabinoid system (ECS). This complex system produces its very own cannabinoids and is responsible for achieving homeostasis through the receiving and transmitting of signals sent by cannabinoids, like CBD. Cannabinoids work by binding with receptors scattered throughout the brain and immune system.
Numerous scientific studies have successfully demonstrated the way in which the ECS reacts when a dose of cannabinoids like CBD is administered. For example, this study published in the journal Neurotherapeutics suggests that CBD may actually inhibit or activate compounds found in the ECS.
A prime example of the way CBD may benefit the body is through stopping the absorption of anandamide. The plant may also trigger a number of other immune system responses, according to this study on The Profile of Immune Modulation by Cannabidiol (CBD).
Consumers Are Loving CBD
More consumers are trying CBD than ever before, but if you’re researching how to sell CBD online, chances are you already know this.
As of July 2019, 33 U.S. States and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis in some form. Plus, with Canada having legalized the plant on a national scale under the ‘Cannabis Act’ (Bill C-45), North America’s cannabis consumer demographic is always increasing.
The North American cannabis market constituted 42.50% of global CBD market share in 2018. The global CBD market is forecasted to grow from $1,453.81 million in 2018 to $17,345.80 million by 2026; growing at a CAGR of 36.3% between 2019 and 2026.
Let’s take a look at some other reasons why Millennials, Baby Boomers, Gen X’ers and Gen Z’ers across the U.S. are much less reluctant to purchase CBD-containing products than they used to be:
1. Availability and diversity of CBD is attractive to buyers.
Based on a report by Rolling Stone, the CBD industry will reach $20 billion by 2020.
CBD’s diversity in application contributes to its significant valuation, not to mention the fact that it has made its way into the mainstream market. Hemp-derived CBD is a big one. From CBD-infused drinks to CBD-laced dog treats, hemp-derived CBD is fast-emerging as a multibillion dollar business opportunity.
Since 2014, worldwide cannabis industry sales have tripled. Over the course of the next five years, sales could quadruple. What is most interesting about this prediction is the fact that the projected future is non-inclusive of retail and pharmaceutical sales. Moreover, there are various types of CBD available to potential customers, including:
2. Consumers have easier access to CBD.
One of the main motivators that encourages an increasing number of consumers to try CBD is the increased access to hemp-derived products following the passing of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, A.K.A. the “2018 Farm Bill,” that removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act.
A forcefield of unbiased research is solidifying CBD’s entry into the mainstream market and has even made it possible for patients in cannabis-friendly states to obtain plant-based medicines with a physician’s recommendation.
Hemp-derived CBD products were given a break when the 2018 Farm Bill amended the Controlled Substances Act to expressly exclude hemp, including all of its derivatives, extracts, and cannabinoids containing not more than 0.3%THC, from the definition of “marijuana”.
3. Negative stigma surrounding cannabis is dissipating.
Since the 2018 Farm Bill was signed, hemp production has ramped up and more companies have jumped on the CBD bandwagon. In order to properly understand how to sell CBD online without facing backlash from the long arm of the law, it’s up to you to stay updated with the latest news in both cannabis and hemp industries. This will open your eyes to the growth that is occurring in this ever-changing industry.
Cannabis legalization is favored by an increasing number of Americans:
According to the 2018 Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the General Social Survey, support for legal weed climbed from 57 percent in 2016 to 61 percent in 2018.
From a political stance, the General Social Survey discovered that members of various political parties and people from all age groups favored legalization.
Based on survey data published by the Associated Press in 2016, 45 percent of Republicans favored cannabis legalization, whereas in 2018, the percentage climbed to 54. The survey also revealed how 76 percent of Democrats now support legalization.
Understanding the Legal Status of CBD
Legality is obviously a big part of CBD marketing and failure to follow the rules could result in significant penalties. Classification of the cannabis plant as a Schedule I narcotic has hindered progress in the legal department. FDA regulations pose a concern for marketers and if you are hoping to start selling CBD online, you may be wondering what your options are in regards to advertising and marketing.
Let’s answer some questions that may be on your mind.
Is CBD Officially Legal Now?
The answer to this question totally depends on the state in which you reside, whether you want to start selling CBD online that has been extracted from the marijuana or hemp plant, and what products you intend to sell. Only hemp-derived CBD products may be sold online.
The passage of the 2018 Farm Bill did not alter or change the FDA’s authority to regulate food, drug, cosmetic, device, pet food, and dietary supplement products. Many states amended their state drug law to remove hemp from their state controlled substances act while adopting the FDA’s position on the sale of hemp-derived CBD products. Certain states prohibit the sale and consumption of CBD. Other states limit the types of CBD products that may be sold in state or require a specific license.
If you are selling, or planning to sell, CBD products online you must have systems in place to ensure that you are fully compliant with each state’s laws around CBD. Implementing product-based shipping restriction rules on your store will help you stay within safe shipping zones.
Can I Legally Sell CBD?
What is your purpose for selling CBD online? For most marketers, the purpose involves assisting consumers in treating some kind of ailment — however, it is essential that you refrain from making disease and health claims that cannot be backed up by reputable sources.
Since the federal government has not yet legalized marijuana and removed the plant from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), research remains limited. Hemp-derived CBD-containing products, including any food, drug, device, or cosmetic marketed or sold in interstate commerce are subject to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and must be labeled and marketed in accordance with the FD&C Act, as well as other relevant laws. There are different requirements under the FD&C Act depending on whether the hemp-derived CBD product is a food, cosmetic, device, or dietary supplement.
Regulatory clarity may not emerge for at least five years. However, soaring demand for CBD oil and other cannabis-containing products has prompted the FDA to assess options that will enable a resolution to be met in the near future.
Methods to Legally Selling CBD Online
Don’t fall into the trap of advertising CBD without understanding what the repercussions might be, should the platform on which you advertise not permit ads of this kind. A number of platforms are at your disposal, as well as a number of services that can be carried out by your team or outsourced as a means of saving time.
Let’s dive straight into the top methods for legally selling CBD online.
1. Focus on SEO.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a tried-and-tested method of growing your online CBD business. Since the Internet’s very existence, brands have been enticing their target audience with SEO in mind. This organic method of traffic-building can help teach your audience about CBD, the properties it possesses and exactly how it can fit into their lifestyle.
Pay attention to the strategic keyword optimization you include in meta tags and content. Combined, on-page SEO, technical SEO and local SEO will help search engines (and customers) to find your website more easily.
Once you’ve set up a good SEO plan, elevated traffic levels will convert to leads, sales and a healthy profit. SEO can be integrated into website design, content, meta tags, titles and much more. With the correct usage of target keywords and phrases, users can find your website, blog or online CBD store with ease and swiftly determine whether or not the content on your site addresses their specific search query.
2. Grow content.
Successful SEO requires a content marketing strategy. After all, the content you post needs to be optimized for Google and other search engines to crawl your site and rank it accordingly. Setting up and updating a blog with regular content is a useful technique to driving traffic to your online store.
Since CBD advertising is not currently allowed on the major ad platforms, content creation will be your best friend at this time. Tell your audience everything they need to know about CBD, who is using it and why and how they can, too (just make sure to what you are saying is compliant with the law)!
Content marketing also helps your brand communicate its value proposition and overall messaging in a way that resonates with your target market. From “how-to” articles that educate consumers about how they can start integrating CBD into a daily routine, to studies and research pointing to the facts about CBD’s chemical compilation and potential uses, the content deliverable options are endless.
3. Attend CBD industry trade shows.
In-person marketing will always be a valuable tool in terms of CBD advertising and marketing. Broadening your reach and positioning yourself as an expert in the industry is entirely feasible after attending one or two trade shows. Examples of some well-known annual trade shows in the cannabis space include the NoCo Hemp Expo, CannaGrow Palm Springs and MJBizConINT’L.
These types of events are always happening and as you continuously build contacts in the CBD industry, you will begin to attract a larger market of which you can forge business relationships with, present your product to, increase brand awareness and educate. Most importantly, trade shows give you a chance to analyze competitors and bring something different to the table.
4. Establish a network of affiliates.
Did you know that approximately 15% of revenue poured into digital media advertising is spent on affiliate marketing? With a team of affiliate marketers working on your side, albeit behind the scenes, you can relax in the knowledge that your brand is being promoted on an ongoing basis.
Statistics show that affiliate programs generate 15%–30% of sales for marketers and advertisers. Among the hundreds of affiliate networks out there, some of the most well-respected include CANNAFFI, RevOffers and CJ Affiliate.
Affiliates receive a percentage of commission for every sale that is finalized as a result of their efforts. With over 50% of affiliate-referred traffic being sent through mobile devices, this tactic is highly valuable for marketers who are keen to sell CBD oil online.
5. Hire an influencer to market your product.
If you are active on social media, you have probably engaged with an influencer’s profile or sponsored posts. A whopping 61% of social media users claim that they interact with influencers on a daily basis, while 87% say they felt inspired to make a purchase after seeing an influencer promoting a product.
The influencer marketing industry is expected to be worth $5–10 billion by 2022. With an influencer’s help, you can drive high traffic to your online CBD ecommerce store. Establishing influencer partnerships will enable you to get your brand seen by a sizeable audience without being overly pushy. An influencer can simply post a picture of them holding or using your product and tag your page for phenomenal results. Of course, you will want to make sure any influencers you compensate comply with FTC guidelines regarding conspicuously disclosing their connection to your brand.
6. Use email marketing.
For anyone who wants to market a CBD brand or product online, it is imperative that the content is compliant with state and federal regulations. CBD advertising restrictions on social media platforms and search engines like Google mean that marketers must be extra careful about the claims they make and the way their content is displayed. Moreover, paying to advertise CBD on social media may be challenging. This has pushed many CBD marketers in the direction of email marketing, which is a safer and more effective route to go down.
Statistics show that as many as 59% of B2B marketers believe email to be their most effective form of lead and revenue generation. Plus, 80% of retail professionals claim that email marketing aids them with customer retention better than any other form of marketing. Offer rewards to your customers through email marketing by presenting them with opportunities to sign up for your weekly newsletter and redeem coupons, discounts and deals that are not to be missed.
This email from CW Hemp prompts users to sign up for their autoship program. Image via Mailcharts.
Try playing around with the subject lines, as well — a report by Experian suggested 56 percent of brands that used emojis in the subject line of their email had a significantly higher open rate.
Although email marketing is a less risky alternative to advertising CBD on Facebook, Twitter or Google Ads, marketers must still abide by state and federal rules when executing an email marketing campaign. Refrain from sending out emails or marketing that claim CBD is a “cure-all” product. Making health claims presents a risk that the FDA will find your product to be an unapproved drug.
7. Attract ongoing traffic with keyword research and link building.
To ensure the content on your website matches the keywords and queries typed into search engines by customers, keyword research is absolutely imperative. Including inbound and outbound links to authority sites in your content (e.g. on your website pages and blog) will act as the building blocks of a successful CBD marketing campaign. Consider submitting your content to online article directories for amplified traffic levels and visibility in the online world.
8. Monitor progress with analytics and metrics tools.
Analytics and metrics are a critical facet of any online business. Measuring the performance of your CBD-focused campaign with quantifiable measure indicator tools will aid you in your quest to assess what works, what doesn’t and what areas of your advertising strategy need tweaking. Tools like Google Analytics make this possible by analyzing the source of all Internet traffic directed to your website. By understanding where the vast majority of your traffic comes from, you can adjust a marketing campaign to ensure web visitors keep flooding in.
7. Determine your payment provider.
Once again, federal restrictions on cannabis make it tricky to collect payment for CBD products, due to the fact that cannabis banking services are not yet available. Payment processing merchants like PayPal and Stripe have not yet made it possible for merchants to utilize their services for the sale of CBD-containing products. Since popular payment processing merchants depend on the big banks to do business, products with varying legal status’ are currently not permitted.
High-risk processors are an alternative choice. These payment processors can do the job, but will take a bigger percentage of your sales in return. Fortunately, support for the SAFE Banking Act is growing; a bill that would safeguard licensed and regulated businesses by providing them with access to the banking industry.
Selling CBD Online with BigCommerce
CBD brands and suppliers are putting their confidence in BigCommerce to properly market their product and reach a wide audience, so why not do the same? Our platform is SaaS (Software as a Service) and it merges everything you need to run an online store. You won’t need to worry about arranging payments and best of all, you can customize your very own CBD store.
BigCommerce takes out the guesswork through combining everything you might need for an online business to thrive, from the branding and design aspect to marketing and optimization. We provide payment gateways for simple online transactions, outstanding support and a mobile-friendly design. What’s more, the BigCommerce platform allows CBD marketers to easily manage returns when selling their product, which can be featured on numerous websites.
“BigCommerce by far has the best solution for selling CBD products online. Their platform, coupled with our FDA compliance solutions for regulated products has proven to be a success for dozens of Vaping websites and has in-turn attracted numerous CBD companies to the platform. Simply put, BigCommerce is light years ahead of other platforms when it comes to preparing you with everything you need to sell CBD online.” — Brian Antczak, CEO — IntuitSolutions
Conclusion
Approximately 64 million Americans admitted to trying CBD in the past two years. Statistics like this, combined with the fact that legalization is spreading further across the U.S. map, means that brands can tap into a huge target market when they start selling CBD online.
To find success with selling CBD online, you will need to stay current with industry updates and news — like the legalities of CBD and marketing.
Your level of industry knowledge will have a direct impact on how successful you are with CBD marketing — as you’ll need to make sure you stay compliant since CBD products are still very tightly regulated by the FDA.
So, what are you waiting for? Start designing your online CBD store with BigCommerce today and avoid all obstacles!
This material does not constitute legal, professional or financial advice and BigCommerce disclaims any liability with respect to this material. Please consult your attorney or professional advisor on specific legal, professional or financial matters. | https://medium.com/@sheyiowoeye9/how-to-get-sales-for-cbd-6d5f65e8ba3 | [] | 2020-09-04 12:23:54.561000+00:00 | ['Sales', 'Promotion', 'Cbd', 'Marijuana', 'Marijuana Legalization'] |
The ultimate list of free online tools for creating stunning visual content (Part I) | You are ready to create your landing page or some social media posts but you don’t have some stunning photos to use. I have the solution for you. You could find out some high-quality free stock pictures on the web. I will share with you some of the best and some of my favourite free online resources for stock photography.
My favourite resource ❤ 👇
1. Unsplash
Unsplash is the ultimate database for free stock photos. You can find with ease beautiful free photos. You can use it on your website or in your content marketing campaigns.
2. Pexels
Pexels is another useful database for free stock photos. All photos are nicely tagged, searchable and also easy to discover. Find the best pictures for your next project in one place.
3. Pixabay
Pixabay is my third favourite database of free stock photos. You can discover over 1.3 million images, videos, illustrations and vectors shared by a generous community of creative minds.
4. Gratisography
Gratisography is another great source of free stock images. You can find free high-resolution pictures you can use on your personal and commercial projects.
5. startupstockphotos
Startupstockphotos It was the first tool I used when I started my journey into Digital Marketing world.
B. Free Stock Videos
A Video is a powerful and interactive tool for high-quality websites and for successful content marketing strategies Video Content is the new king out there. Are you looking for stunning free stock videos for your next project? I will share below my favourite free stock video platforms.
1. Pexels
Pexels is the first database of free stock videos. You can find several videos for your next personal or commercial project. You can discover with ease videos where are suitable for your product promotion or your website header.
2. Videvo
Videvo is the home of completely free HD stock footage videos and motion graphics for any project.
Access here: https://www.videvo.net/
3. Viddezy
Viddezy is another database of free video footage videos and 4K videos for your next big project. You can explore thousands of clips created by creative minds from all over the world.
4. Coverr
My last suggestion for you. Coverr is the last platform for stunning free stock videos. You can find beautiful videos for your new homepage.
3. Free audio tracks
I’ll talk in the second part about free video-editing tools. Let’s say that you have already created an amazing video. All you need now is to explore free copyright audio tracks. What’s the best combination for a viral video? A high-quality video and an epic audio track.
1. Facebook Sound Collection
Did you know that recently Facebook launched Facebook Sound Collection? It’s a new feature for Marketers and creators. With this new tool you can access a set of free high-quality audio tracks and sound clips for your next successful video marketing campaign.
2. Youtube Audio Library
Youtube Audio Library is a Youtube channel that includes free music for commercial purposes. It has over 1000 free songs. Personally, I have created a bunch of videos by using free songs from this audio library. | https://medium.com/antonis-spyridakis/the-ultimate-list-with-free-online-tools-for-creating-stunning-visual-content-part-i-fd81a42332e | ['Antonis Spyridakis'] | 2018-05-24 15:44:48.538000+00:00 | ['Digital Marketing', 'Photography', 'Content Marketing', 'Visual Marketing'] |
Best Car Maintenance Tips 2020 | It is one thing to buy a car and quite another to diligently maintain a well-oiled machine.
There is more to the world of car maintenance than sticking to servicing intervals, regular
washes and keeping your car dust-free. And the reasons for taking care of your car is not
just to maintain its good looks from the outside. Driving can turn risky at times and in case of
an untoward incident, you should be sitting in a safe car. A well-maintained car is a safe car.
Also, in case you want to sell your car off, it pays to keep your car in top condition.
Here are some maintenance tips for your car in the coming year.
Clean your car
Not just to maintain its good looks. Cleaning a car sounds like a normal thing. But it has
deeper benefits than just meets the eye! Literally. If you drive in areas which experience
bitter cold or where it rains heavily, keeping your car clean helps in preventing damage to
the brakes or exhaust pipes from muddy water. Even in the summer, it is best to rinse your
car from outside and inside at least twice a week. Regular washing will keep your car-paint
from damage caused by bird droppings. Clean the interiors of your car regularly, for reasons
of hygiene and aesthetics.
Protect your car’s paint with paint sealant treatment
It is one of the first steps in car maintenance to protect your car paint through regular
maintenance and paint sealant treatment. Paint sealants help in protecting your car-paint
from UV damages, rust and oxidation and bird droppings. OCDaboutcars offer a range of
customised maintenance packages that are suitable for the type of paint protection your car
has. We suggest a monthly visit to your garage — this will help keep your car in brand new
condition for a long time.
Wax and wash
If you have treated your car exteriors to a paint sealant treatment to protect the paint, then a
wash and wax is recommended once a month.
Engine upkeep is a must
The engine is the heart of your car. Ensure it runs in top condition by keeping a close watch
on its efficiency. A rise in fuel consumption indicate a damaged engine. Check with your
servicing crew or our car maintenance experts at OCDaboutcars to keep the engine fit and
functional.
Ensure that you change the engine oil regularly and also keep a close check on the cooling
system. Make sure that the ratio of coolant to distilled water is 1:1.
Maintain your interiors, wind shield and wipers
If you go an interior cleaning package from a garage, make sure it includes the cleaning of
seats, centre console, dashboard, steering wheel, door panels, AC vents, washing of floor
mats, etc. It is equally important to maintain wind shield and wipers.
If you want a new car every day, get your car maintenance done by car professionals like
OCDaboutcars, who have enough experience and knowledge and above all passion, for
cars. | https://medium.com/@ocdpromo2020/best-car-maintenance-tips-2020-ec4708a2ca58 | ['Ocd Cars'] | 2020-12-18 07:34:29.009000+00:00 | ['Cars'] |
Martha Gellhorn — The Hospital Ship: June 6th -7th, 1944 | War Correspondent
New York Times
Although she has now been dead for over twenty years, Martha Gellhorn can still be considered one of the most accomplished war correspondents of the 20th century, having covered most of the major conflicts: from the Spanish Civil War up to, and beyond, the Vietnam War.
During World War II she outshone her more high profile husband, Ernest Hemingway, by a long shot, concentrating, as he never did, on more personal stories — as was the case with John Steinbeck and Ernie Pyle — that dealt with serving personnel, and the consequence, both physical and mental, that such personnel suffered.
But, early on the 6th of June, 1944, D-Day, the thirty-six year old, still unaccredited correspondent Martha Gellhorn, had managed to get aboard the first hospital ship to sail with the invasion fleet. Martha had simply walked on board, found a nurses uniform and, when the injured started coming aboard in their thousands, got stuck in. And as the daughter of a doctor, who had trained her well, and a fluent German speaker, Martha more than pulled her weight, as well as writing a splendid dispatch.
That first dispatch, for Collier’s Weekly, of June 1944, doesn’t mentioned her methods of course, but it’s a wonderfully encompassing piece of writing:
“ Our ship was snowy white with a green line running along the sides below the deck rail, and with many bright new red crosses painted on the hull and painted flat on the boat deck. We were to travel alone, and there was not so much as a pistol on board in the way of armament, and neither the English crew and ship’s officers nor the American medical personnel had any notion of what happened to large conspicuous white ships when they appeared at a war, though everyone knew the Geneva agreement concerning such ships and everyone wistfully hoped that the Germans would take the said agreement seriously.”
WW2 US Medical Research Centre
Martha describes the ship’s facilities, including four hundred and twenty-two bunks with new bedding, a bright and clean, well-equipped operating theatre. Great cans of ‘Whole Blood’ stored on the decks, bottles of plasma, boxes of drugs and bales of bandages. There were six nurses aboard, who came:
“ From Texas and Michigan and California and Wisconsin, and three weeks ago they were in the USA completing their training for the overseas assignment. They had been prepared to work on a hospital train…instead of which they found themselves on a ship, and they were about to move across the dark, cold green water of the Channel…”
Gellhorn emphasises that no one on board had ever been on a hospital ship before (on D-Day there nine hospital ships in total) consequently there was no voice of experience or leadership, but then most of the troops waiting to invade Europe had never done that before either. It was to be the largest military undertaking in history, and a young, experienced female war correspondent, who’d covered wars in Spain and China was, in a borrowed nurses uniform, about to be a part of it.
Gellhorn writes:
“ Then we saw the coast of France…first it seemed incredible; there could not be so many ships in the world. Then it seemed incredible as a feat of planning; if there were so many ships, what genius it required to get them here. After the first shock of wonder and admiration, one began to look around and see separate details…a floating city of huge vessels anchored before the green cliffs of Normandy. Occasionally you would see a gun flash or perhaps only hear a distant roar, as naval guns fired [over those cliffs]…Small craft beetled around in a curiously jolly way. It looked like a lot of fun to race from shore to ships in snub-nosed boats beating up the spray. It was no fun at all, considering the mines and obstacles that remained in the water, the sunken tanks with only their radio antennae showing above water, the drowned bodies that still floated past. On an LCT [Landing Craft Transport] near us washing was hung on a line, and between the loud explosions of mines being detonated on the beach dance music could be heard coming from its radio.”
Martha describes barrage balloons looking like comic elephants, aircraft droning above the grey clouds, heavy cement barges, and tanks moving off the beaches.
Then her mood changes and she stops noticing the invasion because the first wounded are arriving. An LCT draws alongside the hospital ship: requests are shouted from below, and what appears to be a lidless coffin is lowered down. Men on the LCT place a stretcher inside the box, which is hauled up onto the deck. The young man, a boy really, is lifted, on his stretcher, from the box. He is the first wounded soldier to come aboard: a wounded German. It became busier by the minute:
“ Everything happened at once. We had six water ambulances, light motor launches, which swung down from the ship’s side and could be raised the same way when full of wounded. They carried six litter [stretcher]cases apiece or as many walking wounded as could be crowded into them.”
It is organised chaos that isn’t really chaos, but a reaction to an ever changing situation, with shouted orders that are more suggestions than anything else, suggestions to avoid the floating mines, to concentrate on a certain section of a certain beach — Easy Red, or Dog Red. The stretcher bearers are doing back breaking work, with blistered hands, helped by the ship’s crew. The number of wounded brought on board grows and grows with each passing half hour, with the wounded passed from launch to ship in anyway possible. The below deck partitions are thrown out creating one huge ward.
Gellhorn’s writing picks up pace as she remembers what was happening just a few hours before:
“ It will be hard to tell you of the wounded, there were so many of them. There was no time to talk; there was too much else to do. They had to be fed, as most of them had not eaten for two days; shoes and clothing had to be cut off; they wanted water; the nurses and orderlies, working like demons, had to be found and called quickly to a bunk where a man suddenly and desperately needed attention; plasma bottles must be watched; cigarettes had to be lighted and held for those who could not use their hands; it seemed to take hours to pour hot coffee, via the spout of a teapot, into a mouth that just showed through bandages.”
By the afternoon the wounded men were settling down as best they could, and as Martha writes:
“ But the wounded talked among themselves and as time went on we got to know them, by their faces and their wounds, not their names. They were a magnificent enduring bunch of men. Men smiled who were in such pain that all they really can have wanted to do was turn their heads away and cry, and men made jokes when they needed their strength just to survive. And all of them looked after each other, saying, ‘ Give that boy a drink of water,’ or ‘Miss, see that Ranger over there, he’s in bad shape, could you go to him?’ All through the ship men were asking after other men by name, anxiously, wondering if they were on board and how they were doing.”
That paragraph is a master class in how to describe an almost overwhelming situation, especially when you have become involved physically, actually working as a nurse, getting on with a job, at the same time observing detail, absorbing. It’s in every word and phrase — quite extraordinary.
The central section of Martha Gellhorn’s brilliant dispatch for Collier’s Weekly (published August 1944), concentrates on groups and individuals, including a young man who had:
“…been wounded…[and] had lain out in a field and then crawled back to our lines, sniped at by the Germans. He realized now that a German, badly wounded also in the chest, shoulder and legs, lay in the bunk behind him. The gentle-faced boy said very softly, because it was hard to speak, ‘ I’d kill him if I could move.’ After that he did not speak for a long time; he was given oxygen and later operated on, so he could breathe.
“ The man behind him was a nineteen-year-old Austrian. He had fought for a year in Russia and half a year in France; he had been home for six days during this times. I thought he would die when he first came on board, but he got better. He said, ‘So many wounded men, all wounded, all want to go home. Why have we ever fought each other?’
“ An American soldier on that same deck had a head wound so horrible that he was not moved. Nothing could be done for him and anything, any touch made him worse. The next morning he was drinking coffee. His eyes looked very dark and strange, as if he had been a long way away, so far away that he almost could not get back. His face was set in lines of weariness and pain, but when asked how he felt, he said he was okay. He was never known to say anything more; he asked for nothing and made no complaint, and perhaps he will live too.”
Gellhorn is never heavy handed, always honest — brutally honest at times — and compassionate; never critical of the fighting soldier, of any side, and as she would show when she entered Dachau in 1945 — there could be no tears from her, or the nurses and orderlies. These wounded young men — as with the inmates of the concentration camps — didn’t want tears, not from anyone. They wanted food, cigarettes, good care and, above all else, they wanted love. Even a seventeen-year-old French boy who’d been hit in the back by shrapnel and was very brave, yet frightened for his family who did not know what had happened to him, and were still in the middle of a battle zone, where retreating Germans were burning farms, maybe his family’s farm by now. One American soldier told the young French boy, through Martha, that he was a fine soldier and better than the ‘Heinie’ in the next bunk would ever be. The Heinie, who wanted to be moved, was a very young German who, as Martha realised, was also very frightened. Martha explained to him, in German, that the orderly couldn’t move him because he might bleed to death: it was that simple, and that there were now hundreds of badly wounded young men who could not be moved, and were, although in pain, happy to be alive. Did he understand? He nodded.
When night came on the 6th of June 1944:
“…the water ambulances were still churning in to the beach looking for wounded. Someone on an LCT had shouted out that there were maybe a hundred scattered along there somewhere. It was essential to try to get them aboard before the nightly air raid and before the dangerous dark cold could eat into their hurt bodies.”
The Atlantic
Martha Gellhorn never knowingly held back, always pushing herself to the front, as she did on the night of 6–7th June 1944, volunteering to go with a beach party to pick up wounded before the night took them. Martha writes:
“ Everyone was violently busy on that crowded dangerous shore. The pebbles were the size of melons and we stumbled up a road that a huge road shovel was scooping out. We walked with the utmost care between the narrowly placed white tape that marked the mine-cleared path, and headed for a tent marked with a Red Cross just behind the beach. Ducks [DUKW — amphibious landing craft] and tanks and trucks were moving down this narrow rocky road and one stepped just a little out of their way, but not beyond the tapes. The dust that rose in the gray night light seemed like the fog of war itself. Then we got off on the grass and it was perhaps the most surprising of all the day’s surprises to smell the sweet smell of summer grass, a smell of cattle and peace and the sun that had warmed the earth some other time when summer was real.”
That last sentence has now become one of Gellhorn’s most famous, evocative and moving within any of her dispatches, and must have touched the readers of Collier’s Weekly to the heart, as a good many of Steinbeck’s and Pyle’s did, when they wrote of everyday things in relation to extraordinary events. But somehow Gellhorn’s has become a real link, in the way black and white film of World War One, when turned into colour has: suddenly there’s an immediacy about it. Martha’s reference to the smell of summer grass is both comforting and disturbing.
From the smell of summer grass Martha takes us back inside, where work is being done:
“ Inside the Red Cross tent two tired unshaven dirty polite young men said that the trucks were coming in here with the wounded and where did we want to have them unloaded? We explained the problem of the tides and said the best thing was to run the trucks down to the LST [Landing Ship Tank] there and carry the wounded aboard, under the canvas roof covering, and we would get them off as soon as anything floated.”
And although Martha uses the term ‘ we explained…’ I get the impression that she explained things. I may be wrong, but her writing has a fluency that is itself quite commanding and very much to the point.
What follows, to the end of the piece, is Gellhorn at full throttle: describing the loading of the wounded — many wounded — off the beach and onto the ship, and the trip back to England. The last third of her dispatch is in fact a text book of how things should be done, have been done, and need to be done in the future. It is also a paper on how people work together under very dangerous and difficult circumstance.
When the hospital ship docked, and the wounded were off-loaded the chief medical officer let out a sigh of relief and said:
“ Made it.”
With that Martha Gellhorn returned the uniform to where she had found it, and walked off the ship and caught the first train to London, where she was arrested and put in a secure unit from which she escaped during the night, made her way to the home of a RAF pilot she knew who was flying to Italy the following day: she joined him, and once in Italy set out to find the war.
A brilliant writer and human being.
With acknowledgements to Caroline Moorhead’s — Martha Gellhorn: A Life (Chatto & Windus, London,2003), and Martha Gellhorn’s — The Face of War (Virago, London, 1986) | https://stevenewmanwriter.medium.com/martha-gellhorn-the-hospital-ship-part-1-d7e8c54000e1 | ['Steve Newman Writer'] | 2020-09-13 06:54:08.133000+00:00 | ['WIB History', 'World War II', 'Writing', 'History', 'Reporting'] |
Dear Santa, | This has been an unusual year for all of us. Every month has been packed with tragedies, which for many got only worse with time, and for some better. The pandemic locked us all in, exposing us to a new world, and challenging us to a new normal which many of us are still struggling to live in.
Letters and their replies wrapped for the big day. At Santa Claus Village, Roveniemi, Finland. Image Credit: Maria Vincent
When WHO declared the strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus as a global pandemic, I was observing my Lenten abstinence and occasional fasts, and looking forward to go shopping for easter eggs and special chocolate to treat myself to on Easter Sunday. All those hopes came crumbling down. Yet, I tried to stay optimistic and enjoyed my new found solace. But things only went downhill from there, and living at that time in the United States did not make it any better. I hoped to be back home, safe and sound, as soon as possible and perhaps be able to venture out in the open in time for my 22nd birthday. But that wasn't meant to be and ever since then, I kept a countdown for when I can go out in the open to celebrate Christmas — the festive glee, shopping for home decors and gifts, and, very importantly, return to church to participate in the Eucharistic celebration with a large gathering. But with the advent and rise of tide of the second wave, my hopes for Advent also began falling, and plumetting. And so, Christmas for the first time ever in my life is behind closed doors. And the doors, which only open for my dad coming back from work or shopping, and for urgent maintenance work, may remain closed to your big, cheerful self and thoughtful presents.
Getting in the Christmas spirit even while indoors, and not letting the tragedies dampen my favourite holiday. Photo Credit: Maria Vincent, Rexy Vincent
I always look forward to when I can write and mail letters to you and open up the reply wrapped in pretty paper, albeit knowing the reality behind the Santa Claus. It’s a warm feeling, which only grew warmer since my visit to your office and land in Finland last summer. However, given the pandemic and the extra precautions we have been following, I don’t think my mom’s OCD can handle more packages unless they are necessary to our survival.
Yes, saying it out loud makes it seem like a bleak Christmas. But if baby Jesus could sleep in a manger with the mooing cattle constantly disturbing his sleep, I can celebrate Christmas with no gifts. And after all, isn’t Christmas more about giving than receiving anyways?
The pandemic has shown me what the world desperately needs, and the havoc it has wrecked has made us a more resilient race. Celebrating Christmas indoors will not stop us from being magnanimous in our wishes, and gifts of love and joy for those who need it. We unfortunately don’t have a Happy Prince with a swallow as his buddy, so if it was up to me I would tell you to give my share of presents to those who would need it more than me. So in this letter, I ask you maybe cross off my name from the list this time? I guess I have got more than enough gifts this year and was one of the lucky ones who had a safe passage home, no want for my essential needs, and uninterrupted access to education.
Oh Dear Santa, this Christmas is very different for you as well. Maybe you’re quarantined in a snow-globe to test negative before riding across the world on your sleigh of nine-reindeer-power (or more… Rudolph’s song is quite old and has never changed with the times of increasing horse power) when you receive my letter. I sincerely hope you’re staying well and safe given your advancing age, and so are your pixies.
The vaccination has become a great Christmas gift for many of us, and I still wait patiently for my first shot. Though the good tidings of news of medical advancement and reducing numbers are now overshadowed by the outbreak of a new strain of the virus, I am trying to stay positive equipped by prayers and courage to move forward, staying put behind closed doors for waves of the disease to recede.
With the hopes of a better 2021, and the gratitude of being with my family and counting my blessings I look forward to Friday, December 25. Merry Christmas, Dear Santa Claus. | https://medium.com/@themariavincent/dear-santa-7d97bd073aa7 | ['Maria Vincent'] | 2021-03-24 11:30:40.350000+00:00 | ['Santa Claus', 'Pandemic', 'Christmas', 'Holidays', 'Gifts'] |
Our Best Nature | The colors of new growth are waiting to be discovered… in the wild forests that surround our conflicted hearts. We simply need to nurture each other, along each new road… and allow our best nature to rise above the surface. | https://medium.com/chance-encounters/our-best-nature-c109fc863f04 | [] | 2020-10-16 19:59:14.620000+00:00 | ['Music', 'Freeform', 'Audible Sundays', 'Photography', 'Poetry'] |
A Three-Way Conflict | For some reason, we decided more would be better.
I starting scouring the papers for real estate deals. When we saw a listing in our price range (low), the one question to answer was ‘does it cash flow?’
The rents had to be high enough and our down payment had to be high enough to allow the rents to pay the mortgage, as well as taxes, with a little bit of money left over. We weren’t trying to live on the rents, just find something where the tenant would be paying for the place.
Then I had a great conversation with an investor friend of ours.
He suggested we up our budget and look at multiple units. A duplex wasn’t quite double the cost of a single-family dwelling, but there would be two sets of renters, paying almost double what you could get for a house.
Thinking in higher numbers took a bit of getting used to, but I could see the logic in the advice. It was easier to find a deal that would cash flow as well.
Expanding on that concept, we found a fourplex in a complex with several buildings for sale. Of course, a fourplex costs a lot more than a single home so we had to figure out the financing first.
The developer had built them and held them as rentals for years. He decided to sell all of them.
He hadn’t done a lot of maintenance over the years, but the buildings were in fairly good shape overall. They needed new roofs, but the deal included a large contingency fund to take care of replacing them.
We put in an offer on a building in the back of the complex, I liked it the best because of the location. It was away from the street and backed onto a park.
Then we discovered a shady realtor was involved.
He was in a serious conflict of interest. He represented the seller, he represented all of the buyers AND he had put in an offer as well.
Talk about a three way conflict.
Of course, he took the best one for himself. He ended up taking the fourplex we wanted. Our offer was shifted to another building in the complex and we had to swallow our frustration and accept the change or pull the offer entirely. We were fairly happy when the deal closed even though he’d pulled the switch.
When one person owns a bunch of strata-titled units, they don’t have to consult with anyone else. The developer made all the decisions himself.
There was no strata council. We realized we had to create one from scratch. That meant meetings, maintenance, financials, contingency funds, and best of all, management by committee.
I volunteered to be treasurer, mainly because I knew that if I did the books, I could trust that they were right. I sure didn’t trust the shady realtor guy to take care of the money.
The other members of the strata consisted of the realtor who couldn’t keep his private and client business separate, an owner who worked hard in the strata but was always stressing about minor things, and various absentee landlords who either wouldn’t answer emails or who would send emails telling us what we ‘should’ be doing for them.
We were happy to discover that our tenants were pretty good ones, responsible and they paid their rent on time. The finances from the building cash flowed and so we were happy with our purchase.
When you’re a landlord, sometimes it’s not the tenants that are the problem. Sometimes it’s everyone else in the group.
Then came the mold problem.
Someone discovered mold in the attic of one of their buildings. Sure enough, it was in all of them. It had to be taken care of. Our shady realtor stepped in and hired a family member to do the fix on the cheap.
Then there were few other problems.
The quote to replace the roofs was higher than the amount in the contingency fund. There were other unexpected repairs coming up. We could see the writing on the wall. It wasn’t going to cash flow.
We were tired of being told what to do by the other owners, especially since they weren’t contributing to the conversations. They liked to complain.
The shady realtor guy was always going to be a problem. He was a user.
We held the building for a year and then we decided to sell.
A golden rule in business is when you divide something into smaller pieces, and sell them, you can charge more. People do it all the time. One good thing about the fourplex was that consisted of four separate strata titles so we could split the building up.
It’s the opposite of buying bulk.
We listed, and sold all four units separately, within a few months of each other. There was a profit, so there were taxes to be paid, but all in all, we made a bit of money on it.
The best thing about selling was getting away from the shady realtor guy. | https://medium.com/illumination/a-three-way-conflict-4b43cda61f79 | ['Tree Langdon'] | 2020-11-27 18:30:33.979000+00:00 | ['Robber Baron', 'Series', 'Investing', 'Writing', 'Fiction'] |
Writing our principles and values, together, part 2: policy | Note: This is second in a series of reflections on and invitations to our Code for America Brigade network. If you’re reading this and don’t know about the great work they do, read about them here and hear more about them on our Twitter feed!
Last month, I chronicled the process of moving towards a shared set of vision, mission, principles, and values across the Code for America network, and some of the questions and self-reflections that have come up through the process, including clarifying our relationship to government. Today, I’m going to pick up where we left off and address Tricia Davies’ question:
When Code for America first started, I had a different perspective on this than I do today. To be sure, we have always been in the business of advocating for a variety of policies, starting with open data. Advocating for open data policies in cities was one of the first activities that was relatively consistent across Brigades as they were forming in the early days; it helped that Brigades were also the consumers of that data, so we had opinions on how that policy should be written and how it should be implemented. We very quickly went from the what to the how, and had real impact.
But I will begrudgingly admit that in the early days, I took a somewhat hostile stance to policy and policymakers, in part because implementation has been the biggest and most obvious gap in government effectiveness, but also because of a sense that policymakers were privileged in a system that paid less regard to the people charged with implementing and delivering that policy. Mike Bracken, founding head of the Government Digital Service in the UK, once said “I never want to talk to a policy person unless they have a developer on one side of them and a user on the other,” and he captured my distrust perfectly. But there’s been a steadily growing body of evidence from the folks doing the work on the ground that doing the implementation work puts you in the best position to understand and change policy, and the Code for America community has risen to the challenge that comes with that position. The policy community has also taken notice, and increasingly wants in on this new way of working. Now I’m all in on policymakers and regulators as a core part of the movement.
A lot of what I see this community doing is what I call delivery-driven policy. The story I told at the last Code for America Summit is a good example of this. Cribbing here from a blog post I wrote earlier this year:
Last year, regulators at the Health and Human Services Agency in Washington, DC were charged with implementing a law called MACRA (the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015.) The MACRA team wanted the HHS Digital Service team, led by Mina Hsiang, to build the website that would implement this law, designed to allow Medicare to pay more for better care. What usually happens is that before regulators engage a tech team around a website for users (in this case, doctors and other providers of medical care), they spend many months of study and research, producing a specification describing in great detail the rules the web application will encode. Mina proposed that the team writing the regulations give them an early draft in about a fifth of the time it would normally take them, and let her team do an early version of the website based on that draft. It’s normal practice for a tech team to test a site with users early in the development process; what was different this time is that the regulators could also see how users experienced and interpreted the rules they’d written, and change their language based on user behavior. They could then test the new language in a subsequent (still draft) version of the site, as the tech team put out new versions of the website to their test users. They did this four more times before the regulators called the rules final. The MACRA regulators reported that they’d just written the best rules of their career, having benefited for the first time from real-world feedback during the process.
Cecilia Munoz, head of the Domestic Policy Council for President Obama, often says “we need to have tech people at the policy table from the beginning if we are going to make policy that works.” In cities, Brigades are increasingly those tech people, helping cities understand what makes a policy implementable before they’ve gone down a path from which can be hard to return. They of course have a long history of driving policy change, starting with open data policies but moving into everything from recycling to open algorithms, but they are also instrumental in getting policy right in its implementation.
Even in the first year of Code for America, when we thought we were strictly limited to implementation, we were already tweaking with policy. One of the first fellowship projects in 2011 was Joel Mahoney’s DiscoverBPS. Tom Menino, the late mayor of Boston, asked the Code for America team to work on a problem: parents needed to find the right public school for their kids, but the school assignment policy had changed to preference distance from home, and the 26 page brochure with tiny type that the Schools Department sent out to prospective parents annually did not suffice to help parents map their eligible schools. We were convinced that this was straightforward implementation of existing policy, but when Joel and the other fellows got the site up and started watching parents use it, it suddenly seemed less straightforward. There were edge cases galore, like when the distances between a home and a school landed at the edge of a school property, and as Joel said in his CfA Summit talk: “If we’re here to clarify the policy, we’d better not be making it more confusing.” But there was also the realization that the policy itself did not always get the intended outcome. A 1.5 mile radius from a given home might span Boston Harbor, for instance, making it much further to walk to one school than the distance measured as the crow flies, while eliminating schools that were in fact closer on foot and more appropriate for a given student. It was in the digital implementation that the need to adjust the policy became clear. In other words, delivery-driven policy change surfaced in our very first project.
Delivery-driven policy is everywhere in the Code for America network if you look for it. Our work on SNAP with GetCalFresh now boasts multiple examples of policy and operational change driven by insights about users of the system and the barriers they face. And what Code for Tulsa has done in implementing CourtBot is in some ways the flip of the DiscoverBPS or GetCalFresh stories, but it’s the same thing. The policy in question in Tulsa is holding people charged with minor crimes while they await trial, a policy driven by a fear of “failures to appear” (FTAs) in court, but one with devastating consequences to the people held and their families. By offering CourtBot as a way to reduce FTAs by texting with clients to remind them to show up in court, Code for Tulsa opened up the possibility of a change in policy by making the delivery of that policy seem possible.
So to Tricia’s question, I guess my answer would be that yes, the vision is to not just change policy, but also to change how policy is changed, and how it is made in the first place. We are not starting with the high level policy decisions that set the goals, but rather with the details of the policies and regulations that matter so much to whether the high level policies actually achieve their outcomes, in part because we have many excellent policies and programs in this country that are not living up to their goals, like the participation gaps in SNAP and record-clearance programs. Showing policies and programs working as intended builds trust and strengthens the public’s faith in government. Showing that government can work for people strengthens our position from which to advocate for higher level policies that do just that.
So I have a few questions to ask back to the community. What does delivery-driven policy mean to you, and what examples would you like to share? Every movement in the country is advocating for policy change; what do we bring to the table that no one else can (or conversely, that everyone else can if we share what we’ve learned and grow the movement?) With whom can we partner to have the greatest impact on policy? I think about Code for Asheville partnering with their local homeless advocates BeLoved and having an impact on policies that affect the homeless, because they brought data about delivery (in this case about policing practices) to the table. Where we don’t operate the services ourselves, partners like in the community can help us get closer to users, closer to delivery, and put us in the position to let the delivery drive the policy.
I don’t ask these questions rhetorically. Both as part of the process of discussing our vision, mission and values, and part of the process of articulating and disseminating the practices of our community, I invite you to share your examples, questions, thoughts, and ideas by responding to this post. Let’s hear it!
And to all Brigade members, we’re closing out our process on the vision, mission, principles, and values work, so get in touch if you have final thoughts! | https://medium.com/code-for-america/writing-our-principles-and-values-together-part-2-policy-c1088d36b838 | ['Jennifer Pahlka'] | 2017-12-13 00:23:45.678000+00:00 | ['Civictech', 'Values', 'Policy', 'Civic Hacking', 'Government'] |
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