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Introducing the shesaid.so Parenthood Committee | Introducing the shesaid.so Parenthood Committee
Working towards a more accessible and sustainable music industry for parents of all genders shesaid.so Dec 21, 2020·3 min read
The current global pandemic has brought the music industry to its knees. Strain has been seen disproportionately by parents crushed under the pressure of balancing career and increased family needs. What better moment to encourage parents in the music industry to connect and actively be part of change.
We started exchanging ideas around the possible activities of a committee advocating for parents shortly before Western lockdowns. We still hadn’t realised what was about to hit us.
The world where we were already struggling got even tighter and the worldwide pandemic magnified everything we already suffered. Possibly for the first time ever, everyone else seemed to notice: the juggle, the discrimination, the stigma.
We started working hard, exploring specific issues and opportunities, comparing situations from different countries, both in these extraordinary times as in our day to day lives. We have sparked conversation, held panels in international festivals and met so many inspiring people already.
We’re eager to meet, hear and see more, do more and achieve more. Together.
Who we are:
The shesaid.so parenthood committee is a community of parents within shesaid.so, formed to support and hear the voices of parents of all genders who are members or allies of shesaid.so. The committee’s objective is to provide a supportive and open platform to empower parents in the music industry, through sharing experiences and ideas, thus working towards a more accessible and sustainable music industry for parents. With intersectionality, diversity and inclusion being core values of the organisation, we hope to increase equality for all parents in the music industry.
Our mission:
Normalise being a parent in the industry.
Develop a network of allies who may be working with or alongside parents in the music industry.
Raise awareness of the unique challenges of being a parent as an artist or industry professional in the music industry.
Raise awareness of the importance of allies among artist and industry teams.
Acknowledge the unique challenges that mothers and gender minorities face in the music industry.
Use parents’ experiences to pioneer a better industry for all.
Increase respect for parents and the flexibility that may be required.
Encourage opportunities for research and data collection with respect to parents in the music industry, to inform the implementation of action and change.
Campaign for change to provide fairer parental leave and flexibility.
Create a worldwide anti-discrimination legal network.
What we do
Our community provides the opportunity for discussion amongst parents, where they can share their experiences and learn from one another. We offer members best-practices, resources, dedicated events and panels that aim to help parents in the music industry to thrive in their professional and family life. | https://medium.com/@shesaid-so/introducing-the-shesaid-so-parenthood-committee-5ae9124e753a | [] | 2020-12-21 11:34:27.735000+00:00 | ['Parenthood', 'Music Industry', 'Shesaidso'] |
Is there Loss in Leaving Traces of Yourself Behind? | Part of my AML collection
On the flight from Phoenix to Chicago, I began reading one of my favorite books.
This was before that thing called “airplane mode” existed on our electronics, so I traveled with an actual paperback for those limbo electronic times — waiting to take off, waiting to land. Who am I kidding? I still travel with a paperback, just in case my Kindle fails.
The book was a thin 1965 reprint of a 1955 Anne Morrow Lindbergh (AML) classic, “A Gift from the Sea.” Over the years, I’ve kept track of the number of times I’ve given this book to women, finally ordering a dozen copies of the edition issued in 1991 to have available. So far sixteen copies are in the hands of friends who otherwise may not have read it. Only one person said they didn’t like it, the others shared similar words of, Ah … thanks, I needed that.
My forty-six year old copy was tattered, bore my name inside the front cover and the year I found it: 1995. Throughout the pages are jotted notes and highlights in my favorite neon green. I read this book at least once a year, sipping it slowly like the coffee I may drink while turning the pages. It refreshes, reawakens, renews my spirit, my energy, my ability to live outward.
Ms. Lindbergh’s eloquence always touches my heart, not the least when she is humbly seeking and finding enlightenment from whatever world she’s currently inhabiting. In this book it’s a casual piece of coastline with an unassuming beach house near the water. She is mere steps from the froth of the ocean, writing during a week when she manages to leave her wife and maternal responsibilities behind and find time — enjoy time — for herself.
We women do not do that well: explore and indulge in extended hours for ourselves.
When I was single and lived alone, it was certainly easier. I carved out Sunday afternoons as sacred, spilling multiple projects around my living room, a favorite movie in the background on a quiet TV, or soothing music playing at a subdued level.
Who am I kidding? I still travel with a paperback, just in case my Kindle fails.
But life changes and gets more hectic and it’s been years since I was that person in those circumstances. Finding time now is harder. There are many things vying for my attention — so many the same or different as the women in my life: a husband and marriage, a house to clean and manage, writing projects to work on, agents to query, bible study, friendships to maintain; family to see, groceries to buy and turn into meals, a lawn to mow, gardens to weed, or a driveway and sidewalk to shovel snow from, social media to keep up with, books, magazines, newsletters to be read.
I have difficulties arranging everything and in a past life, I taught a class on time management. How do women with children manage any hours for themselves? Even for a simple bubble bath?
When I reach the level of being overwhelmed by “things” that “need” done, I reach for Anne and her gentle reminders of taking gifts from the sea, or the places we are right now, and pulling them into ourselves for female-rejuvenation.
During that flight, I could feel my heart relaxing as I finished chapter one, barely getting to know her once again and yet remembering what she would be sharing with me later on.
Then we were given permission to turn on laptops. I tucked Anne away in the seat pocket, withdrew my Mac, and got busy working.
Do you see the irony already?
Leaving vacation-me behind until the next non-electronic moment, I worked for a while, spent some time educating myself about my first Apple product, read a novel on my Kindle, learned about SEO…. When you have the electronics available, you multitask like never before — burning through different projects at speeds not possible with paper.
Coming into Chicago, I put everything away, and shut my eyes for the duration of the flight and pondered Anne. Mrs. Charles Lindbergh was so much more than what that name infers. She was a petite, quiet, reserved mother of five, a prolific and profound writer, yet stayed in the shadows of her husband’s adventures. In North to the Orient, 1931 found her sitting on a crate in Charles’ plane and helped him map the air travel route from New York to Tokyo. She was a participant in many of his explorative flights, a prolific writer, and yet I was alive until 1995 before I knew anything about her beyond the horrific kidnapping of their son.
What an inspiration AML would be to young women if only we knew about her! She was as aware as Virginia Wolfe about the need for women to have rooms of their own. Given the recent revelation of Charles’ multiple lives, the one thing I admire him for is ensuring that no matter where they lived, he made a special place for Anne to write. He encouraged her talent and urged her to pursue publication.
It was as we were preparing to board for the connecting flight home to Pittsburgh that I reached into my backpack for Anne and realized she was gone. I’d left her in the airplane seat pocket. In thirty years of flying, I’ve never left anything on a plane and of the inconsequential things I could have left, instead it was a treasured book.
Dashing to the ticket counter, I asked the agent for her help, she tried, but without success. However, the lost book leads to a conversation and a chance for me to share Anne’s book with another rushed and harried woman. She jots down the name, the author and tells me it sounds like a book she needs to read, right now.
Sad as I was to board the plane, I started to think about what we leave behind us, what resounds in the wakes of our passing. When we move on, apparent in our absence are both the intangible and tangible — like a book and like a conversation. Perhaps that gate attendent went to her local bookstore and found Anne, read it, and felt some hope for future moments of quiet and peace in her hectic life.
I filed a report and hoped for months that the book would turn up in the lost and found. That didn’t happen. So the next thing I hoped for was that the woman who sat in that seat after me found the book and first thought to herself, I should turn this in. Then she flipped a page and read, flipped another page, and read, and became so engrossed, enthralled with what had been left behind that she was compelled to keep Anne so she could take joy in the fluid, magical words of Gift From the Sea.
This book is a tangible trace of myself that I left behind. It bears my name and has my notes scattered throughout the pages. It makes me wonder what traces of myself I leave in the world as I walk through it and touch some places, some people, and then others.
What do you leave in the lingering traces of your wake? | https://rosemarygriffith.medium.com/is-there-loss-in-leaving-traces-of-yourself-behind-7607b1c5f9a2 | ['Rose Mary Griffith'] | 2019-03-12 12:30:31.813000+00:00 | ['Travel', 'Life Lessons', 'Reading', 'Women', 'Writing'] |
100 Days of DataViz Comics | Some 3+ months ago I started a 100 day project focused on dataviz cartoons. 50 days in I published a small progress article (link below). This article is a follow up that rounds off the project and gives an overview of what I have planned next, but here’s the first one:
Let’s talk comics:
How did the second half go?
Pretty good. Day 50–70 felt pretty smooth. Did a lot of reading at the same time and around Day 80 I settled on a process that works for me on a daily basis. Since I am a sucker for sharing (and likes, claps, retweets, etc) I started to write the process up. It’s not ready for sharing and I am still experimenting with the format (e.g. Medium vs code repo.)
I have to say I was skeptical of the benefits of doing a project at all, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. It’s not like I don’t know the value of consistency. For years I used to train 6 days a week swimming. But putting consistency into a project where creativity was at the core, was something I was skeptical about. You can do a mile or two without putting your brain into it. You can’t do that with creative work.
The best ideas showed up when I’d hit the bottom of the idea barrel and it was 10 minutes to midnight. I did develop a process that allowed me to generate dozens of ideas for comics, Medium posts, and beyond. (Some of which you may see in the future.) The fear of running out of ideas is gone, and so is the anxiety of putting content out. My advice to anybody thinking about doing a 100 day project: Do it. Don’t prep, don’t think about it. Jump in. Stick with it. Even when it hurts. Especially when it hurts. Your brain will find a way for it to work.
Would I do this again? Yup. Actually, I am experimenting with a variation of the 100 day project already, more details below.
Let’s talk social media
Generating the content is one thing. Getting it out is a different beast altogether. I shared my content via Twitter and Instagram and boy did I learn lessons.
Instagram feedback was consistent (~20–30 likes per comic) but text-based engagement was low. Over the 100 days I gained about 50+ new followers. I would sum it up by saying Instagram and I are friends, but not buddies yet. Would love it if anybody had hints or pointers (DM, blog, books) on how to work Instagram with non-photo content.
As for Twitter, it’s a different story altogether. I went from 18 tweets a month with ~11k impressions to ~91 tweets a month with ~125k impressions. And about 240 new people decided to follow my account. So not bad.
While I got better at guessing which comics would get retweeted, there is still a lot of randomness in it. My biggest duds were things I thought were going to go viral. My biggest successes I dismissed as “meh” when I released them.
Also, I found that there is no best day for comics. I got hits on Friday and snoozes on Monday, and the next week Wednesday was the one that worked. The number of direct messages has increased by a bit, and for some reason, people keep adding me to lists. Mostly dataviz comic and humor lists, but not only.
So what didn’t work?
I wanted to give something back to people that have supported me in this run. I used a survey to pick what it would be (posters of all 100 comics) and put together a very simple schema on how to get one. In the end, 2 posters went out instead of 7. Didn’t see that coming. I am chalking this one up to a combination of being too enthusiastic and bad timing. Around July 4th I noticed a slow down in general twitter activity. Guess I scheduled this too close to a vacation/summer hole. Ah well, live and learn.
Let’s talk about Data Humorism
Around day 74 the project changed for me. I would say that at that point I had figured out how to generate somewhat entertaining content. The interplay between text and graphics started to click. But I felt that I had more to give. People told me that they got a lot out of the comics, even more than I thought I’d put into it. They said I was making great points; that they were learning something. That floored me. I never meant the comics to be educational. But if humor helps make ideas more accessible then why not use it? This idea got me excited and I typed up an article with first thoughts on it.
Since I posted the Data Humorism article I started to experiment more with humor as a tool. Based on what I have seen, I’m now advocating that humor should be front and center during the creation process. I’m still struggling to turn my intuitive understanding into words, but being a researcher by training, I will continue exploring this and sharing what I learn in the process.
Let’s talk about what’s next
When it started to sink in that 100 days had come to an end I took some time to figure out what I wanted to do next. The answer I came up with was quite simple, but again, surprised me: I want to keep doing this. It’s fun. There is room to grow, and the occasional response of “I love the comics, never stop doing them” is fuel for my latent narcissism.
When I started the project I didn’t really think about the setup. I focused on the creative challenge and the content generation process. I didn’t think about how it would affect people that already follow me Twitter. Many of them were supportive, but not everybody that likes to keep up to date with what I’m doing wants a daily update. So: time to experiment.
Let me finish this article by introducing some ideas:
I will share my new dataviz comics on a dedicated Twitter account (datahumorism). I’ll keep talking about dataviz on my account, but it will be more balanced with other projects I am working on. I am tempted to give weekly recaps a try.
Feedback to the Data Visualization Comics article got me thinking. With the daily comics, I lead the charge for funny in dataviz. In its wake, people far more talented than I am are getting more (well deserved!) recognition for their work. I want to do more of that. I’ll use the new account to not only get my work out but to curate funny work others have done.
My Twitter/Instagram experience made me curious to experiment with other platforms. I created a webpage and a Facebook page. I will start sharing content there as well. I guess it will take me a bit to figure out the mindset that comes with conversations in different spaces — but hey, I love the climb.
I am starting to develop sub-projects of varying length to see if I can’t get folks to jump in. Just to tease, the most mature idea has the code name “DataViz Playoffs”.
I am missing some merit badges in my collection. Long-form writing and comics with story plots and story arcs are among them. I’m tempted to try to collect one of these badges in the next year.
I got teasing by friends that doing comics is easy, but speaking in front of a crowd is hard. Yeah, not buying it. I did presentations, press interviews, and TV edutainment clips as part of a former job. So if you are in the market for somebody that can entertain a crowd let me know.
Sounds ambitious? Well, some of the ideas are still fresh so they might still sound easy to do. If you have strong views on some of them and want to share them with me, please reach out. Both cheers and “hold on buddy” are very welcome. And with that I am ready to say: Break is over. Let’s get back to it. And let’s have some fun!
PS. I pasted below comics 50–100 for your entertainment. If you want to see all of them on Twitter, follow this link.
I’d like to thank the DVS editorial team, for making sure this article is halfway readable. | https://medium.com/nightingale/100-days-of-dataviz-comics-9a24789f3f69 | ['Martin Telefont'] | 2019-07-22 16:05:37.222000+00:00 | ['Comics', 'Data Humanism', 'Data', 'The100DayProject', 'Data Visualization'] |
Material Design + Figma Styles = 🔥 | Material Type—I created text styles for the all of the styles specified in the Material Design spec. By default these are set to Roboto, but can be easily redefined to use your brand’s typeface. Changing a style to a different font will instantly propagate the changes across the whole system. Bear in mind, you may need to make some adjustments to type size and spacing in order to fine tune the sizing across the system. As the kit evolves, I plan to include some predefined size recommendations that work for some of the most popular Google fonts.
Some of the styles defined in the kit.
Material Elevation—I created a library of preset drop shadow styles for all elevations. Changing the elevation of an element is as easy as choosing the appropriate elevation—this greatly simplifies the process of applying Material shadows which are sometimes complex combinations of up to three different drop shadows.
Material Grid—Material is based on a 4dp baseline grid so I created a style for that too. You can apply this to any frame or component, and of course, you can add your own grids for desktop, mobile and tablet and apply them as needed.
Combining Styles with Components
Material Design encourages designers to control the shapes of UI components to better reflect the personality of the brand. They give users the option to customize surface corners, ranging from sharp rectangular corners, to 45 degree cuts, to varying levels of roundedness.
Using nested components to make globalized changes to card and button shapes.
To achieve this, I created some basic shape components for buttons, floating action buttons, and cards. This gives users the ability to adjust the size of the cuts or the degree of corner radius for any chosen shape. Then I nested those components within another master component which would become the base for corresponding components in the system. If you decided you wanted to have cut-off corners, it is as simple as toggling the visibility of the correct nested component.
That change is then reflected across the entire system (note: in some cases this will take a few seconds for the change to propagate through hundreds of components). Because you can access the nested layers within every component instance, if there are specific places where you want change the style, you can make that change as an override in any instance.
Material Design also give you the option to change between 5 different icon styles. To keep the weight of the kit down, we created 5 separate sticker sheet documents for each icon style, complete with components for each icon. You can copy the desired icons from those files, or better yet, publish them as a shared library to your team and pull them into your projects.
Interested in trying Figma Styles?
If you would like to try the Figma Styles beta, sign up here (EDIT: Figma Styles is now available for anyone to use. Simply sign up for Figma). Beta users will get access to the Material UI kit and accompanying icon libraries.
If you still need to support the previous iteration of Material Design, we’ve got you covered with another fully flushed out UI kit that is built to leverage the power of styles. Beta users will also have access to this kit.
Haven’t tried Figma before? Check it out. | https://medium.com/figma-design/material-design-figma-styles-98a7f0e2735e | ['Thomas Lowry'] | 2018-06-21 15:15:48.614000+00:00 | ['UI', 'Product', 'Design', 'UX', 'Technology'] |
The other pandemic | Obtained from healthyplace.com
In September, I wrote about World Mental Health Day and how difficult this year has been. As we get into the holiday season, it is a natural time where everyone looks back on the year that has just passed. I think, due to Covid-19, it’s fair to say this year has been beyond awful. The “new normal” is one that has taken a lot of getting used to for a lot of people and I, for one, haven’t got used to it at all.
My normal weekend activities of visiting friends/family, going to the pub to watch sports and playing indoor sports have all pretty much stopped. These are activities that I thoroughly enjoy and are some of the reasons I go to work every day. I go to work to earn money to enjoy the other parts of my life. I don’t want to go all Hard-Fi and say that I “live for the weekend” but I look forward to them.
I speak about my mental health ups and downs a lot and this year has been the most difficult of my life. Whether it was the struggles of being 27 (and now 28), the solitude that I’ve been living in or simply that I can’t do my normal activities, I have struggled to motivate myself for the next day. Getting up in the morning has never been so difficult and I don’t know if that’s going to change any time soon.
I have been extremely low and felt desperate at times this year, and despite some of the good news that I have had (certainly in my professional life), there has been an emptiness to this year. In some of my darkest times, I thought of seven words uttered by Chester Bennington in arguably the most famous Linkin Park song.
I took part in Movember this year and was able to raise a lot of money thanks to the generosity of those around me, whether it was friends, family or colleagues. I couldn’t be more appreciative of the donations but I don’t know how many people read what I wrote in my reasons for taking part this year.
This year has been one of the most difficult for a generation. Not only has there been a physical pandemic, with Covid-19 having an effect on every one of our lives, there is also a mental health pandemic which is stretching around the world. The rate of suicide, particularly among men, is far too high. In a time where men feel like they need to tough it out and struggle in silence while trying to be a rock for those around them, the most support is required. I have individually been touched by this where I have felt I suffered in silence while trying to be a model of stability for those around me.
I’m taking part in Movember this year to help raise awareness that too many men are dying too young and the Movember foundation are here to reduce the rate of male suicide down to 25% by 2030. Please donate and help them with this great cause.
To describe the mental health problems in the world as a pandemic only really hits the tip of the iceberg. I have focused on men in my Movember statement above but by no means is it gender-specific. It isn’t specific in the slightest. These issues can hit anyone you know and you can be asymptomatic — not dissimilar to Covid-19. You may seem like the model of calm and stability to others around you, or even yourself, but the mental toll of this year has hit everyone.
No matter whether you’ve been working at home full time by yourself or going into a changed workplace, this year has been difficult. No matter whether living with family, living with friends or living alone, this year has been difficult. No matter whether you are currently living in Tier 1, 2 or 3 in the UK or any other limitations set by governments around the world, this year has been difficult.
I’m not asking for any pity here, nor am I asking for anything much from you if you’re reading this but find the people you care most about in the world and just ask them if they’re doing okay. And ask a second time for good measure. If there’s anything you can do for them from a distance, do it. You’d ask them how they’re doing if they were suffering from Covid-19, so why not do the same here? Mental wellbeing is just as important as physical wellbeing, it can be the difference between someone being here in the morning and someone not.
If you are someone who is feeling the weight of their mental health deteriorating, please reach out. I know this can be the most difficult thing in the world to do, and you don’t want to feel like a burden but anyone that cares for you will never feel the stress or strain. If you feel like you can’t speak to anyone around you, a few places you can go to are:
Samaritans (call 116 123 in the UK or chat online)
The NHS (111 for your local mental health helpline)
Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the USA (1–800–273–8255)
There are many other options if you feel like none of these are suitable, and I am happy to help anyone at any time.
This holiday season, get everyone the cheapest present you can get them — just ask how they’re doing. We’re all fighting a pandemic together, except this one is something we can’t necessarily see. | https://medium.com/@dipenpandya/the-other-pandemic-6e99394b6139 | [] | 2020-12-15 20:09:42.304000+00:00 | ['Pandemic', 'Mental Health Awareness', 'Mental Health'] |
I Am No More Alive | 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 | https://medium.com/chalkboard/i-am-no-more-alive-c0f3c256b13c | ['Darshak Rana'] | 2020-11-04 22:44:35.595000+00:00 | ['One Line', 'Fear', 'Poetry', 'Time', 'Life'] |
5 Things I Have Learned Using the M1 MacBook Air | 4. Install Homebrew
Homebrew is handy when managing packages in Macs. As a software developer, I use Homebrew to install Ruby, Python, Git, and lots of different software.
Installing Homebrew in Intel-based Macs is straightforward:
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
But when running the command on the M1 chip MacBook Air, there is an error:
Rerun the Homebrew installer under Rosetta 2.
If you really know what you are doing and are prepared for a very broken
experience you can use another installation option for installing on ARM:
https://docs.brew.sh/Installation Homebrew is not (yet) supported on ARM processors!Rerun the Homebrew installer under Rosetta 2.If you really know what you are doing and are prepared for a very brokenexperience you can use another installation option for installing on ARM:
Error when installing Homebrew by Eric Yang
There are different ways to install Homebrew on ARM-based Macs.
Using the unstable, in-development ARM-based Homebrew
By following the installation documentation, we first make a separate folder to install Homebrew:
% cd /opt
% mkdir homebrew && curl -L https://github.com/Homebrew/brew/tarball/master | tar xz --strip 1 -C homebrew
% sudo chown -R $(whoami) /opt/homebrew
And add these paths to the environment:
% sudo nano /etc/path Add the two paths
/opt/homebrew/bin
/opt/homebrew/opt
Then restart the terminal and brew update .
Running with the prefix arch -x86_64 at ARM-based terminal
Use the following command to install Intel-based Homebrew:
And then use it by prefix with arch -x86_64 :
arch -x86-64 brew update
Running terminal from Rosetta 2
To run the terminal/iTerm from Rosetta 2, right-click on the app in Applications, then select Get Info and tick Open using Rosetta.
Then when launching the terminal/iTerm, it will automatically run in Rosetta 2 now. The command for Intel-based Macs works now!
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)" | https://medium.com/better-programming/5-things-i-have-learned-when-using-the-m1-chip-macbook-air-a77f93c50381 | ['Eric Yang'] | 2020-12-04 00:13:31.399000+00:00 | ['Programming', 'Apple', 'Software Development', 'Xcode', 'Macos'] |
5 Common Tactics Used Against the Fight for Racial Justice | This country prides itself on the founding principles of “liberty and justice for all,” however, these values that are held so near & dear to America’s heart, have proven to be nothing more than a thinly veiled ideological fabrication, intended only to provide liberty and justice for the select few.
It is no secret that America’s most fundamental principles are rooted in racism and white supremacy, and black people in this country continue to find ourselves entangled in a quagmire of racial oppression that has persisted since this country’s inception.
As many of us continue the fight that seeks to dismantle systemic injustices that damage marginalized communities, we are constantly inundated with a barrage of racist rhetoric from those who wish to discredit and silence our voices. They not only try to attack the legitimacy of our analysis and our right to fight for justice but they oftentimes also try to make themselves out to be the victims. All this, to maintain the status quo of oppression. Here are 5 common tactics that are used:
1) Claims that blacks are the racists
Racists detest being confronted with their own racism and the way in which racism and white privilege have been institutionalized to benefit them, even if they are poor, uneducated, and live in a trailer park. They fail to understand the nuances of how systemic racism operates and the intersectionality between race and class. Because of this, a large majority of white Americans, in addition to those who are overtly racist, are either covertly complicit with the privileges afforded them because of the existence of racism, are in denial that they are racist, are in denial that racism even exists, or simply claim that black people are the ones who are racist against whites and are always race-baiting and causing division within the country.
This tactic, no matter how untrue it is, is intended to help maintain the structures of power and privilege that keep racial oppression firmly in place, keeping black people from achieving any semblance of equality and justice. Race, racism, and white supremacy are social constructs that are deeply entrenched within the foundation of this country, created purposely to normalize and privilege whiteness above all else.
This is why black people cannot be racist. We did not create these social constructs. We have never benefited from their existence, only victimized by their existence. And we have never had the ability to create and maintain various systems within an entire country, then infuse them with racist policies, procedures, practices, and people, and use them to oppress another entire race of people for hundreds of years simply because we think we are superior to all other human beings due to the color of our skin. Then repeat the same in various other countries through colonialism. This is why black people cannot be racist. Period.
In her book White Fragility, Robin DiAngelo also clarifies why people of color cannot be racist.
Racism is deeply embedded in the fabric of our society. It is not limited to a single act or person. Nor does it move back and forth, one day benefiting whites and another day (or even era) benefiting people of color. The direction of power between white people and people of color is historic, traditional, and normalized in ideology. Racism differs from individual racial prejudice and racial discrimination in the historical accumulation and ongoing use of institutional power and authority to support the prejudice and to systematically enforce discriminatory behaviors with far-reaching effects. People of color may also hold prejudices and discriminate against white people, but they lack the social and institutional power that transforms their prejudice and discrimination into racism; the impact of their prejudice on whites is temporary and contextual. Whites hold the social and institutional positions in society to infuse their racial prejudice into the laws, policies, practices, and norms of society in a way that people of color do not.¹
2) Accuse blacks of being anti-police
The terms “police brutality” and “defund the police” cause many people to become offended or even enraged, not about the actions behind the words, but about the use of the terms themselves. They feign ignorance about what these terms mean, in order to accuse black people of being anti-police, despite the numerous times they have been properly explained. This is a tactic used to disrupt conversations on racial justice and keep this country from defeating systemic oppression.
As has been said numerous times, being against police brutality does NOT mean being anti-police. It means being against the inhumane violence and human rights violations committed by the police, which are repeatedly and disproportionately carried out against members of the black community. It means being against the corruption and racism that exist in the law enforcement and criminal justice systems, which empowers officers to carry out their horrific aggression with impunity. Many people are vehemently against police brutality but are thankful for those police officers who truly embody the ideals of “protect and serve.”
Likewise, the use of the term “defund the police” also does not mean being anti-police. Again, defund the police means being against the abuses of power that have been endured by the black community at the hands of the police, and wanting law enforcement systems to redistribute funding to better serve their communities. This can be through more of a community policing model, as opposed to the militarized policing we are currently seeing, and through funding more community services such as employment, education, youth services, and housing.
3) Blame “black on black” crime
Admittedly, crime in predominantly poor black neighborhoods is a critical problem that must be resolved. However, it is a travesty for discussions on racism, racial violence, and police brutality to continuously be averted by turning them into discussions of “black on black” crime. This is a feeble attempt to circumvent judicious analysis of the actual issues of violence experienced by black men, women, and children at the hands of law enforcement officers and white supremacists. Doing so not only erroneously conflates issues of injustice, but it also keeps racial inequities flourishing.
“Black on black” crime is continuously purported to be the cause of the violence in poor black neighborhoods when it is actually the symptom. The root cause is hundreds of years of racial and economic oppression, and racial terrorism, at the hands of white supremacy. This fact is widely known and was originally reported on during the civil unrest of the Civil Rights era by the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders established by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967. In the Kerner Report the Commission states:
Segregation and poverty have created in the racial ghetto a destructive environment totally unknown to most white Americans. What white Americans have never fully understood — but what the Negro can never forget — is that white society is deeply implicated in the ghetto. White institutions created it, white institutions maintain it, and white society condones it.²
We are living in a country where the color of one’s skin has forced a large majority of African Americans to live in inhumane conditions in ghettoized neighborhoods that were specifically created via red-lining and gentrification. Douglas Massey explains this even further.
The emergence of the black ghetto did not happen as a chance by-product of other socioeconomic processes. Rather, white Americans made a series of deliberate decisions to deny blacks access to urban housing markets and to reinforce segregation. White America built and maintained the residential structures of the ghetto. Sometimes the decisions were individual, at other times they were collective, and at still other times the powers and prerogatives of government were harnessed to maintain the residential color line.³
When black people are repeatedly denied basic constitutional, human, and civil rights, are perpetually repressed and oppressed by various hegemonic forms of systemic racism, are forced to live in squalor generation after generation, and are constantly victimized by the violence of racial terrorism, this type of heinous oppression becomes deeply internalized and is then directed outward towards those in closest proximity, other black people. Then we get further victimized by white people using the term “black on black” crime as a weapon against us to circumvent progress in achieving racial justice.
4) Allege America is a “post-racial” meritocracy
A large segment of American society believes that racism no longer exists, choosing instead to believe in the myth of a “post-racial” meritocracy, whereby equality and justice exist for all, and success is based solely on one’s personal effort. They believe that because numerous immigrants have been able to come to this country by choice and succeed, as opposed to being brought in chains and forced into chattel slavery for 246 years, that black people just need to “pull themselves up by their bootstraps.”
They believe that for millions of African Americans who have been the victims of poverty, unemployment, homelessness, corrupt capitalism, failing educational systems, housing discrimination, job discrimination, mass incarceration, and other injustices in the 155 years since slavery ended, it is simply because of a lack of personal effort or some moral defect.
They believe the deleterious long-term effects of 400+ years of unrelenting racial oppression suddenly dissipated when President Obama was elected, even with the abhorrent actions that we have seen take place during the Trump administration. Yet they refuse to see that America is nothing more than a white supremacist plutocracy, strategically cloaked in rhetoric that deceives them into believing it is an equitable, post-racial meritocracy.
5) Justify the murders of unarmed black men, women, and children
The murder of unarmed black people is often justified by the police, by politicians, and by popular culture. We have seen this occur when several victims of police brutality were criminalized after their death. George Floyd’s murder is one of the most appalling examples of this, where his supposed use of fentanyl has been proclaimed to be the reason for his death, as opposed to the 8:46 minutes that he was choked by Chauvin’s knee rammed into his throat.
We have also seen justification of the murder of unarmed blacks most prevalently with the Stand Your Ground Law and the legal doctrine of Qualified Immunity. Both have done a lot of harm to the black community. Both have been successfully invoked when unarmed black people have been murdered by racist officers and citizens. And both have allowed racists to kill with impunity.
Trayvon Martin’s murderer was allowed to invoke the Stand Your Ground law to get off scot-free, even though Trayvon was the one who was illegally pursued and accosted. Zimmerman was armed with a 9mm handgun, Trayvon had skittles and an iced tea. Trayvon’s right to stand his ground against his armed aggressor apparently was not justified in the eyes of the court.
Qualified immunity has proven to be especially egregious. Numerous officers involved in cases of police brutality have had murder charges dismissed because of Qualified Immunity. As the Cato Institute states:
Qualified immunity is a judicial doctrine that protects public officials from liability, even when they break the law. The doctrine has no valid legal basis, it regularly denies justice to victims whose rights have been violated, and it severely undermines official accountability, especially for members of law enforcement.⁴
Stand Your Ground and Qualified Immunity have both violated people’s human and civil rights, but Qualified Immunity goes one step further in violating people’s 4th Amendment right as well (protection against unreasonable search & seizure, and protection against excessive force).
America cannot continue to be in denial about its gruesome past and current reality regarding the grave effects racial oppression has had on black people, the majority of which has been legally sanctioned. White people must move beyond perpetuating the racist rhetoric used against black people whenever we call out the injustices and work towards creating an equal and just society for all.
______________________________
¹DiAngelo, Robin. White Fragility. Boston, Massachusetts: Beacon Press, 2018.
²The National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders. The Kerner Report. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2016 (original report published in 1968).
³Massey, Douglas S. and Denton, Nancy A. American Apartheid. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1993.
⁴Schweikert, Jay. The Cato Institute. “Qualified Immunity: A Legal, Practical, and Moral Failure.” Cato.org. Accessed December 16, 2020. Qualified Immunity: A Legal, Practical, and Moral Failure | Cato Institute | https://medium.com/an-injustice/5-common-tactics-used-against-the-fight-for-racial-justice-c5e0ea3cbac8 | ['L.A. Justice'] | 2020-12-19 00:19:05.811000+00:00 | ['Racial Justice', 'BlackLivesMatter', 'Anti Racism', 'Police Brutality', 'Racism'] |
📢 Marketing budget allocation | To provide the best possible XPC promotion for the Korean and Japanese community, XPChain will arrange a marketing budget for Japanese & Korean community.
The XPChain team will have 2 designated wallets with 1 Billion XPC each for marketing funds to be used for future promotion and marketing activities in these two countries. Promotional and marketing activities will be coordinated by each respective Country Liasion.
👉 Official Korean Liasion: Arnold Cho
🐤 Twitter account: https://twitter.com/Arnold_W_Cho
✔️XPC Association Vice President
✔️ChainEdu CEO (Blockchain Education & Blockchain Business Consulting)
✔️ChainBase Chief Advisor (Venture Capital)
👉 Official Japanese Liasion: CryptoYami
🐤 Twitter account: https://twitter.com/CryptoYami
✔️Managing XPC/Avacus related events | https://medium.com/xpchain/marketing-budget-allocation-f404851d22ca | [] | 2019-07-10 13:38:11.952000+00:00 | ['Fintech', 'Japan', 'Korea', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Blockchain'] |
Books I Read in 2020 | Here is the list of books I read in the year 2020. Jumping and touching different themes allow me to witness the world through new lenses for fresh perspectives. It is interesting to know “How a behavioral scientist or a philosopher looks at the advancement of AI?”
All of these books were not published this year, few were a bit old but full of insights. Time constraints did not allow me for deeper introspection but my markers are ready to help me recover the lost grounds. I may not agree with all the ideas presented in these books but it provides a good opportunity for discussions (with authors) on the topics I rarely visit.
Here is my list of books:
The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another By Ainissa Ramirez
Until the End of Time By Brian Greene
The World By Richard Haass
Twilight of Democracy By Anne Applebaum
Don’t Believe a Word: The Surprising Truth About Language By David Shariatmadari
The Passion Economy: The New Rules for Thriving in the 21st Century By Adam Davidson
The Pattern Seekers: How Autism Drives Human Invention By Simon Baron-Cohen
The Power of Experiments: Decision-Making in a Data Driven World By Michael Luca & Max H. Bazerman
Analogia: The Entangled Destinies of Nature, Human Beings and Machines By George Dyson, Allen Lane
Thinking Fast, and Slow By Daniel Kahneman
The Future is Faster Than You Think: How Converging Technologies are Transforming Business, Industries, and Our Lives By Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler
The Power of Experiments: Decision Making in a Data-Driven World By Michael Luca and Max H. Bazerman | https://medium.com/@anshumanblog/books-i-read-in-2020-4093b6735a3 | ['Anshuman Sharma'] | 2020-12-27 07:28:33.440000+00:00 | ['Read', '2020', 'Knowledge', 'Books', 'Lists'] |
Emotion Analysis | In some circumstances, sentiment analysis may fail to capture the true feelings of the customer. The technique of discovering and interpreting the underlying emotions portrayed in textual data is known as emotion analysis.
Emotion analytics may gather text data from a variety of sources in order to examine subjective information and comprehend the emotions underlying it.
Emotion analysis is the technique of finding and interpreting the emotions conveyed in textual material.
Emotion detection and classification are straightforward tasks that can be completed depending on the types of emotions portrayed in the text, such as fear, rage, happiness, sadness, love, inspiration, or neutrality. The core intent is to analyze human language by extracting views, ideas, and thoughts by the assignment of polarities either negative, positive, or neutral.
These customers’ reviews contain information that encodes their feelings about their purchases. Reviews and ratings for certain businesses are critical preludes to supplying some intelligence in the decision-making process to assure corporate progress.
This short essay tries to completely guide beginners in the topic of emotion analysis, therefore it discusses benefits, applications, and tools.
Benefits of Emotion Analysis
Examine and weigh the emotions conveyed in text data by analyzing massive amounts of social media and feedback data.
Emotion analysis will assist you in determining your brand’s reputation as expressed by its users. Define notifications that could harm your company’s reputation.
Emotion analysis assists in identifying early problems and resolving them before they become more serious, so avoiding the loss of talented individuals.
Here are some interesting ways emotion analysis is being used.
Recognizing and Predicting Market Trends
It allows you to analyze large amounts of market research data to identify emerging trends and better understand consumer emotions. This type of practice can assist you in navigating the complex world of stock market trading and making decisions based on market sentiment.
Maintaining vigilance over the brand’s image
Emotion analysis is frequently used to investigate how users perceive a product or topic. It can also be used to conduct product analysis and provide all relevant data to development teams.
Taking a look at public opinion polls and political polls
Anyone can use emotion analysis to compile and analyze large amounts of text data, such as news, social media, opinions, and suggestions, to predict the outcome of an election. It considers how the general public feels about both candidates.
Customer feedback data is being analyzed.
Customer feedback data can be used to identify areas for improvement. Emotion analysis can assist you in extracting value and insights from customer feedback data and developing effective customer satisfaction strategies.
Observing and analyzing social media conversations
Social media conversations are a gold mine of information. With emotion analysis, look at conversations about your brand on social media to see what your customers are saying; this can help any company plan its future strategies much more effectively.
Reduced Employee Turnover
Analyze massive amounts of employee feedback data to determine levels of employee satisfaction. The sentiment analysis tool uses the insights to boost morale and productivity while also informing you of how your employees are feeling.
Tools to Use for Emotion Analysis
BytesView’s advanced machine learning techniques can help you analyze the emotions expressed by the author in a piece of text.
It can be easily done based on the types of feelings expressed in the text such as fear, anger, happiness, sadness, love, inspiring, or neutral. Gather and analyze large volumes of text data to analyze the emotions of your followers, customers, and more.
2. Talkwalker
Another excellent tool for emotion analysis is Talkwalker. It claims to have the best sentiment analysis technology available, allowing it to distinguish sarcasm and other ambiguous forms of negative mentions. This tool is best used in conjunction with your social media channels because it can tell you exactly how people perceive your company’s social media accounts.
3. Clarabridge
Clarabridge is a multifaceted platform that includes customer experience management. Emotion analysis is a component of this solution. The sentiment analysis in the tool is extremely detailed, taking into account parsing, framework, industry, and source.
4. Brandwatch
Brandwatch is also one of my go-to analytics tools. It analyses brand sentiment, displays trends, and includes a cool feature called “image insights.” In the same way that topics can be linked with your brand’s name, the feature recognizes images associated with your brand’s logo.
5. Lexalytics
Lexalytics is a business intelligence solution that analyses various types of text. Lexalytics works with social media comments, surveys, reviews, and any other type of text document. In addition to sentiment analysis, the tool performs emotion detection, theme extraction, and intention detection, which can help users see the full context.
I hope you had a good read | https://medium.com/analytics-vidhya/emotion-analysis-d7a9d68b17ed | ['Rachit Singh'] | 2021-08-26 10:08:55.375000+00:00 | ['Emotion Analysis', 'Sentiment Analysis', 'Text Analysis', 'Emotion Analytic', 'Text Analytics'] |
Remembering a Perry Como Christmas | Is it possible to remember the past and still be happy in the present?
I found a beautiful cover of a Christmas album with Perry Como wearing his iconic sweater, in this case, a red one. Alas, it is not in the public domain, so I could not add it here. That LP cover brought back memories of his Christmas shows in the early 60s, treasures never to be missed when I was a child. His version of “O, Holy Night” is as present today in my heart as when he first sang it to us.
Seeing that album, I also realized that my memories of the Perry Como Christmas show evoked so much more, of Christmas as it used to be. It marked a time of such excitement and anticipation, but also a time of feeling the sacredness of the season. Somehow, watching that special each year made me feel connected to something precious.
I didn’t know that at the time, of course. I only felt it. The thing is, our feelings are who we are, the core of us, and they have shaped us since childhood in all kinds of ways. It is the feelings that linger, though, that have shaped us the most.
When those feelings are good ones, we are blessed. Those are the ones we are meant to keep.
I remember waiting for the Perry Como Christmas show as if it was the start of the real Christmas, though so many wonderful events had happened or were going on. I was caroling with my friends, playing in the snow, ice skating on a local pond, seeing the beautiful decorations all over my school, listening to the choir practice Christmas carols at church, watching Alec Guinness in the marvelous original 1950 “Scrooge,” the British film based on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
My Dad would check the TV Guide for two things — when that film would be shown (we had to wait for it, no VHS or DVR back then) and when the Perry Como Christmas show would be on. It was usually the one he had right before Christmas, but we all wanted to be sure. Then we gathered as a family of six and spent an hour together and understood at some deep level it had been something to cherish.
There were other specials during the season, and it was such delight for us as children to watch the animated programs we loved, like Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and Here Comes Suzy Snowflake and Frosty the Snowman. The radio played all the popular songs, integral to my feeling of the Christmas spirit and joy, from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing carols to Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops with symphonic renditions of LeRoy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride” and Nat King Cole singing about chestnuts around an open fire. So many songs that became deeply embedded in my psyche.
Perry Como sang most of them to us, either on his television Christmas show or on his beautiful Christmas albums. I heard one just yesterday, “(There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays” that he made his own. I believed him, as if my world was as warm and welcoming as it could be. Because it was Christmas.
These same songs are played today wherever I go in shops and stores. It is if no Christmas songs have emerged since the 50s and 60s or could emerge! I don’t know any, actually, except maybe Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
Hearing those songs now, though, is not the same, for around me is a very different world and I have lived so many experiences in the decades since. I know the music out in the shops is not in sync with the way people live now.
Do I wish it was?
I have thought about this, and my answer is no. That is, I would love to return to the evening before Christmas listening to Perry Como entertain us with so much heartfelt grace and wondrous joy. But I know it is in the past. What I have, though, are memories of feeling so much happiness because of the season and the show. That is mine forever.
Yet though I may not seek to return to that time, I find it intensely valuable to recreate it, albeit in ways that align with my life now. I know if I mourn the past and see it as lost to me, I have denied the very spirit of hope and promise it gave to me. I am meant to live with the happiness I felt then. Thus, I put up my Christmas tree and decorate it and the house and each day see it all and listen to Christmas music and feel a connection not only with the past, but with what I have gained from the past.
All these thoughts come from seeing the cover of that album and the dear, wonderful, beautiful singer on it wearing a red sweater…
Thank you, Mr. Como. More than I can express. We are meant to give our gifts out into the world and we all have gifts in us. I know I do, whether I can identify it yet or not. You gave us your gift of song and kindness and your deep joy in doing what you loved.
For always, thank you. | https://medium.com/crows-feet/remembering-a-perry-como-christmas-f40321d2099 | ['Regina Clarke'] | 2020-12-25 14:46:58.453000+00:00 | ['Childhood', 'Nostalgia', 'Happiness', 'Inspiration', 'Christmas'] |
Amazing QINGHAI by Drone | Travel in China | Aerial Photography China | Outstanding shootings by drone around Qinghai Lake in China, and in Chaka lake. Beautiful landscapes, experiences, feelings and unforgettable memories. Check out our movie and if you like it don’t forget to subscribe, share and comment. Join our group Travel in China Welcome to Qinghai province! The land mark & a must visit is the Qinghai Lake & Chaka Lake You can easily explore both of them and here I show you the best way to do it! Qinghai covers an area of 720,000 square kilometers, with towering mountains, swift rivers, clean lakes, and fertile grasslands. The snow-covered Kunlun, Tanggula, and Bayan Har mountains are well known not only in China but also in the rest of the world. | https://medium.com/@mymovietravelseo/amazing-qinghai-by-drone-travel-in-china-aerial-photography-china-ff8787623fe3 | ['My Movie Travel'] | 2020-12-06 09:30:10.840000+00:00 | ['Drone', 'Travel', 'Qinghai', 'China', 'Nature'] |
Bentrup, Germany (A Sermon for Easter 6B) | Bentrup, Germany (A Sermon for Easter 6B)
St. Mary’s Episcopal Church (Cypress, Texas)
1 John 5:1–6
May 6, 2018
The community to whom 1 John was written was facing a crisis.
Former members of the community were denying that Jesus was truly the Messiah, God’s flesh and blood, fully human, son. Like many churches facing doctrinal conflict, John’s community seems to have been confused, afraid, and unsure what to do. Whom should they believe? How could they know what was true, and what was not? How should they react?
John’s simple, confident response is as relevant today as it was when the letter was first written: You know who you are, you know whose you are, and you know what you have been told from the beginning. God’s own Spirit shows us what is true. There’s no need to panic or argue. Focus on living your faith instead. God has the whole situation under control.
John reminds the community that everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah — the anointed Son of God — has been born of God. They have no reason to be afraid, for they belong to God. As God’s children, they can rest assured that they are loved and protected by their divine parent.
But like any parent, God has commands for us.
However, John reminds us that God’s commands are not burdensome. Here again we hear an echo of Jesus, who says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens … For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30).
Like Jesus, John insists that God’s commands are not difficult. In essence, they consist in the call to love, “not in word or speech, but in truth and action” (1 John 3:18). Genuine faith, therefore, is firmly connected with active love.
We heard in our Gospel reading today, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:14). Loving God, loving God’s children, and keeping God’s commandments form inseparable links in a chain.
Truly Christian faith conquers the world not by force or argument or coercion, but by active love. Christians believe in the Son of God who, rather than shedding the blood of others to prove that he was the Messiah, died on the cross because of his love for us. We, God’s children, triumph over the world not by inflicting suffering on others or by avoiding pain at all costs, but by allowing God to work within and through us, even in our suffering.
What applies to individual Christians applies also to the Christian community as well. The Church triumphs over false teaching not by force or argument, but because of and through the love of Christ.
I spend this past week in Washington, D.C., chaperoning an 8th grade class trip. Elizabeth and I were able to visit a couple of the museums we never made it to when we lived there. Most importantly, we visited the Holocaust Museum and the Museum of African American History and Culture.
There’s a common link I found in these two museums. They exist, primarily, because we as a society, and even we as a church, failed to see people for what they were. We failed to see people as children of God. We failed to love. And so we inflicted suffering. I don’t mean we as in you and I specifically, but I mean “we” as in all of us, “we” as in society.
I’ve never found any slave-holders in my family tree, thanks be to God. But I’m German. And there was a concentration camp not far from a little town called Bentrup, Germany. And that’s a little town where my German ancestors lived.
People in my family knew what was going on down the road, I’m sure of it.
And I pray to God that they tried to live out their faith in active love, somehow, some way, at that time.
On our flight home on Friday I reread Elie Wiesel’s Night. I was struck this time by the places where love appears in the book. In the concentration camps, in literal hell, love still appeared. There are glimpses of love between some of the block captains and the prisoners. There’s the love of Joliek and his violin, playing Beethoven until he was trampled. And there’s Elie’s love for his father, a love that sustained both men.
That love was from God. That love was commanded by God. That love, in the harshest of places, was only possible through God.
This is the faith that overcomes the world: God’s love brings healing out of brokenness. God’s love brings light out of darkness. God’s love brings day out of night. God’s love brings life out of death.
So how are you going to bring God’s love into the world?
Amen. | https://medium.com/alanbentrup/bentrup-germany-a-sermon-for-easter-6b-fd9949db208e | ['Alan Bentrup'] | 2018-05-06 18:40:40.511000+00:00 | ['Christianity', 'Episcopal', 'Sermon', 'Homily'] |
Living through this Age of Intellectual Regression | Living through this Age of Intellectual Regression
Evolving as a species is a “two steps forward, one step back” affair
Photo by Gratisography from Pexels
We were never as good as we are now.
I know. Cue the huzzing roar of a couple billion people on the interwebs calling out in anger, shock, indignation, consternation. That statement of mine, it is contentious to say the least.
Hear me out.
Yes, the world is a friggin’ mess.
Everyone is yelling and no one is listening.
Racists are calling for violence once more, calling for their own race states to be created.
Imperial powers are rising up to strangle their people and vie for power.
Deniers of science, of reason, of common sense are popping up like daisies. Anti-vaxxers, flat-earthers, people who believe the crap on Goop. It’s like someone threw a moron parade and no one wants to be left out.
The economy and stability of our commerce is on a teetering edge that never seems to stop teetering.
Violence of every kind is all around us: religious, sexist, homophobic, racist, just to name a few.
Our planet is seriously unwell because of us, and is about to hand us our collective hats as it bears climate hell down upon us. Our wonderful cohabitants of said planet suffer and die in the millions, many bordering on extinction, all because of us.
And yet with few to no exceptions, we’ve been here before. As a species, we have visited all these ugly, cruel, unhelpful, and despicable places many, many times in our past.
Worse than before?
You might argue “Yeah, but not this bad”, and to some extent, I’d agree. We are up against a pretty big mess, with a lot of mess rising around our collective ankles.
And yet it all comes back to which mess is the biggest.
On the ecological front, let’s accept it. We fucked up, and we need to put this right. No matter what a bunch of corporate polluters and their toady politicians say, more and more people are woke to the planetary losing game which we’ve instigated with our stupidity and greed.
On other mess fronts, if you peruse my above “shit storm” list, you’ll likely note that all of the other items were worse at some time in the past. Unlike our predecessors, we have instant informational access to how bad things are, but assuredly the bad things we are facing have seen more dire times in the days of Yore.
Perhaps not us the living, but the human race has seen empires rise and fall; seen racists, sexists, homophobes, and murderers run the earth. Our species has seen violent, turbulent, terrifying times the likes of which we cannot imagine, especially in the modern industrialised world.
By comparison to what our ancestors faced, as a species, we have assuredly taken steps forward. So why are we seeing so many steps back?
Regression Therapy and you: Finding that old pain and dealing with it
In the world of psychology, there is a form of therapy known as regression therapy. Here’s a decent definition, courtesy of goodtherapy.org
Regression therapy is an approach to treatment that focuses on resolving significant past events believed to be interfering with a person’s present mental and emotional wellness.
We all have past pain, things of our earlier years which (either consciously or unconsciously) we can’t or won’t deal with. Pain is not something we want to face, especially those pains from our younger years. We all have them, and we all avoid dealing with them.
Photo by Kat Jayne from Pexels
The irony is that once you actually DO deal with them, you feel a shit tonne better. It’s not easy. It’s not pleasant. Yet out the other side of the dark cave you emerge, healed in some way that could never have healed before.
Now, I don’t believe this kind of therapy is just for individuals. I believe what we’re seeing (once again) is a moment in human history where we all collectively need to deal with our pain and our anger and our festering wounds of the past.
And a lot of us don’t want any part of that nonsense, nosiree.
The Collective Unconscious and how we are an emerging single big basket case
The collective unconscious, a term introduced by psychiatrist Carl Jung, is a form of the unconscious (that part of the mind containing memories and impulses of which you’re not even aware) common to all of us as a whole, originating in the inherited structure of our human brains.
The collective unconscious is distinct from your personal unconscious, which is made up of the experiences you’ve had yourself.
According to Jung, our shared collective unconscious contains these things called archetypes, or universal primordial images and ideas. So I might be a lady in Taiwan, and you might be a transgender in Sri Lanka, and that unassuming figure over there might be a guy from Texarkana, but all of us share many of the same fundamental images and impulses. Joseph Campbell, the famed mythologist, delves deeply into this realm in his work, particularly The Hero with a Thousand Faces.
We all are, in a way, connected to one another through these fundamental images and ideas. We have a common root, as it were, and as such we all deal with pain and past woes in similar enough ways. The person changes, their circumstances are unique, but the shared imagery and ideas, those are common to all of us.
If we step back and look at us, as a species, we can begin to see us as a whole. We are a lot of little personalities in a much bigger one, one which is amassed from our collective experiences, our collective history and pain and triumphs and dreams. With the advent of instant communications, we are becoming more than a collective unconscious, but also a collective conscious. We can now voice our opinions and thoughts to one another on a grand scale in nigh real-time. We can speak about our past, to share our feelings of today, our hopes for tomorrow, and our troubles of yesterday.
The emergence of collective consciousness. Photo by Anastasia Dulgier on Unsplash
So what we see every day now is this rumbling of all of the human race learning to talk together as a sort of a single mind. It’s a disorganised, chaotic mess, this mind, but it is a mind. We all are one of the voices in this big chattering brain, each playing some small part in its overall evolution, for good or for ill.
What we’re seeing is a lot of people driving to deal with our collective past, our pain, our personal take on our shared history and heritage, and how these different portions of this big mind (call them people, call them cultures, call them religions or nation states, it’s just a matter of perspective) are going to deal with tomorrow while still trying to reconcile our past.
And like I said, some of us are NOT up for that.
Intellectual Regression: The perfect dodge
If you’ve ever known someone who is emotionally damaged (say, for example, everyone), there’s this standard trick the affected plays so as not to have to deal with their pain: They dodge. They change the subject, they snap at you, they come up with some other thing which they claim is really what’s bothering them. They focus in on something else; they tell lies to themselves about their situation and the past, all in the name of the Dodge.
Dodge with all your might
Like I said, nobody likes dealing with pain, so dodging is a last-ditch effort for an out. Why face your pain, when you can take up skydiving, or obsessively clean your bathroom, or have an affair? Why own up to your previous cruelty or shoddy behaviour when you can just justify it in your head and march on, ignoring all else?
This is how we cope on an individual level.
On a global level, people do similar things to avoid having to deal with past pain and suffering, to not have to face the ugly truths about who we are or what we’ve done.
There’s the need to put things back to a place where none of this was an issue. Why talk about the wrongs of the past, or the issues we truly face now, or even how we are killing our own world in order to race after money? There was a time when none of this was an issue, when we didn’t think about this kind of crap, when things were rosier, a false past which we’ve collectively concocted to be full of a better way of life.
The pain of the past can be nullified if you can find some other reason for it: Some conspiracy of some sort, some cause you can believe in, because it just eats at you that people can’t see vaccinations are the cause of diseases, or that NASA is behind a 2000 year old conspiracy to hide the flatness of our world.
The wrongs we suffered, as well as the ones which we have committed, they can be set aside for now. Right now, the real cause of our unhappiness are those uppity women, those gays, those right-wing types, those immigrants. They are why we’re really unhappy. If it wasn’t for them, it’d be all roses, right? Maybe a gun is needed to sort their kind out.
Why honestly talk about our shared history (one strewn with violence, slavery, and death on so many sides, btw), when you can just scream into the internet void, or click likes, or share things?
We elect those who will make us feel strong again, make things like they were again, who say the things that justify and echo our excuses. We turn away from what makes us uncomfortable or upset, whatever that is, and turn only back to what is comforting and safe. We are forever looking for some way out.
Dodge, dodge, dodge. We take every opportunity to regress not emotionally, where we might actually have a chance to understand our collective unconscious better, but intellectually, culturally. We regress to less evolved habits, to ways that don’t frighten us, don’t challenge us. We want to understand a world through falsehoods, because even a comforting lie is a form of comfort.
Remember: this isn’t the first time we’ve done this. We do this every so often as a species. We don’t want to grow. We don’t want to evolve, or at least some portion of us don’t want it. Every once in a while, when things have edged forward a bit further than some are ready, there is this reflex in our societies, in some percentage of our populace, which must pull away, pull all of us back if possible. Invariably, it always fails in the end, but they have to try.
Conclusion
Like I said at the start, we were never as good as we are now.
For all our failings, for all our troubles and intellectual regression, we are a better species than ever we were before. We have evolved over millions of years, built our civilisations and cultures for 50,000 years or more. Each age before ours was more brutish than the one to follow it. Each age eventually faded, but not before a time of regression, of falling back, of trying to rewind the clock which can only tick forward.
We must face this current age of intellectual regression as one deals with such things: with patience, fortitude, and an unwavering faith in our ability to keep on evolving. There will be trials and tribulations along the way, but so it was for our predecessors. We have evolved because they faced their own age of intellectual regression. Hell or high water, they persevered, and our species has been made better for it. Our ancestors faced their own bad times, and overcame.
The same must be true of us. | https://medium.com/intelligence-challenged/living-through-this-age-of-intellectual-regression-eebcb3dc9d4 | ['Christopher Laine'] | 2019-05-27 09:09:42.157000+00:00 | ['Current Events', 'Life Lessons', 'Philosophy', 'Psychology', 'Advice'] |
The First Seven Years of Life | The First Seven Years of Life
Crucial development happens in the first 7 years after a child’s birth. Neelamaziz Aug 15·4 min read
Photo by Picsea on Unsplash
Yesterday, my son reminded me of something by explaining the whole scenario in his blabbering. This little miracle had me wondered about how amazing is this child’s brain. How can a baby just 1.5 years old remember these details?
It is fascinating. Isn’t it?
I don’t know if we were dumb or this new generation is coming with an advanced version of the human brain. Like literally!!
I have been seeing little girls and boys with smartphones and doing extraordinary things. I don’t blame them. The era that we are living in has a whole new level of technology and science. The consumption of media and science has so increased that it has become a necessity for a child to use smartphones and other devices.
We cannot restrict our kids. Our kids have inherited this environment. It is embedded in their systems. That is why their brains are developing at a high pace.
In my subconsciousness, my child should be immune to technology. He should not be growing so fast. But I am wrong.
My child is so ahead of my thinking, he understands every little detail. He knows where mama has hidden the AC remote, and how to use a smartphone at such a little age. He remembers if someone said anything yesterday, and he tells me repeatedly until I understand.
I keep learning about the development of children and how my kid is doing according to that. I want to share some information regarding this.
From birth to seven years of age, children experience two stages of cognitive development.
Sensorimotor (from birth to 2 years)
Children at this age learn from sensory perceptions and motor activities.
Preoperational (from 2 to 7 years)
Memory and imagination of children are developed in these years. Little minds think through symbols and language.
In the early years, children need the utmost love, care, and affection from their parents. They should not feel the urge to ask for love and care, instead, parents should pamper their kids with genuine love. As this stage is critical, the children should be nurtured and supported dearly.
Our kids deserve a healthy environment. A safe place where their emotional, social, and educational needs are met. They should have a proper family time where playing around, studying and other activities should happen frequently.
The most important factor that I have observed with my child is communication. Kids love to communicate with you. If I reply to every blabber of my kid, he becomes so happy. Better communication is important for your child’s healthy mind.
This takes us to a ‘Healthy Parenting’. When your kid is growing with love, affection, and care, he is living a healthy lifestyle. The kid’s parents are doing an excellent job.
It means parents are:
Responding to children in a positive way
Showing warmth, affection, and empathy
Supporting them in every way
Regulating house rules i.e. disciplining their children
Playing and talking with children.
Did you know children have developmental milestones?
My baby will turn 2 in December 2021. Since his birth, I am obsessed with his little milestones. The first time he took a step, the first time he said mama, the first time he started eating by himself, and many more. I take his pictures and make videos of him frequently. I want to make a journal for him so that he can have a treasure to cherish when he grows older.
He deserves to know that his parents, grandparents, and uncles loved him dearly. I want him to grow with our endless love and support and be able to do what he wants to do in life. What we didn’t have in life, I want my child to have.
For my child to become a decent person, I have to make sure the first seven years are not neglected. If by any chance, you find unusual behavior in your child, you must consult your doctor. Being mothers, we have to evaluate milestones with the age of children. A missed milestone could cause a problem in your child’s growth. If it happens, take your child for a formal evaluation to a trained specialist.
Ali Ibn Talib (a renowned and respectable figure in Islamic history) says: “Play with them(children) for the first seven years, then teach them for the next seven years, then advise them for the next seven years, (and after that…)”.
In my opinion, the first seven years are most important as they build a foundation of your relationship with your kids. Let your children do everything, involve yourself with them, talk to them, play with them, read to them, and above all, build an emotional connection with them.
A strong emotional connection is key to your child’s well-being. | https://medium.com/@neelamaziz23/the-first-seven-years-of-life-84c4f0a0613 | [] | 2021-08-15 06:59:24.167000+00:00 | ['Freelancing', 'Content Writing', 'Life', 'Freelance Writing', 'Parenting'] |
Man against the Machine — Creatives Make or Break you | Promoting mobile apps with display ads is hard. Users mostly ignore your ads, conversion rates are naturally low and you are competing for people’s attention with other apps (and ads). Showing the right ad creative is one of the very few variables that marketers have full control of, yet the importance of a sensible creative strategy is often overlooked. Designing and testing as many creative variations as possible should be the norm, but the process is often limited to just a few options per set (and sometimes there’s a lot of sets — think different countries/products/special dates) as design resources are usually very limited.
When we analyzed the Click-Through Rate (CTR) evolution for a creative that has been used for a couple of weeks without getting changed, we found that the CTR almost halved after 5 weeks.
But when we introduced new creatives…
The impact of the refreshed ads is significant and that is the tip of the iceberg in terms of what you can do with creatives.
For starters… an ad is not a single image 👀
An ad is made up of several creative elements:
Logo
Design
Colors
Images
Copy
Font Style
Font Size
Call to Action Button Color
And by using dynamic creatives you can treat each of these elements as an optimization variable.
So, are some more important than others?
We conducted a series of A/B test experiments to find out:
If the change of an individual component of the creative theme had an impact on the user behavior
If certain elements had a bigger impact
If the difference between standard and customized elements had a significant impact
Each experiment changed only one particular component of the creative theme.
Experiment 1: Brand Colors
We run two sets simultaneously. The two designs were identical (same image, text and text styles) except for the color palette.
The main color of the palette (the brand’s most representative color) was used as the main color on the Treatment design.
Image for illustration purpose only. The tests were conducted using real brands.
Table 1: Brand Color Experiment Results. Source: Internal Jampp Data
The results showed that the ads where the brand colors were more prominent had 17.18% better CTR than the control ads. This suggests brand recognition impacts conversions. Though this may also have to do with this brand’s particular palette. If your app’s main color is black, you may find alternative colors work better.
Experiment 2: Text Length
Image for illustration purpose only.
Modifying the copy of the ad whilst keeping all other elements equal seems to have no significant impact on performance. The ads with less copy did performed slightly better though (3.77% higher CTR)
Table 2: Text Length Experiment Results. Source: Internal Jampp Data
Experiment 3: Images
Image for illustration purpose only.
Table 3: Image Experiment Results. Source: Internal Jampp Data
While CTR was not greatly affected, conversion rate did vary per image. In fact, using different images seems to be what impacts the most in terms of user behavior (more than changing colors, copy, copy length or text styles). We saw up to 5x higher CVR in some cases. The difference is not always that significant but images definitely do have an impact
Experiment 4: Design by Vertical
After we tested the individual ad components, we decided to compare performance between themes. Did certain designs perform better? Were there any trends per vertical?
We tested multiple themes for different verticals across a wide range of advertisers. The tests were performed under a multivariate testing framework, where the only thing that changed between each variant was the theme itself.
At the end, the different designs were ranked from highest to lowest according to their respective CTRs in order to pick the ones that performed better for each particular vertical.
Some of our customizable themes 😎
Table 4: Theme Experiment Results (Themes can be seen in the previous image). Source: Internal Jampp Data
While these results are not conclusive, in the sense that the Circle theme won’t necessarily perform better for every social app out there, they do raise a few interesting points.
Follow the Data
The “prettiest” ad won’t necessarily be the best performing one. Food delivery apps often have mouth-watering photos of delicious food and yet, in the experiments we conducted the ads that performed better weren’t the ones featuring dishes more prominently.
It’s important to test different ads and see what resonates with your users.
Don’t Settle
Often times advertisers will find a format/design that performs well and “stick to it”. However, as we mentioned at the beginning of the post, all creatives (no matter how awesome) will have a CTR drop over time. It may well be that the Screenshot and Typographic ads performed better than the Circle and Screenable ads on the Food Delivery campaigns because they were more different than the ads that were running before. If you are not creating lots of different ads and updating them often, you are missing out.
Images and Colors
So, according to the experiments we ran, images and colors are the ad components that have the most significant impact on CTR. Alternatively, font style and font size barely moved the needle.
Last but not least…
Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO) a.k.a Let the machine do the hard work
When it comes to mobile ads… creativity, design and branding play their part. For sure, but ultimately it’s a numbers game.
You want to test, and test often and use the results to create compelling messages. But testing is not for amateurs.
An ad has several creative components, when you analyze them in relation to other variables like device characteristics, publisher apps where we find those users, etc and multiply that by the number of impressions… that’s a lot of data… Enter the machine 🤖
With Jampp’s Creatives Lab, we enable the creation of multiple fully customizable ads in line with brand requirements.
Creative performance is then analyzed and optimized using machine learning. We use a refined version of Multi Armed Bandits (MAB) which allows us to select the natural winners without sacrificing the exploration process, as you would with a Greedy algorithm.
The “thou shall test creatives” is not a new “commandment”, what’s new is what we can test and how we can use those insights.
You can read more about our Creatives Lab here, or get in touch! | https://medium.com/jampp/man-against-the-machine-creatives-make-or-break-you-4a369af89ac7 | ['Franco Passamonte'] | 2018-07-18 19:23:00.152000+00:00 | ['Mobile', 'Creative Technology', 'App Marketing', 'Mobile Ads'] |
How to Use IndexedDB — A NoSQL DB on the Browser | How do we use Indexed DB in our applications?
In the following section, we’ll look at how to bootstrap an application with IndexedDB.
1. Open the database connection using “ window.indexedDB"
const openingRequest = indexedDB.open('UserDB', 1);
In here, UserDB is the database name and 1 is the version of the DB. This would return an object which is an instance of the IDBOpenDBRequest interface.
2. Create object store
Once the database connection is open, the onupgradeneeded event will be fired, which can be used to create object stores.
// Create the UserDetails object store and indexes request.onupgradeneeded = (event) => {
let db = event.target.result;
// Create the UserDetails object store
// with auto-increment id
let store = db.createObjectStore('UserDetails', {
autoIncrement: true
});
// Create an index on the NIC property
let index = store.createIndex('nic', 'nic', {
unique: true
});
};
3. Insert data into the object store
Once a connection is opened to the database, the data can be managed inside the onsuccess event handler. Inserting data happens in 4 steps.
function insertUser(db, user) {
// Create a new transaction
const txn = db.transaction('User', 'readwrite');
// Get the UserDetails object store
const store = txn.objectStore('UserDetails'); // Insert a new record
let query = store.put(user);
// Handle the success case
query.onsuccess = function (event) {
console.log(event);
};
// Handle the error case
query.onerror = function (event) {
console.log(event.target.errorCode);
}
// Close the database once the transaction completes
txn.oncomplete = function () {
db.close();
};
}
Once the insertion function is created, the onsuccess event handler of the request can be used to insert more records.
request.onsuccess = (event) => {
const db = event.target.result; insertUser (db, {
email: '[email protected]',
firstName: 'John',
lastName: 'Doe',
}); insertUser (db, {
email: '[email protected]',
firstName: 'Ann',
lastName: 'Doe'
});
};
There are many operations that can be performed on the IndexedDB. Some of them are as follows.
Read/search data from object stores by key
Read/search data from object stores by index
Update data of a record
Delete a record
Migrate from a previous version of a database, etc.
If you need insights about how to achieve the above, let me know in the comments section below. You can refer here for more information.
Features of Indexed DB
Indexed DB provides many special features that no other browser storage can achieve. Some of the features are briefly explained below.
Has an asynchronous API
This enables performing costly operations without blocking the UI thread and provides a better experience to users
Supports transactions for reliability
If one step fails, the transaction will be canceled and the database will be rolled back to the previous state.
Supports versioning
You can version your database when you are creating it and upgrade the version when needed. Migrating from old versions to new versions is also possible in IndexedDB.
Private to domain
A database is private to a domain, therefore any other site cannot access another website’s IndexedDB stores. This is also called the Same-origin Policy.
Limitations of IndexedDB
So far, IndexedDB seems promising for client-side storage. However, there are few limitations worth noticing.
Even though it has modern browser support, browsers such as IE does not have complete support for this.
Firefox disables IndexedDB completely, in private browsing mode — This can cause your application to malfunction when accessed via an incognito window.
Is IndexedDB right for your application?
Based on the many features provided by IndexedDB, the answer to this million-dollar question could be Yes! However, before jumping to a conclusion, ask yourself the following questions.
Does your application require offline access?
Do you need to store a large amount of data on the client-side?
Do you need to quickly locate/search data in a large set of data?
Does your application access the client-side storage using the supported browsers by IndexedDB?
Do you need to store various types of data including JavaScript objects?
Does writing/reading from client-side storage need to be non-blocking?
If the answer to all of the above questions is Yes, IndexedDB is the best option for you. But if such functionality is not required, you might as well choose a storage method such as localStorage because it provides widespread browser adoption and features an easy-to-use API.
Summary
When we consider all the client-side storage mechanisms, IndexedDB is a clear winner. Let’s look at a summarized comparison of different client-side storage methods.
Hope you got a clear understanding of IndexedDB and its benefits. Let us know your thoughts too. | https://blog.bitsrc.io/how-to-use-indexeddb-a-nosql-db-on-the-browser-f845da3caf35 | ['Viduni Wickramarachchi'] | 2021-08-29 17:56:18.798000+00:00 | ['NoSQL', 'Frontend Development', 'Indexeddb', 'Database', 'Client Side Storage'] |
Why Scientists Feel Dumb | Experiments are an exercise in confidence leeching. Stuff will go wrong, you will screw up, you will break stuff. The most advanced thing I’ve ever done with my own two hands is attempt to train a rat in a box to press a lever. It didn’t. I failed even at that basic task. The thought of trying to lower a piece of glass roughly the thickness of a human hair through the brain until it touches the surface of a single neuron’s body, without breaking the glass, the neuron, or your own mind in the process doesn’t compute. Getting good data can be a process of confidence-sapping, head-banging floundering.
Analysing the data is even worse. Statistics is an exercise in keyboard-snapping frustration, compounded by most scientist’s truly terrible training in statistics, which is no fault of their own. Which were you trained in: the cookbook; the t-test/ANOVA solves all; or absolutely bugger all? Few people deeply understand the principles behind the statistical analyses they do. Even fewer use them correctly; judging by the torrents of anger statisticians aim at each other, that includes most of them too. The already low confidence of most working scientists faced with doing statistics is now compounded by the many high-profile pronouncements that we’ve all been doing it wrong for decades. But with no clear guidance on what to do instead: p-values but no significance level; p-values but more stringent significance levels; no p-values but confidence intervals; no p-values but effect sizes; none of that Fisher or Neyman-Pearson rubbish, use Bayes (factors) — for a different arbitrary number scale to interpret instead. Oh for the heady days of Rutherford’s dictum “if you need statistics, you’ve done the wrong experiment”.
Reading scientific papers is worse. To know what is known, we have to read the literature. Every new research paper we read reveals to us something we didn’t know before. Broaching a new research topic — say the sub-unit composition of the GABAb receptor, the response of dopamine neurons to reward or lack thereof, the algorithms of hierarchical clustering — is like swallowing a firehose of our own ignorance.
The mere existence of the literature is worse. Science is a crushing flood of papers. More papers are published in your own research field than you can ever read. And more are published every year, every month, every day. You can never catch up. The scale of your ignorance writ large by your PubMed and Google search results.
And finally, there are your peers. Scientists spend much, perhaps all, of their time with other scientists. This is not healthy. Other scientists are smart. They know things you don’t know; can do things you can’t do; can understand things you can’t understand. All of them. Thousands of them. Go to the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting and stand in the half-mile long poster hall, and there are about 10,000 scientists in that single room that know things you don’t. | https://medium.com/the-spike/why-scientists-feel-dumb-2ed0ac869b1f | ['Mark Humphries'] | 2019-12-30 20:33:52.898000+00:00 | ['Work', 'Psychology', 'Science', 'Neuroscience', 'Education'] |
Algorithmic Problem Solving: How to efficiently compute the parity of a stream of numbers | Problem Statement:
You are getting a stream of numbers (say long type numbers), compute the parity of the numbers. Hypothetically you have to serve a huge scale like 1 million numbers per minute. Design an algorithm considering such scale. Parity of a number is 1 if the total number of set bits in the binary representation of the number is odd else parity is 0.
Solution:
Approach 1 - Brute Force:
The problem statement clearly states what parity is. We can calculate the total number of set bits in the binary representation of the given number. If the total number of set bits is odd, parity is 1 else 0 . So the naive way is to keep doing a bit-wise right shift on the given number & check the current least significant bit (LSB) to keep track of the result.
In the above code snippet, we are going through all the bits in the while loop one by one. With the condition ((no & 1) == 1) , we check if the current LSB is 1 or 0 , if 1 , we do result ^= 1 . The variable result is initialized to 0 . So when we do xor (^) operation between the current value of result & 1 , the result will be set to 1 if the result is currently 0 , otherwise 1 .
If there are an even number of set bits, eventually the result will become 0 because xor between all 1’s will cancel out each other. If there are an odd number of 1’s , the final value of result will be 1 . no >>> 1 right shifts the bits by 1.
>>> is logical right shift operator in java which shifts the sign bit (the most significant bit in a signed number) as well. There is another right shift operator — >> which is called arithmetic right shift operator [see reference 1 at the last of the page]. It does not shift the sign bit in the binary representation — the sign bit remains intact at its position. Finally result & 0x1 returns 1 if there is parity or 0 otherwise.
Advantages:
The solution is very easy to understand & implement.
Disadvantages:
We are processing all the bits manually, so this approach is hardly efficient at scale.
Time Complexity: O(n) where n is the total number of bits in the binary representation of the given number.
Approach 2 - Clear all the set bits one by one:
There is a bottleneck in the above solution: the while loop itself. It just goes through all bits one by one, do we really need to do that? Our concern is about set bits, so we are not getting any benefits by going over unset bits or 0 bits. If we can just go over only set bits, our solution becomes little more optimized. In bitwise computation, if we are given a number n , we can clear the rightmost set bit with the following operation:
n = n & (n-1)
Take an example: say n = 40 , the binary representation in 8-bit format is: 00101000 .
n = 0010 1000
n - 1 = 0010 0111
n & (n - 1) = 0010 0000
We have successfully cleared the lowest set bit (4th bit from the right side). If we keep doing this, the number n will become 0 at a certain point in time. Based on this logic, if we compute parity, we don’t need to scan all bits. Rather we scan only k bits where k is the total number of set bits in the number & k <= length of the binary representation . Following is the code:
Advantages:
Simple to implement. More efficient than brute force solution.
Disadvantages:
It’s not the most efficient solution.
Time Complexity:
O(k) where k is the total number of set bits in the number.
Approach 3 - Caching:
Look at the problem statement once more, there’s definitely a concern about scale. Can our earlier solutions scale to serve millions of requests or still is there any scope to do better?
We can probably make the solution faster if we can store the result in memory — caching. In this way we can save some CPU cycles to compute the same result. So if the total number of bits is 64 , how much memory we need to save all possible numbers? 64 bits will lead us to have Math.pow(2, 64) possible signed numbers (the most significant bit is used to store only sign). The size of a long type number is 64 bits or 8 bytes, so total memory size required is: 64 * Math.pow(2, 64) bits or 134217728 TeraBytes . This is too much & is not worth it to store such a humongous amount of data. Can we do better?
We can break the 64 bits number into a group of 16 bits, fetch the parity of those individual group of bits from cache & combine them. This solution works because 16 divides 64 into 4 equal parts & we are concerned just about the total number of set bits. So as far as we are getting parity of those individual group of bits, we can xor their results with each other, since xor is associative & commutative. The order in which we fetch those group of bits & operate on them does not even matter.
If we store those 16 bit numbers as an integer, total memory required is: Math.pow(2, 16) * 32 bits = 256 Kilo Bytes .
In the above snippet, we shift a group of 16 bits by i * WORD_SIZE where
0 ≤ i ≤ 3 and do bitwise AND operation ( & ) with a mask = 0xFFFF ( 0xFFFF = 1111111111111111 ) so that we can just extract the rightmost 16 bits as integer variables like masked1, masked2 etc, we pass these variables to a method checkAndSetInCache which computes the parity of this number in case it’s not available in the cache. In the end, we just do xor operation on the result of these group of numbers which determines the final parity of the given number.
Advantages:
At the cost of relatively small memory for the cache, we get better efficiency since we are reusing a group of 16-bit numbers across inputs. This solution can scale well as we are serving millions of numbers.
Disadvantages:
If this algorithm needs to be implemented in an ultra-low memory device, the space complexity has to be well thought of in advance in order to decide whether it’s worth it to accommodate such amount of space.
Time Complexity:
O(n / WORD_SIZE) where n is the total number of bits in the binary representation. All right / left shift & bitwise &, |, ~ etc operations are word level operations which are done extremely efficiently by CPU. Hence their time complexity is supposed to be O(1) .
Approach 4 - Using XOR & Shifting operations:
Let’s consider this 8-bit binary representation: 1010 0100 . The parity of this number is 1 . What happens when we do a right shift on this number by 4 & xor that with the number itself?
n = 1010 0100
n >>> 4 = 0000 1010
n ^ (n >> 4) = 1010 1110
n = n ^ (n >>> 4) = 1010 1110 (n is just assigned to the result)
In rightmost 4 bits, all the bits are set which are different in n & n >>> 4 . Now let’s concentrate on this right most 4 bits only: 1110 , let’s forget about other bits. Now n is 1010 1110 & we are just concentrated on the lowest 4 bits i.e; 1110 . Let’s do a bitwise right shift on n by 2 .
n = 1010 1110
n >>> 2 = 0010 1011
n ^ (n >>> 2) = 1000 0101
n = n ^ (n >>> 2) = 1000 0101 (n is just assigned to the result)
Just concentrate on the rightmost 2 bits now & forget about leftmost 6 bits. Let’s right shift the number by 1 :
n = 1000 0101
n >>> 1 = 0100 0010
n ^ (n >>> 1) = 1100 0111
n = n ^ (n >>> 1) = 1100 0111 (n is just assigned to the result)
We don’t need to right shift anymore, we just now extract the LSB bit which is 1 in the above case & return the result: result = (short) n & 1 .
At a glance, the solution might look a little confusing, but it works. How? We know that 0 xor 1 or 1 xor 0 is 1 , otherwise 0 . So when we divide the binary representation of a number into two equal halves by length & we do xor between them, all different pair of bits result into set bits in the xor-ed number.
Since parity occurs when an odd number of set bits are there in the binary representation, we can use xor operation to check if an odd number of 1 exists there. Hence we right shift the number by half of the total number of digits, we xor that shifted number with the original number, we assign the xor-ed result to the original number & we concentrate only on the rightmost half of the number now. So we are just xoring half of the numbers at a time & reduce our scope of xor. For 64 bit numbers, we start xoring with 32 bit halves, then 16 bit halves, then 8 , 4 , 2 , 1 respectively.
Essentially, parity of a number means parity of xor of equal halves of the binary representation of that number. The crux of the algorithm is to concentrate on rightmost 32 bits first, then 16 , 8 , 4 , 2 , 1 bits & ignore other left side bits. Following is the code:
Advantages:
No extra space uses word-level operations to compute the result.
Disadvantages:
Might be little difficult to understand for developers.
Time Complexity:
O(log n) where n is the total number of bits in the binary representation.
Following is the full working code:
Learning from this exercise:
Although it’s basic knowledge, I want to mention that word level bitwise operations is constant in time. At a scale, we can apply caching by breaking down the binary representation into equal halves of suitable word size like 16 in our case so that we can accommodate all possible numbers in memory. Since we are supposed to handle millions of numbers, we will end up reusing 16 bit groups from cache across numbers. The word size does not necessarily need to be 16 , it depends on your requirement & experiments. You don’t need to store the binary representation of a number in the separate array to operate on it, rather clever use of bitwise operations can help you achieve your target.
References:
[1]. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2811319/difference-between-and
[2]. https://gist.github.com/kousiknath/b0f5cd204369c5cd1669535cc9a58a53 | https://medium.com/free-code-camp/algorithmic-problem-solving-efficiently-computing-the-parity-of-a-stream-of-numbers-cd652af14643 | ['Kousik Nath'] | 2019-05-05 08:33:23.800000+00:00 | ['Tech', 'Java', 'Algorithms', 'Interview', 'Programming'] |
To white parents, one size does not fit all | To white parents, one size does not fit all
Five tips for white parents trying to raise non-racist children
Photo credit: Toa Heftiba/Unsplash
Babysitter. It’s the one thing I never really wanted to be as a kid, although I had more than 100 “The Babysitter’s Club” books and a personal letter from author Ann M. Martin. I have never wanted children, nor do I feel I’m qualified to give people advice about parenthood 99.9 percent of the time. So it always puzzles me when non-black parents will reach out to me as an advice vessel for their child(ren). A very small part of me understands it — there are things I will be able to explain as an African-American woman that non-black parents simply will never experience.
When the stepmother of my college roommate asked me to babysit her child, I fully understood where she was coming from: embarrassment. Her daughter had just asked me were my hands “burned” after seeing the exterior of my hand did not match my palm. From that observation alone, it was pretty obvious she’d never been around many dark-skinned black people. And considering the way this little girl had snuggled up on my lap, we clearly had bonded. While the college roommate and I had a big falling out and I got an off-campus apartment, the one thing I regret most is not staying in touch with her little sister.
But again, I’m not a parent. I’m also not a representative for all black women, all black people, all Chicagoans, all unmarried women, all short women, all childless women — you get the idea. I am but one of many with opinions. Interestingly though, I still receive the occasional email from an instructor or parent who wants to ask me a question about race. But instead of feeling flattered, I usually end up cringing during the query.
Why? One example of this is an email that came to my inbox this morning from a southern white parent who wanted to run a few incidents by me to get my thoughts. First off, I do appreciate the initiative to reach out to others unlike oneself. But what immediately made me pause was this sentence, “I love your writing style and the fact that you are so forward with current issues (I hate to say race related, but that reflects the times we are living in) and have learned a lot.”
If, in 82 entries of this “I Do See Color” series, you still “hate to say race related,” then we’re already having a problem. I didn’t write 82 posts about race to “hate” to talk about the topic. It is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. And as far as “the times we are living in,” you mean United States history dating back to the Middle Passage? Because if the reference is to Donald Trump, the 45th (questionable) president didn’t invent nor is he the first to pull any of the horrendous stunts he’s done from 2016 to 2020. That’s a learned behavior that is centuries older than him.
Photo credit: David Kovalenko/Unsplash
The reason this series was named “I Do See Color” is because I’m fed up with white people insisting on telling me how much they “don’t” see color — as if it’s the elephant in the room. It makes as much sense as saying someone doesn’t “see” someone who is blonde or doesn’t “see” someone who is a woman or doesn’t “see” someone who is wearing a snowsuit. It just is what it is — and if it makes you uncomfortable to “see” it, that’s showing your own insecurities about the topic in itself. I speak up about race because it is the most successful way to put racism (and classism) on the table. I speak up about race with as much gumption as a patriot posting an American flag in his yard. As long as race is considered a dirty little secret, there’s no way for me to talk with a person about it.
The letter was sent from a self-described “average white male, married, with two children and a spouse that teaches 2nd grade here in [state name removed].” The goal of the letter was to send me a few emails about challenges that are being had as someone who grew up in the South “but that wants to raise my kids in a way that race is not an issue.”
And once again, I wince. Race is not an “issue.” It simply is one factor in a large set of factors in one’s identity. I am a black woman who will tell someone this as easily as I would tell them I’m a condo association president and a Toastmasters president and a former storytelling host and a K-12 book editor and a journalist who writes public profile stories. To borrow from Marlo Stanfield (with some poetic license), “My race is my race.” To find it “precious” that a child refers to other students in a classroom by name as opposed to race or actions is setting the bar pretty low.
But I still struggle with questions like this because I truly believe that the intentions are good. The delivery is just so very, very bad. To dismiss the query means I’m shutting down on someone who obviously wants to learn. So I am doing so with reservations. Here are five pieces of advice to white parents (and instructors) that I think could be universally useful — from a black woman who has no business giving anyone parenting advice.
Photo credit: Humphrey Muleba/Unsplash
5 pieces of advice for white parents
Again, I am but one person. Exposure to my writing is something I am both flattered by and appreciate. But the work to open the minds of white children who will almost certainly not experience life like that of black children (or other minority groups) is far more complex than just reading this Medium writer’s content. Most of what you will need to do has to start at your home first. Even more importantly, it will have to start with you, which will then trickle down to their mindsets by default. | https://medium.com/i-do-see-color/to-white-parents-one-size-does-not-fit-all-7da3995b375d | ['Shamontiel L. Vaughn'] | 2020-12-19 19:58:20.415000+00:00 | ['Racism', 'Race', 'White Privilege', 'Whiteness', 'Parenthood'] |
The Birth of Science New Wave Cinema | French New Wave films smashed convention and reinvented the art of cinema. Today the Science New Wave is doing the same thing.
The term “new wave” is inspired by La Nouvelle Vague, the New Wave of films that transformed French cinema starting in the late 1950’s.
Before the New Wave, French cinema was stuffy in both approach and technique. But in the late 1950’s, films like The 400 Blows, Breathless, and Hiroshima, Mon Amour rejected convention and invented an improvisational, spontaneous, and personal cinematic approach.
They brought new life to French cinema and inspired filmmakers everywhere.
There is a similar new wave of science cinema emerging worldwide.
“Science film” evokes an educational movie you’d watch in a classroom or on public television. But while the universe of science cinema includes educational films, it’s also vastly larger, weirder, and more experimental.
Science New Wave films are often expressive, personal, and experimental.
The Science New Wave is both fiction and non-fiction. Sometimes it’s a chimera of the two. Sometimes it’s raw lab footage. Sometimes it’s avant-garde. Sometimes it’s animated, and sometimes it’s data-visualized.
It’s being invented by filmmakers, scientists, students, and curious amateur explorers around the world. Science New Wave films are often expressive, personal, and opinionated.
They’re shot on film, smartphones, field microscopes, DSLR’s, telescope mounts, action cameras, and drones. You watch them on screens of all sizes, or projected up on domes, or streamed in 360 degrees through VR goggles.
There are 38,000,000 videos tagged “science” on YouTube, 2,815,000 on Instagram, and 157,000 on Vimeo. | https://medium.com/labocine/the-birth-of-science-new-wave-cinema-7096e94c9722 | ['Edward Shepard'] | 2016-11-07 15:03:49.967000+00:00 | ['Movies', 'Science', 'Cinema', 'Science Fiction', 'Filmmaking'] |
The What and How of Leadership: My Leadership Model | On April 3, 2019, I published a LinkedIn article titled, “The What and How of Leadership.” In that article, I presented an earlier version of my leadership model, which combined the work of John Kotter’s 2001 article in Harvard Business Review with the work of Deborah Ancona, Thomas W. Malone, Wanda J. Orlikowski, and Peter M. Senge in a 2007 article in Harvard Business Review. Kotter’s article discusses what leaders do and Ancona et al. discusses how leaders lead.
I combined How and What into a 2 X 2 matrix, with the What items — Setting Direction, Gaining Alignment, and Providing Motivation — across the top as columns, and the How items — Sensemaking, Relating, Visioning, and Inventing — down the left side as rows of the matrix. To understand this, please read “The What and How of Leadership.”
After using it for a few years, I added one new “What” — Build Trust — two new “Hows” — Diversifying and Including and Sharing Governance, and three new pillars — Honor People, Learn and Develop Skills, and Operate with Integrity.
Trust is complicated to define and measure. Based on my understanding of the literature, my opinion, and my experience, trust is built through competence and skill in a leader, confidence that the leader wants the best for the followers, and belief that the leader will operate with integrity. In addition to adding trust as a “What” of leadership, I took the components I just listed and made them pillars for the entire model.
I added Diversifying and Including to the “How” in my model because as our organization has been seeking to improve in this area, I noticed that it increases perceptions of procedural justice, which improves overall alignment. Procedural justice essentially means that employees feel that decisions are made in a way that is fair. As a leader, when we include more diverse groups in our decision processes through committees, meetings, boards, etc. we increase procedural justice. When followers are treated fairly in decision-making, it helps them get on board with the decisions, thus increasing alignment.
I also added Sharing Governance to the “How” dimension of the model. Shared Governance is a concept that is used heavily in universities. It is often complained about by university administrators, but if it is designed properly, it can lead to better decisions and increased alignment and motivation. Here are some important questions to ask yourself as a leader: Which decisions do I make that should include input from others? Who should have input to these decisions? Which decisions do I make that could be made by others?
Here is how I use it: for our leadership team’s important and strategic initiatives, I make entries in the matrix of things we are doing or communicating that fit in that cell based on the corresponding column and row titles. If I cannot make an entry, then I ask myself and/or my team if we should be doing something in that regard. I rarely pull out the table and ask them to complete it. Instead, I use it more as a checklist to make sure we are not missing anything important in our approach to leadership.
I encourage you to seek out the crucial Whats and Hows of your organization’s leadership and let me know how they correspond with the leadership model we use for strategic decisions at the Sam M. Walton College of Business.
Table 1.0: Integrating the “What” and “How” of Leadership
Ancona, Deborah, et al. “In praise of the incomplete leader.” Harvard business review 85.2 (2007): 92.
Konovsky, Mary A. “Understanding procedural justice and its impact on business organizations.” Journal of management 26.3 (2000): 489–511.
Kotter, John P. “What leaders really do.” Harvard business review 79.11 (2001).
McEvily, Bill, and Marco Tortoriello. “Measuring trust in organisational research: Review and recommendations.” Journal of Trust Research 1.1 (2011): 23–63.
Ozmen, Y. Serkan. “How employees define organisational trust: analysing employee trust in organisation.” Journal of Global Responsibility (2018).
Taylor, Mark. “Shared governance in the modern university.” Higher Education Quarterly 67.1 (2013): 80–94.
(Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-how-leadership-my-model-matt-waller/ ) | https://medium.com/@matthew-waller-phd/the-what-and-how-of-leadership-my-leadership-model-46f4fda32033 | ['Matthew Alan Waller'] | 2021-04-25 14:17:16.924000+00:00 | ['Leadership Development', 'Leadership Coaching', 'Leadership Skills', 'Leadership Training', 'Leadership'] |
Medical Marijuana for Osteoarthritis | Marijuana is a widely popular recreational drug, but the recent discovery of its medical benefits has prompted researchers and medical practitioners to shift their attention towards marijuana as an alternative medicine. Recent studies have found that prescription opiates are ineffective for long term usage and on top of that they might increase pain over time. As an alternative, many Americans are shifting towards medical cannabis to help them reduce the chronic pain that arises due to osteoarthritis.
What is Osteoarthritis (OA)?
Osteoarthritis is a disease that affects the joints of the body. This can occur due many factors like: joint injury, bone deformities, age and repetitive stress. When damaged or inflamed cartilages creates difficulty in movement of the joints connecting the bones, it results in a painful condition called osteoarthritis. Although it can occur in any part of the body, OA commonly affects the joints of hands, hips, spine and knees.
Is Osteoarthritis curable?
As of for now, there is no prescribed medicine for OA and it is not a curable disease. There are around 800,000 hospitalizations in the US per year due to complications that arise in patients from OA. Noticeable symptoms of OA include: swelling and stiffness in the joints and chronic pain.
Who are affected by Osteoarthritis?
The middle aged population and women are at a greater risk in developing OA. While the chronic pain increases with age, many Americans face disability in movement due to OA. In the US, nearly 50% of the people over the age of 65 years are diagnosed with a form of OA.
How can medical marijuana be used as a treatment for OA?
Cannabis has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties which makes it a superb treatment for the swelling and pain that are caused due to OA. Recent research has showed that cannabis helps to reduce the joint damage and hence reduce the chronic pain caused to OA.
Now the question is which properties of cannabis helps in alleviating the pain caused due to OA? Certain chemical compound called TBD and THC present in cannabis helps to deaden the pain as a pain killer and also stimulates the immune system so as to repair the damage caused in the joints due to OA. This medicinal benefit of cannabis helps to alleviate the chronic pain, reduce the fatigue and ultimately slow the effects of OA as a person approaches old age.
The treatment of OA by cannabis is quite beneficial as reported by people undergoing this treatment. As reported by them, they have observed increased motions and lesser pain after taking medicinal cannabis. They were also able to perform certain activities that were impossible for them to do previously due to their OA.
Medical marijuana is no- addictive, can be ordered online through weed delivery in Canada and have greater benefits than prescription opiates as they do not cause long term effects. Hence, medical cannabis can be considered as an effective treatment for O. As more and more US states are legalizing the use of marijuana for medical treatment for chronic pain and other ailments, it is quite likely that in future, cannabis will be prescribed as a treatment for OA universally! | https://medium.com/@cannabistipsonline/medical-marijuana-for-osteoarthritis-ae1f99b4c672 | ['Cannabis Tips Online'] | 2020-12-18 16:12:38.246000+00:00 | ['Cbd', 'Medical Marijuana', 'Cannabis', 'Cannabidiol', 'Hemp Oil'] |
Lauren’s Charleston Maternity Photoshoot | Lauren’s Charleston Maternity Photoshoot
This Charleston maternity session captured all the emotions Lauren was feeling a month before her little boy arrived. She told me she felt beautiful, strong and empowered. She was amazed by what her body could do, and how it was able to change, to foster this new life inside her. And she felt empowered being able to physically carry and nurture a human being with her body.
Lauren and Charlie’s son joined the outside world last week. It’s wonderful to look back at these maternity photos and see the magic in her curves, the peace in her expression, the grace and strength of her body.
For Lauren’s Charleston maternity session, I set up a portable studio in her historic downtown home, with a backdrop and lights. We did half of the photos there, then moved to her beautiful backyard to catch the late-morning sunlight. We finished in different spots around her house, exploring each room with new wonder, experimenting with the ethereal light that was already there. Lauren’s dog Beasley (her FIRST baby), stayed at her feet for most of the session and joined in for a few of the photos.
I will forever remain enamored with pregnant women, and this was no exception. If you are pregnant and would love to capture everything you love about this milestone moment in your life, I would love to photograph you. Check out our latest portrait work on our Instagram account, and please reach out when you’re ready! I can’t wait to hear your story.
Chrisman Studios is a collective of four photographers and one filmmaker. Our photographers are based in Charleston, San Francisco and Venice, Italy. Our filmmaker is based in Santa Fe. We travel the world for wedding and portrait commissions, but we jump at every chance to work in our own hometowns as well.
If you’re looking for photography that is emotional, documentary, creative, edgy and authentic to you, we would love to meet you! You can see more of our work on our Instagram: @chrismanstudios and our blog: chrismanstudios.com/blog
To start the conversation, send us a message here: https://clients.chrismanstudios.com/ Can’t wait to hear your story!
Authored by: ERINPhotographed by: ERINCategory: MATERNITY SESSIONTag: BELLY; BUMP; CHARLESTON; MATERNITY; PORTRAITSDestination: CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA | https://medium.com/@chrismanstudios/laurens-charleston-maternity-photoshoot-ac183e579996 | ['Chrisman Studios'] | 2020-08-19 19:50:15.058000+00:00 | ['Motherhood', 'Baby', 'Pregnancy', 'Maternity', 'Photography'] |
Four noteworthy features in WSO2 API Manager 3.2.0 | WSO2 API Manager 3.2.0 the third release of the API Manager 3.x series, simplifies integrating with other ecosystems while reducing complexity of large scale deployments.
By providing easy options to integrate with other IAM solutions, version 3.2.0 allows itself fit into existing deployments without major changes. And with the help of reduced dependencies on KeyManager, File-less artifact deployment and support for Publisher initiated Microgateway deployments, rough edges with large scales deployments have been ironed out and usability and manageability has been improved to a great extent.
Due to the simplicity and extensibility offered, I thought of discussing those among all other features.
Seamless integration with WSO2 IAM, Okta, KeyCloak and other IAM solutions
3.2.0 makes integrating with different IAM solutions seamless. This is useful when an Organisation’s Identity and Access Management is handled through a central IAM solution. In such a scenario Consumers and Consumer Applications are centrally managed and the Organisation prefers issuing and managing tokens centrally. In these situations, the ability to extend Key Manager support becomes quite handy, which allows using an Organisation’s IAM solution to work with the API Manager. In a standard deployment it’s through the Key Manager profile OAuth Consumer Applications are created and tokens are obtained from. While the token passes through Gateway, Key Manager is called to validate the key. Now with the ability to extend Key Manager support, different IAM solutions like Okta, KeyCloak, Auth0, PingIdentity,etc.. can be used in place of the default Key Manager.
Now you can configure Key Managers from Admin UI
This support is not entirely new since some of these changes were first introduced as early as in APIM 1.9.0. But in those versions, integrating a different Key Manager was only possible through a custom implementation. Moreover, only a single Key Manager was allowed for the entire APIM distribution. The latest release addresses these limitations by allowing to
Configure a Key Manager through a UI
Keep multiple Key Managers within a single tenant
Maintain a different Key Manager per each tenant
Select Key Manager per API
One limitation in the previous releases was Application Creation UI in Developer Portal remaining static regardless of the Key Manager used. This would hide different options provided by the connected IAM solution and would force to mold certain options into existing UI elements. The new release solves this by rendering the Application Creation UI with the attributes provided by the IAM connected.
Portal rendering differently according to the Key-Manager
Now using the New Key Manager Configuration UI, you can simply connect with Okta (or with other supported IAMs) by populating different fields (or by using the well known configuration url).
Ability to specify Key-Manager at the API level
For more information you can refer this document.
Deploying Microgateways through API Publisher
New release gives the ability to deploy a Microgateway through the Publisher UI. Previously this was only possible through API Controller.
When deployed through Publisher UI, a Microgateway gets spawned up exclusively for a microservice and is deployed between the ingress gateway and the microservice. With this, external traffic first hits the Microgateway, making it the sole controller of the traffic bound to the microservice. With this approach a running microservice can be secured without making changes to the microservice or to the pod it’s running.
Prior to 3.2.0, Microgateway can be deployed using API Controller (known as apictl — a command line tool for creating APIs) by providing the API definition through a swagger file. The steps included creating a Microgateway with the API, building a docker image and deploying it on K8. (These steps were simplified by the K8 operator which allowed deploying a Microgateway through a single command). These steps would spawn up a Gateway with the API on K8, but in order to make the API discoverable, the same API was needed to be pushed to the Publisher portal through the apictl. While this process favored developers, helping them use a command line tool to quickly deploy a Gateway, disrupted the normal user experience of Authoring and Publishing the API. The new feature simply fills that missing gap. With the new feature, API Product Managers, and other non-technical users, can deploy Microgateways without using a tech-focused command-line tool.
Select the K8 cluster while publishing
To make this work, first the K8 cluster to which Microgateway gets deployed should be configured.
As a part of the configuration you’d have to configure the K8 cluster to which the Microgateways should be deployed. Once this is done the cluster would appear on the Publisher portal, and after creating and publishing the API, a Microgateway gets spawned in the selected cluster and the same API would appear on the Store.
More information on Private Jet mode is available here.
File-less API syncing among Gateway nodes
Another major feature supported in this release is deploying APIs across a cluster without using file syncing approaches (like Rsync or Network Attached Storages).
If you have done distributed deployments that have multiple Gateway nodes, you might have gone through the trouble of configuring Rsync or a file-share. Why this is needed is because, Gateway reads the API definitions as a set of files, so these files needs to be present in each Gateway. These definitions get generated at the Publisher while Publishing the API. And in pre 3.2.0 deployments, Publisher would push these to a read-write Gateway node (which in pre-2.6.0 deployments was called Gateway manager) which writes the files to a file-share, letting other nodes to read from.
Classic file-based API syncing — Publisher calls read-write Gateway.
While these methods work, they are seldom configured right, which often causes problems while scaling across many nodes or multiple data centers. For example, if the file-sharing mechanism isn’t configured in a fault-tolerant manner, then if the file-share goes unavailable, APIs get un-deployed from the Gateway.
With the latest release, the syncing mechanism has been built into the API Manager. Now once the API definition is generated, it’ll get persisted to a database and an event will be fired to Gateways notifying about the status change. Upon receiving this, each Gateway would pull the changes from a central repository and deploy locally. Pulled definitions will be kept in-memory. Nothing gets written to a file.
The new File-less API syncing. API updates are notified through Topic. Each Gateway pulls the Artifact.
Another capability provided by this new feature is the support to deploy an API across a group of Gateways using Gateway Labels. A label can be assigned to a Gateway while starting up, and to an API while publishing. APIs with a particular Label will get deployed in Gateways started with that Label. For example, if you provided External as a Gateway label while starting up the Gateway, then only the APIs Labeled as External will get deployed there. This feature allows maintaining hierarchical groups and deploying APIs only to the specific groups needed.
Hierarchical clusters can be created with the new Gateway labeling feature
Refer this document for more details.
Self-reliant Gateways with reduced Dependency on Key Manager nodes
The biggest obstacle in scaling a Gateway cluster is scaling the Key Manager cluster proportionally. By making Gateways self-reliant the need of scaling Key Manager nodes has been greatly reduced which simplifies auto-scaling and brings down the node count. This also makes the Gateways much more resilient since interaction between different components while serving API traffic is now reduced.
To understand how the new change makes an improvement, we need to look a bit into the Key Validation process. As part of the key validation, Gateway would call the Key Manager, so as new tokens are used, equal amount of traffic received by the Gateway would land on the Key Manager. So to withstand the traffic, a proportionally scaled Key Manager cluster is needed.
Key Validation in pre 3.2 releases with Key Manager
In the new release, reliance over Key Manager has been reduced by loading Application, API and Subscription Information on the Gateway. As the Gateways starts up, all information related to Key Validation will be fetched into the Gateways and the subsequent changes would be pulled by listening to update events. With this change, the validation calls which were sent over the network, will now be made against an in-memory store — which simply breaks the dependency over Key Manager nodes during validation, and enables scaling Gateway cluster independently.
Details needed for Key Validation pulled by Gateways through Traffic Manager
Improved stability is another advantage offered by this new architecture. With the dependency previously present, the Key Manager becomes a critical component and is needed when validating API calls. If the Key Manager fails, API traffic would fail making a negative impact on the business. With the reduced dependency on the KeyManager, it’s availability isn’t going to have much of an impact.
Conclusion
API Manager 3.2.0 focuses on simplifying large scale deployments and making them more robust. By building in a mechanism to propagate APIs, 3.2.0 simplifies API deployment across clusters that would span across multiple data centers. With the reduced reliance on key manager profile, network calls are reduced to a greater extent lowering the possibilities for Gateways to fail. Supporting Microgateway deployments through Publisher UI removes a major obstacle in adopting Microgateways and hides the complexity of spawning up Pods in a K8 cluster. This will probably pave a path to explore K8 for hosting APIs. Last but not least, the support for third party IAM solutions, would help deploying WSO2 API Manager with an existing consumer base, making it a smooth fit for many existing ecosystems.
You can give these a try by downloading API Manager through the official page or can get a demo arranged by contacting WSO2. | https://medium.com/api-integration-essentials/four-noteworthy-features-in-wso2-api-manager-3-2-0-4fedd825e568 | ['Amila De Silva'] | 2020-09-27 14:27:30.651000+00:00 | ['Api Development', 'Api Management', 'Api Gateway', 'Wso2 Api Manager'] |
Berlin Tech Salaries in 2019 | Published: 01. March 2019
Author: CaissaTeam
Let’s talk about kale
As tech recruiters, we at Caissa talk a lot to technology people who are thinking to relocate to Berlin. One of the first questions they ask us is,
“What will I be paid here?”
Our last year’s survey shows that Berlin-based developers and engineers are also concerned with their potential income in a new position. When accepting a job offer, 73.2% of candidates would base their decision on the salary offered.
Now, let’s try to answer the following two questions:
Why is the salary so important?
What are the salaries in Berlin?
Berlin was dubbed “poor but sexy” in 2003. With an image like this, the city’s former mayor Klaus Wowereit wanted to attract investors, tourists, and young professionals. And it worked.
What’s funny, the slogan has been associated with the city ever since, even though the “poor” part of it is not really true anymore.
Berlin is, indeed, cheaper than most of the major European locations, including London, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin, Stockholm, Milan, Zurich, and even big German cities like Munich, Stuttgart or Frankfurt. However, it’s getting more expensive to live here. Mainly, due to increasing rent prices (by 34% only between 2015 and 2018!).
With Berlin becoming a major EU tech hub, there is a strong need for tech professionals. And it’s natural that those who move here would want their salary to ensure a comfortable life at a new place.
But not all employers are willing to pay more.
Based on a number of sources (Glassdoor, Stepstone, one independent survey, and our internal data), we’ve made a graph of salary ranges. This data is based on what Berlin’s engineers, developers, and tech managers earned or were offered in 2018.
This is how much people in tech earned in Berlin in 2018 (annually, in EUR).
As you can see, the difference between the minimum and maximum amounts is really big.
First of all, we didn’t distinguish between experience levels.
Secondly, one’s salary after 8 years with the same company in Berlin will normally differ from the salary of someone who changed jobs within the last year.
To make sense of our graph, we’ve looked at the most prevalent salary offers in 2018 across different specialisations (Backend, Frontend, DevOps, and Management) and seniority levels (Middle and Senior, in case of engineers).
We’ve managed to map out the mode salary ranges for the following roles:
Mode salary spans of Backend Engineers/Developers: Mid-level and Senior
Mode salary spans of Frontend Engineers/Developers: Mid-level and Senior
Mode salary spans of DevOps Engineers: Mid-level and Senior
Mode salary spans of Tech Managers: Team Lead, DoE, CTO
As you are reading this, the market demand is growing, as do salaries that candidates ask for. By the start of this year, the modes have already shifted towards the upper end of our spans.
Based on our observations and market research, the mode salaries are likely to get higher by 10–15% as we advance into 2019. | https://medium.com/caissa-global/berlin-tech-salaries-in-2019-b6ea7248e9c6 | ['Wilbur Von Biscuit'] | 2019-06-12 15:35:37.524000+00:00 | ['Job Market', 'Berlin', 'Berlin Tech', 'Developer Salaries', 'Startup'] |
Exploratory Analysis of US Domestic Flight Data | Image by Jan Vašek from Pixabay
In this article I will demonstrate the walkthrough of an exploratory data analysis with python using numpy, pandas, matplotlib and seaborn. I am going to use US domestic data from January from years 2017 through 2019 downloaded from here.
If you would like go through this project yourself, you can use a jupyter notebook and download the three .csv files from this repository.
Let’s go ahead and import the packages, which we are going to use for our project.
In[1]:
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import seaborn as sb
%matplotlib inline
Make sure your .csv files are in the same directory as your jupyter notebook and run the following code to load the datasets into pandas dataframes and print out their sizes. Each .csv file contains data for the month of January for years 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively.
In[2]:
flight_data1 = pd.read_csv("flight_data1.csv", dtype = {'DEP_TIME': object, 'ARR_TIME': object}) flight_data2 = pd.read_csv("flight_data2.csv", dtype = {'DEP_TIME': object, 'ARR_TIME': object}) flight_data3 = pd.read_csv("flight_data3.csv", dtype = {'DEP_TIME': object, 'ARR_TIME': object}) print(flight_data1.shape, flight_data2.shape, flight_data3.shape)
Out [2]:
(450017, 27) (570118, 27) (583985, 27)
Each pair of the above output represents the number of rows and columns in each of the datasets. For example, flight_data1 contains 450017 rows and 27 columns. All three datasets together contain about 1.5 million rows of data, so in order to avoid slow runtime, we are going to sample random 10,000 rows from each dataframe for the purpose of our analysis.
In[3]:
sample_data1 = flight_data1.sample(n=10000, random_state=1)
sample_data2 = flight_data2.sample(n=10000, random_state=1)
sample_data3 = flight_data3.sample(n=10000, random_state=1)
Now let’s combine the three dataframes created above into one and look at the first 5 rows of the data.
In[4]:
combined_df = pd.concat([sample_data1, sample_data2, sample_data3])
print(combined_df.head())
Out[4]:
As you can see in the output above, a lot of the data is messy and unclear. Before using this data for our analysis, we will need to perform a few cleaning steps.
Data Cleaning
The DAY_OF_WEEK column contains the days of week coded in numbers 1 through 7. I am going to convert it into ordered categorical variables as words.
In[5]:
def to_categorical(col, ordered_categories):
ordered_var = pd.api.types.CategoricalDtype(ordered = True, categories = ordered_categories)
combined_df[col] = combined_df[col].astype(ordered_var)
col = "DAY_OF_WEEK"
ordered_categories = ['Monday', 'Tuesday', 'Wednesday', 'Thursday', 'Friday', "Saturday", 'Sunday']
combined_df[col] = combined_df[col].astype(str)
weekday_dict = {'1': 'Monday', '2' : "Tuesday", '3': 'Wednesday',
'4': 'Thursday', '5': 'Friday', '6': 'Saturday',
'7': 'Sunday'}
combined_df[col] = combined_df[col].replace(weekday_dict)
to_categorical(col, ordered_categories)
combined_df.DAY_OF_WEEK.unique()
Out[5]:
[Monday, Saturday, Thursday, Wednesday, Sunday, Tuesday, Friday]
Categories (7, object): [Monday < Tuesday < Wednesday < Thursday < Friday < Saturday < Sunday]
The DEP_DEL15 column has a value of 0.0 if the given flight has a delay of less than 15 minutes and a value of 1.0 if the flight has a delay of 15 or more minutes. So let’s convert the values accordingly to represent the meaning more clearly.
In[6]:
combined_df['DEP_DEL15'] = combined_df['DEP_DEL15'].astype(str) delay_dict = {'0.0': '< 15 min', '1.0' : ">= 15 min"} combined_df['DEP_DEL15'] =
combined_df['DEP_DEL15'].replace(delay_dict)
Similarly, I am going to convert the values in the CANCELLATION_CODE column to represent their meanings.
In[7]:
col = "CANCELLATION_CODE" cancellation_code_dict = {'A': 'carrier', 'B' : "weather", 'C': 'NAS', 'D': 'security'} combined_df[col] = combined_df[col].replace(cancellation_code_dict)
The DEP_TIME and ARR_TIME values are in float format and will need to be converted to datetime. Let’s do that and print out a few rows to see how the values look after these changes.
In[8]:
def float_to_datetime(col):
combined_df[col] = pd.to_datetime(combined_df[col], format='%H%M', errors = 'coerce').dt.time
float_to_datetime('DEP_TIME')
float_to_datetime('ARR_TIME')
print(combined_df.DEP_TIME.head())
print(combined_df.ARR_TIME.head())
Out[8]:
217132 19:26:00
188169 07:22:00
159183 11:01:00
281252 06:58:00
200261 14:52:00
Name: DEP_TIME, dtype: object
217132 21:58:00
188169 07:28:00
159183 17:27:00
281252 11:54:00
200261 17:48:00
Name: ARR_TIME, dtype: object
Now that our data is relatively clean, we can proceed to exploration.
Univariate Exploration
As the title suggests, we are going to take a look at the distribution of different variables in our dataset. Univariate exploration will help us determine the variables that can contain insights and are worth exploring further in relation to other dimensions. We need to keep in mind though that the counts are not absolute, since we are exploring a sample of data.
Let’s take a look at the distribution of flights by days of week.
In[9]:
default_color = sb.color_palette()[0]
sb.countplot(data = combined_df, x = 'DAY_OF_WEEK', color = default_color)
plt.xticks(rotation=20)
Out[9]:
As you can see on the above graph, there are much less flights on Saturdays compared to other days of the week.
Now let’s see the distribution of flights by destination state to determine, which states are in the top 3.
In[10]:
default_color = sb.color_palette()[0]
plt.figure(figsize = [20,5])
sb.countplot(data = combined_df, x = 'DEST_STATE_NM', color = default_color)
plt.xticks(rotation=90)
Out[10]:
The top 3 destination states are Texas, Florida and California. Interestingly, those states are also the top 3 states by population.
An interesting question we could ask is what part of the day do most of the flights depart. To answer this question let’s take a look at the distribution of departures by hour of day.
In[11]:
def chart(occurance_list):
hour_list = [t.hour for t in occurance_list]
numbers=[x for x in range(0,24)]
labels=map(lambda x: str(x), numbers)
plt.xticks(numbers, labels)
plt.xlim(0,24)
plt.hist(hour_list)
plt.show()
chart(combined_df['DEP_TIME'])
Out[11]:
Peak number of flights occur early in the morning and late in the afternoon and there are minimal flights at night.
Let’s now take a look at the distribution of duration of flights in a standard scale first.
In[12]:
binsize = 20
bins = np.arange(0, combined_df['AIR_TIME'].max()+binsize, binsize)
plt.figure(figsize=[8, 5])
plt.hist(data = combined_df, x = 'AIR_TIME', bins = bins)
plt.xlabel('Air Time (min)')
plt.show()
Out[12]:
Air time has a long-tailed distribution, with a lot of flights around 100 minute-long and fewer flights greater than 200 minute-long.
Due to the long tail on the right, we might miss some insights if we only look at the standard scale distribution. So let’s transform the axis and look at the distribution on a log scale.
In[13]:
log_binsize = 0.025
bins = 10 ** np.arange(1, np.log10(combined_df['AIR_TIME'].max())+log_binsize, log_binsize) plt.figure(figsize=[8, 5])
plt.hist(data = combined_df, x = 'AIR_TIME', bins = bins)
plt.xscale('log')
plt.xticks([10, 20, 100, 200, 1000], ['10', '20', '100', '200', '1000'])
plt.xlabel('Air Time (min)')
plt.show()
Out[13]:
We can clearly see three peaks at around 80 minute, 120 minute and 300 minute marks.
Now I am going to explore the distribution of departure delay durations on a log scaled plot.
In[14]:
log_binsize = 0.05
bins = 10 ** np.arange(0, np.log10(combined_df['DEP_DELAY_NEW'].max())+log_binsize, log_binsize) plt.figure(figsize=[8, 5])
plt.hist(data = combined_df, x = 'DEP_DELAY_NEW', bins = bins)
plt.xscale('log')
plt.xticks([1, 4, 10, 40, 100, 400, 1000], ['1', '4','10', '40', '100', '400', '1000'])
plt.xlabel('Departure Delay (min)')
plt.show()
Out[14]:
Clearly the majority of delays are less then 100 minute long. A lot of the delays are short, within 40 minutes, but there are some extreme cases above 1000 minutes as well.
Now I would like to know the distribution of flight distances within the US, which I will do on a standard scale this time.
In[15]:
binsize = 50
bins = np.arange(0, combined_df['DISTANCE'].max()+binsize, binsize)
plt.figure(figsize=[8, 5])
plt.hist(data = combined_df, x = 'DISTANCE', bins = bins)
plt.xlabel('Flight distance (miles)')
plt.show()
Out[15]:
Most flights are shorter than 1000 miles, but there are also extreme values ranging from 3000 to 5000 miles. It is import to determine if any of the outliers in your data make sense. So after googling flight distances between different parts of the US it becomes clear that those outliers are reasonable. Of course it is recommended to take a look at the individual records, which contain the outliers and see if they make sense on their own, but I am going to skip that step in this analysis, since I won’t be focusing on flight distances a lot.
Bivariate Exploration
For every data analysis you first need to find the right questions you want to answer. It is a difficult task on it’s own, which can be accomplished by looking at the big picture of your data. One way to approach it is to create a correlation plot, which will highlight the correlations that are worth taking a look at. The diagonal of every correlation plot is always 1. This is because those values correspond to the correlation of a value to itself. Let’s now create a correlation plot for our data and see if we can find any surprising correlations.
In[16]:
numeric_vars = ['DEP_DELAY_NEW', 'AIR_TIME', 'DISTANCE', 'WEATHER_DELAY', 'NAS_DELAY', 'SECURITY_DELAY', 'LATE_AIRCRAFT_DELAY']
plt.figure(figsize = [8, 5])
sb.heatmap(combined_df[numeric_vars].corr(), annot = True, fmt = '.3f',
cmap = 'vlag_r', center = 0)
plt.show()
Out[16]:
The strongest correlation is between air time and flight distance, which makes sense. There are also different amounts of correlations between delay reasons and overall departure delay, which also makes sense, since each separate delay reason contributes to overall delay. From this plot we can say that late aircraft delay contributes the most to departure delays. Based on the heatmap there are no surprising correlations, but at least it makes sense and we can now move forward and further explore our dataset.
One things we would like to know is whether any of the airports in the US are home to longer delays compared to others. Since there are about 330 different airports in our dataset, we will only look at the top 5 busiest ones. We will create a violinplot, which will show the distributions of total delay durations for each of those 5 airports. Let’s also exclude any flights with no delays, so that we can consentrate on duration of delays instead.
In[17]:
# get the list of top 5 airports from the dataset.
top_5_origin = combined_df['ORIGIN'].value_counts().head(5).keys() #create a dataframe with top 5 airports, including flights with delays only
top_5_origin_df = combined_df[combined_df['ORIGIN'].isin(top_5_origin) & combined_df['DEP_DELAY_NEW'] > 0] #order origins based on mean departure delay
my_order = top_5_origin_df.groupby(by=['ORIGIN'])['DEP_DELAY_NEW'].mean().sort_values(ascending=False).index #create violinplot with order based on ascending mean duration delay
default_color = sb.color_palette()[0]
plt.figure(figsize = [5,5])
sb.violinplot(data = top_5_origin_df, y= 'ORIGIN', x= 'DEP_DELAY_NEW', color= default_color, order= my_order)
Out[17]:
The plot shows us a pretty similar distribution for the top 5 busiest airports, although clearly the O’Hare International Airport (ORD) has more longer delays compared to other airports, since its distribution is wider towards the right side. It is difficult to draw conclusions from this plot alone, since the violins look very much alike.
Now I want to explore the distribution of delays by type for each of the top 5 busiest airports.
In[18]:
yvars = ['DEP_DELAY_NEW', 'CARRIER_DELAY', 'WEATHER_DELAY', 'NAS_DELAY',
'SECURITY_DELAY', 'LATE_AIRCRAFT_DELAY'] plt.subplots(2,3,figsize=(12,7))
count = 1
default_color = sb.color_palette()[0]
for yvar in yvars:
plt.subplot(2,3, count)
sb.boxplot(x= "ORIGIN", y=yvar, data=top_5_origin_df, color= default_color)
plt.xlabel('ORIGIN')
plt.ylabel(yvar)
plt.tight_layout()
count +=1
Out[18]:
Just by looking at the number of data points on each plot above, we can say that late aircraft delay is the most frequent delay reason. The least frequent delay reason is security delay. Actually, in this particular sample, there are only 2 security delay incidents, both of which are in LAX. Not suprisingly, LAX has fewer and shorter weather delays compared to other airports, but surprisingly DEN has about the same weather delay distribution as LAX. This is unusual, since Denver is located in a cold place, where it snows in the winter like in Atlanta (ATL) and Chicago (ORD). DFW weather delay distribution is for the most part similar to LAX, with just one 200+ minute delay. NAS delays are fewer and shorter in LAX and DFW. Carreier delays are fewer and shorter in DEN.
I would like to know if any of the destinations have higher divertion rates compared to others, so let’s execute the code below.
In[19]:
# get the list of top 30 destination airports from the database.
top_30_dest = combined_df['DEST'].value_counts().head(30).keys() #create a dataframe with top 30 destination airports
top_30_dest_df = combined_df[combined_df['DEST'].isin(top_30_dest)] #order destinations based on mean divertions
my_order = top_30_dest_df.groupby(by=['DEST'])['DIVERTED'].mean().sort_values(ascending=False) # plot the barchart
fig = plt.figure()
ax = fig.add_axes([0,0,1,1])
dest = my_order.index
mean_diverted = my_order
ax.bar(dest,mean_diverted)
plt.xticks(rotation = 90)
plt.xlabel('destination airport')
plt.ylabel('divertion rate')
plt.show()
Out[19]:
MDW is located in Chicago, and given that we are dealing with January data, it is not surprising to see that this destination airport has a high divertion rate. SAN is in San Diego. Although San Diego is an all-year-round sunny city, it is listed along with LGA in the top 10 challenging airports in the USA according to this article.
Let’s now take a look at the origin airports with the highest cancellation rates.
In[20]:
# get the list of top 30 airports from the database.
top_30_origin = combined_df['ORIGIN'].value_counts().head(30).keys() #create a dataframe with top 30 airports
top_30_origin_df = combined_df[combined_df['ORIGIN'].isin(top_30_origin)] #order origins based on mean cancellations
my_order = top_30_origin_df.groupby(by=['ORIGIN'])['CANCELLED'].mean().sort_values(ascending=False) # plot the barchart
fig = plt.figure()
ax = fig.add_axes([0,0,1,1])
origin = my_order.index
mean_cancellation = my_order
ax.bar(origin,mean_cancellation)
plt.xticks(rotation = 90)
plt.xlabel('origin airport')
plt.ylabel('cancellation rate')
plt.show()
Out[20]:
MDW has about 7 times more frequent cancellations than MIA. Again, this may be due to particularly bad weather conditions, since the airport is located in the snowy city of Chicago. ORD is also located in Chicago, so it is not surprising that it has the second highest cancellation rate on this plot. The next 2 airports with the highest cancellation rates are JFK and BOS, which are both located in cities with cold climate, where there is a lot of snow in January. Overall, there are more airports located in colder cities on the left side of the plot and more airports located in warmer cities on the right side of the plot.
Now I want to see the cancellation rates broken down by day of week.
In[21]:
#order days of weak based on mean cancellations
my_order = combined_df.groupby(by=['DAY_OF_WEEK'])['CANCELLED'].mean().sort_values(ascending=False) # plot the barchart
fig = plt.figure()
ax = fig.add_axes([0,0,1,1])
origin = my_order.index
mean_canellation = my_order
ax.bar(origin,mean_canellation)
plt.xticks(rotation = 90)
plt.xlabel('day of week')
plt.ylabel('cancellation rate')
plt.show()
Out[21]:
The plot above is suprising as it would be expected to get about the same cancellation rate throughout the week. The differences between days of week are not very significant though.
Multivariate Exploration
In this part I will take a closer look at the top 10 busiest origin airports, their cancellation rates, cancellation types and delay durations.
I want to take a look how much each cancellation reason contributes to overall cancellations first.
In[22]:
# get the list of top 10 busiest origin airports from the database.
top_10_origin = combined_df['ORIGIN'].value_counts().head(10).keys()
#create a dataframe with top 10 busiest origin airports
top_10_origin_df = combined_df[combined_df['ORIGIN'].isin(top_10_origin)] def cancellation_code_rate(airport, cancellation_code):
code_occurence = top_10_origin_df[(top_10_origin_df['ORIGIN'] == airport) & (top_10_origin_df['CANCELLATION_CODE'] == cancellation_code)].shape[0]
return (code_occurence/top_10_origin_df.shape[0]) # Values of each group
bars1 = [cancellation_code_rate(airport, 'carrier') for airport in top_10_origin]
bars2 = [cancellation_code_rate(airport, 'weather') for airport in top_10_origin]
bars3 = [cancellation_code_rate(airport, 'NAS') for airport in top_10_origin]
bars4 = [cancellation_code_rate(airport, 'security') for airport in top_10_origin]
#cancellation reasons
cancellation_reasons = ['carrier', 'weather', 'NAS', 'security']
# Heights of bars1 + bars2
bars12 = np.add(bars1, bars2).tolist()
# Heights of bars1 + bars2 + bars3
bars123 = np.add(bars12, bars3).tolist()
# The position of the bars on the x-axis
r = [0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]
# Names of group and bar width
names = list(top_10_origin)
barWidth = 1
# Create green bars
plt.bar(r, bars1, color='#565d47', edgecolor='white', width=barWidth)
# Create brown bars
plt.bar(r, bars2, bottom=bars1, color='#b49c73', edgecolor='white', width=barWidth)
# Create pink bars
plt.bar(r, bars3, bottom=bars12, color='#eaac9d', edgecolor='white', width=barWidth)
# Create yellow bars
plt.bar(r, bars4, bottom=bars123, color='#f0daa4', edgecolor='white', width=barWidth)
# axis, title, legend
plt.xticks(r, names, fontweight='bold')
plt.xlabel("origin airport")
plt.ylabel('cancellation rate')
plt.legend(cancellation_reasons)
# Show graphic
plt.show()
Out[22]:
Clearly, the most predominant cancellation reason for all airports is weather. The proportion of NAS and carrier delays is more variable between airports. PHX has no NAS cancellations at all, whereas there are way more NAS cancellations than carrier cancellations in ORD and SFO. Cancellations due to security are only present in LAX. In previous plots, we saw that delays due to security reasons are also unique to LAX.
What about distribution of short (<15 minute) and long (≥ 15 minute) delays for those top 10 airports?
In[23]:
# Grouped boxplot
filtered_data = top_10_origin_df[top_10_origin_df['DEP_DEL15'] != 'nan']
plt.figure(figsize=(15,5))
sb.boxplot(x= "ORIGIN", y="DEP_DELAY_NEW", hue = "DEP_DEL15", data=filtered_data, palette = 'Set1')
plt.ylabel('Departure Delay (min)')
plt.xlabel('Origin Airport')
Out[23]:
As depicted in the plots of departure delay distribution in bivariate exploration, a lot of delays are very short. The plot above helps to separate delays that are greater or equal to 15 to be able to look more closely on the distribution of longer delays. Here we can clearly see that the distrubution of delays less than 15 minutes in time is almost the same for all 10 airports. The picture is completely different with longer delays. If we look at the points outside of the boxes, there are some very long delays above 400 minutes in DEN, LAX, LAS, ATL, DFW, PHX, ORD and IAH. DEN, SFO and CLT do not exceed 400 minutes. When we look at the distribution of points within the red boxes, clearly ORD is the airport with the longest delays among the 10 airports, whereas CLT has the shortest delays among the 10. | https://medium.com/@natalyabakhshetyan/exploratory-analysis-of-us-domestic-flight-data-ccc5f2886cbf | ['Natalya Bakhshetyan'] | 2020-11-24 18:15:57.065000+00:00 | ['Exploratory Data Analysis', 'Python', 'Pandas', 'Jupyter Notebook', 'Data Analysis'] |
The best smart shades: These luxurious window treatments blend high tech with high fashion | The best smart shades: These luxurious window treatments blend high tech with high fashion Russell Dec 7, 2020·10 min read
Motorized window treatments that can open and close on command, on a schedule, or even based on room occupancy are the ultimate finishing touch for any smart home. Like smart lighting, smart window treatments offer a host of benefits in terms of convenience, security, and energy conservation. There’s a safety angle, too: There are no pull cords that pose a strangulation risk to children and pets. But the wow factor they deliver also renders them a luxury item—even deploying them one room at a time can cost thousands of dollars if each room has a lot of windows.
We’re using the term “shades” in the headline above, but we’ll cover blinds here, too. What’s the difference? Shades are a soft window covering, typically made of fabric. They roll or pull up to allow light in, and they roll or drop down to block light and provide privacy. Blinds are a hard window treatment consisting of vertical or horizontal slats, typically made of wood, metal, plastic, or a composite material. The angle of these slats can be varied to admit or restrict light, or the slats can be closed tightly to block light and provide privacy. The slats in horizontal blinds can be pulled up in a stack to fully expose the window, while the slats in vertical blinds are pulled and gathered to the left or right for the same purpose.
[ Further reading: A smart home guide for beginners ]Here are our top picks in several categories, followed by an explanation of the terms you’ll encounter and the features you should consider when you shop for smart shades or smart blinds. You’ll find a list of all the products we’ve reviewed in this category at the bottom of the page. It’s a relatively short list right now, but we’ll add new product reviews and additional product categories as time goes on.
Updated November 13, 2020 to add our Serena by Lutron Smart Wood Blinds review. If you like Lutron’s smart shades, you’ll love its smart blinds. They look more elegant and they offer more precise control of the light entering your room. Blinds don’t deliver as much year-round insulation value, but they’re better at block heat transfer from the window in the summer time.
Best cellular smart shades Hunter Douglas Duette shade with PowerView Automation Read TechHive's reviewLearn moreon Hunter DouglasThese luxurious smart shades are supremely sophisticated, but they’re also very expensive and there is no DIY option.
Hunter Douglas’ Duette with PowerView motorization smart shades are elegant, sophisticated, and luxurious. These are top-down/bottom-up shades, which means they can open in both directions, a style that provides the ultimate in privacy and light control. And Hunter Douglas’ accessories—from its innovative “battery wand” power solution to its Pebble remote controls—are absolutely top shelf. They are not inexpensive, however, and there is no DIY option available.
Best cellular smart shades with a DIY option Serena by Lutron motorized shade Read TechHive's reviewLearn moreon Serena by LutronSerena by Lutron motorized shades are more expensive than some alternatives, but they’re both a little higher end and a better choice for less-experienced DIYers and folks who might not be interested in pursuing a complete smart home system.
These are beautiful shades, but being geeks, we’re particularly enamored with their battery compartment. The compartment is integrated into the headrail, so you need only tip it down to access and replace the batteries (D cells in the unit we reviewed). You’ll need to also buy an $80 Lutron Smart Bridge to connect the shades to your Wi-Fi network, since the shades rely on a proprietary wireless protocol, but Lutron’s app is very good and the bridge can also manage the company’s excellent Caséta smart lighting products (dimmers, switches, and smart plugs), ceiling-fan controllers, and it has hooks into third-party products, ranging from Ecobee smart thermostats to Sonos multi-room audio systems. Lutron’s product line is available either through dealers, who will handle installation, or direct to the DIYer.
Runner-up Graber Virtual Cord Motorized Shade Read TechHive's reviewLearn moreon ZebraBlinds.comGraber Virtual Cord Motorized Shades aren’t as expensive as you might think, though you’ll also need a smart home hub and a smart speaker to get the most benefit from them. They’re also stylish, supremely convenient, and some models can help reduce your heating and cooling costs.
Graber’s Virtual Cord cellular shades are every bit as pretty as Lutron’s, but their motors are slightly louder and their battery compartment needs to be removed from the headrail when you need to swap them out. They come with simple two-button remote controls, or you can spend extra to get more elaborate ones that can control multiple shades at the same time. These shades rely on Z-Wave technology, so you’ll need a bridge to connect them to your home Wi-Fi network. That can be Graber’s own Z-Wave bridge and app, or you can incorporate them into most any smart home system. Graber’s product line is available either through dealers, who will handle installation, or direct to the DIYer.
Best roller smart shades Powershades TruePoE motorized roller shade Read TechHive's reviewLearn moreon Powershades This shade’s motor uses power-over-ethernet to deliver twin benefits: Speedy operation and simpler installation requirements. But it'll cost you.
We don’t have a lot of experience with this type of shade, yet, but we dig the Powershades TruePoE for its innovative means of integrating with a home network. Instead of relying on disposable batteries, the motor in these shades receives both electrical power and command-and-control messages over an ethernet cable (power over ethernet, or PoE). Having hardwired access to power makes the motor in these shades more than twice as fast as the battery-powered models we’ve reviewed. DIYers take note: Powershades does not sell direct to consumers; you’ll need to talk to a professional installer if you want one.
Shopping for smart shades and blindsShade types Shades can be divided into four broad categories: roller, Roman, cellular (aka honeycomb), and pleated. There are other types, but those are the most common. A roller shade operates just like it sounds: A motorized roller spins to unwind a sheet of fabric to cover your window, and the roller reverses direction to pull the sheet back onto the roller, exposing the window.
A Roman shade is also made from a single sheet of fabric (or other material, lined or unlined), but it opens as cords running through rings sewn into the back of the drapery-like fabric pull up and fold the fabric into a stack. To close, the cord is slowly unwound to drop and unfold the fabric.
Michael Brown / IDG Double-celled construction greatly increases a shades’ insulation value as well as its ability to block sunlight.
Cellular shades consist of multiple layers of fabric formed into honeycomb-like cells that trap air. Pleated shades are similar to cellular shades, but they’re fabricated from a single sheet of fabric and the pleats are typically much wider. Since they’re made of one sheet of fabric, the cords that lift the shade are exposed, whereas the cords in a cellular shade run through the middle of the cells and are therefore hidden. Both cellular and pleated shades raise and lower in an accordion-like fashion.
Blind types There are basically two types of blinds: Horizontal and vertical. The slats in a horizontal blind angle up and down to regulate light while vertical blinds twist left and right. The motors in these types of blinds might control only the angle of the slats, requiring the user to manually open or close them. This is particularly true of horizontal blinds since the cumulative weight of the slats can be substantial to pull up. Where shades are almost always made from fabric, blinds can be fabricated from host of materials, including wood, metal, plastic, and composites (faux wood).
Serena by Lutron Wooden blinds are among the most elegant window treatments, but the motors in them might only adjust the angle of the slats, not lift and lower the entire shade.
Privacy and light control These considerations go hand in hand. The more light that passes through the shade or blind, the less privacy the window covering will provide. That said, the slats in blinds can be adjusted to let more light in while still providing strong privacy—at least when viewed from afar. A sheer shade will admit a lot of light, too, but it must be raised to admit the maximum amount of light, which exposes the window entirely. A room-darkening fabric will block the most amount of light and provides a great deal of privacy. The light-blocking properties of room-darkening shades make them a favorite for home theater installations.
Some shade manufacturers have introduced dual shades that lower a light-filtering fabric when you want lots of light and just a little privacy, and then drop a room-darkening fabric behind it when you want the most privacy and the least amount of light entering the room.
Hunter Douglas Cellular shades are the best choice for both light control and insulation, although they don’t necessarily need to be room-darkening shades like these.
Top-down/bottom-up shades—available in Roman, pleated, and honeycomb form factors—open and close from the top or bottom of the window. They can even move down from the top and up from the bottom to meet in the middle. These shades provide the best combination of light control and privacy, lowering to block views straight into the home while allowing the maximum amount of light to pass through the uncovered area(s) of the window.
Insulation value No matter the season, everyone enjoys a room filled with sunlight. But the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that 76 percent of the sunlight that falls on double-paned windows becomes heat inside the home, and that as much as 30 percent of a home’s heating energy is lost through its windows. If you’re not in the room anyway, closing the shades or blinds can save a tremendous amount of energy that would otherwise be consumed by your heating and air-conditioning appliances. And with smart shades, this can be accomplished automatically on a schedule, so the treatments are closed only during hours they’re exposed to direct sunlight, or even with a motion sensor that detects when the room is occupied and when it’s vacant.
Hunter Douglas Top-down/bottom-up shades provide plenty of both light and privacy.
But some types of window coverings provide better insulation value than others, with cellular shades delivering the most energy savings. This is because their honeycomb-like cells trap air inside them and prevent heat conduction through the window glass. Some cellular shades are lined with foil or mylar to increase their R-value even more. The Department of Energy reports that in the winter, cellular shades can reduce heat loss through windows by as much as 40 percent. In the summer, this type of shade can reduce unwanted solar heat by up to 80 percent.
Roller and Roman shades are good at blocking light, but even models made from heavier fabrics have much lower R-values, according to the Department of Energy. Window blinds—both horizontal and vertical—are more effective at reducing heat gain in the summer than they are at keeping a room warm in the winter, according to the agency.
Power Motors need electrical power to operate, of course, but that electricity can come from several sources. Batteries are the most common solution, especially for retrofit installations. These are typically installed in a compartment that hangs from the back or is integrated into the headrail. Disposable batteries are the norm, but Hunter Douglas recently announced a rechargeable battery solution for its PowerView product line that’s compatible with both new and retrofit installations.
Michael Brown / IDG The Serena’s head rail drops down to expose its battery compartment.
The next most common power source is an AC adapter, but unless you have outlets embedded in your window frames, you’ll be left with power cords running down the window and over the sill. One novel alternative to batteries is Power over ethernet (PoE). We have reviewed a Powershades TruePoE roller shade and were impressed with the speed of its motor. With PoE shades, both electricity and command and control messages are sent over an ethernet cable connected to the shade’s motor. Ideally, you’ll want to install an RJ45 jack in the top of your window frame to plug the stub ethernet cable into, but you could also just drill a small hole in the top of the frame and fish a cable with a female RJ jack through it. Since PoE is a low-voltage technology, you won’t need to hire an electrician to do the cable run. You will, however, need to have a PoE ethernet switch plugged into your router.
Command and control Shades and blinds need more than a motor to be considered smart. They must also have a communications protocol to carry command and control messages. In the Powershades example mentioned above, messages are sent directly over an ethernet cable, but wireless solutions are much more common. Graber, for example, relies on Z-Wave technology for its Virtual Cord motorized shades, while Serena by Lutron shades use the same proprietary Clear Connect RF specification the company uses for its Caséta Wireless smart lighting and ceiling-fan controllers. Hunter Douglas also has its own proprietary wireless protocol, PowerView.
Ben Patterson/IDG Amazon Echo and Nest Home smart speakers enable you to open and close your smart shades with voice commands.
Smart home integration There was a time when “proprietary” meant locking yourself into a given ecosystem—and forgoing cool new tech that other companies might come up with. That isn’t the case here. With the exception of the hardwired Powershades, all the wireless smart shades we’ve reviewed to date have required a bridge to connect the shades to your home Wi-Fi network (the Powershades are hardwired), but once on your network, motorized shades and blinds can be integrated into a broad range of smart home systems, both DIY and professionally installed.
With Z-Wave products, that bridge can be as simple as a USB dongle, like the one Graber offers for its Virtual Cord product line. Alternatively, you can incorporate the shades into a DIY Z-Wave-compatible smart home hub like Samsung’s SmartThings or a professionally installed smart home system such as the Vivint Smart Home system I used during my review. Serena by Lutron shades and blinds depend on Lutron’s Smart Bridge, but they can be further integrated into anything from a SmartThings system at the low end to a high-end Savant, Control4, or Elan smart home system. Hunter Douglas shades require a PowerView hub to connect to your network, but they can be incorporated into a broad range of higher-end smart home systems including Savant, Control4, and Crestron (SmartThings integration is not currently supported).
And with smart speakers and smart displays becoming so ubiquitous, smart shade makers would be crazy to not support at least Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. HomeKit is a little less prevalent in the smart home, but it shouldn’t be dismissed. And all the products we’ve reviewed to date are in fact compatible with Amazon Echo and Google Home smart speakers and displays. Indeed, a smart speaker or smart display might be all you need to build out your own smart home system. But that’s a bigger topic for a different story.
Our smart shade reviews Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Read our affiliate link policy for more details. | https://medium.com/@Russell68240904/the-best-smart-shades-these-luxurious-window-treatments-blend-high-tech-with-high-fashion-688c895614ea | [] | 2020-12-07 09:18:48.427000+00:00 | ['Home Tech', 'Consumer', 'Chromecast', 'Security Cameras'] |
The Art of a Graceful Tumble | When you are friends
With a beautiful woman,
You are bound to take a spill.
Don’t boast —
You are no better than the rest of us.
Pretending is no use.
Don’t make the mistake of denying it.
Don’t say:
Who me?
Her?
Together?
Honestly, that’d be so weird — Honestly!
We’re just friends.
I’ve never, NEVER thought of her that way.
Literally not ever. Not once in my life.
Never.
Never EVER.
Let’s be honest:
The most fictional part about Harry Potter
Is the fact that he and Hermione Granger didn’t bang even once
In the whole series.
Not once!
Me? Her? No way!
I’m Harry… Just Harry!
You’re going to take a spill.
So when you find yourself in this precarious situation —
When you’ve found the rare friend
Who knows you
And loves you
Who happens also to be stunning.
Do you very best,
To not fuck that up.
When you take a tumble
(Trust me, you will take a tumble)
Try to do so gracefully.
On the verge of divulging, vulnerably,
The incoherencies of your diverging interests
(Namely, to be friends and also to be making out)
Perhaps
Put down a mat.
And maybe a tea table.
So that while you are falling, miraculously,
You may land on your left elbow
Teacup in hand, pinky up
And say:
“Oh my! Just found myself in the mood for a cup of tea!
Didn’t even know I was here ‘til I was…
What a surprise!
Just — tea!”
And then say no more
Can it with a cup of chamomile.
Drink the tea
And shut your goddamn mouth.
In the end, there’s simply no need to say more
No need to ask questions,
To try to “figure things out”
Best to stay as far away as you can
From making out with your friends.
Certainly — whatever you do — don’t bottle your feelings
Into some poem
And then read it to her.
Damn it. | https://psiloveyou.xyz/the-art-of-a-graceful-tumble-6b8579c04ad4 | ['Luke Brennan'] | 2020-12-06 13:02:42.404000+00:00 | ['Growth', 'Poetry Sunday', 'Love', 'Life', 'Friendship'] |
Creating Super Humans: How the marriage of technology and human intellect can help your business grow | 1. Balance machine-work with team-work
We started with the common thesis that technological tools would enable our company to scale. However, for our research product, the primary challenge we faced is that a fully human approach leads to inefficient outcomes, while a fully-automated approach results in research without nuance, just scores and other algorithm-driven mumbo jumbo.
We had to develop an approach in which humans and technology could together produce a product that was more valuable than either could produce individually.
To identify how best to combine technology and human intelligence we split our product into a hierarchy (job > tasks > microtasks).
A “job” is what our customers are hiring us to do. Using process mapping, we worked backwards to identify the series of “tasks” necessary to complete the job. Finally, we split each task into “microtasks”, or the atomic unit of a task.
Once we had our list of microtasks, we thought creatively about where we could use technology (the tools that we developed/deployed were: automation, coding scripts, natural language processing & machine learning). Then, we compared that to the status quo of having a human perform the activity. We asked ourselves two questions:
“Can we use technology to complete this task?” “What would technology entail from a cost/benefit standpoint (time, money, or opportunity cost)?”
Can technology do the task better and more efficiently? If so: automate!
2. Automate the mundane
Dividing tasks into skilled and mundane gave us a framework to split tasks between humans and machines. It also gave us an added people-pleasing bonus. Mundane tasks (repetitive, recurring, straightforward tasks) are best to automate because:
It’s cheap and easy (with today’s tools)
Humans hate the mundane
Mundane tasks, by definition, follow a simple flow: do this, then do that, then do this other thing, repeat. Once you know the formula, there is an abundance of software to help you write the equation for the task and execute it (e.g.: Excel’s/Google’s macros, Zapier, IFTTT and even simple programming). For these, the “hard” part is writing the formula, the tools make it simple to implement with no or little technical expertise.
The higher-level benefit comes from a human resources perspective. Modern employees are well trained; they’ve been taught since high school to think analytically. Simple repetitive tasks, therefore, become boring and feel like a waste of time. By automating the mundane tasks, your company is providing a higher purpose: employees feel liberated to pursue more “value-added” jobs (better work) or even have a bit more free time (more leisure).
Automating the mundane also helps with the internal perception of your company and the feeling of overall progress. “I used to have to do X, which was a pain, and now I don’t have to — we’ve gotten better!” Good employees will recognize that you invested in them, and reciprocate — improving your company (and the bottom line)!
3. Tackle the hard
Through the process mapping, we quickly found that not all tasks are mundane, many are very, very hard. For example, the task of discovering new companies and precisely grouping them into logical categories (industries, sectors) is very difficult. So, what to do? Should we use only humans? Only machines? Or both?
Our approach: we paired a human with a machine to find what we needed. First, a human identifies a couple of prototypical companies. Then, we fed information on those prototypical companies into a sophisticated machine learning (ML) algorithm. The MLA “crawls” through a giant data set (with 80,000 companies) and surfaces a small list of relevant, related companies.
The result: a complete, comprehensive and thoughtful list of similar companies (and in turn, a strong foundation for further analysis). And importantly, a system that is better than a machine or human could achieve individually.
4. Create a virtuous cycle of improvement
Once you have a process set up, you’re done, right? Time to send the hackers home. Not quite yet…
Using this process will set your company up for operational success, creating a great foundation and freeing up time to tackle the next set of challenges. However, things change, and any good system needs to be adaptable. To do this, we employ 2 tactics:
Adopt continuous deployment for process improvement. Empower everyone involved in the system to learn and implement design principles at each microstep. Encourage them to add efficiency steps at the atomic level for which they are responsible / have good visibility. More heads, hands, and hearts are better than one. Set regular check-ins, watch for company growth and system strain. The system will steadily improve each day, and exponentially improve as you grow. Keep on the lookout for “helpers”. Products are released daily to help businesses. Technology improves exponentially. With your first end-to-end process defined, you know precisely what you need (thanks, process mapping!), and you can immediately see if a solution will help you or not. And with an existing process in place, you can easily evaluate if new tools are accretive because you have a point of reference. | https://medium.com/radicle/creating-super-humans-how-the-marriage-of-technology-and-human-intellect-can-help-your-business-93441631fb7c | ['Kate Venezia'] | 2018-06-18 19:06:14.831000+00:00 | ['Artificial Intelligence', 'Business Process Design', 'Operations', 'Future Of Work', 'Startup Lessons'] |
Would You Like to Know Exactly What to Eat to Lose Fat and Get Healthy Without Giving Up Your… | in In Fitness And In Health | https://medium.com/@gajendrachauhan735/would-you-like-to-know-exactly-what-to-eat-to-lose-fat-and-get-healthy-without-giving-up-your-df73654e5dee | [] | 2020-12-26 04:03:15.488000+00:00 | ['Weight Loss Tips', 'Weight Loss', 'Weight Loss Supplements', 'Weightloss Recipe', 'Weightloss Foods'] |
Swimming Lessons: A Microcosm of Parenting | Photo by Jay Wennington on Unsplash
Last month I signed up my three-year-old son for swimming lessons at the local YMCA. One of my 2019 goals is to make sure both of my boys are semi-proficient swimmers, and I knew if I didn’t pay up front, it was never going to happen. Most of my friends are Goldfish Swim School zealots, but the one time I went there I was freaked by the bizarre, flourescent setup in which parents ogle at their kids through a window while checking Instagram and paying bills.
No, I wanted to be a good citizen and do lessons through the YMCA, a community organization that overcharges me for adequate services.
My wife and I prepped Sam throughout the week with the typical feigned excitement when you want your kid to do something you’re pretty sure he’s not ready to do. “It will be awesome, buddy! You love swimming!” But we knew it wasn’t the swimming part that was going to be a problem. It was the part about handing him to a strange person in a large body of water amidst cacophonous echos with elderly women AquaZumba-ing in the deep end.
It’s a lot to take in for a marginally-adjusted adult like myself, let alone a 3-year-old.
Nevertheless, we loaded the car and headed to the Y, me with high hopes, Sam with other plans.
I’m going to pause the story to share with you the emotions I felt, in order, from the time we left the house to the when we got home.
Excited.
Nervous.
Hopeful.
Frustrated.
Horrified.
Regretful.
Sad.
Proud.
Overcome.
This was in a 45-minute time frame. I defy you to name anything, aside from the second half of a Detroit Lions game, that can evoke this range of emotions.
Here’s what happened.
Excited: As we drove down to the Y, I made up some cheesy song about swimming lessons and noticed Sam crack a smile. “I’m winning him over,” I thought.
Nervous: Upon entering the building, Sam clinged to my leg like an oversized slug and started crying, “I don’t want to do swimming lessons, daddy.”
Hopeful: We got him dressed in the locker room and he started to peel himself away from my leg and giggle a little. “We’ve got this.”
Frustrated: Because it was our first time there, I didn’t know the protocol. There were no clear signs and no one to direct me where to go; I could sense Sam feeling my uncertainty. “Damn it, should’ve gone to Goldfish.”
Horrified: When I finally sorted out where to go, I walked over to the side of the pool with Sam and tried to hand him to the poor teacher, whose other two students were already in the water, frolicking around with no anxiety whatsoever. Then, Sam let out a blood-curdling scream so loud that I’m certain everyone underwater heard. This scream quickly morphed into an all-out hysterical cry, and I could feel the 100+ people in the pool area, the folks in the cardio room on the second floor, as well as the folks in the lobby staring through the giant windows (actually worse than Goldfish, upon reflection), at which point I was overwhelmed with
Regret: For being so selfish, for projecting my 2019 resolution on my kid, who just may not have been ready for this.
Sadness: So Sam and I sat on the ledge watching the other kids enjoy their lesson, while I was careful not to make eye contact with the other parents — there was nothing I was going to say that wouldn’t be somewhat hurtful to my son, even if he didn’t understand it. I was sad for me for thinking I could make this work, sad for Sam that he couldn’t enjoy the lesson. After the silence, Sam looked up and said, “Dad, can I still watch Transformers?”
“No, son. Remember you had to do the lesson. You didn’t even get in the water.”
I could see his little brain humming. I thought he might react with another wave of tears, but he just nudged a little closer.
“Maybe you could show your teacher how you can jump in?”
This negotiation continued for the entire 30-minute lesson, all the while I was holding out hope that he might join the other kids, if only for five minutes.
Pride: He didn’t. He did, however, in a Toddy Gurley-esque burst of speed, make a hard buttonhook cut to the right, sprint to the edge of the pool and launch himself so confidently and violently that you would’ve thought he knew how to swim. The teacher darted over to grab him as I caught the eye of the lifeguard whose omnipresent “I’m bored as hell” look became “That kid’s got balls.” The teacher helped Sam out of the water and handed him to me, at which point I said, “Sorry about that. I bet you’ve seen it all.”
“Not that,” she said.
In the car, I cried. I’m not sure if it was the sadness or the pride, or just the overwhelming love I felt for Sam. I think part of the reason I cried is because I knew this was just the beginning in a long series of experiences in which I’ll have to navigate the space between forcing Sam to do things that are difficult and letting him wait until he’s ready. Perhaps parenting is 90% that sentence and then a bunch of miscellaneous stuff.
Lesson #2 is next Saturday, 10:45 sharp. I’m beginning to think the lesson may not be his.
Check out The Detroit Dadcast here. | https://medium.com/@RoryWHughes/swimming-lessons-a-microcosm-of-parenting-f6535c2da646 | ['Rory Hughes'] | 2019-02-06 02:53:51.390000+00:00 | ['Parenthood', 'Fatherhood', 'Parenting Toddlers', 'Fathers', 'Parenting'] |
The Cult of Work You Never Meant to Join | Are our most valuable qualities being exploited at work? How our strengths get twisted into forming bad habits that — if we don’t change fast — just might kill us.
You didn’t mean to end up here. You didn’t even see it coming.
It all started with a chance to earn a living doing something you loved. Your dream job. Creating things instead of rotting in a cubicle. You weren’t just going to make a living — you were going to leave your mark on the world.
At first, you loved the work; it was challenging and fast-paced. Everyone around you was crazy smart.
You brainstormed in your off time. Took projects home with you. Put in extra hours on weekends. It never felt like overworking because it never felt like work.
You put in way more than 40 hours a week, but who was counting? This was fun.
But weeks passed into months and somehow you ended up here: Working 60 hours a week minimum, usually more. You greet your coworkers, bleary-eyed, half-joking about needing coffee to survive.
The work is still fun, but you don’t feel the same passion anymore. Whole days slip by sometimes and you have no idea what happened; you certainly don’t have much to show for it.
Your goals outside of work are on hold. You’d love to find out if the Belgians have anything to be cocky about waffle-wise, but you don’t have time for a big trip right now. You know you need to get into an exercise routine, but something always comes up and you skip the gym.
“Later,” you promise yourself, “I’ll get around to it soon.”
You’re not exactly unhappy, but something’s off. You can’t put your finger on it. You’ve just always felt that there would be . . . more.
You’re being force-fed an “ideal” work ethic that’s actually toxic for everyone involved.
You’ve Been Absorbed
You’re no longer a free member of society. You’ve been lured into the Overkill Cult.
The Overkill Cult is a cultural delusion that working 60+ hours each week — at the expense of everything else in our lives — is not only a necessary part of success, but that doing so is somehow honorable.
The insidious thing about the Overkill Cult is that it masquerades as all the things we like most about ourselves: dedication, ambition, follow-through, responsibility.
It tells us to push harder, stay later, sleep when we’re dead. It tells us we’re never going to get ahead if we don’t show up first and go home last.
Cleverly, wickedly, the Overkill Cult persuades us to hang ourselves with our own strengths.
And if we don’t break free, we’re all going to die.
The Overkill Cult Will Kill You (Like It Tried to Kill Me)
Balance is the first thing to go once the Overkill Cult has us in its grasp.
For me, it started with my health. I skipped the gym — too busy, I thought. I didn’t have time to cook — too busy — so I ordered delivery.
My hobbies went next. Everything that wasn’t work fell away — too busy, too busy — until I was on the computer constantly, working. In 2012, I was working 70–90 hours a week.
After that, I lost my social life. Friends knew I wouldn’t show up — can’t; too busy — so they stopped calling. Some days my only human interaction was ordering coffee.
Then — and this, sadly, is where I finally realized there was a problem — I lost my beard.
The Canary in the Coal Mine, or How I Killed My Beard
At the end of 2012, I landed the biggest project of my career at that point: a Black Friday sales site for a Fortune 100 company.
I was thrilled and terrified. A project like this had the potential to move my company to the next level, and I decided to do whatever it took to make this project the best I’d ever built.
The designers had great ideas, and I sat with them to make sure they were possible on our timeline. We came up with a slick, modern idea built on cutting-edge technology. The client loved it.
Then bureaucracy came into play. The legal department made changes. Brand adherence contradicted legal. Design went over schedule. Way over schedule.
By the time the design was approved, I had a third of the time we’d scheduled. And — since this was a Black Friday site — we couldn’t push back the release date. It either launched on time or I was a failure. Period.
Not to be defeated, I powered through four straight days leading up to Black Friday, sleeping maybe six hours total. On Thanksgiving Day I skipped family get-togethers in favor of making the final push.
I was exhausted. Delirious. But, goddammit, I finished the project.
The client was thrilled. The site won a couple Addy Awards. I assume they made a metric fuckton in holiday sales.
May, 2013 — about six months after my Black Friday fiasco.
Over the next few months, patches of my beard started to turn white. The whiskers became ultra-fine. Then they fell out altogether.
Shortly afterward, I lost my ability to grow a beard entirely — I was left with the unsavory choice between a clean-shaven “giant fat baby” look and a creepy mustache.
I had stressed myself out so badly that my body had forgotten how to grow a beard. And for what? So I could work 19-hour days and skip family holidays to meet crazy deadlines?
I was exhausted. My body was failing. I was overwhelmed and unhappy and isolated. I had a mustache, for chrissakes.
I had been guzzling the Overkill Cult’s Kool-Aid.
Something had to change.
How to Tell If You’re in a Cult
The telltale signs we’ve fallen prey to the Overkill Cult’s influence are subtle:
Frequently working more than 40 hours a week
Frequently sleeping less than 6 hours a night
Feeling guilty about any time away from work — even if that time is with family and friends
We don’t join overnight — this is death by a thousand cuts — and once we’ve joined, we’ll probably deny it.
But we’ve joined. By the thousands, we’ve joined.
The Lies of the Overkill Cult
The Overkill Cult’s siren song seems like a healthy sense of ambition. “We have to work hard to get ahead.” It’s something we’ve been told our entire lives.
We’re doing what we think is best for the future.
But the Overkill Cult doesn’t plan for survivors.
Though the symptoms of the Overkill Cult grow from good intentions, they’re short-sighted habits that ultimately do more harm than good.
Let’s look at each of the Overkill Cult’s telltale signs, and how each of them is a long-term detriment disguised as a healthy work ethic.
Frequently Working More than 40 Hours a Week
Long hours often feel mandatory — it’s just part of the culture. We think, “My boss/coworkers/cat will judge me if I’m not working the same long hours as everyone else. I’ll never get ahead if I don’t go above and beyond.”
This is just what it takes to make it, right?
Wrong. Incredibly, terribly, spectacularly wrong.
Research has proven over and over again that it’s not possible to be productive for more than 40 hours a week. At least not for sustained periods of time. Henry Ford introduced the 40-hour work week in 1914 because he saw — through research — that workers on five eight-hour shifts kept up the highest sustained levels of productivity.
Despite over 100 years of research supporting shorter work weeks, many companies still push for long hours, under the claims of a “sprint” or “crunch time” period.
This diagram is loosely based on one included in Sidney J. Chapman’s Hours of Labor.
The irony comes in when we look at productivity over time. After just two months of 60-hour weeks, productivity goes negative compared to what a 40 hour week would have produced.
Did you catch that?
By working 150% of the hours, you accomplish less in the long run.
Frequently Sleeping Less than 6 Hours a Night
Somehow, sleeplessness has become a strange badge of honor. We swap “war stories” of sleeping two hours a night with an odd, martyred pride shining dimly in our bloodshot eyes.
I never sleep because sleep is the cousin of death, we murmur drowsily. So many projects, so little time.
But this belief that burning the midnight oil somehow gets us ahead is utterly, tragically wrong.
You’re the cognitive equivalent of a drunk driver after being awake for 18 hours. But the problem compounds: if you don’t get enough sleep, that level of impairment comes faster the next day. After a few days of too little sleep, you’re a drunken zombie.
We wouldn’t go to work drunk, so why the hell do we go to work on four hours’ sleep, when we’re more impaired than if we were hammered?
To make matters worse, sleeping less than six hours a night may lead to an early death. The Overkill Cult is literally killing you.
Feeling Guilty About Any Time Away from Work — Even Time with Family and Friends
When we’re in the clutches of the Overkill Cult, we feel a stab of guilt when we’re not working.
“I’d love to go to this holiday party, but I really shouldn’t; this project won’t finish itself.”
We fear that any time not spent working is wasted.
The irony is — yet again — science tells us exactly the opposite is true.
Overworking leads to higher stress levels and burnout, which have been linked to increased health risks.
Conversely, time away from work is proven to relieve stress and boost creativity, among numerous other benefits.
Besides, if we accept that the ideal is to sleep 8 hours a night and work 8 hours a day, that leaves us with 8 hours for non-work activities.
Taking time away from work gives us time to recharge. It puts distance between us and our projects, giving us time to remember why we like doing what we do.
Making Our Escape
We may have been duped into joining the Overkill Cult, but it’s not too late to escape.
We’ve been conned using our own best qualities to develop habits that — even though it seems like they’d make us better — make us worse at our jobs, less satisfied with our work, and less happy in our day-to-day lives.
Leveraging the same strengths the Overkill Cult exploits, we can break free of its clutches and take back our happiness and passion.
After my beard died, I felt the full weight of burnout. I was burnt to a fucking crisp. I realized I could either leave my career altogether, or make some fundamental changes to my lifestyle.
For what it’s worth, here are the promises I made to myself that helped me break away from the Overkill Cult.
I Work as Much as I Can — But Not More
Before anything else, I had to accept that it’s only possible to do 6–8 hours of quality work each day.
Trying to work longer hours will not make me more productive. In fact, working longer hours actually results in me getting less done as time drags on.
I chose the latter, and implemented some radical (to me) strategies for controlling my time. I cut from an average of 70–90 hours a week in 2013 to an average 38 hours per week over the last year.
I expected to see less professional success in favor of better overall balance in my life — a sacrifice I was willing to make — instead I saw better productivity at work: my turn-around times went down and I was more consistently hitting my deadlines.
I was floored at the time, but in retrospect I’m not surprised at all.
I Make Sleep a Top Priority
Getting enough sleep is beneficial on every level. Yet it was always the first thing I’d sacrifice when life got busy.
Too little sleep wreaks havoc on my ability to think clearly, and that hurts me at work in a big, bad way.
After I cut my hours down, I started sleeping without an alarm. Since I’m not working crazy hours, I close my computer by six or seven in the evening, and by eleven I’m usually in bed, where I read for a bit before falling asleep. I wake up naturally between seven and eight-thirty.
This has changed my life. No bullshit.
Waking up to an alarm before I’m fully rested starts the day in a groggy, stressful way. Waking up naturally after getting as much sleep as my body needs leaves me much happier to be awake, and far more ready to start my day.
I Dedicate a Reasonable Amount of Time to NOT Working
This was — and still is — the biggest challenge I faced in breaking away from the Overkill Cult. I love what I do, and I want to get my projects finished. It’s easy to rationalize working more hours and skipping activities that keep me from working.
But now I know that taking breaks makes me more productive: time away from work lets my passion and excitement for the work renew itself; taking my mind off of a project allows my subconscious to roll around abstract ideas that result in better solutions; breaks from the job lower my stress levels and boost my creativity.
So I make sure to take time off, even if my gut (incorrectly) tells me it’s a bad idea.
I take walks. I leave my phone in my pocket when I’m out with friends or eating my meals. I spend a fair amount of time on my hobbies, like writing and hunting for the world’s best cheeseburger.
I’m happier today than I can ever remember being in my life. I feel excited to work on my projects, to pursue my hobbies, and to spend time with people I love.
I’m excited to be alive.
Leaving the Overkill Cult Saved My Life
When my beard died in 2013, I feared it was only the first sign of an impending decline in my health that would ultimately kill me. It was a glimpse into my future, and I was terrified that if I didn’t change, I was in for a life of isolation, ulcers, alopecia, and an eventual heart attack or stress-induced brain tumor.
By changing my lifestyle, I was able to turn things around. After just a year of balancing my work with the rest of my life, my beard grew back. I lost 30 pounds because I was actually going outside and making it to the gym. I felt more awake, and I became more positive.
When I left the Overkill Cult, everything in my life improved. Not one single thing got worse. | https://medium.com/digital-nomad-stories/the-cult-of-work-you-never-meant-to-join-cd965fb9ea1a | ['Jason Lengstorf'] | 2016-03-14 06:09:48.341000+00:00 | ['Happiness', 'Health', 'Work'] |
Niran Babalola: “Here Are 5 Things We Can Do To Stabilize the Cryptocurrency Market” | Thank you so much for doing this with us, Niran! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”?
I am the founder of a blockchain project called Panvala. Panvala is a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) that sustainably grants funds to projects that are working to strengthen the Ethereum blockchain infrastructure.
Establishing a world in which innovative, creative people and their ideas can flourish without gatekeepers has been important to me since I was a child. Over 38 years ago, my family came to the United States from Nigeria in search of a better life. Although I was born in Austin, Texas, as I grew up, I straddled two cultures: the life around me in the States and my family’s roots in Africa. From that perspective, I could see the dramatic differences between how my life played out with the stable, effective institutions America has to offer, and the path that could’ve been had we stayed in Nigeria, a place with a culture I hold dear, but without institutions that can actually serve its people.
My love for technology blossomed from the start of my career. I grew to understand the power it held for creating more equal pathways to success and opportunity across society. I began my career in software engineering roles at news organizations like the non-profit Texas Tribune.
My first interactions with blockchain technology -as an open source contributor to Augur, one of the first decentralized applications built on Ethereum- allowed me to understand what this technology is actually capable of changing. If we can opt in to new rules to coordinate our cooperation, I believe blockchain technology can usher in an era of dramatic increases in our common wealth, not just our wealth as individuals. The moment I found an entry into the blockchain tech world, I took it, joining the Ethereum-focused technology studio ConsenSys, where I contributed to projects including Gnosis, Benefactory, and ConsenSys Diligence before founding Panvala in 2018.
Can you tell us the story of how you got first involved with the Regtech or Crypto markets?
I first heard about Bitcoin in 2013 and initially assumed that this “digital gold” was really just fools’ gold for nerds: why would anyone believe that you could create money from nothing? However, within a few months, I found myself falling deeper down the rabbit hole of information, devouring everything I could find about blockchains, the technology behind Bitcoin. I was blown away by how the creation of Bitcoin opened up a wide intellectual frontier of new ideas to explore.
Although it started with Bitcoin, the larger concept of blockchain tech brought me to the Ethereum project and ecosystem. Again, while Ethereum seemed interesting, I couldn’t see how putting a programming language in your money would make it any more valuable. It was when other teams started building interesting applications on top of it that the promise became clear. The Augur project started building decentralized prediction markets on top of Ethereum to allow the world to create economic forecasts for any event without being shut down by regulators. I started contributing to Augur as a volunteer because I believed in that idea, but not yet in Ethereum itself.
It was during my time with Augur that I learned the fundamentals of writing the programmable
“rules” that control Ethereum smart contracts. These rules create incentive systems that replace centralized intermediaries with markets of service providers. It just clicked: there’s probably all sorts of games you could create that would help society operate in a more effective way, without reliance on intermediaries unable to fully understand our individual needs.
This epiphany changed my entire career trajectory. I immediately left my cookie cutter full-time job in search of something bigger within this new, experimental space. In 2015, I came across ConsenSys, an entity dedicated to using blockchain to create a new operating system for our society, our economy, and our politics. I knew that these were my people, and I’ve been working with various ConsenSys projects ever since.
Can you share 5 things that should be done to help stabilize the Crypto Economy?
Providing Clear Use Cases for the General Public
Right now, much of the industry instability is due to a lack of approachable blockchain technology use cases that the general public can comprehend. The majority of crypto-users purchase for the means of either holding or speculating its value, which leads to loss, uncertainty, and unfulfilled bets. When broader audiences start to realize how meaningful blockchain technology is, what their crypto can be used for outside of the investment or speculative usage, that’s when we’re going to see some of the instability fade away.
Efficiently Fund Public Goods
Unfortunately, a lot of individuals are building systems to produce economic returns. Because blockchain, and specifically Ethereum, depend on public infrastructure, we need to build and fund infrastructure as public goods, not as speculative projects that produce constant market volatility.
That is what we are trying to do with Panvala; we connect with corporate sponsors and individuals to steadily fund the work that Ethereum relies on. We hope that creating this sustainable model of project funding successfully further decreases the instability we currently see, by allowing projects to thrive without the constant need to find funding.
Regulatory Clarity
The regulatory landscape for innovating with blockchain technology is ever-moving and evolving. At a time when people should be pouring their energy into experimenting, they are forced to remain unnaturally conservative to protect themselves from potential regulatory directives.
If there were clearer rules about what could and could not be done, it would be much easier to innovate. While we do appreciate the progress that’s been made in the past couple of years in regards to regulation, since there’s been enough clarity for us to move forward with Panvala, there’s still more experimentation and further regulatory development that needs to occur to stabilize the industry.
Educate the Everyday Consumer
Although blockchain education for the broader public has improved, many products remain too complex, too niche, or too abstruse to explain to everyday consumers. This isn’t a new problem. Most industry professionals are aware that we’re building things that aren’t really usable by the general public. Much of the industry speculation comes from this very problem: We’re betting that one day mass adoption will take hold, giving access to anyone, no matter their technological level of expertise.
If we work to create an education pathway, we can graduate from an ecosystem of bets for success to an ecosystem of everyday use. Once we reach this level of understanding, we can create products and solutions that we can provide to users and say, “Hey, do you want to use this?,” and receive direct feedback on what works and what doesn’t. Right now, there is not a large enough audience of real users familiar with the technology to test our hypotheses in a quick, efficient manner.
Give it Time
It’s still very early in the history of this technology. Stability will come with time, but it’s still too soon to predict the most direct pathway to widespread usage. No matter how much work people put in to battle test new technology, society as a whole still needs to adjust to the changes that come with any new innovations.
We’ve seen tech bubbles in the past and we shouldn’t expect that pattern of booms and busts to subside any time soon. There are grand visions of what the future looks like when this technology takes hold, but it won’t happen tomorrow, and it won’t happen next year. | https://medium.com/authority-magazine/niran-babalola-here-are-5-things-we-can-do-to-stabilize-the-cryptocurrency-market-4fe3b5a355a8 | ['Tyler Gallagher'] | 2019-12-24 23:25:42.870000+00:00 | ['Blockchain'] |
Low Back Pain And Unemployment | A recent study of almost 1 million participants, conducted in Japan, looked at back pain and unemployment and found that for every 1% increase in unemployment, low back pain increased by around 770,000 cases.
The costs associated with treating chronic pain run into the hundreds of billions of dollars in medical treatments and lost productivity and yet pain is still not optimally managed in the US, or around the globe. So with the US being in the middle of a major economic recession due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, we took a look at the research to see how exactly unemployment affects low back pain, and what can be done to address this issue.
Low back pain affects 80% of the population at some point in their lives and WebMD reports that there are over 100 million Americans living with chronic pain. Pain is a complex experience — it can impact our mood, our thoughts, and our behavior. But outside factors, such as unemployment, can also play a part in our experience of pain.
According to a recent report from the US Labor Department, the percentage of employed workers has dropped to its lowest level since 1975. Between February and April of 2020, 10 percent of Americans aged 25 to 54 became unemployed due to job losses. The number of Americans who were classified as long-term unemployed (a category that includes those actively searching for work for 27 weeks or more) surged by 781,000 in September, to 2.4 million people.
Sadly, this situation is unlikely to change soon as recent data from Bloomberg cited that the number of permanent job losses rose by 345,000 to 3.8 million in September, while the number of Americans on temporary layoff dropped 1.5 million to 4.6 million.
We know that losing the sense of identity and control that having steady employment often provides, especially when compounded by a loss of income, can be an enormous physical and mental challenge for many people. As such, unemployment has also been associated with the development, or exacerbation, of a range of health issues including:
But how does it affect low back pain, specifically? That answer may be more complex and connected than you think.
Unemployment causes stress which can lead to depression.
In a 1991 study by Turner, Kessler and House, involuntarily unemployed workers experienced ‘significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, somatization, and self-reported physical illness than employed people’. A previous study that they had conducted in 1988 had found that there were ‘significant elevations of depression, anxiety, somatization, and self-reported physical illness among currently unemployed adults, but symptoms were greatly reduced by re-employment’.
Research has shown that individuals who are employed experience greater feelings of self worth and improved mood than those who are unemployed.
2. Stress intensifies pain sensations
Researchers Leavitt, Garron, and Bieliauskas (1979) found that just experiencing a stressful event does not necessarily lead to low back pain, but stress does exacerbate and intensify certain types of pain, particularly low back pain.
Unemployment is a major stressor in the evolution of chronic pain, causing higher levels of stress and pain to be experienced. When an individual suffers from chronic pain, changes in employment status may be responsible for an increase in stress and pain levels. Dolce and Raczynski (1985) proposed that back pain may result from a pain-spasm-pain cycle. ‘The unemployed person feels stress which then causes depression which causes increased sensitivity to pain, which then causes more depression or anxiety’.
3. Stress changes our cells
Telomeres are the caps at the end of each strand of DNA that protect our chromosomes, like the plastic tips at the end of shoelaces. Without the coating, shoelaces become frayed until they can no longer do their job, just as without telomeres, DNA strands become damaged and our cells can’t do their job. They are an essential part of human cells that affect how our cells age.
Recent studies in epigenetics indicate that negative experiences can actually have a physical effect on our bodies. The long-term effects of chronic stress can accelerate telomere shortening, basically damaging these cells and affecting our bodies. We can now see that stressful experiences can have negative physical effects, including increasing our risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, chronic pain, and many other long-term effects.
Some people have suggested that the increased incidence of low back pain during times of unemployment may be linked to decreased access to healthcare systems, especially in the US, as many individuals depend on employer-based healthcare plans for their medical needs. A study conducted in Japan, however, showed that low back pain increased with unemployment even though Japan has universal healthcare for all of its citizens.
So, with all of the research pointing to the fact that external factors can have an enormous influence on how we perceive and experience pain, how do we regain control and manage pain effectively?
When treating your low back pain, search for treatments and products that address the person as a whole, and that don’t just address the pain.
2. If you have been laid off from your job, look for new job opportunities. Research has shown that just conducting an effective job search can reduce depression.
3. Take time to update your resume or further your education. There are several colleges and universities that are still offering free courses to those looking to learn something new.
4. Take care of your mental health. Dr Blackburn, who has done some of the leading research on telomeres, calls this developing “stress resilience”. Our perception of stress, rather than the actual situation, is really the determinant. Studies show that being under chronic stress does not automatically lead to damaged telomeres. Our attitude to stress can make an enormous difference.
5. Try some alternative therapies. Rehabilitation centers are increasingly making use of progressive muscle relaxation and meditation to treat pain. There are several free apps that you can use to try these techniques, or you can just look on YouTube.
The more we learn about pain, the more interconnected we see that everything is. Our environment plays a huge part in our health and learning how to identify and manage external stressors can ultimately help us live a healthier, happier, less medicated life.
For more information on living your best life while dealing with low back pain follow us here, or on social media.
www.instagram.com/livafortis
www.facebook.com/livafortis.us | https://medium.com/@livafortis/low-back-pain-and-unemployment-267d595a8e04 | [] | 2020-10-13 17:42:25.941000+00:00 | ['Unemployment', 'Healthcare', 'Pain Management', 'Low Back Pain', 'Health Care Reform'] |
Why You Should Stop Worrying About Kids Being “So Far Behind…” | The pandemic is preparing kids for life beyond the classroom
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
There’s a sense of excitement in the air. Nowhere is that excitement greater than in classrooms across the country. Except maybe in the many kitchens impersonating classrooms this year.
Christmas is less than a week away. Teachers and students are packing up their books or shutting down their laptops and eagerly starting their holiday break. And parents are cheering in the background.
The next time classes convene it will be in a new year — 2021. Thank goodness.
If ever there were a reason to celebrate the new year, this is it. Vaccines are rolling out across the country. And, for the first time in ten long months, we have the thrill of hope and the anticipation of a brighter tomorrow. A tomorrow that looks more like the yesterday we all know and love.
But despite the promise of better days to come there is a bleakness hanging over education. And, according to some alarmists, our country’s entire future.
“Kids are so behind…”
You don’t have to be an educator or even a parent to have come across what has now become a popular refrain in America. “Kids are so far behind…” One study has even projected a loss of lifetime earning potential due to the COVID-slide.
I too fear the pandemic will impact our children’s financial stability. Destruction of businesses and livelihoods caused by shutdowns. Loss of family savings. Parents or caregivers taken by COVID. Government stimulus packages our kids will be paying for forever. National debt that is spiraling even further out of control.
And don’t even get me started on the inequities and inequalities, plaguing the nation. The divisiviness among us. A problem that has existed for many years, but the pandemic has brought to light.
But one thing I’m not worried about affecting their future is a brief interruption in education. Despite what the research suggests.
The Research is Bleak
Various studies have documented the COVID-slide, the learning loss caused by the pandemic. Standardized tests show that students experienced setbacks in both reading and math, with deficiencies greatest in math. Some studies project that kids could be between one-half and one full year behind in math at the end of the 20–21 school year.
But, before you get too upset, remember fear-mongering grabs eyeballs. A story about how well kids adapt to challenging circumstances doesn’t get clicks. Nor does the one that says COVID-slide was not as steep as predicted.
The one that promises a dismal future does.
Assuming the results of these standardized tests are accurate (meaning they are valid and reliable), which is a big assumption, their ability to represent learning loss and future success are limited at best.
First, students did miss out on learning last year. What passed for remote instruction in the spring varied greatly from district to district. Both teachers and students were ill-equipped for the transition. Few kids learned anything new during the final quarter of the 20–21 school.
Of course there were gaps and any tests administered early in the school year reflected this. But that doesn’t mean that our students are doomed to a lifetime of failure.
Proponents of standardized tests argue the SAT and ACT accurately predict college success. Many disagree. But, even if that’s true, success in college does not equal success in life.
The Trouble with Standardized Tests
Tests are good at measuring one thing: performance. They show how well a student can answer the limited questions set forth on the test at a particular moment in time.
Tests measure a student’s level of preparedness. That’s why schools spend so much time on test-prep activities or “teaching to the test.”
Unfortunately, there are lot of things standardized tests don’t measure. Things like creativity, innovation, and critical thinking skills. They don’t show industriousness or tenacity or social skills.
And they don’t measure knowledge. They only measure a student’s ability to recite information in the preferred way.
They also don’t account for hunger, lack of sleep, illness, anxiety, or a million other factors that impact test performance.
Students who are not good test-takers, who work slowly, or who have trouble with focus all struggle on standardized tests. And I don’t know about you, but 2020 has destroyed my ability to focus on anything for longer than ten minutes.
Standardized tests don’t work as intended. They favor white, socio-economically advantaged students who speak English as a native language.
Tests have been failing in our kids for the last twenty years. Not the other way around. To expect them to provide any meaningful data in the midst of pandemic is unreasonable.
Arbitrary Benchmarks
Equally troubling is the idea that there is a particular benchmark that all kids should reach at the same time. These benchmarks do exist, in the form of common-core or state standards. But they are human constructs, not divine ordination.
Children are not born with innate developmental timer. Some learn to walk at 9 months. Other not until 18 months.
Learning continues in this fashion throughout life. At an individual rate. All learning standards are arbitrary benchmarks created by people. People who often don’t have any experience with education or children.
Even in a “normal” year there is great variation among what individual students achieve. Some kids are right on target for their grade level. Others are several grades above or below. This is a normal part of education.
Before COVID-19, 60% percent of high school students read below grade level. And in 2017 only 40% of high school students had math skills ready for college.
Current studies predict kids will be even farther behind these measurements, which is troubling to some. But given the great variation in individual students, there never was an objective standard.
Kids are human beings. They have different interests, aptitudes, intelligences. They grow and develop at different speeds. They experience individual setbacks.
The fact that benchmarks are a human construction is a good thing. Humans created them so humans can change them. We can modify them to reflect the fact that, for the first time in a century, students lived and learned through a pandemic.
Unreasonable Expectation of Normalcy
Life during a pandemic is not normal.
Public health guidelines directed us to abandon normal in every aspect of our lives. Since March all we have heard is that we must stop doing normal to help flatten the curve and take care of others.
Businesses shuttered. Schools moved online. Vacations were canceled. Families and friends remain isolated. Concerts, sporting events, cultural events, religious services all have been canceled or modified. Every fun part of life has been suspended.
This is true for our children as well. Kids are socially isolated from their friends. They are not allowed to hug grandma. They don’t have any fun activities like sports, music, or scouts. Children have been confined to their homes for months on end. To expect learning to be normal is absurd.
Assigning grades, administering tests, and requiring kids to ignore the frightening reality they are living in shows how misplaced our priorities are in this country.
Instead of focusing on dangling participles and derivatives, and fretting about lost studies, we should be prioritizing kids mental health. And hearing how far behind they are isn’t helping them cope.
Let’s Give Kids A Little Credit
The bleak outlook for children and their future also depicts a level of despair that is tiresome. Yes, it has been a hard year. But better days our ahead.
If nothing else, our children have shown they are resilient. Why must we continue to focus on the negative?
It is demeaning to our children to think that they cannot overcome one lost year. The kids who were going to master calculus are going to do it anyway. Either at home on their own, through an online class, or next year when they are back in the classroom. And the rest of the kids probably weren’t goin to learn it anyway. And they are going to be fine.
Limited Criteria
Test scores only measure one aspect of children’s development. And frankly, in the modern world, that measure is becoming less and less important. You don’t need a college degree to be successful.
Need proof? Mark Zuckerberg? Jack Dorsey? Bill Gates?
For years, we have been pushing all kids to go to college. Whether that is the right fit for them or not. One bright side of the pandemic is that many students are reexamining this path.
Success in the 21st century requires more than academic prowess. It requires technology skills, communication skills, grit, determination, ingenuity, flexibility. Skills our kids are more equipped with because of the pandemic.
Have you seen third grader sign into Zoom, navigate technology issues, and meet his classmates in a breakout room? Or a middle school student compose professional emails, advocate for herself, and create a system to organize her papers and her time?
What about a high school student who takes care of younger siblings and still manages to get their school work done? Who’s had his SAT canceled three times and still keeps showing up and trying again? Who missed out on Prom, playoffs, Homecoming, senior concernt, and more, but instead of whining about it created his own traditions? Or who organized virtual service projects to help those less fortunate?
A Different Perspective
Our kids are not “so far behind.” They are leaps and bounds ahead in the areas that matter most. Technology, communication, flexibility, responsibility, and innovation. They are more compassionate and less selfish. They have learned not to take anything for granted.
These pandemic kids are going to do great things! Heck, they are already doing them. It’s time to stop lamenting the ways they are falling short and start celebrating the many ways they are rising to meet challenges head on. | https://lisamwaltonwriter.medium.com/why-you-should-stop-worrying-about-kids-being-so-far-behind-f533029aa301 | ['Lisa Walton'] | 2020-12-22 16:09:09.607000+00:00 | ['Education', 'Parenting', 'Children', 'Learning', 'Covid-19'] |
Menggabungkan Beberapa Database dengan Menggunakan PSQL Logical Replication | Langkah pertama yaitu copy paste file config dari url dibawah ini. Lalu uncomment dan ubah nilai wal_level menjadi logical. Simpan dengan filename postgres_db_master.conf. Nantinya config tersebut akan di implementasikan di database membership dan merchant.
...
wal_level = logical # minimal, replica, or logical
...
2. Langkah selanjutnya yaitu jalankan file docker-compose berikut:
version: "3.1" services:
db_member:
image: postgres:13.2-alpine
environment:
- POSTGRES_DB=membership
- POSTGRES_USER=admin
- POSTGRES_PASSWORD=admin123
- POSTGRES_PORT=5432
volumes:
- ./postgres_db_master.conf:/etc/postgresql/postgresql.conf
command: postgres -c config_file=/etc/postgresql/postgresql.conf
ports:
- 5400:5432
networks:
- testing db_merchant:
image: postgres:13.2-alpine
environment:
- POSTGRES_DB=merchant
- POSTGRES_USER=admin
- POSTGRES_PASSWORD=admin123
- POSTGRES_PORT=5432
volumes:
- ./postgres_db_master.conf:/etc/postgresql/postgresql.conf
command: postgres -c config_file=/etc/postgresql/postgresql.conf
ports:
- 5400:5432
networks:
- testing db_replica:
image: postgres:13.2-alpine
environment:
- POSTGRES_DB=my_dw
- POSTGRES_USER=admin
- POSTGRES_PASSWORD=admin123
- POSTGRES_PORT=5432
ports:
- 5500:5432
networks:
- testing networks:
testing:
3. Setelah db berhasil hidup, buat table di db_member dan db_merchant lalu masukkan beberapa data sample, misalkan kita buat table users (db_member) dan table merchant (db_merchant) dengan schema seperti berikut:
// run this in db_member
CREATE TABLE users
(
id SERIAL,
username TEXT,
email TEXT,
merchant_id INT,
CONSTRAINT users_pkey PRIMARY KEY (id)
); // run this in db_merchant
CREATE TABLE merchants
(
id SERIAL,
name TEXT,
address TEXT,
CONSTRAINT merchants_pkey PRIMARY KEY (id)
);
4. Langkah berikutnya yaitu membuat publication di db_member dan db_merchant. Publication adalah mekanisme postgres agar dapat mereplikasi table. Untuk membuat publication, jalankan query dibawah ini:
// create publication in db_member
CREATE PUBLICATION membership_publication; // publish table in db_member
ALTER PUBLICATION membership_publication ADD TABLE users; // create publication in db_merchant
CREATE PUBLICATION merchant_publication; // publish table in db_merchant
ALTER PUBLICATION merchant_publication ADD TABLE merchants;
5. Terakhir yaitu kita buat table users dan merchants di db_replica. Setelah table berhasil dibuat lalu buat subscriptions untuk menghubungkan publication yang telah kita buat ke db_replica. Berikut query yang dijalankan:
// buat table di db_replica
CREATE TABLE users
(
id SERIAL,
username TEXT,
email TEXT,
CONSTRAINT users_pkey PRIMARY KEY (id)
); // buat table di db_replica
CREATE TABLE merchants
(
id SERIAL,
name TEXT,
address TEXT,
CONSTRAINT merchants_pkey PRIMARY KEY (id)
); // jalankan di db_relica
CREATE SUBSCRIPTION membership_subscription CONNECTION 'host=db_member port=5432 password=admin123 user=admin dbname=membership' PUBLICATION membership_publication; CREATE SUBSCRIPTION merchant_subscription CONNECTION 'host=db_merchant port=5432 password=admin123 user=admin dbname=merchant' PUBLICATION merchant_publication;
Jika berhasil maka akan mendapatkan output sebagai berikut:
NOTICE: created replication slot "membership_publication" on publisher NOTICE: created replication slot "merchant_subscription" on publisher
6. Lakukan testing dengan memasukkan data dari db_member dan db_merchant. Nantinya secara otomatis data yang kita masukkan akan muncul juga di db_replica. | https://medium.com/@mnaufala/menggabungkan-beberapa-database-dengan-menggunakan-psql-logical-replication-b99db0ee3d3 | ['Muhammad Naufal Abiyyu'] | 2021-04-26 16:10:55.447000+00:00 | ['Postgres', 'Microservices', 'Data Warehouse', 'Data Engineering', 'Database'] |
Day #1 with Cloud Workflows: your first step to “Hello World” | With more and more interconnected services, making sense of their interactions becomes critical. With Google Cloud Workflows , developers can orchestrate and automate such complex systems by creating serverless workflows.
In this series of articles, we will learn together how to use Cloud Workflows, and get to know all its features, with short and easy to read tutorials. For our first day, we’ll discover and use the Workflows UI in the cloud console . We will create a simple “hello world” workflow, consisting of a simple step. Going further, in the coming days, we’ll learn more about advanced features. But first things first!
In the Google Cloud console UI, you can locate Workflows in the Tools section of the hamburger menu:
You can pin this menu item, to have it stick at the top of the list.
The first time you are accessing this page, you’ll be greeted with the following screen, which will ask you to enable the Workflows API. So just click on “ENABLE”:
Once the API is enabled, you’ll be in the Workflows home screen:
Click on the “CREATE” button to create your first workflow definition:
Find a name for your workflow (it should start with a letter). You can provide an optional description. Currently, only “us-central1” is available for the beta of Cloud Workflows, but more regions will be available later on.
Notice that we have to select a service account that Workflows will use to call other Google Cloud APIs, however here, there’s a warning telling us that the project requires a service account. As I’ve created a brand new project, I didn’t have any service account created. If you had used, for example, Cloud Functions beforehand, a default service account would have been created. If you need to create a service account, you can create one in “IAM & Admin > Service Accounts”, then use this one.
My first workflow will be called “w01-first-workflow”:
Move on to the next section with the “NEXT” button. That’s where you will define your workflow:
This first workflow consists in one single step, called “sayHello”, and whose sole purpose is to return a hello world message:
- sayHello:
return: Hello from Cloud Workflows!
As you can see, workflow definitions are written using the YAML configuration language.
Click “DEPLOY” to deploy the workflow. You will then see the details of your new workflow. In the “executions” tab, you can see past executions.
In the “logs” section, you can see the logging messages associated with your workflow creation, deployment and executions:
And in the “definitions” section, you can see the YAML description you just created:
Now click on the “EXECUTE” button. You will see the input section (we’ll learn about input arguments in an upcoming article), and the YAML definition. Click the other “EXECUTE” button:
You will see the result of your execution (“succeeded”, with other details about the execution), as well as both the input and the output, with our greeting message:
And here you are! You created your first workflow definition, and launched the first execution of this workflow!
In the coming days, we will have a closer look at the structure of workflow definitions (its steps), how to define input arguments, but also how to create an execution of a workflow from the command-line. | https://medium.com/google-cloud/day-1-with-cloud-workflows-your-first-step-to-hello-world-4b545064759e | ['Guillaume Laforge'] | 2020-12-02 16:14:38.944000+00:00 | ['Serverless', 'Google Cloud Platform', 'Google Cloud', 'Workflow'] |
Were 21% of New York City residents really infected with the novel coronavirus? | Were 21% of New York City residents really infected with the novel coronavirus?
It’s time to learn about bias the hard way!
Here’s the audio version of the article, read for you by the author.
The moment I saw yesterday’s Business Insider headline, I knew it would be a perfect case study for a lesson about statistical bias. “A statewide antibody study estimates that 21% of New York City residents have had the coronavirus, Cuomo says.”
I couldn’t have asked for a better one.
COVID-19 is no laughing matter and as a New York City resident who spent her birthday this year battling pneumonia that almost killed her, I’m painfully aware of that. However, the creative ways people find to misinterpret data is an eternal source of hilarity for statisticians like myself—I’ll take my laughs where I can get them these days. Image: meme template source info.
Someone is about to get criticized… but who? Grab your schadenfreudean popcorn while I crack my knuckles. Ready? Let’s begin.
What is bias?
Depends where you’re hearing the word. I’ve made a tongue-in-cheek laundry list of various bias usages for your amusement, but in this article, we’ll focus on the statistical species of bias.
In statistics, bias is all about systematic lopsidedness.
If lopsided results are misleading, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they were born out of the intent to mislead. Perhaps they were, perhaps they weren’t. Statistical bias can come about through negligence, ignorance, expediancy, or shenanigans.
Let’s talk about conclusions that are off-the-mark, shall we? Image: SOURCE.
Statisticians may use the word bias to refer to:
Our technical definition—to be revealed in a moment. Misadventures in randomization. Skewed conclusions. Any of the other definitions of bias. (Some of us are human.)
We’ll look at our little case study from each of these (overlapping) perspectives.
Great expectations
In statistics, bias is the difference between the expected value of an estimator and its estimand.
That’s awfully technical, so allow me to translate. Bias refers to results that are systematically off the mark. Think archery where your bow is sighted incorrectly.
Bias refers to results that are systematically off the mark.
High bias doesn’t mean you’re shooting all over the place (that’s high variance), but may cause a perfect archer hit below the bullseye all the time.
The headline says the study estimates that 21% of New York City residents have had the coronavirus. My guess is that this number is biased upwards.
21%? I suspect the real number is lower.
Why? I smell the pungent odor of randomization issues with how the data were obtained, which brings me to statistical subdefinition #2.
Selection bias
A special way to trigger results that are systematically off the mark is to collect your data in a problematic manner. For statisticians who love having things to be grumpy about, selection bias is a cherished frenemy. It visits so often!
Selection bias occurs when different members of your population of interest have different probabilities of arriving in your sample.
In other words, you’re making conclusions from your sample as if it were drawn randomly while it was drawn, er, “randomly” instead.
Image: meme template source info.
In that case, your sample isn’t representative of your population… which makes your conclusions untrustworthy.
If your population of interest is all New York City residents, then you don’t have a random sample (SRS) unless every single New York City resident has equal probability of being included. Is that requirement met by the NY antibody study? Definitely not.
The study did not represent everyone equally.
Before I even opened the article, I was thinking, “Yeah, right. What clever thing did they do to collect data from people who stay indoors?” As it turns out, no clever thing. What’s the probability the study measured someone who is fully self-quarantined? Zero. How many NYC residents are keeping themselves entirely to themselves? We don’t know.
Undercoverage bias: When your approach can’t cover the whole thing, so some uncovered parts are left out. Image: SOURCE.
This type of selection bias is called undercoverage bias. Your sample cannot cover your population if some parts have no chance of being sampled. One pragmatic quick fix for undercoverage bias is to settle for a less ambitious population definition. Instead of trying to make inferences about “all NYC residents” you could choose instead to talk about “all NYC residents who go outside” — problem solved!
Not quite. It gets worse.
What if we have more interesting sampling biases? What if the nonzero probabilities are systematically messed up too? What if there’s something special that made some outside-goers more likely to be tested than others?
New Yorkers shopping for pandemic groceries. Image used with permission.
Let’s see how the data were gathered. The study tested people “at grocery and big-box stores.” If you’d like increase your probability of exposure, where do you go? To places with a higher density of people, like grocery and big-box stores. Where was the study done? Yup.
People who take bigger risks with the virus had a higher probability of winding up in the antibody study.
How about if you really, really, really want to get the virus? You might go to grocery and big-box stores frequently… more frequently than someone who’s trying to reduce their probability of infection. Of these two kinds of people, which kind of person would be more likely to have COVID-19 antibodies? Which do you think would be more likely to be in the right place at the right time to participate in the study? Hello, selection bias!
Because there’s no difference between a person who thinks this is a good idea and everyone else. Image: SOURCE.
In fact, the design of this study is a bingo sheet for the various breeds of selection bias — sampling bias, undercoverage bias, self-selection bias, convenience bias, volunteer bias, and others. If you’d like me to write a follow-up article that takes you on a tour of those (plus tips for how to battle them), retweets are my favorite motivation.
Biased archers have it easy — if you keep hitting the target above the center, at least you can see it and make adjustments. Researchers with selection bias aren’t so lucky. Selection bias means all your results are wrong and you don’t know how wrong.
Selection bias means all your results are wrong and you don’t know how wrong.
Does that scare you? It should scare you! All I can do is guess that the results are biased upwards by the sampling procedure, but there’s no way to know what the real number is. But wait, there’s more! It gets even worse.
Biased conclusions
What if unequal representation isn’t the only thing messing with our ability to make sane conclusions? There’s a whole cornucopia of other biases that might impair your statistical conclusions.
What if the antibody tests themselves have problems that the researchers are unaware of?
For example, information bias occurs when measurements are systematically incorrect. What if the antibody tests themselves have problems that the researchers are unaware of? What if they only detect antibodies above a strict threshold to avoid false alarms? Then those tests will miss virus cases, so they’ll bias the estimate downward.
If information bias and selection bias pull invisibly in opposite directions, is the estimate too high or too low? Impossible to know. What do we know for sure? Some people at grocery and big box stores got an exciting readout from something called an antibody test. What do we know about NYC residents’ actual exposure rate? *shrug*
Reporting bias and confirmation bias
Among the many other ways that humans might use the word “bias” are several interdisciplinary ones that statisticians find especially relevant to our favorite way of making conversation: pointing out that someone is wrong about something. I’ll only mention confirmation bias and reporting bias here.
To be fair to Business Insider, I think they did a pretty good job of reporting. They even called the results “preliminary” and mentioned some of the same sampling issues I talked about. Kudos! These are the same properly-cautious noises originally made by the governor of NY and the team who ran the study. I have no beef with them either. Instead, my complaint is with the broken telephone game that the rest of the internet is playing.
This sloth didn’t read the article. Just like some of the folks who will comment after only looking at the title. We see you. Image: SOURCE.
Some people won’t take the time to read the whole article. Fine, I get it, you’re busy. Alas, instead of applying appropriate lol-did-not-read humility, some folks treat that title as if it’s the whole story. When they share what they’ve “learned” with others, they’ll be creating a textbook example of reporting bias.
Reporting bias occurs when people come to a conclusion other than the one they would have made if given all the information their source had.
Whenever people transmit only the most extreme or “juicy” bits of information and leave behind the boring bits that weaken their conclusions, expect reporting bias. You’ll find it wherever people have incentives to:
Make pithy summaries of complicated things (e.g. to squeeze everything into a 280 character tweet).
Prevent readers’ eyes from glazing over (e.g. journalists editorializing scientific publications).
Persuade someone through trickery (e.g. conveniently “forgetting” to mention studies that cast doubt on the arguments you’re hoping to make).
Feel better about their opinions (e.g. when they’re suffering from confirmation bias).
Whatever the intent behind reporting bias, its presence decapitates the validity of your conclusions.
Does everyone who’s guilty of it know that they’re doing it? Not if they’ve fallen prey to confirmation bias.
Confirmation bias tampers with your ability to perceive/notice/remember evidence that disagrees with your opinion.
Bringing up this cognitive bias moves us from the realm of statistics to the jungle of psychology, so I’ll be brief.
Confirmation bias is a problem of perception, attention, and memory. To put it in the simplest terms, whether or not a piece of evidence “sticks” for you is influenced by the opinion you have beforehand. If you’re not careful, you’ll mostly notice and remember information that confirms what you already believe. If you can’t see all sides of a story, you might not even know you’ve only reported your favorite, infecting the people who trust you with falsehoods.
Is the study worthless?
I’m guessing there are plenty of folks who will wind up concluding unsupported nonsense thanks to this NY antibodies study. As usual, the least data-literate readers will “learn” the most from it.
Does this mean that the study is worthless? No, but it’s only as good as the assumptions you’ll make about it. Since there’s very little that we know for sure from its data, the only way to make inferences beyond the facts is to bridge the gap with assumptions. That’s all statistics is. Assumptions, not magic.
The study is only as good as the assumptions you’ll make about it.
Unfortunately, we’re not all equally qualified to make good assumptions that lead to useful conclusions. For example, while I am a statistician with plenty of real-world data collection experience, I’m not an expert in antibody tests, so you shouldn’t trust me to make wise assumptions about their accuracy. Excellent! I don’t trust me either, so I’ll end up learning nothing about the virus exposure rate of NYC. The study is worthless in my hands.
We’re not all equally qualified to make good assumptions that unlock useful conclusions.
I can suspect whatever I like about selection bias causing an overestimate, but all I know is that the results are probably wrong and we don’t know how wrong. If you tell your friends that I said the number is below 21%, you’ve just shown us a prime demo of reporting bias.
But when experts who have been studying viruses their whole lives team up with medical professionals and psychologists who are well-versed in the behavior of New Yorkers… and join forces with those who know all the practical details about what actually happened during the development and deployment of those antibody tests to grocery stores, well, perhaps those folks are sitting pretty to make the assumptions that unlock the nutritional goodness of the tasty data collected.
In their competent hands, the study might be very valuable indeed.
In competent hands, the study might be very valuable indeed.
Perhaps the rest of us should be quiet and let the grown-ups get on with their jobs.
Thanks for reading! Liked the author?
If you’re keen to read more of my writing, most of the links in this article take you to my other musings. Can’t choose? Try this one: | https://towardsdatascience.com/were-21-of-new-york-city-residents-really-infected-with-covid-19-aab6ebefda0 | ['Cassie Kozyrkov'] | 2020-08-22 17:29:12.637000+00:00 | ['Statistics', 'Psychology', 'Data Science', 'Coronavirus', 'Towards Data Science'] |
How I Use Tools Like Bear + Notion to Be More Productive | As I referenced in an earlier post, as a VP of Sales (or any leadership role for that matter), you have an endless amount of to do’s, thoughts and digital bookmarks you need to rely on. How do you organize all this and become efficiently productive?
After years of stretching and reaching to finding a process that I feel not only saves me time, but maximizes my productivity and efficiency — I feel like I finally found something I’m excited about.
I’ve had bits and pieces of this process for nearly a decade and tried almost every app for some period of time all to no avail. After mapping and executing this new flow (with some help from a few new tools ), I feel liberated to finally take whatever ideas, actions, tasks and thoughts and get them processed for safe keeping, or action with results that are working for me.
I’ve found a rhythm, peace and even joy in using Bear, Notion, Day One, Reminders and Pocket together to help me manage my personal and work life.
I’ve told friends, family and even engaged on Twitter, reddit explaining what my process is (and even inspiration behind it — Thanks @thesweetsetup).
Because I appreciated learning from how others work — I thought I’d post my process and how I work with today’s tools to help me out on a daily basis.
Here’s my quickly sketched, barely legible, hand drawing showing my process. I’ll explain more down below.
If you know these tools already, you know there definitely is some overlap here. Bear can do things Notion can’t and yet Notion is awesome at things that Bear can’t compete with as well. Pocket and Notion can do similar things. Bear, Notion, Reminders all have the ability to manage tasks. The truth is I probably could get by just using one tool — but I would give up some great features and process by doing so.
So…here’s my set up and how I work with each. | https://medium.com/stretchvp/how-i-use-tools-like-bear-notion-to-be-more-productive-a180b7d01a13 | ['Grant H'] | 2020-06-16 15:32:51.097000+00:00 | ['Tech', 'Productivity Tips', 'Process', 'Productivity', 'Personal Development'] |
Distributed LOF: Density-Sensitive Anomaly Detection With MapReduce | Overview
Outlier detections is one fundamental step in data quality, data management and data analysis tasks. Many applications are related to it, such as Fraud detection and network intrusion, and data cleaning. Frequently, outliers are removed to improve accuracy of the estimators.
One popular technique in outlier detection, the Local Outlier Factor(LOF), addresses challenges caused when data is skewed and outliers may have very different characteristics across data regions. As datasets increase radically in size, highly scalable LOF algorithms leveraging modern distributed infrastructures are required.
Inspired by the work done by Yizhou Yan et al, this project is focusing on designing LOF algorithm in distributed computing paradigm to satisfy the stringent response time requirements of modern applications. Here, Distributed LOF with related MapReduce jobs and optimized Data-Driven LOF (DDLOF) framework are delivered to achieve this Goal.
All the works are based on Map-Reduce, written in Java. Code is available in the Github.
Distribute LOF (DLOF)
According to the work done by Yizhou Yan et al, DLOF is implemented from assigning all the points to the same machine first, and follow the 3-step pipeline:
Step 1: calculate K-distance of each point and materialize them as intermediate values.
Step 2: calculate LRD, which is the inverse of the average reachability distance based on the number of nearest neighbors of p.
Step 3: calculate LOF for each point from the intermediate values saved in previous steps.
Noticing that although each step requires different types of intermediate values, these intermediate values are only related to the direct kNN of p. Given a point p, as long as the intermediate values associated with the kNN of p are correctly updated and passed to the machine that p is assigned to in the next step, the LOF score of p can be correctly computed without having to be aware of its indirect kNN.
Related MapReduce jobs are as follows:
Fig 1. MapReduce jobs for DLOF
Data-Driven LOF (DDLOF) framework
To optimize D-LOF, DD-LOF is implemented to bound the support points. It decomposes the KNN search into multiple rounds to minimize the number of points that introduce data duplication. The following figures shows the general schema of the framework.
Fig 2.
Fig 3. DDLOF: Supporting Area
In the preprocess step, the whole dataset is divided into grids, and points are assigned to each grid. Different flags was set to each point based on three kinds of observations. Flag 1 means that it is able to find all neighbors in its belonging grid, while Flag 2 means that its k distance is shorter than the distance of point p to the grid line, which indicates that the k distance needs to update. After this step, each point will return the list, contains its flag, grid, neighbor list.
Fig 4. Different conditions for supporting areas
Next step is updating the k distance. First, by computing how many other grids the circle with radius r (as the below figure indicates) touches, there are 8 conditions. The most complex case is the radius happens to be grid diagonal.
After k-distance is updated, the neighbor information also needs to be updated. When both k-distance and neighbor list has the latest version, it’s ready to compute LRD, and finally LOF.
DDLOF’s six MapReduce jobs are summarized as follows:
Experiments and Results
For the data generation, firstly, generate random points within a defined region. Then, simulate clusters using make_blobs function in Scikit-learn by defining the parameters of clusters. Lastly, to mark outliers, some points are randomly distributed across the whole region.
Two datasets are generated for test. One is only having 110 points with 10 outliers, another one contains 1,0,50 points with 50 outliers.
Small dataset
The dataset is visualized in a scatter plot below.
Fig 5. DLOF implementation in small dataset
By filtering LOF value whose is greater than 1.5, the points with large LOF value 13.86 and 7.3 fit into the outliers. However, this algorithm fails to capture the rightmost points. The reason maybe is that when k is little (2 is chosen in this case), these points share similar sparse density with its neighbors, which leads to the LOF is near 1.
Fig 6. DDLOF implementation in small dataset
Comparing to DLOF, DDLOF can capture the few rightmost points, but it still fails to the farthest points. It may due to the same reason as DLOF. This indicates that choosing k-value is critical to outlier detection. The small k-value may classify the farthest points into non-outlier, while the larger k-value may make the points belonging to one cluster have the relatively large LOF.
The following figure marks the points whose LOF value is greater than 1.5. DLOF successfully captures few outliers, but fails to detect all of them. To be noticed, there are some points belonging to the clusters also has relatively high LOF. This may due to located on the edge of one high density cluster, the average of the ratio of the local reachability density of this point and those of o’s k-nearest neighbors may still large, even though they are close to its neighbors.
Fig 7. DLOF implementation in large dataset
Conclusion
In our project, DLOF and DDLOF are applied to detect outliers. The points which lay in the center of cluster mostly have LOF close to 1, while the points get higher LOF when they are far from the center of the cluster. Both the methods are able to detect outliers, while there still exists misclassification. More work needs to be done regarding choosing the value of k, and processing the points in the edge of the cluster.
References:
[1] Y. Yan, L. Cao, C. Kuhlman, and E. A. Rundensteiner, “Distributed local outlier detection in big data,” in SIGKDD, 2017, pp. 1225–1234.
[2] https://towardsdatascience.com/density-based-algorithm-for-outlier-detection-8f27 8d2f7983 | https://medium.com/swlh/distributed-lof-density-sensitive-anomaly-detection-with-mapreduce-6a34c176b90 | [] | 2020-06-24 21:29:41.365000+00:00 | ['Mapreduce', 'Hadoop', 'Java', 'Anomaly Detection'] |
Revisiting A Forgotten Christmas Classic: Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol | Christmas Movies Image provided by Pixabay
Christmas is the season for movies full of cheer and hope. Every so often, we find a movie that has been forgotten in the annals, lost to the newer generations who have discovered newer Christmas films.
Back when I was younger, my dad shared a movie with us that he watched as a child. Since then, it has become a tradition in our house to watch it each year. When I first met my husband fourteen years ago, he had never even heard of the movie! It might never top his favorite list, but it’s one that is a fun and captivating film.
Becoming Familiar With Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol
Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol was released in 1962. Of course, it features the many scenes that we are familiar with — Tiny Tim, the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, and some sad little tales along the way. The animation definitely shows its age, but it’s one that should be mentioned among the enduring films of the times. This remake of Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol” just might captivate your heart.
This movie, full of little lessons and Christmas spirit, with a few different spins on the Christmas classic by Mr. Dickens, but still embodies the core of what the author was aiming for. As one reviewer of the film stated, is it even Christmas without watching this film?
My Thoughts On This Classic Film
As I said earlier, this might not be everyone’s favorite film, but it deserves to be watched at least once. There are many adaptations to Charles Dickens Christmas Carol, but this is one (much like The Muppet Christmas Carol) that will resonate with kids.
It can be a little harder to find these days, but it is definitely worth watching at least once! I have loved this movie since I was young, and the many different nuggets that are nestled within. I hope ya’ll enjoy this hidden holiday classic as much as we do!
You can find a copy of it here: Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol | https://medium.com/pop-off/revisiting-a-forgotten-christmas-classic-mr-magoos-christmas-carol-e19af35182e9 | ['Rebecca Hill'] | 2019-12-25 03:31:26.375000+00:00 | ['Movies', 'Classics', 'Animated', 'Holiday', 'Christmas'] |
“My Education Is Worthless, Everyone Asks Whether I Am Male Or Female,” Says Kolkata Trans-Woman Teacher | “Our life is full of challenges, people listen to us, but they do nothing for us,” says Suchitra Dey, a trans woman who hails from Kolkata.
Last year Suchita, previously named Hiranmay Dey underwent a sex-reassignment surgery (SRS) in Delhi. While speaking to The Logical Indian, she says that she was hopeful of a better future after her operation. Unfortunately, in very little time she was confronted with the ugly truth of our society.
She said, “when people look at me they don’t want to know how am I as a person, all they care to know is about my private parts.”
Suchita is a teacher and the sole breadwinner of her family. Recently, the 30-year-old applied to a couple of schools for a new job with her double M.A degree in English and geography. To her surprise, she was ridiculed in interviews by many of the school authorities.
“Rather than asking me pertinent questions about my qualification. A principal asked me if I have real breasts or if I can give birth to a baby. In some other interview, they asked the kind of clothes I will wear if given a job but never offered me a job,” said Suchita over a telephonic conservation with The Logical Indian.
“They have questioned my mannerism and even my credentials. After all this, I feel my education is worthless, all it matters to them is, whether I am a male or a female,” Dey added.
Buried under the burden of harassment, Suchita says that she is subjected to all this mockery and humiliation just because she is a trans- woman. She says most of the interviewers do not want to see a talented teacher in her, all they can see is a man who has a different sexual orientation, a sight quite disturbing for them.
Citing the 2014 Supreme Court order that officially recognised transgenders by making the ‘third gender’ category, she said, “What is the point of such order if the people are still denied job on the basis of their gender or sexuality?”
She has written a complaint to the West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC), which she submitted on June 11, seeking their intervention in the matter. | https://medium.com/thelogicalindian/my-education-is-worthless-everyone-asks-whether-i-am-male-or-female-says-kolkata-trans-woman-ab49fc4751d9 | ['Tli Crew'] | 2018-06-24 05:56:36.013000+00:00 | ['Transgender', 'Suchitra Dey', 'Kolkata', 'Woman Teacher'] |
Can impact investors step up to the trade finance gap? | In the 1990s, I had a front row seat to the wave of investment that was then flowing into emerging markets, first as a government trade specialist and later as an equity analyst in Russia. This was the beginning of a 20 year run for emerging markets, when structural reforms, global economic integration and commodity supercycles translated into equity outperformance against the S&P. I’ve since made the shift to working in trade credit technology, but knowing the role that development finance played in the EM story, I think there’s an unmistakable place for impact investors in this one today.
Simply put, the inflow of foreign portfolio investment into the emerging world didn’t happen out of nowhere. For much of the 1980s, the World Bank’s IFC, among others, systematically gathered data, deployed capital, and worked with private sector institutions to support local capital markets and build the case for EM equity investment. Boosted by some good PR (“Third World Equity Fund” was not a winner), this work led to the creation of almost 150 emerging markets funds by the early 1990s. The IFC effort was a critical catalyst to the sustained investment and growth that followed.
This experience taught me three lessons. First, it’s worth paying attention when the IFC puts resources behind an opportunity. Second, the cold start problem is an area where investors with a development agenda can play a foundational role. And finally, when market forces and development agendas are working in tandem, substantial capital can be deployed at speed, with far reaching benefits.
What has my attention today is that since the 2008–9 recession, there’s been a concerted effort across a range of NGOs and multilateral institutions, the IFC included, to shine a light on what has been described as the global trade finance gap. The issue that they’re highlighting is the shortage of institutions and capital to intermediate risk and provide funding for firms trading cross border, with a particular focus on SMEs.
Trade finance is sizable opportunity. Setting aside for a moment corporate programs, where most capital and trade finance technology is focused, this cross border need stands in sharp contrast to the remarkable and growing access that SMEs have to export opportunities today.
Despite a financing challenge that SMEs rank as one of their top concerns, SMEs are now responsible for as much as a third of the $24.5T in goods and services sold cross border every year. Technology and the growing policy consensus for free trade are essential drivers, having steadily chipped away at the cost and complexity of cross-border trade for even small players.
The underlying cause of the financing shortfall is, in part, bank deleveraging, which took place in response to newly introduced post-crisis capital and lending rules. These requirements have pushed out some of the main trade finance banks, and have led many of those who remain to focus on their investment-grade clients. Given that SMEs are north of 95% of all firms in most countries and can employ as much as two-thirds of a nation’s workforce, there is a strong policy impetus to ensure they’re not excluded from supply chains that are increasingly global in nature.
Another constraint is local financing practices prevalent where many suppliers are based. In Asia, for example, local lenders in even the more sophisticated markets often require property as collateral. This is an inefficient use of capital that can place institutional loans out of reach of many smaller firms, and it’s compounded by local regulations in some markets which have slowed the development of suitable trade finance products.
As if today’s trillions of dollars of trade aren’t enough to bring this into focus, the Asian Development Bank and others have argued that SME exports could be lifted by as much as another $1.5T annually, if unfunded SMEs gain access to trade finance.
There are other reasons why trade finance is worth a closer look. Trade credit durations are short, with limited correlation to equities. Yields for sub investment-grade facilities — which can be for sizable firms — are attractive. Because they are short duration, lenders should be able to quickly adjust exposures and rates. This affords them a degree of protection against market disruption.
For a decade, the International Chamber of Commerce has recorded annual trade finance default rates across a range of banks, and they are considerably lower than other, comparable loan products made in the same markets. Although the data set needs to be extended, this exercise is similar to the IFC’s work in the 1980s, when the IFC began recording surprisingly attractive investment returns data for a group of emerging stock markets.
Based on these metrics alone, it’s not surprising that there are investors who want to put money to work in this area today. What’s needed is supporting data and new technologies if they’re to do this at scale. The impact investment community can speed their development, and help ensure success with some strategic capital.
Part of the hesitation, I suspect, lies in siloed portfolio allocation strategies in an increasingly interconnected world. Products, including financial services, can originate in one country with far reaching effects on others. Can more be done by moving from a distinction between investing domestically and abroad, to a strategy that explicitly supports these growing cross border relationships?
Similarly, supply chain finance programs exist that can put significant amounts of capital to work, with clear benefits for export-led economies, and with relatively little risk. Performance data from these programs, particularly ones targeting SMEs, will help create transparency and draw more investors, much as the IFC’s data did for emerging markets. With $500B now allocated to impact mandates, and with as much as $23T deployed in socially responsible strategies, scale is an asset that can create precedent and leverage.
These aren’t the only opportunities in global trade, and there are some investors, impact included, who are pursuing them. Nonetheless, technology-led disruption is underway, with implications for growth, financial inclusion, and the environment. New institutions will be created, and outdated processes will be replaced. With financing needs outpacing what’s being delivered today, well timed impact investment can play a critical role. | https://medium.com/@mike_guerin/can-impact-investors-step-up-to-the-trade-finance-gap-93fcf14e3874 | ['Mike Guerin'] | 2019-10-17 22:36:52.905000+00:00 | ['Trade', 'Finance', 'Supply Chain', 'Impact Investing', 'International'] |
Conflicts, Weapons, and Normalizing Relationships | The outgoing Trump administration has been pretty busy when it comes to inking last minute deals. Despite objections from a few prominent Congressional leaders, and many human rights groups, the current administration is pushing weapon sales in some unlikely places.
Recently, The Trump Administration notified Congress of a deal with Morocco to the tune of 1 Billion Dollars in drones and guided munitions. Prior to that, The White House approved missiles, bombs, and related equipment to Bahrain worth an estimated $750 Million. But by far the largest deal of past few months, was a sale to The United Arab Emirates totaling 23 Billion Dollars in the form of F35 Fighter Jets.
Why these three countries, and why now? In a word, Israel. Not that any of the three countries are threatened by Israel, or a hostile actor in the region for that matter. The sales are a congratulatory pat on the back, and reward of sorts, as the three countries have all normalized relations with Israel.
The United Arab Emirates even went a step further, under the guise of security, or health concerns, they halted new visas from thirteen, mostly Muslim countries, all of whom do not have formal ties with Israel. In that same period, tourism from Israel to the UAE has spiked. Another likely reason for normalization, tourism is a crucial economic sector for The Emirates, which has been curved substantially due to the recent pandemic.
What does this mean in for short term relationships and regional peace in the long run? Well, like anything and everything in this region, it’s complicated | https://medium.com/discourse/conflicts-weapons-and-normalizing-relationships-ff4917fadee0 | ['Bashar Salame'] | 2020-12-16 03:20:52.703000+00:00 | ['Peace', 'Politics', 'Diplomacy', 'Middle East', 'Foreign Policy'] |
How to recognize & appreciate employees without spending any money | In the previous article Why Appreciation Matters? we discussed why it’s important to recognize and appreciate employees and acknowledge their efforts. In this era, most of the employees want a quality work environment. They want to get quality in their life. If an organization fails to bring quality to their employee’s life, he or she is most probably going to get it from another organization.
In this article, we will continue our previous discussion. Here we will be looking into the ways of how you can appreciate employees or your team members, acknowledge and recognize their efforts for the organization.
Every employee has his own priorities, own ways to feel accomplished. Being a team lead/manager, it’s your duty to find out what motivates your team members. Most of the time, employees feel motivated by the things that cost too low. | https://medium.com/@faraz-javed/appreciate-employees-without-money-7bb439344805 | ['Faraz Javed'] | 2020-11-25 14:19:40.658000+00:00 | ['Team Building', 'Leadership Skills', 'Teamwork', 'Team Management', 'Leadership'] |
What Type Of Yoga Is Best For Me In 2021? | Benefits Of Yoga
Better posture and stamina: Yoga gives better posture, flexibility and stamina by building your muscle strength. Yoga prevents joint and cartilage breakdown. It also helps to protect your spine and improve bone health.
Blood circulation is greatly improved, while lymphs are well-drained and your immunity is significantly boosted. Yoga helps to drop blood pressure and relieve depression. If you want to exercise your lungs and breathe better, yoga would be your best choice.
It increases alertness, focus and makes you happier. Yoga has been known to help relax the system and make one sleep deeper.
Among several yoga programs out there is the Yoga Burn Program, which you don’t want to miss going into 2021.
Yoga Burn Program
The secret to the success of the Yoga Burn Program lies in what’s referred to as Dynamic Sequencing. Dynamic Sequencing is the way in which the yoga burn program teaches you how to properly perform each movement. It then continues to adapt and increase the challenge at the precise moment your body starts to get used to the routine. This forces your body to change and adapt, which in turn, helps to build a shapely, feminine body that not only looks better but feels better too!
The unique 3 phase program guides you through a series of different videos that are laid out in a way that will keep your body and mind guessing to ensure you do not get bored or hit a plateau. Each video is 45 minutes long and can be done anytime, anywhere. You are encouraged to complete three 45 minute videos a week, with the option to complete a bonus video lesson which is provided. It’s highly recommended to fit the bonus video in if you can find the time. The bonus video is focused on increasing your emotional well-being, self-confidence, and overall happiness. I’m sure you’ll agree that confidence and happiness are two of the most attractive attributes a woman can possess. Learn more about Yoga Burn’s 3 phase program below.
How It Works
Phase 1
Foundational Flow
This phase is called the foundational flow because that is exactly what we will be building: A solid Yoga Foundation. The first four weeks are designed to teach you the foundation of strong yoga practice and of course, start to shape long, lean muscles while having fun! Both beginners and advanced yoga students can and will benefit from this unique set of sequences.
You will learn how to execute proper form and build a strong “mind-body” connection so you can call on the muscles you need once we move into the more challenging videos. This initial foundation is the key to progressing through the next two phases safely and effectively.
Phase 2
Transitional Flow
Phase 2 is dedicated to teaching you how to combine the moves you’ve learned in Phase 1 into a smooth flow that will allow you to burn more calories and get that heart rate up! By now you will be more comfortable with our basic moves, so let’s mix it up and keep your body guessing to force it to adapt and change for the better!! Each video in this phase focuses on large muscles groups.
The 3 workout videos are Upper Body, Lower Body, and Core. We will work on our transitions from one pose to the next. Learning how to link poses together feels really good, and allows you to focus on the present moment rather than giving the mind time to wander…it’s like a moving meditation!
Phase 3
Mastery Flow
Get ready to kick it up, notch ladies! It’s time to combine all that we have learned from the past 2 Phases into a scorching hot sequence designed to fire up your metabolism. It will transform your body in ways you may have never imagined possible with yoga!
The layout of each video is slightly different than the previous videos. There is more repetition of each pose to really encourage the desired muscle to fatigue. Also, you will be guided through a combination of upper and lower body compound movements. These are designed to get the most done in the shortest amount of time. The muscles we are going to target will help give your body that attractive hourglass shape.
Phase 3 is designed to spice things up, reenergize and reinvigorate your mental focus while fully maximizing your weight loss results.
Who is Yoga Burn For?
Yoga Burn is for women from any walk of life who are ready to make time to follow a done-for-you yoga program. It’s designed to promote natural and healthy weight loss without any need for pills, powders or potions.
If you want to lose weight and get in shape without having to spend countless hours in the gym or lift heavy weights then Yoga Burn may be a great fit for you.
Can I do Yoga Burn while pregnant?
Yes, you absolutely can. If pregnant, I recommend you take advantage of the bonus videos, The Beginner Flow and The Tranquillity Flow, which are ideal throughout all stages of Pregnancy.
In addition, we also provide you with a complete list of modifications to be used during each trimester of your pregnancy. And best of all, Yoga Burn is perfect for helping you recover once you’ve had your baby as you can start getting fit without even having to leave the comfort of your own home!
What Makes Yoga Burn Different From Yoga Classes?
Well, first of all, you won’t have to be stepping over sweaty yoga mats to find a spot in an overpriced and crowded studio. No fighting through traffic to get to the gym, or deal with men having their heads up your “you know what” just to do the same generic class week in and week out.
But, on a more serious note, Yoga Burn is a progressive yoga program designed exclusively for women to deliver maximum fat burning results and body shaping effects in the shortest amount of time. Remember, each and every strategic movement built into this program was done so with that sole purpose in mind which makes it completely and utterly unique from anything else available period.
Yoga Burn is designed specifically to meet the needs and challenges of everyday women that want to shape up and lose weight. Those that want to experience all of the amazing benefits a professional and progressive yoga program has to offer… All in the comfort of your own home… On your own time.
What if the workouts are too hard for me?
The program is designed to be able to suit women of all fitness levels from very new beginners to advanced yoga students. Dynamic Sequencing helps to ensure you can achieve the very basics of each pose and then teaches you how to progress to more challenging poses in a very detailed way.
If you find your workouts too challenging there are always plenty of modifications offered in the videos to adjust each movement to your current fitness level.
Testimonials
Love this!!!!! Just finished week two. I can feel it! Great so far!……
Juliette Kuc Nunez
This work out is challenging but not overwhelming. I’m 50 & at least 20 lb’s overweight. I do 30 minutes a day for the past 2 weeks & I’m already down 8 lbs. I’m also following a very strict. But this is the first time in a very long time I’ve actually lost weight while dieting…… Beth Carbone
Hey ladies, so I’m doing YB and YB TOTAL BODY too and I’ve really noticed how much I now focus on my posture and can feel it getting better. Another added bonus. I think I am getting a bit addicted to the YB Range…… Yazz Ahmed
Just bought it today and completed my first workout! Easy to follow and I was surprised with it actually getting my heart moving (I’m a gym girl trying to manage my time better). That gym membership may be coming to a close…. I loved the workout!…… Meggie Jenny
I fit into my wedding dress! I FIT INTO MY WEDDING DRESS!!!!! Did I mention that I fit into my wedding dress? I wore this dress 13 years ago (nearly) and we could not do up the zipper a few weeks ago! Woo hoo! RESULT!!!!!…… Sue Pamp
Hi, I’m from the UK and shipping was really quick. Obviously, I had the material immediately via the download link but I was impressed how quickly the DVDs got here. As for the workouts, you won’t regret it The duration and content combination is fantastic. I have done (and taught) several different yogas and low impact sport over the years and this is one of the best workouts I’ve done…… Kelly Foxhall-Ridgeway
Trust me one of the best plans you can have on your TO-DO list for your health going into 2021 is Yoga Burn Program. In the beginning, you might have to adapt. After some time, be rest assured that you would appreciate the achievements you see and fall in love with your body over and over again.
>>>JOIN YOGA BURN PROGRAM HERE<<< | https://medium.com/@360liferecipe/what-type-of-yoga-is-best-for-me-in-2021-ac12d54f0794 | [] | 2020-12-22 14:41:28.451000+00:00 | ['Routine', 'Yoga', 'Healthy Lifestyle', 'Exercise', 'Fitness'] |
梯度下降學習法（Gradient Descent Learning Rule） | 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/%E4%BA%BA%E5%B7%A5%E6%99%BA%E6%85%A7-%E5%80%92%E5%BA%95%E6%9C%89%E5%A4%9A%E6%99%BA%E6%85%A7/%E6%A2%AF%E5%BA%A6%E4%B8%8B%E9%99%8D%E5%AD%B8%E7%BF%92%E6%B3%95-gradient-descent-learning-rule-83e1915f76cb | ['Ken Huang'] | 2020-11-02 02:45:26.821000+00:00 | ['Gradient Descent', '神經網路', 'Machine Learning', 'Neural Networks', 'Artificial Neural Network'] |
Mystery ‘Israeli expert’ denies Russian role in Novichok affair | Last week a website called News Front published what it claimed was an interview with Alexander Brass — described as a “writer” and “an Israeli expert on international terrorism”. Based on his purported knowledge of the way secret services work, Brass was quoted as saying Russia could not be responsible for the “Novichok” poisonings in Salisbury.
“If the [Russian] GRU needed to kill Skripal, he would now be dead,” Brass allegedly told the website. “This is a well-thought-out strategy of demonisation and international isolation of Russia.”
Within a few days, the “Alexander Brass” interview was also featured by Russia’s Sputnik News and on the website of fantasist David Icke. It was re-published in the US by a right-wing conspiracy-theory-and-pseudoscience website, The Liberty Beacon, and on the website of its European offshoot,
Europe Reloaded.
On Twitter, the interview was promoted by George Galloway, the British former MP and admirer of Saddam Hussein, who described it as “a must read”:
Professor Tim Hayward of Edinburgh University, a prominent figure in the Russia-friendly Working Group on Syria, Propaganda and Media, joined in on Twitter too:
There are doubts, though, about whether Alexander Brass, the writer and Israeli terrorism expert, really exists. A Google search reveals no trace of him except in connection with the News Front interview. Conceivably he was using a pseudonym, though News Front doesn’t say so.
The question of Brass’s identity is relevant because News Front has previously been accused of fakery. The website is based in Crimea and its editor-in-chief is Konstantin Knyrik, a former pro-Russia militiaman who also chairs the Crimean branch of Russia’s ultra-nationalist Rodina party.
News Front publishes in several languages, including German, Spanish, and English, and has been described by Time magazine as “among the better-resourced players in the Russian media ecosystem”. Last year it was the subject of particular concern in Germany where there were reports that it was trying to influence the Bundestag election. A study by the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab found that News Front was one of the three main outlets for Russian propaganda in Germany, alongside Sputnik and RT. | https://brian-whit.medium.com/mystery-israeli-expert-denies-russian-role-in-novichok-affair-d8ee33c27b75 | ['Brian Whitaker'] | 2019-08-09 07:37:59.652000+00:00 | ['Propaganda', 'accused of fakery', 'Russia'] |
Volunteering Experience with The Citizens Foundation Pakistan. | After my CSS exams in February 2019 , i was looking for a platform where i can work at grass root level and become part of educational reforms or a platform where we can discuss about career counseling because most of the people in Pakistan want to become engineers or doctors just because of a myth “if you want to prove yourself or want to become successful in life you’ve to become doctor or engineer and these are the only acceptable professions in our society” or one can say positivity in life because people at very early stages in their lives don’t have enough people to communicate with about their plans or how to face failures in life and how to take your failures as a motivation to become successful in life. How to handle a situation when someone at school is bullying you about your colour, caste, height, religion or financial status or how to realize a fact that material things don’t matter in long run and just bring temporary satisfaction in life.
Someone told me about The Citizens Foundation and luckily they were looking for people who want to volunteer themselves in Rahbar program. I decided to volunteer myself and here is what I’ve learnt so far.
We’ve been assigned a school located in outskirts of Lahore in a village named Wara Allah Daad near Indian border where one can see Indian and Pakistani flags with the naked eye. This is the first time in my life that I’ve interacted with people living in villages, Saw my father when he was serving in rural areas of KP but never interacted with anyone. I’ve been assigned 7 kids and all are from different backgrounds and most of them are first-ever kids in their families who are allowed to study at school. They’ve to help their parents when they go back to their home after school. Some of them have to clean the dung of their cattle, some of them have to help their parents in farms which are owned by the Chaudhary of the village.
Not a single kid has a residence in the same village where school of TCF is situated so they’ve to travel 20–25 KM on daily basis to attend school and there is a hope I can feel, no matter how poor they’re financially or how difficult it is for them to continue both i.e study and help their parents in activities of daily life at the same time. They still have dreams about what they want to become in their lives. Some of them want to become engineers, doctors, Artists etc. and even there’s a guy who wants to become Hakeem which proves that their dreams aren’t artificial. They don’t consider any profession good or bad. They’re full of positivity, honesty and spirit. They don’t want to act fancy and want to impress the delegation of professionals from Punjab’s capital by telling them their fancy and artificial dreams. I’ve learnt one thing during this journey that no matter how bad life is treating you, you should be cheering whatever you’ve and stay positive no matter how bad your experiences are. Try to find happiness in the little things that matter. | https://medium.com/@shaheerahmadrind/volunteering-experience-with-the-citizens-foundation-pakistan-c223493dcd56 | ['Shaheer Ahmad'] | 2019-12-05 11:53:23.295000+00:00 | ['Educational Reform', 'Rural Areas Of Punjab', 'Tcf', 'Positivity', 'Volunteering Experience'] |
Were Feds After Former Mayor Lee? | According to Phil Matier’s December 6 SF Chronicle story, if former San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee were alive “he would be deep in the U.S. attorney’s investigation into corruption at City Hall.” Matier bases this on Lee’s friendship with Walter Wong and on having appointed Mohammed Nuru and Harlan Kelly. Matier adds that Lee is identified as “code 35” in the Kelly case, though the reference is not connected to any corruption.
Matier’s comments add to what many have long believed: Lee was always the prosecution’s chief target. Just as Willie Brown was targeted when he was mayor (either despite or because he was long the nation’s most powerful Black political leader). The feds could not find criminal wrongdoing against either. In Lee’s case, the feds found others.
The feds tried their best to take Lee down. Remember the stories surrounding “Shrimp Boy’s” 2014 arrest and 2016 conviction? The false claims by those being prosecuted that Lee took illegal donations? These claims were made by those needing to offer prosecutors something to reduce their own sentences. The feds worked tirelessly to bring Lee down and utterly failed to touch his integrity.
Many suspected Lee was under federal watch due to his friendship with Walter Wong. I’ve read many stories about Wong since his arrest. What I find most wrong is the idea is that he was part of the city’s ruling elite, and protected thereby.
But those seeing Wong as a loyal soldier in former Mayor Brown’s alleged “machine” miss a key fact: Brown and the city’s elite backed Gavin Newsom in the 2003 mayor’s race; Wong ardently supported left favorite Matt Gonzalez.
Walter Wong was little known to the public until he leased his office space off Mission Street for Matt Gonzalez’s massive grassroots 2003 mayoral campaign. Aligning with the Green Party’s Gonzalez put Wong in the cross hairs of the city’s elite, particularly Gavin Newsom. After Newsom took office he soon declared war on “permit expediters.” Wong wasn’t the only expediter and most were white. Yet the media profiled Wong as the quintessential expediter. Overnight he became the public symbol of a profession now blamed for alleged favoritism in the city’s permit processing system.
A hearing on the alleged permit expediter scourge was held in 2004 at the mayor’s urging. It was one of the most entertaining I ever attended. Here’s why.
Why SF Needs Permit Expediters
The hearing to end the alleged abuses by Wong and other permit expediters in San Francisco resembled those held by Trump attorneys claiming voter fraud. A lot of bluster with no evidence.
It turned out that residents quoted in newspaper stories about seeing Walter Wong and other expediters jump ahead in line and go behind the desk of planners had not personally witnessed any of this. They’d only been told about such actions by others. None of those “others” attended the public hearing designed to root out and expose permit expediter corruption once and for all.
They didn’t attend because, as with Trump’s election deniers, they had no facts.
The hearing ended with proposed legislation being tabled. And it has not resurfaced. San Francisco has permit expediters because homeowners and landlords doing renovation project want them. Most don’t have the time or desire to wait in line for permits, nor the expertise to answer essential questions that come out of the permit processing process.
No, the code cannot be made “simpler” or more “straightforward.” We’re talking about a building code that has many state as well as local requirements. When you are dealing with new electrical, plumbing or foundation work, multiple code issues emerge. People should not confuse getting building permits with waiting to renew a drivers’ license.
If supervisors want to focus on permit expediters while businesses across the city close, that’s their choice. But don’t expect the system to change. (For the record, neither myself nor my organization has ever used permit expediters).
Walter Wong’s Funding
Finally, one question remains around the Wong corruption scandal. As the SF Chronicle’s Heather Knight asked, “Why are these high-powered, very well-paid (many would say overpaid) government officials allegedly risking it all for such piddly prizes?”
I would add this: is it true that only non-white officials the beneficiaries of Walter Wong’s largesse? I find that very unlikely. Yet all of the top city officials targeted by the feds are non-white.
The racial dynamics of San Francisco’s “corruption scandal” deserve more attention.
Randy Shaw highlights Mayor Ed Lee’s housing legacy in Generation Priced Out: Who Gets to Live in the New Urban America
Read More: San Francisco News | https://medium.com/@beyondchron/were-feds-after-former-mayor-lee-461b2e085b53 | ['Randy Shaw For Beyond Chron', 'The Voice Of The Rest'] | 2020-12-08 18:57:13.318000+00:00 | ['Mayor', 'San Francisco', 'Racial Disparities', 'Building', 'Corruption'] |
7 Places To See In Bangkok in 2 Days | Hey guys!
I started my “Round The World” (RTW) trip in Bangkok, Thailand sometime in July 2017 and ever since the travel bug keeps going on. This was my first time travelling overseas. The City of Angels is like home away from home but still so foreign. I spent 3 days traveling around Bangkok and created this guide of 7 Places To See In Bangkok. I did a research beforehand to maximise my time and to avoid overspending. So I’m sharing with you my 7 Places to See in Bangkok in 2 days!
Originally published in Paul Saqueton
Thailand is truly a central hub for backpackers! I simply love this vibrant city with all its buzzing life, delicious street food, markets, and of course, its friendly people.
WHEN TO VISIT BANGKOK
You can visit Thailand all year round even if the climate varies throughout the whole country. I went in July which is part of their wet season and it went fine as well.
Wet Season: April-October
Dry Season: November- March
THAILAND CURRENCY AND MONEY EXCHANGE
₱1= 1.63 Thai Baht
$1= 31 Thai Baht
€1= 36 Thai Baht
£1= 41 Thai Baht
BANGKOK WIFI, SIM, AND TRANSPORT
You can look and book for the wifi, sim, and transport here and pick it up at the airport.
GETTING AROUND BANGKOK
The best way in getting around Bangkok is to use train system, Tuk-tuks and the boat taxi. I love tuk-tuks. It was really fun!
DAY 1
I stayed at Glur Bangkok Hostel and Coffee Bar. Then I took a boat ride going to the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, and Wat Arun after having enough rest from my 3-hour flight. By the way, there’s a dress code when you visit these temples. Make sure your legs and shoulders are covered.
#1. Grand Palace Temple
Don’t miss out the Grand Palace the official residence of the Kings of Thailand since 1782. This temple is jaw-dropping and very elaborate. This one is on top of my places to see in Bangkok!
Address: Na Phra Lan Rd, Khet Phra Nakhon, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, Bangkok
Na Phra Lan Rd, Khet Phra Nakhon, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, Bangkok Opening Hours: 08:30 AM– 03:30 PM
08:30 AM– 03:30 PM Entrance Fee: THB 500
THB 500 Full Information: Grand Palace Temple Information
#2. Wat Pho
Just around the corner from the Grand Palace is also Wat Pho, or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha.
Address : 2 Sanamchai Road, Grand Palace Sub district, Pranakorn District, Bangkok
Open Hours: 8:00 AM — 5:00 PM
Entrance Fee: THB 100/PHP 153 (USD 3/EURO 3/SGD 4/MYR 13)
: 2 Sanamchai Road, Grand Palace Sub district, Pranakorn District, Bangkok Open Hours: 8:00 AM — 5:00 PM THB 100/PHP 153 (USD 3/EURO 3/SGD 4/MYR 13) Open Hours: 8:00 AM -6:30 PM
8:00 AM -6:30 PM Entrance Fee: THB 100
THB 100 Full information: Wat Pho Temple Information
#3. Wat Arun
I took a ferry across to the other side, where I marvelled at Wat Arun, or the Temple of Dawn from the riverbank near Wat Pho. Wat Arun is commonly known as the ‘Temple Of Dawn’.
Address: 158 Thanon Wang Doem, Khwaeng Wat Arun, Khet Bangkok Yai, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon
158 Thanon Wang Doem, Khwaeng Wat Arun, Khet Bangkok Yai, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon Open Hours: 8:00 AM -6:30 PM
8:00 AM -6:30 PM Entrance Fee: THB 100
THB 100 Full information: Wat Arun Temple Information
#4. Khao San Road
This place is the centre of the backpacking universe. I visited the Khao San Road at night after chasing temples by riding a tuk-tuk from my hostel. There’s a lot going on this area. It’s so busy, lively and you can literally find anything here.
#5. Sky Bar
It’s also an amazing place to see in Bangkok the Lebua Sky Bar. It’s located in Bangrak business district which is a walking distance from my hostel. This sky bar was featured in Hangover 2 so I just had to see it for myself.
DAY 2…
#6. Chatuchak Market
I visited Chatuchak Market the next day. It’s the largest market in the whole of Thailand! It’s that huge that you could spend your whole day here. This is literally shop ’til you drop. This is also a nice way to observe the daily lives of the locals.
#7. Central World Mall
Malls in Bkk are more than just malls — they are social hubs! A lot of life in the city happens in the malls so I just had to visit one. I opted to choose Central World which is the largest shopping destination lifestyle in Bangkok. That makes it my top 7 places to see in Bangkok!
Ahhh! Thailand is in indeed the travel hub of Southeast Asia. A place I will return to and a heaven for budget backpackers.
I hope you enjoyed reading this 7 Places To See In Bangkok In 2 Days Itinerary. I hope it has helped you in anyway. Please do share with your family and friends.
For hassle free bookings in Thailand, BOOK HERE. I mostly use this option when I travel alone and it’s awesome because I get to meet other people. I earn a little commission on each booking as a way to keep this blog going so I can create FREE content for you at no extra cost on your end.
’Til next time! See you on the Road! See original post here.
Best,
Paul | https://medium.com/@paulsaqueton/7-places-to-see-in-bangkok-in-2-days-c0af10df90bf | ['Paul Saqueton'] | 2019-06-16 08:40:44.143000+00:00 | ['Travel', 'Thailand', 'Backpacking', 'Asia', 'Bangkok'] |
Reading to Our Children Teaches Them Emotional Intelligence | Reasons for reading vary from person to person; ask ten people their views on the subject, and you’ll likely receive as many answers! Some view learning to read as a necessary evil, just a part of the “reading, writing, and ’rithmetic” lessons that come with early schooling. Others manage to fall through the cracks of the education system, graduating from high school still completely unable to read. Many people see reading as a means to an end, a way of obtaining necessary information to navigate life. Some read for entertainment, to learn new skills, and to stimulate their imaginations. All of these are excellent reasons to value the written word.
One of the strongest arguments for the voracious consumption of literature, though, is that reading allows us to have encounters we would never otherwise be able to experience. By living vicariously through characters in a book, a ten-year-old girl in Oklahoma can learn what life is like as a small Muslim boy in Iran. A wealthy homemaker in London finds common ground with a homeless young mother in the Philippines. A construction worker in the Bronx learns to identify with the lived experiences of a young soldier in war-torn Germany. All without leaving their homes or even their sofas, people across the world can learn about the experiences of their fellow human beings.
Beyond that, many studies suggest that when children are exposed to frequent reading early in life, reading can change the way the brain is wired. Though the concept of emotional intelligence has been lightly thrown around in pop psychology in recent years, emotional intelligence is associated with five primary skills: self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, social skills, and motivations. Early and frequent exposure to reading plays a large part in the development of emotional intelligence that lasts a lifetime.
Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash
Self-Awareness
Self-awareness can be considered one of the cornerstones of emotional intelligence. In fact, research suggests that self-awareness is the single most important factor of emotional intelligence, the cornerstone that all other facets of emotional intelligence rests. Much like it sounds, self-awareness lets us identify and evaluate our own feelings without allowing those feelings to control us. (Honest self-reflection on our weaknesses and strengths is vital to this process!)
Stopping to ponder our strengths and weaknesses can be uncomfortable for anyone, but reading can make this process more accessible by presenting strengths and weaknesses through the lives of various fictional characters. In the lives of the central characters in a book, we make connections about values, relationships, and our own identities. As every former middle schooler can tell you, self-awareness can be painful! Confronting these identity connections in fiction, therefore, can sometimes be easier to do. Vivian Howard found that “in their pleasure reading, teens gain significant insights into … self-awareness … which aid them in the transition from childhood to adulthood.” It is vital, then, that today’s busy teens be allotted plenty of unstructured time for reading that they find enjoyable, not simply reading assigned for school.
Self-Regulation
Once one possesses the ability to evaluate one’s own feelings, emotional self-regulation allows us to control and understand our own emotions, rather than allowing that emotion to be the guiding force behind our behavior. Incredibly, toddlers who have affectionate caregivers that read storybooks to them as toddlers showed significantly more ability to self-regulate one to five years later! By taking the time to read books to toddlers, we unknowingly support them in their ability to self-regulate. Because sharing a warm relationship with someone who reads to a child frequently is more likely to spur an ongoing love of books, this is a gift that keeps on giving throughout the lifespan.
Empathy
Arguably one of the most important aspects of emotional intelligence is the trait of empathy: the ability to recognize and identify with the feelings of those around us. We hear a lot about empathy in campaigns to end bullying in schools, and we often ask our children to identify the feelings of other children. Quality literature shows multiple perspectives, encouraging the reader to look at the world from viewpoints other than the one they might ordinarily take.
Intentional cultivation of empathy is key in learning to relate to others in the world and to appreciate points of view other than one’s own, and reading quality fiction to children can help them to thoughtfully consider the perspectives of those different from themselves.
Social Skills
Closely following on the heels of empathy, social skills are another factor of emotional intelligence that affect our relationships. While the term “social skills” is somewhat broad and nonspecific, it typically meant to encompass both verbal and nonverbal communication skills. When we read to our children, they observe our facial expressions, our tone of voice, and our level of enthusiasm. This is an excellent way to promote communication skills!
These enhanced social abilities can include expanding vocabulary and learning about nonverbal cues, like facial expressions and body language. Interacting with others in a safe environment such as a home with loving parents offers children a wonderful opportunity to practice various social skills. Adding fun books into this parent-child dynamic affords many additional opportunities to rehearse language, facial, and bodily communication skills.
Intrinsic Motivation
Intrinsic motivation is defined as an internal drive to succeed in one’s pursuits regardless of power or money — part of developing our own unique value systems. When we are confident in our own values, we find motivation to pursue the things of importance to us. We don’t do this because it’s what others expect, but because it is truly in line with the person we aim to become.
Children who read for personal enjoyment also gain plenty of insight into their own personal development and values, allowing them to gain insight into what motivates them. The self-development gained from this love of literature will serve them long into the future and carry them into their career and other pursuits, because they will not solely be motivated by financial gain or the approval of others.
Conclusion
It begins in the arms of a loving parent who reads nursery rhymes to their infant and continues throughout childhood a teen is capable of guiding their own foray into various genres that they enjoy. The importance of reading throughout childhood is this: emotional intelligence are key to a healthy self-concept and relationship with family, partners, and friends. These skills are most readily learned through cultivating an early love of books.
In her lovely essay “One Writer’s Beginnings,” author Eudora Welty speaks of the importance of learning to love reading: “In my day … you learned the alphabet as you learned to count to ten, as you learned “Now I lay me” and the Lord’s Prayer and your father’s and mother’s name and address and telephone number, all in case you were lost”.
It is just as Welty says. As sure as a sense of direction and a correct address, the emotional maturity learned in the pages of a book will always be there to guide a reader home. | https://medium.com/@rachelcoonswideman/reading-to-our-children-teaches-them-emotional-intelligence-67404b3021ca | ['Rachel Coons Wideman'] | 2020-12-08 00:39:27.638000+00:00 | ['Reading', 'Parenting', 'Emotional Intelligence', 'Literature', 'Children'] |
Viewing the Earth’s Surface With the New and Improved Google Earth Timelapse | Viewing the Earth’s Surface With the New and Improved Google Earth Timelapse
Two design leads unpack their approach to creating new map imagery and implementing Material Design best practices
By Samadrita Das, User Experience Designer, and Tom Gebauer, Design Lead
Editor’s note: In 2013, we launched Google Earth Timelapse, our most comprehensive picture of the Earth’s changing surface. In 2016, we added a few new years. Today we released a bunch of updates, including design upgrades and mobile support. Below, our design leads share how they approached redesigning Earth Timelapse.
Chuquicamata Mine, Chile
Google Earth Timelapse is a great example of how Google can take a massive amount of data, democratize it, and enlighten us — in this case about the planet we live on. There’s nothing like a living, moving image to show us how the world has changed over decades, as the zoomable video in Timelapse allows us to do for places like the Columbia Glacier or the Tibetan Plateau.
Today we’ve improved Timelapse so that the site can tell richer stories about the planet, and more people can share these stories. Our mantra in getting this project done has been “Earth Day or bust” — and thanks to some scrappy workflow improvisations, we made it!
Why we were up for the challenge
This has been a 20% project for Tom and Sam. Tom is a design lead for Google’s Display & Video 360 project; Sam is a user experience designer on the Geo Enterprise team, primarily working on Google Maps Platform. For Tom, working on Timelapse was a way to do what Google does best: using data to create an amazing and focused experience. (Plus, when people ask Tom what he does at Google, he can say semi-seriously, “I work on time travel.”)
What appealed most to Sam was the chance to contribute to a platform that helps people visualize how the Earth has changed, in a very digestible format. She was also up for the tight-timeline challenge: It exemplified how teams in an organization as big as Google can be agile if the need arises.
With a scrappy team assembled, we focused on the problems to solve: | https://medium.com/google-design/redesigning-google-earth-timelapse-135a963cc35 | ['Google Earth'] | 2019-11-21 19:28:30.456000+00:00 | ['Redesign', 'Design', 'Google Earth Timelapse', 'Case Study', 'Earth Engine'] |
Does Imposter Syndrome Keep Writers Honest? | Does Imposter Syndrome Keep Writers Honest?
Self-doubt forces you to write better
Photo by Ryan McGuire on Gratisography
Imposter syndrome is the bête noire of the writing world.
Achieve a modicum of success and suddenly you’re expected to rise above it, pretend you know what you’re doing, appear invulnerable. All the while, you’re probably still second-guessing yourself in secret but heaven forbid anyone should know.
Not every writer will openly admit to tangling with imposter syndrome, and yet it is universal.
Instead of raw honesty, some will entice you with woo-woo quick fixes and shortcuts in listicle format promising instant reward so you sign up to some mailing list. Or buy their course or writing software so you can replicate their success, as if good writing were a matter of knowing the secret or having the right equipment.
They posit their success can be scaled and replicated ad infinitum while ignoring one crucial point: We all have a different voice. This means we all use language differently. Sure, you could turn yourself into a clone of someone you admire but then you’ll never find your own voice or style.
And unless your business is ghostwriting, why would you want to sound like somebody else? | https://asingularstory.medium.com/does-imposter-syndrome-keep-writers-honest-7cac73d43c7e | ['A Singular Story'] | 2020-05-17 13:48:36.099000+00:00 | ['Creativity', 'Self', 'Psychology', 'Inspiration', 'Writing'] |
Code Smell 34 — Too Many Attributes | Code Smell 34 — Too Many Attributes
A class defines objects with lots of attributes.
Photo by Andy Li on Unsplash
Problems
Low Cohesion
Coupling
Maintainability
Readability
Solutions
Find methods related to attributes. Cluster these methods. Break the object related to those clusters. Find real objects related to this new objects and replace existing references.
Examples
DTOs
Denormalized table rows
Sample Code
Wrong
Right
Detection
Most linters warn when you declare too many attributes. Setting a good warning threshold should be easy.
Tags
Primitive
Conclusion
Bloated objects know too much and are very difficult to change due to cohesion.
Developers change these objects a lot, so they bring merge conflicts and are a common problems source.
Relations | https://medium.com/dev-genius/code-smell-34-too-many-attributes-2df68c7db040 | ['Maximiliano Contieri'] | 2020-12-28 22:46:13.124000+00:00 | ['Software Engineering', 'Clean Code', 'Software Development', 'Programming', 'Code Smells'] |
Это прокрастинация или тяга к прекрасному? | in Both Sides of the Table | https://medium.com/livejournal-archives/%D1%8D%D1%82%D0%BE-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%B8-%D1%82%D1%8F%D0%B3%D0%B0-%D0%BA-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BC%D1%83-666d4a430231 | ['Orion Nebula'] | 2017-07-02 21:18:48.314000+00:00 | ['Online', 'Music', 'Video', 'Music Concert'] |
Lockdown Economy Netherlands in Finance Consultancy with Emmielin Rombley | The interview was transcribed and adapted into an article by Kelly Machin
Lockdown Economy: Interviews by think tank AlterContacts.org with real entrepreneurs sharing insights, challenges and successes during the COVID19 global pandemic to inspire, motivate and encourage other entrepreneurs around the world.
In this interview hosted by Rosie Allison, we meet Emmlielin Rombley, the founder of RIMEOY Finance Consulting Agency based in the Netherlands. Emmielin told us how she made the choice to go alone and set up her own business in August of 2020 despite the economic challenges of the pandemic. She has been able to create a strong client base through an emphasis on personal communication and honesty in determining which clients fit best with the style of her consulting agency. Emmielin discussed the challenges of the multi-platform working environment and emphasised how communication is the key to ensuring deadlines are met and efficient working practices are achieved.
Watch the video version of the interview.
So, tell us a bit more about your finance consultancy agency.
Emmielin: Basically, it’s pronounced RIMEOY [Rom-ear-why] Finance Consulting Agency B.V. and I started it in August this year during the pandemic. I’ve always had an idea to start on my own and that was basically the idea since last year. I’ve had a lot of consultants coming to me and said ‘why don’t you just start on your own because you’re very talented, you have a lot of knowledge with regards to finance and accounting’.
It was kind of difficult for me to think that stuff because I am very used to working in the corporate business and having a manager to tell me what to do, but I said you know what, try to basically start on your own and see how it is, grow your network and grow in your own field of finance and also learn a little bit more about what’s happening outside in just only in one field of my expertise, because my background is both basically coming from the banking world and the insurance world and also real estate, and I said why not just grow with your experience and do something different and reach out to other companies that need help.
My company is focusing on giving advice for different companies regarding national, international, non-profit organisations, and I like to focus on their financing processes, what help do they need, in order to improve their financial flow and in order to know what is important for them for their strategic moves for the future.
I think for myself it’s interesting to learn a lot about my expertise in the field of giving advice, and I really enjoy doing that, and I said why not do something different, why not try to reach out and see where I can assist these companies to the best of my ability. So that was basically my whole idea of having to start on my own and see how that would work out for me.
Great and so you actually experienced starting your whole new business during a pandemic, what was that like for you? Were there any challenges that you faced?
Emmielin: I wouldn’t really use the word pandemic, I just see it as a pause for all of us that we have to sit back and reflect. It was a good time for me to sit back and reflect and look at my experience and say ‘what would you like to do in the future, what else would you like to come up with some new ideas’.
I’ve always had ideas to focus on my business plan since last year, and now that we are in this pause moment I said you know what, you have more time to basically reflect and finish the things that you want to finish, the goals that you want to achieve.
I was able to take that step forward and then I was able to also connect with many persons online, whereas you see a broader network of people are want to reach and they are not able to see you face to face so it became a little bit more, the flow became a little bit faster getting in contact with people, calling them, the network becomes bigger, faster, and then you get an idea the strategic way how you want to move forward with yourself, your personal goals, what you want to achieve, and then you make the supports see what is best for myself and the company to grow in order to help other people.
Yeah okay, and tell us a bit more about the structure of your agency, are you alone in your company?
Emmielin: Well currently I am alone, and I am still looking forward to having some persons to work with me and some business partners and also for persons who also would like to assist in the accounting or finance if anything so, at first I am alone but I am really looking forward to having more partnership in the future.
Great and so you mentioned some of the benefits that you actually found of starting your business during the pandemic, increasing the connectivity with people but did you find any challenges or anything that you tried to stimulate your business that actually didn’t work for you?
Emmielin: I think it’s basically important to look at the specific platform that you’re connecting with because there are specific platforms out there that are not going according to the right regulations so they would probably bring you into their network and then basically they won’t help you to grow but they’re only focusing on themselves so you have to be very very careful with that.
So, I’ve also experienced that and also what’s important is to know the direction that you want to grow with your company because sometimes you want to have a partnership with certain other companies or other persons and your goal and your mindset goes one direction and they want to go a different direction. So, it’s important to always have a clear discussion at first to see that where do you want to go together to grow together, and if you see a path where it’s going to go better, and the direction where you see is going to grow, then you say ‘hey this will work’, but it’s not going to go well at the first beginning, then you say you know, don’t doubt about it, if you have any doubts just don’t do it.
So if you have a good feeling at first and say hey this is going to work, work together, work for the partnership, and I do see myself with persons that I get involved more or especially also clients. Clients also want to know if I’m the right person to help with their accounting and direction that they want to work with, so it’s always important to ask a lot of questions, a lot of questions where you can see from both sides where it works out well and then you can see hey this partnership can work, this client can be my client, and we can work together with that. It’s important to really keep an eye out on what’s the right platform and direction to go with the right partnership client and see how to work from there.
Yeah, I definitely, I think that’s great advice and so obviously in the past I guess you would utilize more of a face-to-face consultancy type work and now clearly that’s not possible so have you found different mediums that work or maybe don’t work so well in order to get this connection to see if you’re able to move forward with a client?
Emmielin: I think what really worked for me is the online platforms, freelancers, platforms, there are various one out there and you have to be very very discreet to know which one really works because they have some platforms that have a lot of leads that will be coming in constantly and they have others where it’s just for free and nothing comes in at all. So you have to look at it as you have to still have some sort of financial obligation to still be able to you know to connect with certain platforms that are able to help you with specific leads and at the same time try to also be very proactive with the client so that you can also help them and still follow up on whatever questions they may have.
For the online discussions, I’ve noticed that there are many companies out there in the Netherlands that need help and that want to connect to the municipality in the Netherlands. If you are working or in a company that is not situated in the Netherlands, most of the municipality information is in Dutch so they will reach out to me and say ‘Ms Rombley, we really need your help and we want to start a business here, we have no clue’. These are small self-employed companies who have been working in, for example, the UK for a while who want to also transfer their business in the Netherlands.
I’m also helping one client who needs that help and I’m also glad that they’ve reached out to me on an international platform it’s something I’m not very used to because I’m so used to being behind the desk and typing my figures but now it’s a different change to really connect in a different arena, speaking with different persons you’ve never seen before and having a good connection you ask questions, what can I do for your company? How can we help each other? And really be there to use your social media expertise to really switch from not only the telephone but also WhatsApp and LinkedIn and different platforms out there. So I’m glad to also have that expertise to also be used to that as well and that also makes me feel good to use that for my business as well.
Sure, yeah I guess it’s a slight positive to come out of this situation is that people do seem to be connecting more, reaching out for help, at least we can see a slight silver lining to this situation. So, your business at the moment, how is it going in the current situation?
Emmielin: It’s going step by step, I’m happy with it because it’s good to have a balance where you can able to choose in the direction where you want to go and how fast you want to go or how slow you want it to go and then they have moments where I have so many leads coming in and I’m thinking ‘wow okay this is like really really heavy’ I said ‘okay I have to set this up, do that do that’. But it’s always a frightening feeling at the beginning and once you do it you’re like wow okay that was really easy it was just good and step by step.
I noticed there are a lot of clients that are situated outside the Netherlands and are connecting with me and say I really need your help, what do I need to do to go to the tax authorities, to register for V.A.T., what do I need to do to register for K.Y.C. form at the bank, and I’m helping them with those administrations.
At the moment now everything is more ad hoc and I also have self-employed persons here in the Netherlands connecting me and say hey I need some financial statements right now within two days and so for me, it’s like second nature, I can just set it up in a few days it’s really easy for me and I also try to assist them and say hey guys you also need to make sure that your banks are in line with your financial statements and things like that because if you’re a person that only works in the business you don’t think about your financial figures, you figure that it’s just easy for them, but I also have to assist them and guide them and say ‘guys I need to have this document because you’re not going to be in line according to financial statements’.
I have a combination of international clients, I have national clients, I have clients that are self-employed one person the trading or their own little small business so but mostly right now is ad hoc work which is good because I keep connecting with them and then it surprises me that they keep calling me and say ‘I need another job, I need another job’ and I was thinking okay this getting busier so I said I’m gonna have to sign a contract with you now you know because sending invoices is just I’m not gonna cut it anymore.
But it’s nice to connect with different people and you build trust with them, you build trust with them. We haven’t had time to sit down and have coffee but we’re talking on WhatsApp and we’re talking on email and they trust me and they say ‘I trust you with my work and this is the document and I need it like now’, no problem it gets done and I don’t mind because I work very fast and efficient and I’m glad to help anyone as best as I can.
Yeah so you mentioned kind of during this period where you are connecting with people on so many different platforms, so many different levels it can sometimes feel I think a bit of an overload maybe for people that are diversifying their business do you have any tips to any small business owners that are watching that may be feeling this kind of overload, how do you manage all this do you have platforms that work for you or a diary how do you do it?
Emmielin: I think it depends on how you work because for me I’m very flexible so my tip is to try to be as flexible as possible but still try to find a balance to basically take some time to do the work well so it’s not about rushing and doing it right away because they need it now now now. Communicate, let them know I will be finished within two days, I’ll be finished within the end of this week and let them know you also have other clients you have to also attend to so that they are aware that okay you’re also busy, it’s not as if I’m sitting home and because of Covid I’m sitting at home I’m also busy doing other work as well.
Communication is important, let people know when is it you were able to deliver and also be honest with yourself so that you can be able to do good work and diversify different things to do a different type of companies is always good it’s always a learning aspect but at the end of the day we all need to have our balance sheets and our profit and loss and our financial statements according to the basic standards that’s how I see it, and if a specific company needs, of course, some help with regards to new financial standards I’m here to help them, of course, it will cost them a little bit more but I always focus on making the work as efficient as possible and as simple as possible and if more work is needed then you communicate and say guys if you need more work I’m going to give you a specific strategy for the new changes for the financial statements and these are the new regulations but it will cost you more. But as my tip, keep it as simple as possible, focus on your balance and just work as efficiently and simply as possible.
Yeah, I think that’s great advice, simplify things, it’s always useful. So, you’ve given some great tips and you’ve mentioned how your business is moving to different levels during this time of the pandemic but as always with a small business, well with any business, there are always things that people need help with so if you could mention three things that in the current climate you really need help with your business to move forward what would they be?
Emmielin: I think three things would be to connect with more platforms, more platforms that can connect me to more clients in the finance arena. I have noticed there are some online platforms out there that are not so much connected to finance but maybe in different fields but I want to be more focused on the financial part and I think in the future is for me to get more involved with more partnerships with businesses partnerships with anyone who has the same mindset and would also grow together with me. That is for me important, and of course, if the future comes and I have so much work to do of course I will have more persons who want to be employed with me no problem, so I think that’s the three things in my list I’m focusing on for the future.
Thank you very much for you valuable insights I think they’re useful not only for your industry but can also be transferred to many other business owners. Do you have any final words for the people that may be watching?
Emmielin: Well, Rosie all I can say is be positive, reflect on what you would like to achieve for yourself professionally and personally and if you need help just reach out, reach out to people and ask to say I need help with this I need help with that, reach out don’t sit back and say the world is don’t want to help me; your family is there your friends are there your network is there, even as people you don’t even talk to just reach out and say ‘hey how’s it going can I help with something or can you help me with something, this is my business I’m working on a new challenge can you reach out to other people who can able to help me with my networking to grow it’, just reach out. So, reflect, be positive and reach out to people; communication it’s important.
Perfect, great advice, thank you very much.
About the Guest
Emmielin Rombley is a finance professional with more than 10 years experience in accounting and finance. Her company RIMEOY Finance Consulting Agency (RIMEOY FCA) is focused on giving advice and improving financial processes of various national, international and non-profit organizations.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmielin-a-rombley/ | https://medium.com/@altercontacts/lockdown-economy-netherlands-in-finance-consultancy-with-emmielin-rombley-6152a9007d60 | ['Lockdown Economy'] | 2020-12-14 19:54:47.192000+00:00 | ['Consulting', 'Small Business', 'Coronavirus', 'Lockdown', 'Finance'] |
The good news is that you do not have to make 1000 dollars or 1000 followers to advise people on… | The good news is that you do not have to make 1000 dollars or 1000 followers to advise people on how to make the same. Do not do it!
After all, it is not your fault that people assumed that you might have walked the walk for writing stories on what you hope to walk through by getting readers to read your own dreams.
That is, you wish to make 1000 dollars or 1000 followers by advising people on how to make them. You are totally innocent. It is always the reader’s responsibility for falling for unrealistic fantasies every single time.
A realistic way to thrive as a poet: | https://medium.com/everything-shortform/the-good-news-is-that-you-do-not-have-to-make-1000-dollars-or-1000-followers-to-advise-people-on-530091c210a6 | ['Pretheesh Presannan'] | 2020-12-16 07:56:33.472000+00:00 | ['Creative Writing', 'Fun', 'Funny', 'Humor', 'Satire'] |
GraphQL — The Stack #1. This blog is a part of a series on… | This blog is a part of a series on GraphQL where we will dive deep into GraphQL and its ecosystem one piece at a time
Part 1: Diving Deep
Part 2: The Usecase & Architecture
Part 3: The Stack #1
Part 4: The Stack #2
Part 5: The Stack #3
Part 6: The Workflow
Now that we have discussed about GraphQL, and also about some of the architectural considerations when starting off, let’s look at the next important step in the puzzle — choosing the right tech stack for your usecase and building the development workflow which suits you best in this blog.
Technology changes and evolves constantly as we have already seen it happening all these days. So, rather than worrying too much about the technology you choose, it is better to choose a tool, library or platform which allows for incremental changes without lockin. Using the list in the previous blog post might actually help in your decision making process.
But, today I am going to assume a tech stack (the GraphQL Tech Stack that I work with everyday to build Timecampus) and walk you through. The reason I say “GraphQL” Tech Stack is because, this is just a part of the complete stack I use and there is more to it which we will discuss sometime down the line in a different blog.
NOTE: While these work great for me, this is an area of continuous exploration for me and I don’t mind replacing X with Y as long as the effort is really worth it from a future perspective (we will explore more on what they are and why we use these as we go along). With that, let’s start.
VSCode
There is no doubt that VSCode has become the defacto editor which developers user these days. And it definitely deserves the recognition and credit it gets. VSCode comes with amazing extensions and tooling for GraphQL and its ecosystem built by the community and if you work with GraphQL and Typescript, I would say it is pretty much a standard editor which you would definitely want to use.
For instance, just do a search for “GraphQL” in the marketplace, and this is what you get:
and the ecosystem is growing even more everyday and this makes VSCode indispensable for our stack.
GraphQL Config
GraphQL Config acts as a single configuration point for all that we do with GraphQL. This is important because when working on projects, it is important to have little to no repetition (DRY principle) and having a separate config file for every tool will start getting overwhelming and messy over time since we will have multiple places to maintain.
We can specify all that we want regarding GraphQL in a single .graphqlrc file as mentioned in the docs starting from the location to the schema, the GraphQL documents (queries and mutations), and also the configuration for extensions which we use with it.
Not just this, a single .graphqlrc file can be used to specify all the configuration you need for multiple projects that you use in your workspace.
For eg. it can integrate with our VSCode GraphQL extension to provide autocompletion, intellisense and so on, provide all the config needed to do code generation with GraphQL codegen, linting with GraphQL ESLint and can also pave way to all the other tools we may integrate in the future.
A .graphqlrc.yml file may look something like this:
GraphQL Config Snippet as used by Timecampus
VSCode GraphQL
The next thing which comes to mind is a VSCode extension which can provide the support for all the things you need to do with GraphQL. Originally developed by the amazing people at Prisma this extension was later donated to the GraphQL Foundation and the reason this extension is really promising is because, it provides everything you need to work with GraphQL including syntax highlighting, autocompletion, validation, SDL navigation, execute, operations, support for tagged template literals and all of this with support for GraphQL Config and it works great.
NOTE: If you are using the Apollo Stack (like Federation), I would recommend you to go with Apollo VSCode instead since it provides support for things like apollo.config.js (which integrates with the schema registry), federation directives and so on.
GraphQL ESLint
The next thing which is important when you work with GraphQL as a team is following a set of standards so that everyone is on the same page. This is where using a linter like GraphQL ESLint would really help. The beauty is that it integrates seamlessly with GraphQL Config, supports ESLint natively and also provides some inbuilt rules which is a great start to work with like consistent case, making naming of operations mandatory, forcing a deprecation reason and so on which can be of great use as you scale up with GraphQL.
A sample .eslintrc file to be used for GraphQL ESLint would look something like this:
GraphQL ESLint snippet as used by Timecampus
GraphQL Inspector
How do you make collaborating with GraphQL very easy? And how do you do this in such a way that you have all the information you need to take a specific action? What if there are breaking changes to your schema? Errors and issues may creep in anywhere and at anytime.
This is where GraphQL inspector comes in. It provides a platform with various functionalities like schema validation, coverage, finding similar operations, inspecting the difference between different versions of the schema, mock your schema with test data and also a Github application to do all this for you when you raise a pull request.
For eg. this is how finding the coverage of your operations against the schema looks like:
GraphQL Coverage as used by Timecampus
And if you want to find similar fields/types within your schema, this is how it will look like:
GraphQL Similarity as used by Timecampus
Typescript
When I initially started off with Typescript few years ago, I was not sure of the advantages it would provide me over time for the effort I am putting in to make the code I write completely typed. To be honest, it takes a lot of effort and sometimes can be painful. But, this perception changed over time especially when I started working with GraphQL and Typescript.
The reason GraphQL works great with Typescript is mainly because of a lot of similarities between them with both being strongly typed, providing a clear path to documentation, offering great validations and also a great ecosystem built both on top of Typescript and GraphQL.
This will become more evident as we go through this blog. But, writing the types manually for each and every field in the schema or for every operation and keeping them updated can be a huge task. This is where a lot of amazing tools come in like GraphQL Codegen, Typed Document Node, Typegraphql and so on.
And on top of this, the beauty is that, with GraphQL and Typescript, we can actually make the end-end stack fully typed (which is what we do at Timecampus). And after seeing all this happening, even `graphql-js` is on its path to migration with Typescript.
Graphql Helix
There are a lot of GraphQL servers out there. And we even spoke about some of those in our first blog post. While it is not necessary to pick an out of the box GraphQL server since you can build your own using graphql-js , it may not be a smart choice since you might not want to reinvent the wheel.
This is where I use GraphQL Helix which provides me a GraphQL server and also the option to selectively replace any module that I need to work for your usecase. This is very evident from the examples folder of the repository demonstrating various usecases like subscriptions, csp, graphql-modules, persisted-queries and so on and also with various frameworks like express, fastify, koa.
And since there are no outside dependencies except for graphql-js there is also no bloat to the same unlike other graphql servers. If you want to see how other GraphQL servers perform, you might want to have a look at this.
GraphQL Codegen
We did discuss how Typescript and GraphQL works seamlessly well with each other. But what if we can generate all that we can from our SDL which provides majority of the information that one needs including name of the schema, fields, types, and so on.
And this is where GraphQL Codegen plays a major role. You can generate all the types, interfaces and so on and it also comes with a lot of plugins and presets to help you work with not just Typescript, but also other languages and tooling. All we have to do is import the type we need and just use it making it really simple. And every time we change the schema, we can just regenerate the types. Also, it integrates seamlessly with GraphQL Config making it really easy to maintain.
For eg. this is how the generated types look like:
There are more tools, libraries and platforms we have to talk about as part of our GraphQL Stack and we will be continuing our discussion in the next blog post. Hope this was insightful.
Looking for help or engineering consultancy? Feel free to reach out to me at vignesh[at]timecampus[dot]com and we can take it from there.
And if this helped, do share this across with your friends, do hang around and follow us for more like this every week. See you all soon. | https://medium.com/timecampus/graphql-the-stack-1-99a8e4f820c2 | ['T.V. Vignesh'] | 2020-12-11 03:22:08.583000+00:00 | ['Computer Science', 'Programming', 'Software Development', 'Engineering', 'GraphQL'] |
The JEF is Launching the New Swiss Chapter | The JEF is Launching the New Swiss Chapter
The Swiss Chapter is led by Anita Mihailovich, an International Law Attorney, Founder of Mihailovich & Partners, and Manager of the Swiss Israel Chamber of Commerce
The comparison between Israel and Switzerland is a common phenomenon in the Israeli economic discourse. Many times the argument is made that Switzerland is seen as an ideal model for a free and prosperous economy, and Prime Minister Netanyahu himself noted on several occasions that he aspires to resemble the Swiss when it comes to opening markets to competition and lowering taxes.
Therefore, with the opening of this new chapter, led by Attorney Anita Mihailovich, the Jewish Economic Forum aims at serving as a gateway for Swiss investors and corporates who look to establish or expand their operations in Israel as well as in Europe. And of course, Israeli investors interested in expanding in Switzerland. The growing partnership between Israel and Switzerland is on the way to prosperity. Israel is an important trade partner for Switzerland in the East. About 18,000 Swiss citizens live in this country and form one of the largest communities of Swiss abroad. For Switzerland, Israel represents a key commercial partner and export market in the Middle East. Since 1993, there exists a free trade agreement between the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and Israel.
The needs for cooperation — whether economic, innovative or environmental — are driving the two countries together. Switzerland in its ongoing quest to develop its economy and assume greater influence in global affairs, and Israel in its effort to find new overseas markets to boost its economy.
Therefore, it is inevitable that the focus of the Jewish Economic Forum should open itself to the Swiss as well, given the crucial business potential. As stated by JEF’s Chairman, Mr. Jonathan Pacifici:
“The Jewish Economic Forum finds it a great asset to promote cooperation in the private sectore between the countries, and we are excited to be part of the opportunities in the developing relationship”
Mrs. Mihailovich added: | https://medium.com/jewish-economic-forum/the-jef-is-launching-the-new-swiss-chapter-94ddf3ee9f9 | ['Liran Zitser'] | 2019-12-02 11:26:19.368000+00:00 | ['Jewish', 'Switzerland', 'Israel', 'Business', 'Economics'] |
Dalam Edisi PDKT dengan Web Framework Laravel 4 | in Both Sides of the Table | https://medium.com/teknomuslim/dalam-edisi-pdkt-dengan-web-framework-laravel-4-6ca04385ebdf | ['Didik Tri Susanto'] | 2016-06-21 23:06:00.682000+00:00 | ['Web Framework', 'Belajar Laravel', 'Opini', 'Laravel 4'] |
Will EIP-1559 be a Solution to Ethereum’ High Gas Fee Issue? | It is clear that the continuously congested blocks account for the all-time high gas prices.
According to the report by Coin Metrics, an analytics provider, after having delving into the world of Ethererum transaction fees, it is notable that they remain the highest-ever levels and even a highly anticipated upcoming network upgrade is unlikely to ease the condition. Currently, median fees on Ethereum have been consistently over $10 for most of 2021. Comparatively, the average Ethereum transaction fee reached just $5.70 at the height of the 2017/2018 bullish market.
It attributed some of this increase to the increment in ETH prices themselves which will make gas more extortionate. Since the beginning of 2021, ETH has surged 125% to current prices despite a correction of 19% from its all-time high of $2,050. However, over the same period, the median gas price has increased by 532%.
Organically, different types of transactions require different amounts of gas — a simple ERC-20 token transfer uses much less gas than a complex smart contract operation for an automated market maker for example. However, it noted that DeFi itself is cannot result in the high gas fees, it is simply more transactions in general.
Since January 2020, the amount of gas needed per transaction has went downwards. This explains that increased transaction complexity is not accountable for high transaction fees.
Ethereum transactions are currently auctioned, with those paying more gas taking miner priority and getting faster transactions than those that have set a lower gas limit.
The report noted that the current high fees are because the blocks are consistently full, around 95%, and have been since mid-2020 and the DeFi boom. For March 2021, Ethereum blocks have been 97%-98% full, data based on the research.
It is expounded that miners need to specify which transactions to include when mining new blocks and each block can only include a limited number of transactions (on average 160 to 200) due to the maximum block size. Thus, it is still too soon to conclude if the long-awaited EIP-1559 network upgrade, which has been designed to change the auction mechanism and burn some of the fees, can solve the problem of high gas costs, seems like only scaling solutions will be the true long-term fix. It is only can be said that the upgrade will only help make fees more predictable as the root of high fees is the scalability problem. | https://medium.com/@biboxexchange/will-eip-1559-be-a-solution-to-ethereum-high-gas-fee-issue-ca107785c41b | ['Bibox Exchange'] | 2021-04-01 03:40:08.633000+00:00 | ['Ethereum Blockchain', 'Blockchain Technology'] |
Treatment for drug addicts cannot continue in this manner | Treatment for drug addicts cannot continue in this manner
The government institutions can only treat an extremely limited number of patients. Throughout the year they can treat only around 15,000 patients. Needless to say, the standard of treatment leaves much to be wanted Msbadhon Dec 20, 2020·4 min read
Treatment on a national scale for drug addicts is negligible in comparison to the extent of addiction all over the country. While innumerable young people all over Bangladesh are in the grips of this crippling addiction, there are only four government-run institutions for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts. And according to media reports, the state of these institutions is deplorable. These centres themselves need to receive treatment before these can treat the patients.
The four centres — one in Tejgaon, Dhaka and one each in Chattogram, Khulna and Rahshahi, are acutely lacking in infrastructure, physicians and staff. Not only do the patients remain uncured, but they are at risk of contracting all sorts of diseases in the unhygienic conditions of these centres.
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There is no accurate figure as to how many persons are addicted to drugs in Bangladesh. However, according estimates of certain physicians of the National Institute of Mental Health and Hospital, there are over 5.6 million drug addicts in the country. However, a study conducted by the Forensic Training Institute of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police, puts this figure at 6.6 million.
Various studies reveal that one in every 10 addicts turn to various centres for treatment. This indicates that 500,000 to 650,000 drug addicted persons need treatment. But the government institutions can only treat an extremely limited number of patients. Throughout the year they can treat only around 15,000 patients. Needless to say, the standard of treatment leaves much to be wanted. Also, after treatment, the patients need to spend time at rehabilitation centres, but these centres do not have enough space to accommodate them and most of them have to simply go back home. And in most case, the addiction is not cured.
Given the paucity of treatment, cure and rehabilitation of drug addicts, innumerable private centres have sprung up all over the capital city and in other parts of the country. There are 351 such private treatment centres all over the country. In Dhaka alone there are 105. However, it is assumed that there may be many more such centres operating without government approval. These centres offer sub-standard treatment where there is actually hardly any chance of cure.
For instance, recently a police officer, Anisul Karim, was physically assaulted at the ‘Mind Aid and Psychiatry De-Addiction’ private hospital in Adabor of the capital city and finally died. In fact, in many of the private drug addiction treatment centres, physical abuse has become commonplace. A drug addict Mahfuzur Rahman, according to a news report, was regularly beaten up at a centre in Manikganj. The families of other patients report of similar physical and mental abuse in other centres too.
This must be brought to a halt. The government must monitor the situation and also increase its initiatives in this regard. Most importantly, the easy availability of drugs must be sternly clamped down upon. | https://medium.com/@msbadhon11/treatment-for-drug-addicts-cannot-continue-in-this-manner-71a9e463a9e3 | [] | 2020-12-20 13:21:03.529000+00:00 | ['Health', 'Addiction', 'Life', 'Mental Health', 'Drugs'] |
A Letter to My Future Self | Hey mate,
Are you happy yet?
Really hope you are. Really hope that this emptiness and exhaustion is just temporary, that there is a perfect bite of a burger at the end of this.
Weird huh? How is it possible that everything can be going so smoothly and yet I'm still not happy?
The void feels more like a wave. It comes and goes, but crashes harder with every subsequent visit. I wish you are able to deal with this. Able to ward off the wave or at least fill the void.
Are you happy yet? How did you do it?
Is it me? Am I just making myself miserable? That's got to be it. Just feeling sad so I'll gain the pity of the people around me just to feel some sense of importance.
Things are looking up though. Things have been looking up for a long time. I'm lucky enough to admit that, lucky enough to realise my privilege and indulge in it too. So why don't I feel like I deserve it?
Okay, I'm not happy now and that's fine. I can deal with that. Gotta deal with it, but please tell me this is leading up to something. Tell me it's leading up to something good.
I sincerely hope you are happy now. I hope everything just clicked and you found your way.
If you are already there, can you give me some advice? How long does this last?
One day I'll learn your secrets, one day I'll figure out how to make myself happy. Though, all of this rambling, this desperation, this search for fulfilment relies on how you answer this question.
Dear future me, please answer this question.
Are you happy yet? | https://medium.com/@khooweishawn/a-letter-to-my-future-self-ff15bb5e39ac | ['Shawn Something'] | 2020-12-12 12:09:40.905000+00:00 | ['Self-awareness', 'Self Improvement', 'Development', 'Letters', 'Mental Health'] |
Photography and the Art of Seeing the World | “The camera is an instrument that teaches people to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange
Digital life has changed everything, including photography and how we take photos.
Everybody can take a photo, just pick up a plastic cased digi-machine and point and shoot. The results appear to be astounding, flabbergasting. For a while digital photography, it’s amazing capacity to balance the light and darkness, to tone the colours and pick up the smallest details of an object that caught our eye, made us all go nuts and buy some sort of digital camera.
Smartphone or DSLR or Mirrorless, take your choice and enjoy photographing the world as you see it.
The question is, are we really photographing the world as we see it?
Image: Sean P. Durham, Berlin, 2020
Do we take the time to get over the amazing technology and stop long enough to look at the object that caught our eye?
The world is full of techies, gear-freaks, and early adopters who seem to be hell bent on using the latest, bestest equipment that’s on offer. They swear blind that their camera, the latest technology, is what you need if you want to take great shots and if you want to be taken seriously as a photographer.
Digital photography has overcome many problems that photographers used to love working out for themselves. How to set the shutter speed, the aperture size and the distance, the shadow, the light, the trick of adjusting the ASA (ISO) rating up a notch to trick the camera into working as if you had a fast film roll inside.
Selfie of You and Me
Now, all you do is twist the dial and set the whole camera onto “P” setting if you don’t want to control things. It’ll take great shots when you push the button.
My question is, why are you and me taking photographs?
The camera type doesn’t matter so long as you have a lens that leads to a box of tricks that will capture the moment.
Many a street photographer has proved her or his worth by using a camera that most gear-heads would sneer at.
Today, many photographers find that they can get the shot with a smartphone that has high quality. There a many good examples of street photographers and portrait photographer’s work that were taken with simple cameras. The lens on the phone was just right and the basic settings were enough to get the shot.
The real thought is that you are seeing something important. You feel something about a little corner of the world that you bumped into and so your mind begins to focus, to engage with the object, and when you feel that you have understood it, you frame it and keep it — in your thoughts.
Man attempting to Capture a Thought
Photography allows us to frame the moment that we have considered deeply and capture it so that we can go back and take another look.
This allows us to ponder our own ability to see things correctly, to ask questions about why we thought the object or person in the photo was worth keeping. Maybe, we even get to point where we ask “what on earth was I thinking?” when we realise that our momentary ‘stopping’ and focusing was probably a stupid idea, at that time.
Taking photos changes our view of the world. A perspective is a mentality and the person involved in looking makes decisions about what is important to them based on their biases.
Digital photography has led to the snap-shooter who can click off several hundred shots in a very short time. There’s no processing costs to think about, and if you shoot enough rolls of pixels a pretty interesting shot might show up amongst the several hundred shots that day.
A photographer soon discovers that cheap shots can lead to a lot of work, sorting and culling photos, hoping that the little gem is in there someplace.
And when the little-gem turns up in your workflow, you tag it with glee and start adjusting the colours and the exposure and the rest.
For some reason, you saw something interesting, the little-gem, and took a shot that turned out to be interesting. Then during the after-shot workflow process you decided to change what you saw.
We have a tough time just looking at things. The world is an ever changing fast flow place. To stop and look, is hard.
When we have an interesting shot and can remember the reason why we stopped to photograph it, we should accept the decisions that we made at that moment, the framing decisions and the feeling about it, and keep it.
It’s when we sit down at the computer and see the photo that seemed so interesting that we allow a new judgement to kick in. Our mind becomes objective and critical about the shot taken. The new thought is a piggyback idea of why we took the shot. We start to judge our own ability to make a decision about what’s a good photo and what’s not. We then begin to experiment with the controls in the software and try and bend the world into our own biased opinion of what we saw.
At that point, we are in danger of becoming fiction makers.
Photography has always been a principle medium for recording images of the world. Today, we look at photos that were taken during the Great Depression, and other photos taken of small moments of joy in the lives of normal, everyday people. We hope that what we see in these photos is an honest recording of history.
“Migrant Mother” by Dorothea Lange
Photo: Sean P. Durham ,Berlin,2020
How often have you come across a photograph of a man or a woman, an unknown person who is laughing at something out of frame, a glass on a table next to a half full bottle of wine? And asked yourself who is this person, why are they laughing and what are they celebrating? The photo elicited emotions in you. You began to engage and ask questions. At which point the photo becomes important.
The photo of cheer and joy reflects many feelings about our own lives. Joy is something that all sensible people seek.
A photo of a mother and child who are starving and maybe close to their end, reflects on our fear of how cruel the World can be.
Flowers and Sparkling Wine, By Sean P. Durham
Some people have travelled the World to discover the true meaning in a photo that they have found. Others have travelled to far and distant places in search of a meaningful photograph.
Taking photographs is a passion, a hobby and a profession. Regardless of the reason, there is a responsibility involved about what you decide is a worthy moment for memory and how much thought you put into framing the shot and adjusting the colour and light.
All of these things will affect the outcome. The moment is fleeting and your chance for a great shot, whether it be a wedding photoshoot, a portrait or a major event in public, is a matter of skill. How skillful are you with your thoughts? How often have you taken a shot knowing it won’t be up to scratch, but you have the backup of Photoshop to support correcting laziness or mistakes?
Photography requires a person to be a thinker. Your main tool is grey-matter between the ears.
At the time of taking a photo the photographer should already have made a decision at the attempt to save that particular moment. And hoping that it went right, that the end result will be satisfactory of that moment, and this has a lot to do with being conscious in the moment.
Digital photography encourages a person to document their daily lives, who knows, it might be worth it. But the mindless snapping of selfies isn’t necessarily a recording of the self. Doing what? Interacting with self?
Self interacting with the world around is a legitimate way of remembering one’s own experiences without having our own face in every shot.
If anyone who is a Selfie Addict should look back at their life through photos, I think they will become bored within minutes.
The photographs that we treasure have magic in them.
Being conscious of the taken moment, knowing the feeling and recognising that something is important is a reflection of the magic within ourselves.
To take a photo at this moment, to know that skill is at hand, and to put mind, body and soul into this small and fleeting moment, is to take a photograph that includes self, somewhere, in the image too.
Artists are always seeking the magical moment, and sometimes they find it and keep it. But to do this, to work magic, the magician must train herself to work the tools that transform the base idea into the splendour of light that human magic really is.
Magic; that particular thing in a photograph that can’t be named with words. It’s just there — and everybody knows it.
Photography is one way to look at the world we live in. There are other ways. If you take photographs and want to be better, to take great wedding shots, portraits or street shots, then developing the skills of thinking while working are as important as is the basic equipment needed to technically capture the shot.
All the gold in the world…
Photo: Sean P. Durham, Berlin, 2020
To be a good photographer is to be a thinking person. There are people who hate thinking — they hate using their brains because it requires introspection and patience especially when you discover that you are just as capable of being an idiot as the next idiot.
The real thinker knows that mistakes are inevitable when working with a rough stone that isn’t yet ready for the building work.
All the technical equipment in the world won’t make you a great photographer. Time and patience, enjoyment of the process and journey, and the ability to see deeply into your own environment and interact with it, is the path that leads to great photographs. | https://seanpatrickdurham.medium.com/photography-and-the-art-of-seeing-the-world-1c000ca4229c | ['Sean P. Durham'] | 2020-04-23 19:52:02.007000+00:00 | ['Visual Art', 'Creativity', 'Thinking', 'Portrait Photography', 'Photography'] |
Italy’s fight against Human Rights will come back to bite | First things first, it’s useful to clarify what we mean by “humanitarian protection”.
Humanitarian protection is one of the three forms of protection a migrant can receive from a foreign State, together with the status of refugee and the subsidiary protection.
The refugee status was introduced in 1951 with the Refugee Convention of Genève and it’s still regulated by Treaty hence signed. A refugee, according to the Convention, is someone who is “unable or unwilling to return to his/her country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion”. The 147 countries that ratified the Refugee Convention are obliged to protect refugees that are on their territory providing them with free access to courts, administrative assistance, travel documents, working permits and to help them integrate in the host country.
Not all the asylum seekers are granted the refugee status. The subsidiary protection is therefore a second kind of protection regulated by the European Union. It was established in 2004 and revised in 2011. According to EU Directive 2011/95 a “person eligible for subsidiary protection” is “a third- country national or a stateless person who does not qualify as a refugee but in respect of whom substantial grounds have been shown for believing that the person concerned, if returned to his or her country of origin, or in the case of a stateless person, to his or her country of former habitual residence, would face a real risk of suffering serious harm”, where “serious harm” is described as the risk of: death penalty or execution; torture or degrading treatment; serious and individual threat to a civilian’s life in situations of international or internal arm conflict.
The refugee status and the subsidiary protection are regulated by international treaties with binding force which have been ratified by Italy. Therefore, in this moment, the national yellow-green government can’t do anything to change them without incurring in serious consequences.
On the other hand, the humanitarian protection consists of a special residence permit granted by national governments to foreign people who do not meet the standard requirements for the residence permit or for the refugee status/subsidiary protection, but nonetheless have serious humanitarian reasons for wanting to leave their country. In Italy, this kind of protection exists since 1998 (LD 286/98, Article 5 par. 6) and has been widely used during the last years in response to the increase in migratory flows.
In 2017 Italy received 130.000 asylum applications: 52% of them were rejected, 25% obtained the humanitarian protection (that amounts to 35.000 people!) a mere 8,4% received the refugee status and another 8,4% the subsidiary protection.
With the new Security and Immigration Decree, the Italian government will stop granting residence permits on humanitarian grounds. Furthermore, the permits issued in 2017–2018 won’t be valid anymore, meaning that all the people that obtained this kind of protection during the last two years will now receive an order of expulsion, thus becoming illegal immigrants with no rights whatsoever. | https://medium.com/laura-loguercio/italys-fight-against-human-rights-will-come-back-to-bite-a782de7d832c | ['Laura Loguercio'] | 2018-12-03 13:47:41.618000+00:00 | ['Politics', 'Italy', 'Salvini', 'Migration', 'Refugees'] |
Thursday~Tears | “If normal people within this culture are raping and beating those they purport to love, what chance is there that they will not destroy the salmon, the forests, the oceans, the earth?” Derrick Jensen~Endgame: Volume 1
Forests, a Requiem
“I read the news today, oh boy~About a lucky man who made the grade~And though the news was rather sad~I just had to laugh~I saw the photograph
He blew his mind out in a car…”~John Lennon, Paul McCartney~The Beatles~A Day in the Life
“I saw the photographs and cried.”~J Allen
Earth’s beautiful forests are being murdered. The Amazon rain forests, the SE Asian rain forests, the USA’s old growth forests, and Canada’s old growth forests. Many others too, I suppose. Today’s piece concerns Canada’s old growth forests because I saw the photograph in the Canadian publication, “The Narwhal”. And I cried. One old growth tree some 20 feet in diameter is about a 1,000 years old. One tree supports an unfathomable number of interrelated species, from the single bacteria, the fungi, the insects, the birds the deer, elk, moose, the foxes, wolves, bobcats, cougars, others I can’t think of. One tree felled is the death of countless other species. And it’s not just one tree that’s being murdered, it’s thousands, or millions. Forests are part Earth’s breathing apparatus. They take in CO2 and oxygen in the light and dark cycles of photosynthesis. They are what we need to survive.
Old growth forests are the backbone of forests the world over. In the US only 7% of the old growth forests remain. In Canada all I could find was an industry propaganda bit on how Canada is a world leader on ‘sustainable’ forestry. Clear cutting forests is the opposite of sustainable. It’s murder. The Narwhal essay explains the difficulty of saving our beautiful old growth forests. A link will be included at the end of today’s article. Look at the pictures if nothing else. The photos should licit an affective response, if not this culture has taken its toll on your being, your soul.
Our Culture
So we live in a culture of murder. Whether it’s murder by wars of Empire, state sponsored extrajudicial killing by cops or presidents, by fellow citizens, spouses or lovers, we are a culture of murderers. We arrive in our family of origin either by a planned choice, or accident, we are the result of what I term, the genetic lottery. But our little bouncing, bubbly selves are conditioned by our societies culture. And a vast majority of us are raised in a system where love is very conditional. Getting fed is paramount in our developing years. Food is often used as a form of control on the little tyke. So is love. We are told we are loved but repeatedly get hit if we stray from our family’s or society’s rules.
So how can anyone be raised where they are coerced either by hitting or by withholding love as a condition of strict compliance of familial rules, many of which are never spoken out loud. They are implicit. Our culture also has implicit rules. They begin in school. Capitalism is a given. There is no ‘alternative’ so we don’t ever see in school another way to live and do things. It’s an indoctrination to culture as it has to be. And this includes implicitly murder. National patriotism is the implicit murder as we’re taught the freedom comes at the price of blood. Fuck that. It’s implied for imperialist states to coerce citizen’s compliance, to not think about state sponsored murder. Like the millions murdered by the US govt as they bombed the living shit out of SE Asia during the ‘Nam. All we see are the flag draped boxes coming back with dead youth an heroin inside. Not the millions of dead indigenous people from the millions of bombs. Sometime I think about what if…no war.
A Bit on Myself
When I was very young my folks got a TV set. I wondered why the cowboys were killing the Indians. “Well that’s what they did”, was the general answer from adults. No reasons were given. The landlord neighbor told me to look out for Indians when we were moving to New Mexico when I was five. Asked why, he replied, “they’ll scalp you”. I was terrified the first time time I saw an Indian in Native American dress. I truly thought my young life was in danger. That’s what culture does. It molds you in ways you are unaware of.
Like my paternal side was prejudiced against blacks. I had to work hard to rid myself of that illness when I was in the later years of my schooling. Why? Because I liked Jimi Hendrix and my father didn’t understand how I could like his music. I bought “Band of Gypsys” in 10th grade. I hid it at the bottom of my small stack of LP records. I didn’t want him to throw a fit if he saw it. MC5 was bad enough and they were white rockers form Detroit. Drugs were the issue with them.
Culture itself is ill. Weitko is rampant in our sick culture. Greed. Hubris. Murder. Sick because our culture is sick and most folks don’t know it. Step outside of it for a moment and never look back. Escape the trappings of this afflicted culture and face some real truths. One can indeed get mentally healthier. After, of course, when the grieving is done as the last trappings of old culture gets scrubbed away. And like peeling an onion there are many layers and many tears. Most people never get to where we need to go to quit murdering Earth and ourselves. It does take work. Culture is always resisting change, fight back, get real.
Trees Again
How do we lowly in status, ecologically aware people stop this culture’s commodification of everything, in general, or trees specifically? Old pictures of loggers standing on stumps of huge old growth trees bring me to tears. It’s similar when I see families that are devastated by all the fires that are burning in the western US states.
Global warming has progressed enough to affect the climate change phenomena such that it’s now ravaging Earth. Forests are drying out because they aren’t getting the rainfall they need to stay healthy. I corresponded to someone the other day about the fires. I corrected some of his faulty info. He didn’t reply back. Healthy forests do burn sometimes but they do recover. The death from the fires today won’t recover because the climate will stay too dry for forests to recover.
This culture has implicit rules that includes believing industrial propaganda, which includes “forest management”, buy the latest iPhone, get a “new car”, get a boat to ski on lakes made by murdering the rivers with the dams. Murder is built into this culture. Trees are in the gun sights of industrialists wanting to make toilet paper, housing, even my precious books. We live in this culture and we have to take stock of our own consumption before critiquing the systematically macro-scale murdering of trees. Yes, I use toilet paper. And I like paper as opposed to eBooks. I have both and the vast majority are paper. I buy used one when I can.
Living in the desert climate of Albuquerque, New Mexico, I’m well aware that water is a resource that must be conserved. So I’m careful with my water use. The increasing ferocity of the forest fires are driven by the drying out of the western parts of the US because of climate disruption over the last few decades. Warming the atmosphere by pumping out vast quantities of CO2 and methane are now affecting the climate in many ways we don’t quite understand. Or, for an analogy, the climate is a big scary monster and we’re poking it with multiple sticks with our industrialization. It’s starting to roar back, big time.
I want to give my sincere apology to the trees of the world. My existence has consumed many trees. My book collection is my indulgence. So are my personal habits for sanitary purposes, these are built in in many ways so they may not be actual indulgences. If there were only 2.5 billion people in the world, approximately what is was when I was born the trees wouldn’t be in such trouble. Many huge trees in America were already gone by that time in mid 20th century.(1954) Now that there’s almost 8 billion people and trees are being stressed to the point of implosion. Not to count the millions of other lifeforms lost when forests are felled or dry out and burn because our industrial activity has run amok.
Population increase stresses everything. It’s like Pope Francis says, “stop breeding like rabbits”. My apologies to the rabbits when they are teaching their young bunnies to, “stop breeding like humans”, in rabbiteze. In three generations, educated world awareness of population reduction could possibly save the world for human existence. I doubt it. Because in a culture of murder we need to replace humans in ever expanding numbers. Capitalism calls for it. Stop! Think of Earth as our home and we don’t want to lose it. It’s like when a home is consumed by fire. We can rebuild a home and still have our good memories of living there. A very sad situation indeed. But if you and your family and family pets or livestock survive, you can thank your lucky stars and start over. If we burn Earth to the ground, if we murder our forests, we can’t rebuild because we’ll all be dead too.
So my apologies to the trees stands. I don’t want to be buried in a wooden box. My remains should go back to the trees that enriched my life. An eternal recurring of the cycle of carbon, of life itself. I will still read paper books. I will still use paper towels, tissues, and toilet paper. I’ll recycle when can. I’ll buy used books when I can. We’d all be better off if collectively we think about what we use and leave behind. Trees are the foundation of terrestrial life. Let’s give them every break we can. Stay safe. Peace, The Ol’ Hippy. \/: link below | https://medium.com/@jrallen1200/thursday-tears-a70e42f172fe | ['John Allen'] | 2020-09-17 20:40:14.547000+00:00 | ['Trees', 'Forests', 'Capitalism', 'Ecology', 'Culture'] |
Is There Going To Be A Gas Crisis? | Is There Going To Be A Gas Crisis?
Even with the weekend drone attack on a major oil refinery in Saudi Arabia, we weren’t too worried until Trump Tweeted this:
Which had been preceded by just a few minutes by this:
So now it all may come down to what Trump means by “locked and loaded”, and who exactly he’s threatening. (And also a general — and we think fair — characterization that when Trump says everything’s great IN ALL CAPS, it probably isn’t). Also, since when does the U.S. wait until “the Kingdom” tells us “under what terms we would proceed”? Can the Saudis not do a counter-strike on their own, if that’s what they want to do? They’ve got all this military equipment the U.S. sold them.
Houthi rebels in Yemen took credit for the weekend drone attack, which effectively knocked out 6% of the world’s oil supply. Iran supports those rebels in Yemen, although the Iranian government denied any direct involvement in the attack. Saudi TV says no workers were killed in the attack.
The attack also deeply embarrassed the Saudis who are currently trying to sell shares in their giant national oil company to global investors. We think this part of the story is being significantly under-reported, especially since just a couple of days ago, Saudi Arabia replaced its oil minister and Chairman of the Saudi national oil company, Aramco, with the half-brother, and a close friend of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, respectively. In order to pull off the public offering of stock, Aramco has also been looking for ways to get oil in the $60–70 barrel range, instead of $50–60, where it’s been for a while.
So this is a real test for Trump, especially since the President has proven himself to be very sensitive to changes in the price of gas at the pump, often giving himself credit for low gas prices. And sudden military action (or even the threat of it), certainly isn’t going to help with that. It’s something that really has to be handled pretty delicately, and even if you feel Trump has some strengths on the world stage, you’ve got to agree he doesn’t do “delicate”.
Still, he was unusually coy in his Tweet; not directly naming a culprit, even though his own Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo called out Iran by name almost immediately following the attack. (Also, the last time we remember the President Tweeting the phrase “locked and loaded”, it was aimed at North Korea and Kim Jong-un, which ended in a cordial relationship. But the players are different here, with very different objectives).
Since the attacks took place over the weekend, oil markets hadn’t really had a chance to react until this morning. At time of publication of this newsletter, global crude oil prices are way up and swinging wildly. The price of a barrel of the most commonly traded type of oil soaring close to 20%, the biggest one day surge ever, putting a barrel of oil well above $70 at one point, before settling for a bit to a gain of 10%, on absence of additional news. But on any “normal” day, that’d be huge in itself. Although U.S. markets haven’t opened yet, West Texas Crude is up about 10%.
According to the AAA, the nationwide average for a gallon of regular gas right now is $2.56. So even though crude and unleaded gas prices don’t always run exactly in parallel, and there are a lot of other factors that go into pricing, let’s do our own unscientific guesstimate: tack on 10% or maybe a little more, and you’re perhaps looking at something close to $3.00 a gallon in the near future.
The President Tweeted that he’d tap into the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve if needed to lessen any impact. But mostly that just sounds good. That reserve would only last for about a month without replenishment or severe rationing (neither of which we expect). So as we said, that’s mainly just for show for now.
Saudis say they will have the attacked plant up and running again by today at 1/3 to 1/2 capacity, and will mitigate the impact by filling orders with supplies they already have sitting around elsewhere, which they will then slowly replenish, thus reducing the possibility of shortages, at least not right away. Officials promise an announcement sometime tomorrow on their progress. That could make all the difference to financial markets, and gas prices.
Beyond the immediate impact, and imminent consequences, there are quite a few decisive factors that will determine how much all this will mean to the everyday lives of Americans.
Things that could make everyday-life-in-the-U.S.-impact not-so-bad:
Things that could make everyday-life-in-the-U.S. impact a lot worse:
If oil prices start going up a lot, it could slow the U.S. economy. Because one of the first things managers often do when faced with higher and unpredictable energy costs, is scale back expansion, and hiring.
More attacks on Saudi oil facilities, tankers, U.S. forces in the Mideast, etc. Bloomberg points out that the weekend attacks knocked out more in terms of barrels of oil than either Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 or the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
Any type of retaliatory military action that might lead to war. Uncertainty and rising tensions never lead to stable prices.
When you buy a gallon of gas, you’re not always just buying a gallon of gas; in times of turmoil, you’re also paying for the uncertainty of future supplies. So if it looks like these drone attacks weren’t just a one time thing, or somebody’s headed to war with someone, prices absolutely could spike. Not so much because there’s a threat of a shortage immediately, but due to a lack of visibility about the future.
So by all means, fill up that tank today, and take public transportation or carpool to work for a few days if you can, until we all get a better read on where this is headed. Why not? Gas prices are definitely going to go up. There’s no question about that. How much and for how long, and at what cost (and we don’t just mean money), won’t be clear for a while. | https://medium.com/swlh/is-there-going-to-be-a-gas-crisis-c3241fa03cb1 | ['Eric J Scholl'] | 2019-09-16 15:56:37.012000+00:00 | ['Energy', 'Economy', 'Donald Trump', 'Saudi Arabia', 'Iran'] |
The urban transport dilemma: How to keep passengers in transit while enabling growth of ride hailing services | And the situation is no different in other cities. The 2018 Citywide Mobility Survey by New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) showed even more worrying results.
50 percent of respondents would have taken public transport and 11 percent would have walked had there not been the option of a ride-hailing trip.
50% of respondents in NYC and 42% in Boston would have taken transit if the ride-hailing services hadn’t been available.
…and does increase vehicle miles travelled.
While ride-hailing operators claim they only satisfy the existing demand for passenger transport on an unsaturated market, they, in fact, pull passengers away from transit systems even in areas well-served by public transport.
Besides, they offer pedestrians an enticing but unhealthy transport option even in easily walkable areas. In effect, ride-hailing services increase vehicle miles travelled on city streets.
According to 2018 Schaller Consulting report The New Automobility, for each mile of private car driving removed, ride-hailing adds about 2.6 miles.
For each mile of private car driving removed, ride-hailing adds about 2.6 miles.
New technologies will take ride-hailing prices down. What then?
The advent of electrification and later self-driving technology is likely to skew passenger preferences in favour of ride-hailing services on an even wider scale.
Rapid advances in these technologies and connectivity, along with AI-related ethical issues being resolved, are bringing autonomous vehicles closer to real-world deployment.
We will see a rapid decrease in on-demand mobility pricing. At a future level of 0.10–0.20 EUR per kilometre, how could public transport compete for passengers?
At a future level of 0.10–0.20 EUR per kilometre, how could public transport compete for passengers?
But don’t get me wrong. By no means am I implying that ride-hailing services should be viewed as the source of all evil in urban congestion.
The point is that we need policy decisions and support for the transportation ecosystem that will motivate people to use the right and sustainable mix of transportation modes in cities, each at the time and location where the specific mode makes the most sense.
And legitimate on-demand ride-hailing services belong to such multimodal transportation solutions.
Enabling ride-hailers to grow rapidly while increasing transit ridership. Welcome to the future normal.
There should be no need for ride-hailing and public transportation to compete.
Where I see ride-hailing would fit perfectly to actually help decrease congestion and pollution is in daily commuting. Especially in combination with public transport to cover for its low-frequency or missing service in the suburban areas.
Because low transit serviceability is often the reason residents opt for their private cars.
That’s why Mileus guarantees that you can get home comfortably every day — with an automated combination of public transport and a ride-hailing car or a taxi dropping you off right at your door.
Mileus guarantees that you can get home comfortably every day — with an automated combination of public transport and a ride-hailing car or a taxi dropping you off right at your door.
Our technology enables real-time resource planning and automated interoperability between transit systems and on-demand taxi/ride-hailing services.
To motivate residents to leave their cars at home.
And instead, to use the transit system for faster travel to and from the city centre, with the first or last mile covered by a more comfortable, yet still shared transportation service. With availability guarantee.
This will create new markets for car-pooling, ride-sharing and ride-hailing in locations that are further away from city centres and are typically underserved by both public transport and ride-hailing/taxi operators.
By making it easier for these services to tap into new opportunities while offering residents a viable alternative to private cars, we strive to make our cities better places to live.
And towards that goal, we need to work together.
Are you a ride-hailer looking to grow rapidly but sustainably, without the negative impact on your city? Hit me up at [email protected] or on my LinkedIn profile and let’s get talking. | https://medium.com/@jurajatlas/the-city-transport-dilemma-how-to-keep-passengers-in-transit-while-enabling-growth-of-ride-75868fba5e34 | ['Juraj Atlas'] | 2021-01-25 10:21:47.160000+00:00 | ['Innovation', 'Mobility', 'Smart Cities', 'Transportation', 'Inspiration'] |
Desarrollar, motivar, atraer y retener talento son los desafíos centrales de la Industria TI. | in In Fitness And In Health | https://medium.com/mejorindustriati/desarrollar-motivar-atraer-y-retener-talento-son-los-desaf%C3%ADos-centrales-de-la-industria-ti-7194c9b13211 | [] | 2020-02-10 13:32:03.461000+00:00 | ['Gestión De Equipos', 'Talent Acquisition', 'Cultura', 'Talent Management', 'Talento'] |
Content management: Sharing files and brand assets externally | Five minutes with Fleur Video series — Video #3
How do you make sure you collaborate and manage your brand effectively while working remotely? In a series of videos, Fleur Elise Muller — Account Executive at Lytho, shares some tips, tools and tricks so you and your team can be more efficient and stay on brand while working remotely.
Everyone is forced to work from home right now, which is a new situation to many if not all of us. Fleur Elise Muller is an Account Executive at Lytho, helping our customers in getting the most value from a Digital Asset Management solution. This means she speaks with and advises a lot of marketing teams around the globe about how to collaborate and manage their brand (Assets) remotely.
Many of these teams have the challenge of staying consistent in creating their digital content.
To provide you with some tools and tricks so you can be more efficient during these times, Fleur created a series of short videos where she highlights certain subjects and offers some expert tips, tools and tricks, all relevant to collaborating remotely as a marketing team.
In Video #1 Fleur shared some tips about managing your brand while collaborating remotely. Watch that video here.
In Video #2 Fleur shared five tips for creating consistent Digital Content and managing your Brand Identity. Watch video #2 here.
Video #3: 6 ways a DAM system helps you share files externally
As a marketeer you are often sharing your marketing content with al lot of different teams within your organization, and probably also outside the organization: think about your marketing agencies, photographers, and maybe even the press.
If you haven’t implemented a centralized Digital Asset Management Tool yet, you’re probably sending these digital files through something like email or WeTransfer. However, did you know that this could also be done in a much easier way?
In this video, Fleur highlights a few functionalities in a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system that have to do with sharing files externally. She tells you a little bit more about how it works and how you can benefit from this type of functionality in your organization.
Watch the video below:
The best way to share your on-brand files from one central location
A DAM system is a software solution that helps businesses manage all their content assets such as brand logos, product logos, product images and media files. All your digital files are stored in one place. Therefore, it is also easy to share these files from within this solution.
In this video Fleur shared 6 functionalities that facilitate sharing files externally from within a DAM system.
The easiest way to share on-brand files externally is with a DAM solution. Here are 6 of the things a DAM system enables you to do:
Share files internally and externally from one location
With many DAM solutions, you’re able to not only share files internally. You can also share with people outside your organization, without paying an extra fee for this. No additional accounts are needed. Unlimited sharing
Most DAM systems do not have restrictions in place as to how many files, images, videos or folders you can share in any period of time. Image view instead of subject titles
This simple functionality makes it all the more easy and much faster for coworkers and external partners to retrieve images they’re looking for. Share from — until; campaign
Some DAM platforms, like Lytho, offer the possibility to make documents, images, videos and other files available for a set period of time. This means you can make sure assets are only used for as long as you want them to be used. Link will stay the same, where you can still change the files
Working with a cloud-based solution enables you to keep a file in one place, where anyone can always retrieve it, while you’re still able to make changes to and update the file. This makes sure you have one single source of truth as far as your most up-to-date brand assets are concerned. You can track whether they downloaded it
A very practical and insightful functionality, track download enables you to see whether someone you made a file accessible to, actually managed to find it and downloaded it. This can help you make collaboration and project management all the more smooth, and saves you time.
So, there you go — these were the six tips that we wanted to share with you in this video. All these tips are related to a Digital Asset Management solution, which can help make sure that you are in control as a Marketing Manager or Brand Manager. A DAM solution helps you manage all your marketing content in an efficient and effective way.
This has been the third of a series of videos. The next video will focus on the difference between a DMS and a DAM solution. Keep following Lytho on social media or be sure to check in with our blog next week.
Need more info?
At Lytho, we’re all about delivering brand consistency. We’d be happy to get in touch with you to chat more about best practices for managing your visual brand assets in order to get more work done with less effort, all the while strengthening your brand and staying consistent.
Finding and effectively using the right Digital Asset Management Platform for your organization can be of great help in that respect — it can save you a lot of time and money, especially if you’re working as a marketer for a larger organization. Would you like to understand more about the value of a DAM system? | https://medium.com/marketing-and-branding/content-management-sharing-files-and-brand-assets-externally-c27573e7d1a1 | ['Raul Tiru'] | 2020-12-22 09:28:02.874000+00:00 | ['Collaboration', 'Content Creation', 'Content Strategy', 'Digital Asset Management', 'Content Marketing'] |
How to Attract the Right Talent to Your Job Post | Post Header Image
It is no longer a secret that a lot has changed around work-life and recruitment in the past few months. Traditional methods have become deficient in either reaching top talent or targeting the best-fit for tech jobs. Chances are, you have had unrelated applications (e.g. a Property Developer applying for your “Developer” position) to your job post before where you would then need to spend time sieving through many of such applications before managing to get a few matches. This can be very frustrating.
If you are a modern company seeking to recruit the right tech talent while saving both time and money, then this guide is for you.
When recruiting, it is not very advisable to just copy-paste a template that you found online, it is ok to use a template but tweak it to your specifications, do your homework then put it all together.
Do your homework:
Who are you looking for? — start out with creating a persona of your ideal candidate. Not a “ten-must-have list”, but a clear, blunt description of who you want. Are you looking for tech-savvy or more conservative, youthful, and willing to try crazy unconventional approaches to solving problems or firm, solid, experience-backed professionals? This should guide even the kind of language you use in your job post. Having an exact description of who you want would help you spot misfits from a mile away.
start out with creating a persona of your ideal candidate. Not a “ten-must-have list”, but a clear, blunt description of who you want. Are you looking for tech-savvy or more conservative, youthful, and willing to try crazy unconventional approaches to solving problems or firm, solid, experience-backed professionals? This should guide even the kind of language you use in your job post. Having an exact description of who you want would help you spot misfits from a mile away. What should they expect from you? — a Linkedin study has shown that 75% of candidates will research your company before applying, the reason is that a good number of them already have jobs and are seeking to switch not just for remuneration but because they want to build a career with a great company. These candidates need to see clearly what to expect from working with you: benefits, perks, potential, career growth, culture, work-life balance, etc.
a Linkedin study has shown that 75% of candidates will research your company before applying, the reason is that a good number of them already have jobs and are seeking to switch not just for remuneration but because they want to build a career with a great company. These candidates need to see clearly what to expect from working with you: benefits, perks, potential, career growth, culture, work-life balance, etc. Consider Remuneration — Sometimes you see recruiters want candidates who can code JARVIS and at the same time hack NASA while deploying a new in-house app from the moon all for a little stipend. Your budget should determine what kind of talent you seek if you want to avoid baseless bargaining, so try to research current industry salary ranges for similar positions — emphasis on “current” because the tech space is growing rapidly.
Sometimes you see recruiters want candidates who can code JARVIS and at the same time hack NASA while deploying a new in-house app from the moon all for a little stipend. Your budget should determine what kind of talent you seek if you want to avoid baseless bargaining, so try to research current industry salary ranges for similar positions — emphasis on “current” because the tech space is growing rapidly. Research current tech trends — there was a tweet that was trending recently about how the creator of an API was rejected for a job because the company wanted an engineer that had 4 years experience with his API but the API was only 1.5 years old! You should be very updated and accurate with the technical aspects of your job posting.
Putting it all together
If you need to further reduce the chances of receiving irrelevant applications like this, then you must treat your job post as a proposal. With a few tips, you should be able to draft the best job posts:
Avoid typos — candidates are attracted to company brands. 72% of recruiting leaders worldwide agreed that employer brand has a significant impact on hiring. Typos might be subtle but they do not represent your brand well.
— candidates are attracted to company brands. 72% of recruiting leaders worldwide agreed that employer brand has a significant impact on hiring. Typos might be subtle but they do not represent your brand well. Avoid the generic crowd — Millennials have a short attention span, to show yourself unique, avoid using generic approaches that might bore candidates. Rather than using cold, impersonal, and detached messages, consider adding visuals, pictures, or videos that show a glimpse of your company culture, maybe employee testimonials about what they like most about working with you, work from home provisions, recognitions and reward schemes, retreats and team-bonding events, etc. This way, you are reaching the right talent with the core values you seek both professionally and in-person.
Millennials have a short attention span, to show yourself unique, avoid using generic approaches that might bore candidates. Rather than using cold, impersonal, and detached messages, consider adding visuals, pictures, or videos that show a glimpse of your company culture, maybe employee testimonials about what they like most about working with you, work from home provisions, recognitions and reward schemes, retreats and team-bonding events, etc. This way, you are reaching the right talent with the core values you seek both professionally and in-person. Make it brief and clear — you have 3–5 seconds to capture candidates’ interest in your post, there is no need to make it a technical report. However, be very clear about what you seek, the qualification, skillset, the salary range, experience level, etc. Avoid extravagant and loud company design, job seekers look for clarity in the job advertisements in terms of the profile, core values, company history, pay scale, career opportunities, etc. Be specific about the role, do not seek to lump a lot of responsibilities in one role because of budget, most top talents specialized in using a particular tool. For example, if you are looking for a JavaScript expert, specify which frameworks, task runners, and collaborative tools they should be familiar with to apply for the position.
Gone are the days when posting a job ad on craigslist or newspapers meant much, recruitment now goes much more beyond traditional mediums. Onboarding is a process and requires proper time and effort, a wrong hire means a lot of money wasted. You might want to reconsider your recruitment process, why does it fail to attract the right talent even if it attracts a lot of people?
If you are considering outsourcing your recruitment, contact us at CodeLn. Here are links to find us on social media: Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, and IG | https://medium.com/codeln/how-to-attract-the-right-talent-to-your-job-post-60d03ee4f21b | ['Dennis Richard'] | 2020-09-04 14:17:52.923000+00:00 | ['Interview', 'Jobs', 'Employment', 'Onboarding', 'Recruiting'] |
Jebot, a Traditional Indonesian Game | Summer vacation is finally here, which means that I can focus my time on important matters such as making things and honing my skills as a programmer.
Today, I will be building jebot. I, and probably all Indonesians in this world, would probably remember jebot. It is a game usually played from elementary school all the way to university. During times when the bus is taking a long time to come, or when the conversation is dead, people would turn to jebot to entertain themselves.
I first had an idea to make jebot around the last days of October 2018. During that time, I was on my way to a village in Kuningan. I was having a community service act called live in, where students live and be part of the lives of farmers. It’s really interesting in all honesty.
The bus ride, though, was not interesting. It was a daunting 13 hour ride from Jakarta. Add that with the fact that smartphones were not allowed, no one brought playing cards, books or any entertainment media. The only thing we did was talk and hope for new conversation topics to come up. A few hours in, everybody started feeling bored. That was when everyone started to play jebot. Think about it, a full bus playing together. The possible answers were endless!
So, what is jebot? Basically, it is a game played between two players. Each player would start with two thumbs (of course), meaning that there are currently 4 total thumbs in the “battlefield”. Once the game starts — after picking who goes first beforehand — the first player (we shall call him player A) gets to shout out a number between 0 to 4 (or the amount of thumbs left in the “battlefield”). At the same time, both players would bring their thumb/thumbs up. If the amount of thumbs up is equal to the number shouted by player A, then player A would win that round and he gets to put his hand down, thus reducing the total thumb amount to 3.
Here, the player in the bottom left guessed correctly, meaning that he gets to put his hand down.
In the midst of playing, I thought to myself that this game is somewhat logical. The steps were clear and simple enough that a computer could probably play too, given the right parameters. So, after losing in the 3rd turn, I turned back to my seat and start brainstorming.
With me, I brought a stack of papers. Wherever I go, I would always try to bring a paper and pen. Inspiration could come at anytime. With those stack of papers, I brainstormed and figured out the logic behind the game.
I started off from the beginning of the game. What happens at the beginning of the game? Who gets to go first? What is the first move? I asked myself those questions so that I could have at least a guideline of what to write and what to think about, instead of just randomly writing down what I would presume to be logic.
Soon after, I was able to think of a proper flowchart to accompany the logic. The flowchart starts with a while command to ensure that the game does not stop unless the player/computer has already won the game. With this thought, I gave myself another question. What does it mean to “win a game”? What are the parameters? What concrete evidence shows that someone has won the game?
And fortunately, I was able to think of more logic and more parameters to add to my flowchart as I drew it. I am in my zone. With more progress comes more questions, which is immediately accompanied by an answer to that question, resulting in more progress. And so, in the middle of the bus where everyone is shouting random numbers, in hope that the amount of thumbs raised is the same to his guess, I was taking apart a game that does not even physically exist.
And, as cocky as it may sound (because this is still a simple game, and there are a lot more experts out there, Russell), I was really proud of myself back then. In the end result, I came up with a flowchart, followed by some pseudo code written in Python that roughly sketches the program I was trying to make.
my brainstorm
However, it is with shame that I admit to not have work on it until May 2019. And so, it was what I did. And frankly enough, I didn’t understand any of it. Ironic, how even a difficulty is experienced while reading through old documentations that explains how the code works (maybe I need to comment by documentations next time)
But all hope was not lost. Fortunately, underneath all those messy hand writings with language I couldn’t understand, I was able to get the gist of the program. With that in mind, I decided to break down t he game again. This time, with a few resources already available, I was able to make major improvements that would’ve made the process much faster. And in the process, I was able to apply some new concepts about programming to this project! Before I continue on, here is my what part of the code looks like (source can be found in GitHub): | https://medium.com/cold-brew-code/jebot-a-traditional-indonesian-game-e046ff775292 | ['Richard Russell'] | 2019-05-21 13:21:55.682000+00:00 | ['JavaScript', 'Indonesia', 'Programming', 'Python', 'Coding'] |
LEFT ME FOR DEAD. | LEFT ME FOR DEAD.
The pain started from my back and then it felt like a knife went through my heart. It felt like you kept twisting the knife, till my heart bled out, it felt like you wanted me to die.
So it was you, you picked up the knife and then you cut me in two.
It wasn’t the situation that hurt me the most, it was the fact that you put me in the situation on purpose,that made the wound fatal.
The fact that you twisted the knife and intended to kill me.
You did this, you killed her, you killed our baby.
They warned you right? But you decided not to listen, she was growing inside you, she could have been a beautiful girl. But you killed her. You’re a murderer. Yes that’s what you are.
I won’t kill you. You would live with that wound for the rest of your life. The wound that will never heal. How could you lose the baby again? Another miscarriage. You’ve killed me. | https://medium.com/@tosinomokurolue/left-me-for-dead-355e92569c7f | ['Tosin Omokurolue'] | 2020-12-22 22:23:24.750000+00:00 | ['Pain'] |
Tableau — Your Visual Interface to Data | In the current aggressive business condition, utilizing the data resources of an association is vital to building effective worldwide business endeavors of the future. Multiple organizations burn through a huge number of dollars on business knowledge/information warehousing (BI/DW) arrangements, yet these activities have yielded not as much as expected rate of return (ROI) as they have neglected to distinguish and address the basic angles impacting the result of these BI activities.
Business Intelligence (BI) Editions come in all shapes and sizes. Some accentuate the design, while others tout their showy interface. Some cost a huge number of dollars, while others cost hundreds.
A decent BI edition gets consistent upgrades, and along these lines, dependably stays current with the most recent innovation and patterns. Each great Business Intelligence software or tool must incorporate certain important features. This blog post details on a BI software, Tableau.
Tableau extends the value of the data across any organization’s vertical. It empowers ones business with the freedom to explore data in a trusted environment without limiting it to pre-defined questions, wizards, or chart types. With its ease of deployment , robust integration, simplicity of scalability, and excellent reliability any organization no longer have to choose between empowering the business or protecting its data- with Tableau you can finally do both.
Following guidelines traces highlights and capabilities of Tableau software, and isolates each featureinto four unique classifications.
1 High-level highlights 1.1 Open Architecture
A generally overlooked element, Tableau design stays a standout amongst the most basic parts of Business Intelligence. A few sellers construct their product all alone restrictive engineering, while others expand on open design and systems.
1.2 Wide database support
While a few arrangements just help a solitary database or stage, Tableau BI programming must help any database or stage. Going above and beyond, it should likewise construct applications that can pull information from different wellsprings of information. Tableau 10 includes even more data source options as given below:
Figure 1: Tableau v10
1.3 Real-time information
Some BI programming conveys day-old or even week-old information. Tableau makes applications that convey constant information straightforwardly from your database. Why is this so imperative? Business Intelligence encourages you to make snappy, educated choices in view of the most current information conceivable. An absence of constant information blocks basic leadership and significantly confines the benefits of BI. For example: The City of Boston, for example, is using Tableau in a pilot program in the mayor’s office to set up dashboards for various departments in the city. If it works as envisioned, the mayor will be able to walk into a control center that contains screens showing the dashboards and not only get an idea of what’s happening in those departments at any given time, but also ask questions about particular indicators on the dashboards and get answers while standing in front of the screens.
1.4 Self-benefit capacities
In the past, the IT division controlled detailing and BI capacities inside the association. Nowadays, Tableau programming incorporates self-benefit abilities that let end clients make their own particular BI and announcing applications.
1.5 Mobile support
Modern Business Intelligence programming must traverse all gadgets and stages. Tableau give support all set of mobile devices on various operating system: IOS, Android, etc.
1.6 Support for Data-mart or Data-Warehouses
Data-store and information stockroom structures permit the Tableau software to work with information from numerous source frameworks. They pull information from transactional databases that maintain the business and utilize power of OLAP fordetailed investigation required for ad-hoc reporting and analysis.
2 Security highlights 2.1 Application level security
Application level security gives you a chance to control Tableau application access on each client part or per-client premise. This commonly incorporates a part based framework, which shows distinctive menu choices to various clients in light of their part.
2.2 Row-level (or multi-inhabitant) security
A basic part of Tableau BI and announcing applications, multi-occupant security gives you a chance to control information access inside a solitary application at the column level. As delineated in the picture underneath, this implies various clients get to a similar application, yet see the diverse information.
Figure 2: Multi-occupant Security
2.3 Single sign-on
Tableau’s session/client confirmation process, single sign-on (SSO) gives clients a chance to enter their name and secret key in just a single place and access numerous related applications. It validates the client for every approved application and wipes out login prompts when exchanging between applications in a solitary session.
2.4 User benefit parameters
User benefit parameters let you customize highlights and security to singular clients or client parts. Spared to a client’s profile, these client benefit parameters control client particular highlights all through each tableau BI application. Why is this so essential? Client benefit parameters offer wide control over numerous application viewpoints. They let you control the look and feel, include or shroud client alternatives, restrain client abilities, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. For example, assume your organization made a web turntable. Client benefit parameters could control which clients have an expert to trade that rotate table to a PDF report or spreadsheet. Unapproved clients couldn’t see the “fare” choice in the application.
2.5 Flexible authentication choices
Many organizations as of now utilize numerous application validation sources. For example, your CRM framework may confirm clients against one client table, while your email framework may utilize a totally extraordinary confirmation source. Tableau BI programming gives adaptable confirmation options- giving you a chance to validate your applications utilizing whatever authentication sources you as of now have set up.
2.6 Application activity evaluating
Tableau Application activity auditing gives IT staff a chance to log end-client movement for flag/signoff exercises. This gives IT divisions a chance to screen when clients sign in, which applications they get to, and when they log off.
3 Must have features 3.1 Ad-hoc reporting
Ad-hoc reports let end users make and share work at run time. Clients select the information components they wish to find in the report at run-time, and afterward, send out the report to an organization of their picking or email the answer to different clients specifically from the web program.
3.2 Ranking report
Tableau report makes variable rankings, over numerous measurements, while indicating different choice criteria at run-time. For instance, assume you need a report that rundowns your main 25 best clients of the most recent year. Or, then again, assume you need the best (or base) 5 sales representatives a month ago. A positioning report makes this basic.
3.3 Executive Dashboards
A dashboard gives a continuous perspective of your business utilizing numerous, simple to-peruse diagrams. Tableau Dashboards offer basic information redid to every official’s obligations and zones intrigue. For instance, a CEO needs diagrams showing income over the previous year, month, and week. The client benefit supervisor needs charts showing normal time expected to determine issues.
Figure 3: Dashboard
3.4 Pivot table/OLAP
Pivot tables naturally extricate, arrange, and condense information. Frequently utilized for investigating information, making correlations, and finding patterns, the adaptability offered by rotate tables makes them a standout amongst the most prevalent BI applications.
Figure 4: Pivot Table
3.5 What if-investigation
Tableau application gives you a chance to evaluate potential business changes before you make them. Utilizing past information, it shows how extraordinary changes may influence certain parts of your business. For instance, imagine a scenario in which you raised costs by 10%. Imagine a scenario in which you brought down costs and expanded amount.
3.6 Geospatial/mapping applications
This application takes your topographical information and showcases it graphically on a guide. It enables organizations to pick up area based understanding — either to pick up an aggressive edge, enhance authoritative execution administration or both.
4 Advanced highlights 4.1 Intelligent Alerts
Tableau threshold server application naturally sends an email or SMS message to the suitable party when information comes to a pre-characterized edge. For example, shrewd cautions can in a flash advice the CEO whenever a client wipes out their record, or whenever deals numbers achieve unusual levels.
4.2 Collaboration
As we gained from the ascent of online networking, the web gives the ideal joint effort stage. This idea makes an interpretation of consistently to Business Intelligence. Tableau BI applications will join remarking and let you interface with other collaborators straightforwardly inside the application.
4.3 Cloud-Compatibility BI
Most investigators and specialists concur on one point: Cloud processing is what’s to come. Tableau on the cloud guarantees close to 100% uptime and versatility while dodging the exertion/cost of in-house equipment. Tableau Online is your analytics platform fully hosted in the cloud. Publish dashboards and share your discoveries with anyone. Invite colleagues or customers to explore hidden opportunities with interactive visualizations and accurate data, all easily accessible from a browser or on the go with mobile apps.
4.4 Built-in ETL
Tableau ETL software lets you extricate information from different source frameworks, change it into a solitary organization, and load that information into an objective database. They give end clients a basic approach to incorporate information from different areas in a distributed storage structure yet give a unified view for users.
About the Author
Varun Sodhi, a Senior Consultant at MastechInfotrellis is part of the Business consulting team engaging with organizations to help them build their digital strategy. His strength lies on empowering the customers with the ability to transform their businesses via IT innovation to gain a competitive edge in the market. | https://medium.com/@abhikhya-ashi/tableau-your-visual-interface-to-data-cf5c79f3a334 | ['Abhikhya Ashi'] | 2020-12-08 05:40:56.983000+00:00 | ['Visual Interface', 'Bi', 'Business Intelligence'] |
Change your habits, change your future | Creatures of habits as we are, we love to dwell in the past and often feel that that defines us. We couldn’t be more wrong.
Photo by Hadija Saidi on Unsplash
A study showed we have around 6,000 conscious thoughts a day (‘thought worms’ as the researchers call it).
“I feel a bit under the weather, do I have corona? Would I end up at the ICU? Could it really kill me?”
“Damn, it’s cold. Why don’t I live in a place where it’s warmer? The Caribbean or something… that would be nice. Damn cold weather.”
“I wonder what Jane thinks of me when I tell her I bought these new shoes. She’s probably saying she likes them and telling Carol I have no taste. What a bitch.”
You know, the important stuff…
Hopefully, you also have some uplifting thoughts, like:
“I look good today in that new dress shirt!”
Or: “There, booked. Spain, here I come. I love it when I can just go on a short vacation and have the freedom to do so.”
Chances are though, most of your conscious thoughts aren’t all that positive. Because our mind is generally speaking more focused towards the negative. And it should, because the only task of the brain is to keep you alive, so it’s programmed to look for potential danger.
That is if you keep running it on autopilot.
The autopilot is turned on by the subconscious mind. You don’t actively decide to think something, therefore we call that the subconscious mind. And that’s where most things happen.
Once we have repeated a thought worm long enough, it becomes a habitual thought, and it kind of just happens.
The worries you have, the reminder of that pain in your left shoulder, the decision to scroll your social media feed, etc.
Most thoughts we have are habitual thoughts.
The total number of thoughts we have in a day has never been scientifically been discovered, although numbers between 20,000 up to 80,000 spread over the internet. And that’s all right, it doesn’t really say anything. Important though is, that all our neurological pathways make us think and feel. If indeed we have around 6,000 active thoughts, it means that most of the thoughts we have, has its source from our (habitual) subconscious mind.
And our thoughts (and feelings accordingly), determine our actions.
So the results we see every day, are the results of these actions.
That means, if we don’t like these results, and want different ones, we should change these habitual thoughts and feelings.
So, change your habits, to change your results.
But how on earth do we do that, if most of these thoughts are happening without us even noticing them?
Well, that’s exactly the first step to take. Start noticing them.
By creating awareness, and then reverse engineering it, using our senses and something called ‘anchoring’.
An anchor is a trigger that leads to a combination, a train of events. One good example is our taste. If we see food, our brain triggers hormones that will increase our saliva. You are preparing yourself for eating the food. And that anchor is so strong, that even the thought of food alone, can do that.
Let’s do a little thought experiment: Think of a lemon. See yourself in the kitchen, cutting the lemon in half, picking up one half, and taking a huge bite out of it.
What just happened? Did you notice the increase of saliva in your mouth?
That’s the result of an anchor.
When we become aware we have these anchors then we can redesign the train of events following the anchor.
Let me give you an example.
Every morning when I drove to work, there was, at some point in the road, a hole in the road. Not being fully awake, I always forgot where that was, and a big KADUNK of my wheel hitting that hole in the road. Every morning. Only then realizing again there was that hole again.
So I decided to put an anchor on the event ‘do not hit the hole’.
Photo by Taha on Unsplash
The next day, it happened again, and I quickly realized I needed an anchor. I saw that about 50 meters behind the hole in the road, there was a parking sign, next to the road. So I actively started thinking: “When I see that parking sign, I know there’s a hole in the road.” and repeated that over and over again for about 5 minutes.
The next day, I saw the parking sign and steered around the hole.
Up till today, when I see that parking sign at that road, I think of that hole (that has been fixed for years now). It’s the power of an anchor.
You can use this same technique to reprogram any anchor.
How to reprogram an anchor
Let’s say you want to cut on the amount of sugar you eat since there are a lot of health benefits to that. Sugar or sweet food has anchors all over the place. The nice taste, the way it makes you feel in the moment, and all kinds of biological processes that keep the train of events alive.
So we want to reprogram that anchor.
What if you would connect sugar with poison? Would you eat poison?
Hopefully not. Because instant death will probably occur. Now, from the health perspective, isn’t sugar doing the same thing, in the long run? If you agree with that idea, why not connect the term ‘poison’ to sugar?
So next time you are in the store looking at the cookies, say to yourself: “These cookies are like poison to my body.” And keep repeating that for as long as you can see the cookies. Or candy. Or the Pain du Chocolat. Or even the bottle of ketchup (which contains also a lot of sugar).
By doing that for a week, I guarantee you that you will not buy those cookies anymore.
You’ve reprogrammed your habitual thought from “I want it, it’s not that bad” to “That will kill me, I’m not eating that.”
Now, it does take time to really make this into a belief system. Old patterns don’t die easily. So if you don’t keep reprogramming yourself, the old habit will return.
Studies showed that these habit changes take about 66 days on average. For some more, for some less. But to really build it as a full habit that comes from the whole body, it may take up to a full year before it has overruled any other old habit. So, know it might take a while, and don’t be discouraged if it’s not working after 2 weeks.
Habits, beliefs, action and results
Habits come from our past actions, which we kept repeating. Actions that came from the way we think.
Habitual thoughts are called ‘beliefs’. Thoughts you have been repeatedly thinking, and therefore have become true to you.
A belief is what you think is true.
It’s not a matter of the truth, because for you it is. We have thousands of beliefs. Of whom we think we are, what we’re good at or not, our religion, how we feel about money, our job, our love life, what healthy food is, what you like or love, your whole life is built on beliefs.
And those beliefs come from our experiences, what people tell us (parents, friends, society), and the thoughts that we connect to them. An experience will be added with older beliefs we already had, and add it up to a new belief, based on the experience. Makes sense, right?
So if you agree with all this (which is also a belief funny enough), then you can also imagine that when we change a belief, we will change our habits, so we will change our actions, and therefore our results.
We’ve seen that in our subconscious mind, most things are running on autopilot. We’ve programmed it that way for the most part.
The beauty is that our subconscious mind just has to accept the (conscious) thoughts we’re putting in there. It has to, it’s how it’s learning.
And it doesn’t care what kind of thoughts they are. Positive or negative, it will accept them all.
If we only feed it with our past experiences, our results we had in that past, it will always keep chasing the rabbit and be totally reactive to the circumstances. You can’t get in front of the game.
Change the predicted future
What would happen if we start feeding the subconscious mind with what we would want to happen? If we feed it, with the same intent as our experiences, where we’ve truly lived it and felt it, then that subconscious mind also has to accept it as being true and part of a new belief. A new habit. A new anchor.
As we’ve seen with the example of the cut-in-half-lemon, our subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between if it is real or just a thought. It will fires the same hormones, create the same feelings as if it is real.
So when you imagine what you want to have, or experience, or create in your future, and see it, feel it and believe it as if it is happening right now, you are actively changing your subconscious mind.
And that works for any belief you have, for any result you currently experience. Your love life, your career, the amount of money you make, losing weight, literally everything.
It is like you are reprogramming the matrix, as Neo is doing in the movies.
Hacking your own matrix. Your own subconscious mind has created your reality, your world, based on your habits and beliefs.
So change your habits, both the actions and your thoughts, and you can change your future.
Do you take the red pill? | https://medium.com/@mauricezondag/change-your-habits-change-your-future-d8f7c5273107 | ['Maurice Zondag'] | 2022-01-04 19:42:02.143000+00:00 | ['Habits For Success', 'Belief Systems', 'Law Of Attraction Tips', 'Lifehacks', 'Beliefs Affect Reality'] |
Love & Anger | Love & Anger
Photo by Josep Castells on Unsplash
Catch my tears, then my fall
drenched of thunderstorm drops
you drowned, to make me tall
enduring the reality of my nightmares
perplexed in transferred scorching pain
delivering insanity to your sane
but you declared you love me
that my faults weren’t alone — heavy
you bare them in your bones.
You magnified my heart
through a glass of forgiveness,
flaming mistaken reactions
indulging me in acceptance
feeling your omnipresence
complete human existence
purpose free from resistance
clothed me in fibers of empathy
soft set me under a sparkling glow
twinkling glittered gratitude
tranquil dancing to a sky flow
the tip of a flame embrace
leaves my falling place
you, my taming grace.
You promised me forever
deep down in a clear sea
always a loving breeze
branches of kindness
shade protecting me.
On the surface willing
to love me over the top
but the deep became the shallow
ground rose like the blazing Sun
the real you appeared to seep
lies too hot to keep
the impossible, now in my reach
faucet of deceit
made to leak —
signs showed to stop me
as love kept me running
out of my mind into a wall
crushed no longer tall.
You told the lies I forgave
hurt you gave to me
believing in a better day
that would not arrive
each day I bitter thrive
the space between us opened
red, not love —
closed inside.
Anger sweating steam
rising through betrayed pores
clenched fists and mean stares
promises of peace torn
you feel, I saw
you cry, I clawed
you needed my hand
anger had different plans
shaking fury in our love land
shielding me from your regret
love could no longer hand —
hate for making me relive
a hauntingly familiar scorching pain
unhappiness infused me with thrusting digs
and began to stab the dirt —
now acting in the dark
absent of a single spark.
I hated you for hurting me
turning me
moving me out of my place
beside you
in this anger race
I wish I never loved you
it was wrong of me to trust you
if I never loved you
there would be no anger trace
because I love you
furious
it’s the page that cuts my fall
the wrath is written
anger burnt the love
out of my heart —
us ashes apart.
Color love again
release the anger
use the right red
restore the hearts
work to move on
from did
said and —
bled. | https://psiloveyou.xyz/love-anger-2791c8d31816 | ['Melissa Bee'] | 2020-12-15 13:24:47.614000+00:00 | ['Poetry', 'Poetry Sunday', 'Love', 'Anger', 'Poetry On Medium'] |
Living Through the Pandemic in the Eyes of an Asian-American | Where I am from, growing up as an Asian-American was something that I was proud of. Correction — it is something that I am still proud of. In elementary school, my dad would come into my class, dressed in a traditional silk Chinese jacket, to teach my class about Chinese New Year and the luck that the new year would bring. He would bring red envelopes, which are a symbol of good luck in China, usually with a quarter or even a dollar inside them. Something that I never really had to experience growing up was discrimination. I had friends who were Asian, but my friend group was mostly comprised of white individuals. Maybe once or twice, someone purposefully slanted their eyes in front of me to make fun of how I looked, but that was something that I would easily brush off. That was until I got to college and I heard about all the experiences that my friends had growing up. I have several Asian-American friends in college, and hearing their experiences made me wonder, has the treatment of Asian-Americans always been like this?
The year 2020 is one that everyone will remember. Most notably, it is known for the COVID-19 pandemic that paraylzed the world and decimated the world’s population, with over 120 million cases, and nearly 3 million deaths. On March 17th of this year, news swirled around of a brutal shooting at spas, involving individuals in Atlanta, Georgia. Further news revealed that 6 out of the 8 victims were Asian-American women. The shooter was revealed to be a white man. Initially, it seems as though it was not racially motivated towards Asian-Americans. However, those watching have taken to heart the fact that this is yet another act of violence committed against the Asian-American community as a whole.
This is a very hard time for the Asian American community. The coronavirus, or SARS-CoV-2, was first discovered in Wuhan, China and has been used to link the virus to Asian people. Former President Donald Trump once referred to the virus as “the Chinese Virus”. This type of rhetoric and nationalist speech has led to a spike in violence and crimes against though identifying as Asian. “This increased racism against Asian Americans reflects the ongoing structural racism inherent in U.S. white settler nationalism that continues to devalue the lives of people of color,” (Yellow Horse, Leong, & Kuo, 2020). The growing xenophobia has paved the way for spikes in Asian-American hate crimes that have left several dead or seriously injured. To try to begin to understand the scope and impact of the violent hate crimes and discrimination that has been placed on the Asian-American community, I interviewed three of my Asian-American friends. I sympathize with them, as I myself identify as an Asian-American female. Reaching out to friends to try to cope and acknowledge just how broken the world is right now, has left me questioning how I view myself as an Asian-American, and I am sure others feel the same way. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been severe backlash to the Asian-American community, but this backlash builds on long-standing stigma and stereotypes of Asian-Americans. This dscrimination has had a crippling effect on members of the community who have seen a negative shift in their personal identity and self-esteem.
Historically, maintaining certain images of Asian Americans and their economic and academic success was the myth of the model minority which is based solely on stereotypes about universal Asian success (Blackburn, 2019). It marks a change from initial stereotypes about Asian Americans. In the 19th Century Chinese laborers were seen as dirty and unsuitable for citizenship (Leon, 2020), being called the“yellow peril” by many. In 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act was signed and instigated, after negative propaganda was spread about the Chinese. This Act prohibited further immigration from China and made Chinese who were already here ineligible for citizenship, unlike all other immigrants. We have seen several recent events in the wake of the pandemic that have further escalated racism against Asian-Americans, as seen in violent beatings and shootings in the United States. In an attack in January, one victim in particular, Vicha Ratanapakdee,age 84, of San Francisco, was forcefully pushed to the ground while walking around his neighborhood. He died (Cowan, 2021). The U.S. today is not what it should be in its vile and disgusting treatment of Asian Americans.
To understand how Asian Americans are both accepted and discriminated against, my research began with interviewing fellow Asian-American students. I chose to conduct my interviews to listen to first-hand accounts of my friends and their feelings. I talked to college students, who are my age and who I could connect with and have this conversation with.
I interviewed two students who had been adopted by white families and who identify as Asian, and one student who is half-Italian & half-Chinese. Each name has been changed to a pseudonym in order to protect the identities of those brave enough to express their deepest insecurities. But before I explain my interviews, I thought it was only appropriate to address a racist joke that I had not heard of until about a month and a half ago.While sitting in the common room of my house, eating dinner with two of my friends, also Asian-American, we began talking about encounters that we had experienced when we were younger. The joke is as follows: when an Asian baby is born, the parents drop a pan down the stairs to come up with the child’s name. Ching-chang-chong-chi-ping-ting. When the parents hear something they like, that is what they name their child. I had never heard this “joke” before and when I found out, I was shocked. Jokes like these are detrimental to the Asian community. Though some may find it comical, it enforces racist stereotypes that are harmful to the community.
My first interview took place in a large open setting — the library to be more specific. I aimed for it to be mostly unstructured and more naturally occurring. We sat down across from each other, cushioned by the wooden chairs and began talking. Penelope, a sophomore from NYC, wore black-frame glasses and wore her short black hair down around her shoulders. Her small frame was covered by a plain sweatshirt and light wash blue jeans. My general question is: “How have individual experiences of anti-Asian actions, stereotypes, or discrimination affected your personal self-identity? How have these experiences changed due to COVID-19? Has there been a change? If so, what was the change?” Penelope was a bit stressed due to how long the question was, and the depth of what I was asking about. She took a deep breath and we began talking of our identity growing up as Asian-American women and how it has changed due to COVID-19. She had spent thirteen years at an all girls private school before Bates College, a small liberal arts college in Lewiston Maine. I asked Penelope if she had ever wished she was white. She said that she “never really desired it” (Bayly, 2021). I was shocked. I felt sorry and ashamed that I had desired it and had wondered what it would be like to have pale skin and be the daughter of pale-skinned parents. Alas, it was something that I had to live with. At this particular school in NYC it was cool to be different. It was exciting to be Asian. There was never shame in being Chinese, Penelope explained to me during our talk.
For my next interview, I saw two of my friends at once and talked with them. The sun was shining. There was a slight breeze. We sat together, socially-distanced, in a circle in the driveway of my house. Because there was more going on in the world about violence against Asian-Americans, the interview took a more structured approach and my first question focused on the blame that is cast on us for the pandemic. Isaac was lying down, covering his eyes with his hands and Becca sat criss-crossed facing me. Some of our friends were on the porch of the house doing homework. After reading my question, we dove into our feelings and experiences living as Asian-Americans during the pandemic. The mood was serious. Since this was our first talk about a topic as serious as this one, it was important for me to give space, and recognize the feelings of my friends and fellow Asian-Americans who were also hurt by what is happening. It is hard to understand what it’s like to feel Asian during a time like this. We can talk to anyone we want, Asian or not, but our feelings are our feelings.
This interview took place soon after the events of the Atlanta shooting. While it only came up a few times, it set the stage for the context of our conversation and why we were having it. It wasn’t just for my project, but it also was a way for me to check in with my friends. I had to take a few days to collect my thoughts before I could even think about sitting down to write this piece. “An AAPI Data survey conducted just after the Atlanta shooting shows that 71% of Asian American adults worry about COVID-19–related hate crimes, harassment, and discrimination, 21% of whom worry very often,” (Huang & Lee, 2021). It is clear that the pandemic has had a destructive effect on the entire world. The effects are great on those being blamed for it, but they are even greater on those who have died. When I asked the question about ever wanting to be white, I got entirely different answers from Issac and Becca than I had Penelope.
Isaac told me that“[he’ started to detest physical traits that didn’t demonstrate whiteness or eurocentric whiteness.” Becca told me that“[she] wished [she] was white so that [she] wouldn’t have to deal with remarks about being Asian.”
In our interview which was much more in depth and more structured than my first, we discussed the stereotype of old Asians, particularly “people in Chinatown, who sell from carts or merchandise stands” as Isaac described it. The pandemic is being used as an excuse to be anti-Asian. They both agreed that they would act more white in order to fit in growing up. Racism against Asian Americans has always been prominent, whether it’s stigmatizing the community, or making jokes. The pandemic should not be an excuse to be blatantly violent against a minority community, especially at a time like this. The pandemic is acting as a catalyst for anti Asianism, and we will probably still see violent crimes committed against Asians as well. I am Asian. I am American. I am Chinese. Everyday, we are flooded with news articles, videos, and documents of recent events. But the role of the media in the wake of the pandemic does not make anyone feel better about what is happening around the world. My interviews helped me do some thinking and analysis of my own. While I would rarely go out in public during the pandemic, I could not help but wonder if people were looking at me differently because they viewed me as being Asian. I ultimately was becoming more and more insecure about how I looked, especially because a mask made only my eyes and my long, thick, black hair visible.
The violence that we have seen in the media cannot continue. The horror that we have seen committed cannot continue. The negativity that we feel for being Asian American cannot continue. If you are reading this, whether you are Asian or not, be able to recognize the power of your voice, your rhetoric, your words, and your actions. Why should we care more about who caused the pandemic than we do about who is causing it to last longer? It affects us all, but the Asian American community and I are the ones seeing the lasting impacts that it will have on our self identity. Take some time to check in with your Asian American identifying friends, family members, coworkers, neighbors, and yourself. When I finished my interview with Isaac and Becca, I asked if either had any last words. Isaac said “It makes me wonder, how easy would my life be if I was white?” I didn’t have an answer for him.
References
Bayly, M., Interviews. (2021).
Blackburn, S. (2019, March 21). What is the model minority myth? Retrieved April 05, 2021, from https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/what-is-the-model-minority-myth
Cowan, J. (2021, February 12). A tense Lunar New year for the Bay area after attacks on Asian-Americans. Retrieved April 05, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/12/us/asian-american-racism.html
Leon, A. (2020, April 09). The long history of racism against Asian Americans in the U.S. Retrieved April 05, 2021, from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/the-long-history-of-racism-against-asian-americans-in-the-u-s
Lee, J., & Huang, T. (2021, April 02). Reckoning with ASIAN AMERICA. Retrieved April 05, 2021, from https://science.sciencemag.org/content/372/6537/8
Yellow Horse, A.J., Leong, K.J., & Kuo, K. (2020). Introduction: Viral Racisms: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Respond to COVID-19. Journal of Asian American Studies 23(3), 313–318. doi:10.1353/jaas.2020.0023. | https://medium.com/@mbayly/living-through-the-pandemic-in-the-eyes-of-an-asian-american-7ff7ee9da6db | ['Margaret Bayly'] | 2021-04-06 00:43:07.500000+00:00 | ['Covid 19', 'Asian American', 'Identity'] |
Active IDEA Wallet Just Got a Matic Upgrade! | Ideaology initiates integration with Matic network for secure and nimble transactions!
Ideaology is partnering up with Matic Network to provide our Active IDEA users the security and convenience that come with their platform-integrated wallets! Matic Network is a scaling solution for public blockchains. Based on an adapted implementation of the Plasma framework (Plasma MoreVP) — with an account-based implementation, Matic will support the IDEA token and the Active IDEA wallet through faster and cheaper transactions.
This partnership plans to integrate the two platforms to provide the Active IDEA users the wallet that can handle the type of transactions that they plan to execute within the blockchain-powered freelancing and business development platform. This collaboration stems from countless conversations between the Ideaology team and our community. The help from our enthusiastic and supportive Active IDEA community inspires us to find ways to help them make collabvesting within the platform as easy and safe as possible.
Here is a quick rundown of the features of incorporating Matic Network within the Active IDEA platform in the immediate future:
Wallet integration within 30 days. Active IDEA users and IDEA tokens holders will be able to enjoy more secure, cheaper, and faster transactions on their own wallets.
Active IDEA users and IDEA tokens holders will be able to enjoy more secure, cheaper, and faster transactions on their own wallets. Once the Active IDEA platform is ready, Matic Network will be using an adapted version of the Plasma framework that provides a solution for faster and extremely low-cost transactions . This means Active IDEA users will be able to instantly enjoy lower fees upon sign up!
. This means Active IDEA users will be able to instantly enjoy lower fees upon sign up! Matic will also help the developers within the Active IDEA platform massively. Integrating Matic on the platform will provide our users a head start with decentralized application development.
To learn more about Matic Network and how its integration can help you out, you can check their complete informational sheet here or their demo.
With this integration, we hope that you maximize the convenience that the Matic Network provides. With this kind of partnership, we’re sure that your ideas can easily be developed and launched within Ideaology’s Active IDEA platform!
Let’s start creating IDEAS together! | https://medium.com/@ideaologyio/active-idea-wallet-just-got-a-matic-upgrade1-8ae5e67df006 | [] | 2021-01-28 12:12:49.077000+00:00 | ['Startup', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Cryptonews', 'Freelancing', 'Blockchain'] |
Do You Know the Difference between Romper, Onesies and Creeper of Babies? | Nowadays shopping for newborn toddlers and kids become a difficult task for parents. This is because of uncountable varieties of clothes. In today’s world Parents are very conscious about not only the style of babies' outfit but they also concern with the patterns and colors of the dresses. Selecting the outfits for even a newborn baby had also become an important part of a parent’s life. And for selecting the best clothes for their loved ones they must have the knowledge of upcoming trends and fashion of baby clothing.
As we know rompers, Onesies and creeper all are the types of one-piece outfit and because of this many people get confused. But being a choosy parent it is very essential to know the difference between these three clothing. All these outfits are worn until babies wear diapers, as they are very comfortable and convenient for putting on and changing the diapers. For the most part, zips are utilized in these outfits which make it conceivable to change the infant’s diaper without the need to remove all garments. That’s why most of the parents prefer these types of outfits for small babies.
Now one by one we will discuss the important features of all three types of garments mention above:
BABY ROMPERS — It is one-piece clothing that comes mostly with full sleeves and long legs with zippers which make it easy to change a diaper. But for summer seasons they are also available with short sleeves and legs. These are available in different sizes starting from newborn baby size to 3 years old toddler. They are worn casually at home but like little girl smocked dresses, their fancy version also comes for parties and festival seasons. They are very comfortable for the summer season as they don’t require putting on any extra top or T-shirt.
CREEPERS FOR KIDS — Presently coming towards the creeper, it is a sort of exceptionally long T-shirt that can attach the diaper. Unlike normal T-shirt which may get rolled up, the creeper is very comfortable do not allow wind to cause discomfort to the baby. Children’s creeper should always be dressed over the head but sometimes this creates inconvenience to parents of newborn babies.
KIDS ONESIES- It is also known as snapsuit. It always comes with snaps and buttons for closure and tends to conceal the diaper inside. It is also a one-piece outfit which replaces the need for pants and shirt. It’s also available in warm fabric for the winter season. The attached cap or hood makes it very convenient for windy and awful weather. Like the above two outfits, it is also very easy to put on and take off onesies. | https://medium.com/@littlethreadinc/do-you-know-the-difference-between-romper-onesies-and-creeper-of-babies-35f983c43bd | ['Little Threads'] | 2020-01-31 06:41:23.761000+00:00 | ['Little Girls', 'Baby', 'Dresses'] |
What is the easiest way to potty train a kid? | Some call it a potty training start-up camp.
The three-day potty training method is just that… hard three-day potty training.
When parents are looking for how to potty educate their children, many start with this method.
Make sure you have plenty of snacks in the house and ask Netflix to improve as you will not be away for three days.
Once you’ve figured out a schedule, it’s time to move on to business and become one with the 3-day potty training method.
Throw away diapers and bring underwear. Once you’ve handed down the diapers and shown your child that you’ve done so, wear him or her “big boy” underwear and a t-shirt, not pants. Dust Speech. Tell the potty and explain to your child that he needs to tell you when he needs to go to the potty. Don’t repeatedly ask your child if he or she has to go. Proponents of the three-day potty training method say your child will tell you when they need to go, giving them a sense of control that will help with potty training. Be prepared for accidents. Accidents happen when you are potty training. During these three days, you need to focus on your children and be able to get him to the bathroom so they can stop if they have an accident. Be potty positive. As with any potty training method, you need to be patient and positive. When your child is in an accident, don’t shout. Take a deep breath, clean up the mess and calmly explain to your child that pee and cakes go to the toilet, not the floor. Once successful, some parents dance the potty dance as a celebration to make the potty training process more fun. “Don’t stay with things that don’t go well,” says Beers. “Make it fun to sit on the toilet with books or music to keep the kids entertained.” Be consistent. Be consistent for all three days and follow the same rules. Proponents of this method say it gets better every day!
While some parents praise Jewish praise for the three-day method, others remind us that it is not for everyone.
“The three-day potty training start-up camp method can be really stressful and cause a lot of anxiety for children and parents,” Nsilo-Swai says.
Bottom line: Find a method that works best for you and your kids.
To Know About The Method Which I Used, Go To The OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Disclaimer-This article contains affiliate links, so if you purchase I will get a little commission. | https://medium.com/@chaturvedikushal-87/what-is-the-easiest-way-to-potty-train-a-kid-31bf3263a85d | ['Extreme Zone'] | 2020-10-28 14:19:29.561000+00:00 | ['Baby', 'Baby Care', 'Parents', 'Potty Training Tips', 'Parenting Advice'] |
Menelusuri Jejak Syailendra di Batang | in In Fitness And In Health | https://medium.com/marcapada/menelusuri-jejak-syailendra-di-batang-f7cf563eb3a2 | ['Yacob Wijaya'] | 2018-05-27 09:32:34.493000+00:00 | ['Megalitikum', 'Candi', 'Jawa Tengah', 'Batang'] |
Mockoon CLI is now available! | After months of work, Mockoon CLI is available in beta 🚀. You can now deploy your mock APIs in all your headless and automated environments. A server, your favorite CI environment, in a GitHub Action, in the Windows Subsystem Linux, you name it!
Like the main application, the CLI is free and open-source. It supports most of Mockoon features, and we tried to make it as fast as possible.
You are one command away to using it. Check the installation instructions, and most of all, let us know what you think and what we could improve on the official forum.
How does it work
The CLI takes a Mockoon data export file and runs the specified environment. You can either provide the data as a local file or a URL where you host it.
You can also list the running mock API processes to get some information about them (port, PID, CPU, memory, etc.) or stop them completely.
Mockoon CLI supports all of Mockoon’s features: templating system, proxy mode, route response rules, etc.
It’s also compatible with your data files in an older format as it automatically migrates them before running the mock.
Implementation details
We chose to create an NPM package as it is a widely used and well-known format. It’s also the technology we know best, and we wanted to be sure to create something simple to use, fast and lightweight.
Before actually working on the CLI, we needed first to extract a lot of code from the main application into a new library. Luckily, this part of the main application was already relatively independent. But we still had some challenges and learned a lot about creating a Typescript library 😄.
Under the hood, we used Typescript (as for the main application and the library), Oclif to create the command-line tool, and PM2 to manage your mock API processes. It means that, while we wrap our CLI around all of PM2 commands, you can leverage everything PM2 has to offer if you are used to it!
Closing thoughts
The CLI was our small 2020 challenge. The biggest struggle was to achieve this while having a full-time job and an infinite list of things to work on for this project: content, features, support, etc. But we like challenges 😅.
We were initially planning a beta release for November. It seems the initial estimation wasn’t that off!
We hope that you will love using this tool as much as we loved creating it!
One of the oldest requests from our users ( September 2018! 😱) is now closed, but this is just the beginning! More improvements are already in the pipe. Stay tuned! | https://medium.com/mockoon/mockoon-cli-is-now-available-9f7e4b5f5d24 | ['Guillaume Monnet'] | 2020-12-21 20:49:15.961000+00:00 | ['Api Development', 'Rest Api', 'Prototyping', 'API', 'Developer Tools'] |
JavaScript, A Few Main Concepts | During my Software Engineering Bootcamp at Flatiron School, I familiarized with Ruby, Rails, JavaScript, React, and everything in between. I had a lot of fun building projects with my peers, using the agile methodology, and, as a recent graduate, I’m now continuing to code to create web-applications on my own.
While I agree that the only way to learn a language is by coding, coding and coding, I also believe it is important to know its fundamentals and core concepts definitions. So here are a few that I hope can be helpful for anyone approaching JavaScript.
JavaScript
JavaScript is an object-oriented scripting language that adds dynamism, animation, and interactivity to a web page on a browser.
JavaScript is an interpreted language, it reads code line-by-line and it executes it line-by-line (interpreted vs compiled).
For this reason, and despite its asynchronous nature, JavaScript is considered a single-threaded language, which differs by multi-threaded in that it executes code in order and it must finish executing a chunk of code before moving on to the next.
Hoisting
When the JavaScript code is run in the browser, the JS engine reads it twice:
1. Compilation Phase → the engine reads the code line-by-line.
2. Execution Phase → the engine steps through the code line-by-line and this time it runs it.
Hoisting: prior to the execution phase, variables and function declarations are moved to the top of their scope. The hoisting mechanism, however, only moves the declaration, but the assignments are left in place. This is why we are able to call functions that are defined later on in our code.
Data Types
Dynamic typing → Variables in JavaScript can point to any value of any data type. Variables can also be re-assigned values of a different data type.
typeof → returns the data type of a variable or value
let myVariable = ‘Hello’
typeof myVariable // string //reassigning myVariable to a new value of a different data type myVariable = 12
typeof myVariable // number
Primitive data types: undefined, string, number, boolean, bigint, symbol;
Structural data types: object (and arrays), functions;
Structural Root: null (typeof will return ‘object’)
DOM — Document Object Model
The DOM is a programming interface for HTML files. It represents the DNA of a web-page so that programs can change its structure, style, and content using JavaScript.
The DOM is created when the browser loads the HTML file. The browser, then, uses the DOM to render the page, which can be modified with JavaScript.
In other words, the DOM is a tree structure that represents the HTML elements, or nodes, of the page and JavaScript allows to listen to events and manipulate the DOM accordingly.
Scope
Scope refers to the accessibility of variables and functions in specific parts of the code, during the execution phase. Scope is determined by the location, in your code, where the function or variable is declared, not where it’s invoked.
Global scope: variables and functions accessible everywhere in the code. When a variable or function is not declared inside a function or block, then it’s in the global scope.
Function scope: variables and functions declared in the body of a function. They are only accessible inside that function, and not from the outside code.
Block scope: variables and functions written inside if statements or loops are only accessible from within such blocks.
I hope this was helpful, thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more content! | https://medium.com/swlh/javascript-a-few-main-concepts-2c500f7e14bd | ['Claudia Borghini'] | 2020-12-22 06:21:44.920000+00:00 | ['Javascript Scope', 'JavaScript', 'Software Engineering', 'Hoisting', 'Datatypes In Javascript'] |
Priorities for Administrative Action on Carbon Removal in 2021+ | Below is the executive summary of Carbon180’s Transition Book: Priorities for Administrative Action on Carbon Removal in 2021+. Please direct any inquiries to [email protected].
We are at the inflection point for stopping climate change. Growing public awareness and mobilization alongside increasingly devastating impacts from wildfires, hurricanes, and drought make clear that this moment is critically positioned for addressing the climate crisis. The next administration will need to take bold action in 2021 and beyond to drastically and swiftly reduce emissions across all sectors of the economy. And while there have been many decarbonization roadmaps that chart that track, there remains a critical piece missing from the climate fight: carbon removal.
The scientific consensus finds that cleaning up the carbon already in the atmosphere — in addition to reducing emissions — is essential to avoiding the worst impacts of climate change and protecting frontline communities across the globe. To hit our climate goals, estimates suggest that we’ll need to deploy a portfolio of solutions on the scale of 10 billion tons of CO2 per year by mid-century. While there has been significant promising innovation over the last decade, investments from the public and private sectors still do not match the scale needed.
Beyond their climate benefits, carbon removal solutions offer enormous economic and social advantages, including generating high-quality jobs, creating new sources of revenue for rural communities, developing new carbon-negative industries, improving biodiversity, and positioning the United States as the leader on carbon removal.
Though there has been growing interest in and action on carbon removal from Congress, there remains a foundational gap between our goals and the current efforts to make them a reality. The next administration should establish leadership on carbon removal in its first 100 days, taking early action to lay the groundwork for and begin actualizing the just carbon-removing economy of the future.
This report serves as a guide for transition teams as they explore pathways for administrative action on climate. We make recommendations for high-priority steps the White House should take within the first 30 days, as well as additional priorities for the first 100 days. For each agency, we outline key actions that can be executed within existing authority and funding. We also propose legislation and a draft first-year budget that the president should pursue in partnership with Congress. Together, these pieces form a comprehensive roadmap for ambitious administrative action on carbon removal.
View the full report. | https://medium.com/@carbon180/priorities-for-administrative-action-on-carbon-removal-in-2021-a531053c586c | [] | 2020-11-23 15:09:40.586000+00:00 | ['Climate', 'Climate Action', 'Carbon Emissions', 'White House', 'Policy'] |
Always Scream at Coyotes, Humane Society Says | Always Scream at Coyotes, Humane Society Says
Surprising advice to keep both you and coyotes safe
Photo by Joshua Wilking on Unsplash
If you see a coyote, what can you do to stop yourself from becoming a victim of an attack — and to deter the coyote from attacking others in the future? Many people likely assume that you should leave the coyote alone — especially if they’re far away from you, and don’t appear to be approaching you or causing issues.
That makes sense, because we’re usually taught to leave wildlife alone — to not disturb bird habitats, to throw back fish we’ve caught, and to otherwise let nature do its own thing. Most people probably assume the same rules about interacting with wildfire applies to coyotes. We’re the “unnatural” presence in their ranges, after all. Shouldn’t we be nice, quiet neighbors?
The Humane Society of the United States, though, says that’s the wrong approach. The problem is that over time, if coyotes see humans as a benign presence (or even a source of food, either through handouts, litter or unsecured garbage cans), they can feel emboldened to approach humans in the future.
This can lead to attacks, especially if a coyote approaches a person for food, feels threatened, and bites. That, in turn, can lead to culling of coyotes, in which many innocent animals can potentially be killed by authorities who seek to protect local people.
Instead of leaving coyotes alone, the Human Society says that if you see one, you should actively “haze” it. This involves taking steps to make yourself seem scary to the coyote, so they’ll see humans as a fearful presence and avoid approaching other humans in the future. This keeps your neighbors and the coyote safer, and also helps to protect you from an attack in the short term.
How do you haze a coyote? The Humane Society has a few suggestions:
Yell and wave your arms while approaching the coyote. Other guides recommending picking up your dog or placing kids on your shoulders to keep them safe and to appear larger and scarier to the coyote.
Using noisemakers (your voice, a whistle, airhorn, bell, soda can filled with pennies, or pots and pans banged together if you’re at home) to frighten the coyote off.
Throwing small projectiles (sticks, rocks, a tennis ball, etc.) towards the coyote.
Using other repellents, like spraying them with a garden hose, or pepper spray if they get very close.
In general, the Human Society says you want to appear as big and loud as possible. Scream, flare out your jacket, pick up other objects, and do anything you can to look as scary as possible. You can scream “GO AWAY COYOTE” as you perform the other hazing steps. The coyote may not fully leave at first, but it’s important to continue to haze until they’ve fully left.
Make sure they can see you, too — the Humane Society says that hazing is most effective when coyotes directly associate humans with the scary sounds, flying objects, etc. The Society also says you should never run away from a coyote.
If you see coyotes in a pack, haze the entire pack. One dominant coyote will usually respond, and once they get the message, the other pack members will follow.
These techniques can seem cruel, and most people are reluctant to scare wildlife — even a coyote. But the Humane Society reminds you that hazing is not just about keeping yourself safe — it’s also good for coyotes.
When coyotes start to approach humans too readily, they’re often killed to avoid attacks. So teaching coyotes that humans are scary through harmless hazing could avoid a future attack, which could lead to a neighbor being hurt or a coyote being killed.
The one exception to hazing is with a coyote that appears sick or injured. In that case, the Humane Society recommends calling local authorities.
A coyote doesn’t need to approach you for you to help by hazing it. If you see a coyote at all (even across a field or in the distance), do anything you can to appear scary and apply the hazing techniques above, to lessen the chances that it will approach you or another human in the future.
The Humane Society says that “hazing is most effective when an individual coyote is hazed by a variety of people using a variety of tools and techniques”. Hazing is a community effort, so make neighbors and others in your community aware of the techniques to multiply their impact. | https://tomsmith585.medium.com/always-scream-at-coyotes-humane-society-says-d6dd95305331 | ['Thomas Smith'] | 2020-12-27 15:04:06.078000+00:00 | ['Safety', 'Wildlife', 'Animal Attacks', 'Coyote', 'Humane Society'] |
Tax incentives, European entity and Russian language. What is the attractiveness of Latvia for startups from the CIS and how to transfer business there | By Konstantin Sinyushin, managing partner of the Untitled Ventures fund
I received a residence permit for investors in Latvia a year ago and now I spend most of my time in Riga. Here I meet more and more business immigrants from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan, representing the IT sector. The trend is also confirmed by the data of the Ministry of Economy of Latvia, according to which only in the last three weeks 12 Belarusian companies, including those from the IT sector, decided to move their activities to this country, and more than a hundred are considering this possibility.
If you do not delve into the political background of the issue, it is not interesting where these companies are leaving, but where they are going. In the European Innovation Results Scoreboard 2020, which is published by the European Commission, Latvia ranks 23rd and is considered a country with “moderate” innovative development, but shows one of the highest growth rates. Let’s figure out what are the advantages and disadvantages of Latvia for a start-up business, and how, if you wish, you can bring your start-up here.
PROS AND CONS FOR ENTREPRENEURS
If you are a startup in one of the CIS countries and are thinking about expanding to the West, you need a platform for doing business — convenient for you, close to your potential clients and easy in terms of transferring a ready-made business. From this point of view, not only Belarus, but also Russia and Ukraine are inferior to the Baltic countries, in particular, Latvia. Here are just a few of the benefits of this country for startups.
1. State interest
Comprehensive import of investment capital and skilled labor is beneficial for the country. It creates jobs that are paid above average (in Russia — about 1,000 euros per month), brings in revenue from imports and does not create unnecessary competition in the domestic market. This understanding is demonstrated by the Latvian authorities, where companies can apply for support to the Latvian Investment and Development Agency (LIAA).
From September 16, 2020, an updated law on the support of start-up activities has been in effect in Latvia. The main innovation is that companies no longer need to first receive financing in the amount of 15–30 thousand euros in order to receive benefits. Now a startup only needs to prove the fact of developing, creating or developing an innovative product. In addition, the updated law does not provide for an upper limit on the income of a startup in the first five years of operation and reduces the requirements for R&D.
What benefits does this law offer? Startups-residents of Latvia:
· Pay not income tax on salaries in the amount of up to 62.8 thousand euros per year, but a fixed contribution of 302 euros and an additional pension contribution (10%). Tax at the standard rate of 35.09% is taxed only on part of income above the specified level;
· Or receive subsidies for the hiring of qualified employees (the state returns up to 45% of the company’s costs of wages). If you choose this option, the income tax relief does not apply.
· Have the right to quick and easy registration of up to 5 residence permits for founders and investors of companies, as well as European work visas for other employees and visas for their family members.
As a result, the transportation of highly paid and highly qualified employees to the country is interesting both for employers and for the specialists themselves. As the next steps, the Latvian authorities should reasonably secure the local start-up legislation with the proviso that the conditions under which projects have moved to the country cannot change within a clearly agreed period.
2. Favorable tax regime for companies and investors
Latvia maintains a full-fledged holding regime and imposes a single tax on company profits and dividends to shareholders. Thus, there is no re-taxation of business income in the country when it is distributed. This factor is important for business owners who do not need to build complex schemes to withdraw income in the event of a business sale.
Ideally, owners of companies resident in Latvia could be exempted from capital gains tax by the country — at least after several years of owning a stake in the transferred company.
However, even without this measure, the country’s tax regime is beneficial for both business owners and investors, even in comparison with the traditionally low-tax jurisdictions of Belarus, Ukraine and Russia.
3. Geographical location
Latvia’s mild climate attracts those who have long dreamed of living and working by the sea. More importantly, the country has developed air links with all EU countries, where potential clients and startup partners work. Most of the Central European countries are within a 1–2 hour flight.
4. Cost of living
Business founders appreciate the cost to performance ratio of doing business in Latvia. However, even for ordinary employees, the budget for living in the same Riga will be a pleasant surprise in comparison not only with Western Europe, but also with many Eastern European EU member states.
5. Scientific and educational base
According to the Latvian Ministry of Economy, over the past year, public sector investments in science and research have increased by 18% in the country, and the number of companies that invest in the development of computer skills among employees has grown by 35%. The number of registered international patents in Latvia has grown by 30%.
6. Language and mentality
For Russian-speaking founders and investors, the obstacle to international expansion is often linguistic and cultural. In this sense, Latvia is a kind of buffer zone, where about 40% of the country’s population is Russian, and the majority of its inhabitants speak Russian at the everyday level.
Of course, this does not exclude the need for knowledge of English to effectively do business with other countries in Europe and the world. In addition, if you decide to obtain citizenship after five years of residence in the country, you will need to master the initial level of the Latvian language. However, initial adaptation in Latvia is easier.
HOW TO TRANSFER BUSINESS TO LATVIA
So, you have studied all the pros and cons and decided that Latvia is the right country to develop your business. Let’s take a look at the step by step relocation process in the most frequently asked questions.
· What exactly do we transport? Decide what exactly you want to locate in Latvia — parent or subsidiary company, head office or back office, or the whole business. Asset restructuring may be required to facilitate relocation.
· What documents are needed? To begin with, I recommend creating a description of the company on one page — business direction, turnover, list of partners, investments, structure. This document will be submitted to the LIAA and the bank to open an account, therefore it is worth correcting the description with a lawyer. A competent lawyer will also help to collect a preliminary set of documents for registration as a Latvian startup — the set of documents may differ depending on the type and structure of the business.
· How to open a bank account? Opening a bank account is one of the sensitive areas of the startup ecosystem in Latvia. To prevent money laundering, the country’s financial regulators have tightened checks on the beneficiaries and the transparency of the company’s financial transactions since last year. As a result, it is no longer so easy for foreign investors and entrepreneurs to open an account in a Latvian bank. However, there is a workaround for startups — you can fill out a form on the origin of funds in advance and send it to the LIAA for consideration before contacting the bank. This will shorten the period for consideration of the application in the bank. Depending on the bank, opening an account will take from two days to three weeks.
· How to register a company? So, you have in your hands a prepared package of documents and the preliminary consent of the bank to open an account. Next, you need to establish a new legal entity in the form of SIA (analogue of a Russian limited liability company, LLC). To establish an SIA, a legal (and postal) address is required, for which the consent of the owner of the premises is required.
At this stage, you decide whether to create an SIA with full fixed capital (minimum 2800 euros, at least 50% paid before registration) or with small capital (from 1 to 2799 euros, 100% paid before registration). The second option is easier for non-residents — there is no need to open a temporary account in a Latvian bank, but only individuals can establish it.
The package of documents is submitted to the LIAA, where the company is registered as a startup — this process will take 2–5 working days. Then the company is registered in the register of enterprises in Latvia, which also takes 2–5 working days.
· How do I get startup incentives? It should be understood that not all transported companies have the right to receive the same benefits as small and medium-sized innovative businesses. Therefore, for their registration, after the final registration of the company, you must again submit documents to the LIAA to obtain the status of facilitated taxation.
· Do I need to be present in Latvia for registration? In general, it is not necessary to come to Latvia to register a company, all documents can be drawn up in your country and sent by mail. However, with a personal presence (or the presence of local lawyers), the process will go faster.
· Do I need to have a residence permit to register a company? There are no restrictions for foreign citizens to become founders, participants or shareholders of SIA. However, the residence permit card greatly simplifies the paperwork, as it gives the right to electronically sign. In addition, a “green corridor” has been organized in the Latvian embassies for founders and investors of startups.
· What personal documents are needed to obtain a residence permit and work visas? Detailed information can be found on the website of the Latvian Embassy. On my own behalf, I recommend preparing in advance and affixing an apostille on a police clearance certificate, translated and a diploma of education, and in case of moving with a family — certificates of marriage and birth of children. You will also need a medical certificate of absence of tuberculosis and insurance for a foreigner. Collecting these documents is not a matter of one day, so it is worth starting as early as possible.
Summing up, Latvia really has every chance of becoming an Eastern European innovation hub, especially in the current economic and political situation. For this, the country has already done a lot in terms of the ease of migration of a ready-made business and the convenience of expanding this business to the West. Therefore, the relocation of business to Latvia is one of the most promising solutions for startups from the CIS.
Authored by Konstantin Sinyushin, Managing Partner, the Untitled Ventures Fund | https://medium.com/@theuntitledventures/tax-incentives-european-entity-and-russian-language-99f5a6537ede | ['The Untitled Ventures'] | 2020-11-20 08:29:31.706000+00:00 | ['Migration', 'Legal', 'Startup', 'Business Development', 'Venture Capital'] |
Your ego the real dragon? | Your ego the real dragon?
The story of Siegfried and the dragon is found in both the Elde’ and the Younger Eddas, and is really the basis upon which the entire plot of the legend of Sigurd, or Siegfried, is constructed.
One archetypal meaning of the story is this: The dragon is the storm- cloud endangering the harvest. The hero who fights it is the sun, with his glorious sword, the lightning- flash. By his victory the earth is relieved from her peril.
The fable has been varied to suit the atmospheric peculiarities of different climates.
In northern mythology the serpent is probably the winter cloud, which broods over and keeps from mortals the golf of the sun’s light, and heat, till in the spring the bright orb overcomes the powers of darkness and tempest, and scatters his gold over the face of the earth.
When the sun arose, and drove away the darkness and the hidden terrors of the night, our ancestors thought of the story of a noble young hero slaying a hideous dragon, or taking possession of the golden treasures of Mist Land.
– from The Story of Siegfred by James Baldwin (1882).
Psychologically speaking Joseph Campbell’s Interpretation of the dragon archetype is my favourite:
“Psychologically, the dragon is one’s own binding of oneself to one’s ego, and you’re captured in your own dragon cage.
The real dragon is in you. That’s your ego, holding you in.
What’s my ego?
What I want, what I believe, what I can do, what I think I love and all that. What I regard as the aim of my life and so forth. It might be too small. It might be that which pins you down. And if it’s simply that of doing what the environment tells you to do, it certainly is pinning you down.
And so the environment is your dragon, as it reflects within yourself.” | https://medium.com/@taniyasayed/your-ego-the-real-dragon-23162d54854a | ['Taniya Sayed'] | 2021-06-17 16:04:21.940000+00:00 | ['Dragonspit Apothecary', 'Ego', 'Psychology'] |
10 Reasons the Last Jedi is Awful | The Last Jedi came out a while ago. It was divisive to say the least. Some heralded it for taking the Star Wars Saga into bold new directions. Others decried it for killing their childhood. I was somewhere in the middle but there are several reasons the movie didn’t work.
10. Snoke’s Pajamas
Do you remember the cold, dark, and ominous throne room from the Return of the Jedi? The Emperor was still a character that we hadn’t spent a lot of time with, and he was so mysterious. Why does someone as formidable as Darth Vader take orders from a little old man? I remember thinking. But, the setting and those dark robes worked. It established the Emperor as a threat.
But, in The Last Jedi, we get a n old decrepit man in his pajamas. It looked so dumb. Instead of an intergalactic space despot, he looks like he’s running the space Playboy mansion. It looked so silly. Apparently, he ran a adult entertainment empire before the First Order.
9. Holdo
I get it. That last scene was great. She took out a First Order Fleet with one move. But, I didn’t like Holdo. I thought the purple hair was silly, which sounds funny considering it’s a movie with toad nuns, but she looked like she was in Hunger Games and not Star Wars.
Also, all she had to do was tell Poe what the plan was and they could have avoided half the plot of the movie.
Also, she says “godspeed” despite a singular deity never really being mentioned.
I will give this, the “Holdo Manuever” is a great name and it sounds awesome. The rest was still silly.
8. Flying Leia
i wish that was a joke. I thought it was going to be a bold decision to kill Leia right there. And, to do it so early in the film would have been a surprise.
The last image we’d see of Carrie Fisher would be her floating through space.
Nope.
I realize that the powers the Force gives have never been strictly defined, but the flying through space thing looked pretty silly. The force has always been a vaguely defined mystic power, but this crossed right into space wizard territory.
7. Old Luke
This one hurts. For years, since I first watched Star Wars, I wondered what Luke did after the last movie. There were books that talked about this, but I wanted to see the new Jedi master on screen, and how he would handle rebuilding the ancient order.
Aaaand, he didn’t. He tried. Then his pupil betrayed him. He was also about to kill a young Ben Solo. This is definitely what I thought my childhood hero would be doing.
He abandoned Han and Leia. My childhood triumverate broken.
Instead we get old grumpy Luke with a fraction of the Yoda’s charm. Even if he thought the Jedi needed to end, it would have been more interesting to see him embrace the Grey Jedi concepts and accept both the Light and the Dark side of the force. He could pass this lesson onto Rey and he’d truly be the last Jedi.
Oh, you can just have an hour of him acting surly and drinking green milk.
6. Phasma
This problem was particularly egregious because it never had to happen. People complained because Captain Phasma was underutilized in The Force Awakens. Rian Johnson decided to bring her back to basically to the same thing. She shows up for half a fight scene and presumably dies. I hope she’s gone for good this time.
Also, people say she was a great character in the books. I read enough books. I can’t let Star Wars dominate all of my reading habits and movie watching. I have set some kind of limit.
5. Benicio Del Toro
It’s weird to say that Benicio Del Toro is one of things wrong with a movie. Traffic is a great movie. I love The Hunted. Siriana is also good. But, boy did I not like him in this movie.
Imagine I say that Benicio Del Toro is playing a morally gray codebreaker in a science fiction epic. That’s sounds amazing. Now what if I say he has a stutter and his name is DJ. Changed your mind didn’t you? Star Wars is not without dumb names, but DJ sounds like one of the kids from Barney, not from Star Wars.
And the st-st-st-stuttering was annoying.
4. Wasting Finn
Hey do have one of the most charismatic young stars? Is he super popular? Is he fantastically talented? Did he do incredibly well in the last installment? Let’s put him in a pointless sided quest.
This is what they did with John Boyega. Boyega is a fantastic and super talented young actor and you separate him from everyone. Finn is a great character too. He’s the first time we’ve ever seen a defected Stormtrooper and they waste all kinds of story. Oh, they need to sneak onto an Imperial ship? Good thing we have a former soldier from the First Order. That sure is handy. It was such a colossal waste of talent and time. And, you split Finn from Rey. Daisy Ridley and John Boyega’s chemistry is superb. They essentially cut an entire movie out of their relationship to develop.
They honestly would have been better off leaving him in the medical unit. Finn is a coma is more interesting than his plot here.
Also, if Holdo had told anyone about the plan then the silly side quest never gets done in the first place.
3. That Dumb Kiss
This was minor but it looked so dumb it hurt. We’re getting to the climax of the film. This is it. All the big stuff is about to happen aaaaaaand Rose stops Finn from sacrificing himself, by sacrificing herself? And she pecks him on the lips. It looked like two dolls being pushed together by a six year old.
I mean Star Wars is not without its problems with kissing. Luke got to first base with his sister, but this was kind of dumb, and it didn’t add to the stakes.
2. Space Gambling
This is related to the Finn problem. This was a horrible section of the movie that I was already on the fence about.
I actually thought they started playing a different movie. Suddenly I was watching a Baz Luhrmann film. I half expected the space version of Jay Gatsby to come strolling down some grand staircase. Some cinematographer got his rocks off because he got to do intergalactic roaring 20’s.
The giant dog made from bad CGI was silly too.
It was only there so Rose could spout off some heavy handed nonsense about economic disparity in the galaxy.
I don’t come to Star Wars for treatises on war profiteering. I want space wizards and laser swords.
Rey’s Backstory
This is the part of the movie where Rian Johnson gleefully kicks you in the stomach. The biggest question coming out of The Force Awakens was the identity of Rey’s parents, and what happened in her past to make her such a powerful force user.
But, no. We got this instead.
Kylo Ren: I know who your parents are.
Rey: Oh so we’re going to rip off Empire Strikes Back too?
Kylo Ren: No we’re going to subvert expectations.
Rey: I don’t think that’s a good idea.
Kylo: It’ll be great. It can’t miss. Just like making the dope from Girls the main villain.
Rey: Hey, aren’t you that guy…?
Kylo Ren: Enough, do you know who your parents are?
Rey: Is it Luke? I feel like it’d be a little obvious.
Kylo Ren: No. It’s not Luke.
Rey: Obi-Wan Kenobi? I don’t know how that would work, but I heard his voice in The Force Awakens.
Kylo Ren: No, not him either.
Rey: Sooo?
Kylo Ren: Nobody. Your parents were just drunk junkers.
Rey: Wait, that’s it.
Kylo Ren: Don’t you see? It’s brilliant. You’re not some lost scion of an ancient family. The next leader is a from a desert world in the middle of nowhere.
Rey: Seems kind of familiar. So how did I get so powerful. I went toe to toe with you last movie.
Kylo Ren: (shrugs) Beats me.
Rey: If I’m not the progeny of an ancient force user. How did I get so strong? Was I secretly a member of the Knights of Ren and my memory was wiped?
Kylo Ren: Oh that would have been much more interesting.
Rey: So I was just born incredibly powerful and I’ve had to do literally no work to make it so?
Kylo Ren: Pretty much.
Rey: Oh god, I am a Mary Sue.
And there you have it. Ten reasons this movie was awful. | https://medium.com/the-inkwell/10-reasons-the-last-jedi-is-awful-c5666abb2413 | ['Matthew Donnellon'] | 2019-12-16 05:01:59.732000+00:00 | ['Film', 'Review', 'Humor', 'This Happened To Me', 'Star Wars'] |
Remote Work: Best Practice to Improve Performance | Eduardo Argil Pérez | Director of Digital Technology | everis Mexico
Remote work, imposed on us by the pandemic, has raised many questions. Since this a relatively new practice, especially in Latin America, there were no clear protocols so that employees could effectively work outside of the office.
One of the questions initially asked was whether one should necessarily work face-to-face to be productive. Over time, there has been a clear and concise response, indicating that anyone who has the required tools to perform their activities can do so no matter where they are in the world.
After spending more than half a year working from home, I can conclude that distance does not impede solving tasks efficiently and on time. Therefore, the paradigm created by business leaders has been broken. However, this work style has exposed other factors that were not considered, such as the importance of having flexible policies, collaborative work methodologies, and time-management. These factors should be urgently addressed since companies such as Facebook estimate that within the next 5 to 10 years, all employees could work remote permanently.
Decision-makers must know the company’s DNA to be able to solve these new challenges, but, above all, they must bear in mind that they are working with human beings and therefore, implementing actions that benefit the teams are required. Based on this assumption, we must consider the following basic principles: adoption of culture, collaboration, communication, and networking, in addition to safety devices and platforms.
Working from home comprises daily tasks’ performance using the company’s tools and fostering communication, collaboration, planning, and team management skills that can be integrated into different platforms. It will help employees work and perform their activities in the same manner or even better than they would do if they were physically together.
A wave of knowledge management is expected to be one of the trends we will see in the coming years. Companies will strengthen this asset to systematize everything they know to target their efforts better and perform tasks effectively.
Employees must be provided with the required technology so their devices are safe. Under no circumstances should a leakage of information occur, as this is the added and most precious value of companies. Therefore, relying on a well-established technological environment will be essential.
Better cybersecurity software must be implemented, according to Safe at Last data, 69% of companies consider that their online security systems are not solid enough to protect themselves from cyber-attacks. In this situation, a company is more vulnerable to information leakage, mostly when its members work on private networks.
Moreover, by not being close to experts in several office areas, people tend to increase Internet inquiries under the “do it yourself” assumption, which means the demand for audio and video content will also increase. Nevertheless, for this to be effective, workers need to have cognitive engines through machine learning (artificial intelligence) to have more sophisticated and intelligent search engines that speed up searching for information. Therefore, data categorization and typification (metadata) are becoming increasingly relevant.
Remote work is a practice implemented several years ago in many countries, but despite that, in our country, it was still perceived as a foreign scenario. Yet, this initiative is here to stay, which forces us to promote new labor policies, technological skills, and additional benefits that keep employees motivated and productive. | https://medium.com/@everisus/remote-work-best-practice-to-improve-performance-89d03da46e02 | ['Everis Us'] | 2020-12-18 15:21:42.777000+00:00 | ['Performance', 'Digital Transformation', 'Home Office', 'Remote Working', 'Business'] |
A maritime college student hailing from Bihar was stabbed to death by a few collegemates using a… | A maritime college student hailing from Bihar was stabbed to death by a few collegemates using a broken plastic....
http://marinesthing.com/tamil-nadu-20-year-old-merchant-navy-cadet-stabbed-to-death-by-fellow-college-mates-at-hostel/ | https://medium.com/@merchantnavymarinesthing/a-maritime-college-student-hailing-from-bihar-was-stabbed-to-death-by-a-few-collegemates-using-a-c8749c89c73b | [] | 2020-12-27 05:30:19.232000+00:00 | ['Stabbed', 'Navy', 'Died', 'Kill', 'Murder'] |
Worthiness | One thing that’s been the most transformational to all of my relationships has been developing my sense of worthiness. Like many people, I did not have the best nurturance for developing this from a young age. In fact, as my parents were religious missionaries, I was taught that I was born a sinner and constantly needed to try my best to maybe, possibly, someday be found “passable”. But best not to get too cocky or slack off at all. Better not to delude myself that I was going to be celebrated and cherished, sailing into acceptance with flying colors.
So the journey to self-love and acceptance, particularly to a healthy relationship to spirituality, was longer for me perhaps, than some others. I’ve mentioned Hafiz as one of my favorite mystical poets. In, You Better Start Kissing Me, I can relate to coming to “God’s door” with a “begging bowl” from that orientation of unworthiness. Fortunately, I’ve experienced a major shift since then. This poem goes like this:
Throw away all your begging bowls at God’s door
For I have heard the Beloved prefers sweet threatening shouts
Something on the order of: “Hey, Beloved, My heart is a raging volcano of love for you!
You better start kissing me — or else!”
Experiencing the feeling of worthiness creates many shifts, of course. But that feeling of being loved, adored and celebrated (by yourself first of course) with a birthright of peace and abundance is priceless, and well worth the effort of letting go of whatever may be blocking you from it. | https://medium.com/@vedaprajvalan/worthiness-8f373cf6d39d | ['Veda Prajvalan'] | 2020-12-19 05:54:32.021000+00:00 | ['Relationship With Self', 'Spirituality', 'Worthiness', 'Relationship With God', 'Transformation'] |
Just Start Effort to Become a Leader | What is Leadership? Well, Amal Academy has helped us redefine the definition of Leadership and that is “To make small positive impacts on your surroundings”. Well, this new definition of leadership hits me to the core and it inspires me that I too can become a Leader in many ways.
Standout from everyone else to show Leadership
To practice leadership in our daily life, we are assigned to do a small activity in the 2nd Project Work of Amal Fellowship. So I am sharing my story of becoming a leader.
So, when I went through this project work activity, I was sitting in my room at the plant site of CPBM (Century Paper & Board Mills). And I decided to clean my bed to practice leadership (to make a positive impact). But when I looked at my bed from this perspective, I felt some guilt that what I had been doing and what I was lacking.
So my bed was very messy and there were a lot of things distributed on my left and right side. I used to sleep on this bed without making it neat & clean and without placing the things at their respective place. The idea of cleaning it and sleeping on a neat bed came to my mind several times but I ignored it. Not knowing what impact it is making on me and my surroundings (especially on people’s minds around me). I was thinking about these things when it was 02:00 am on Tuesday night. So I made up my mind to clean it the first time in the morning, before going to the office.
My Bed before cleaning
I woke up, got freshened up, and started cleaning it. I placed the things at their respective place and cleaned everything. The interesting thing is that it took only 10–15 mins to clean everything. And I learned many things from this leadership activity.
After practicing Amal Leadership
I felt gloomy after seeing my bed so neat and clean. I even sprayed a little perfume on my Blanket. And I kind of felt a sense of positive energy flowing in my body that little deeds are actually very powerful in our life.
I could have cleaned my bed after some time but would not be able to learn the lesson of making small positive impacts on our surroundings. Amal’s lesson on leadership has changed my thinking.
The Final Message
Today, I learned that for leadership we don’t need some kind of authority. We just need to take responsibility and let people follow us by getting inspiration from our small positive changes (impacts).
Again, I am thankful to Amal Academy for changing my thinking style of Leadership. Hoping to learn more and more from this Fellowship. | https://medium.com/@engrshayan164/just-start-effort-to-become-a-leader-d1ea03fd5c95 | ['Engr Shayan Ahmad'] | 2020-12-18 19:13:47.725000+00:00 | ['Leadership', 'Leadership Development', 'Leaders', 'Covid 19', 'Just Start'] |
Building A Blockchain-Based Business | As blockchain nears its tenth anniversary, Satoshi Nakamoto’s brainchild has proven itself to be an incredibly resourceful platform. The infiltration of blockchain technology in recent years, has subsequently touched almost every industry, from banking and finance to procurement and healthcare. Thus far, the adoption of blockchain is shaping up to mirror the explosion of the Internet, propelling us into deeper into the Technological Revolution.
The International Data Corporation predicts that worldwide blockchain spending will top $11.7 billion USD in 2022, up from $1.5 billion in 2018. For now, as a distributed, decentralised platform, it entices early adopters with the promise of combating fraud, corroding corruption, and delivering the power of data back to the people.
Businesses who conduct research into how to promote and monetise platforms on the blockchain have cornered an incredibly lucrative, ever-growing market as blockchain explodes into the mainstream. Thus, blockchain technology is a topic which you need to take the time to fully comprehend.
Promotion to the Populace
Blockchain companies face the considerable task of communicating a complex subject to potential users. After all, John Oliver described, blockchain is an unfortunate intersection of “everything you don’t understand about money combined with everything you don’t understand about computers.” In this case, the age-old adage of build it and they will come just doesn’t apply, as adopters need to understand why they should trust this new technology and what they can take away from it.
Another Block in the Chain, Pt. 1: Education
Contrary to Pink Floyd’s riff that “we don’t need no education,” it is essential to keep your users and investors informed as to which technology you will be using and the steps you plan to take to make your vision a reality. To explain this, businesses traditionally release white papers with a concise summary of the business’ primary goals, future potential, and the launch plan. The white paper is a chance to show users and potential investors how you intend to use the power of blockchain.
Another Block in the Chain, Pt. 2: User Engagement
In a bold countermove, Facebook, Google, and Twitter have now banned ads for crypto services in an attempt to crack down on consumer scams. Yet that’s simply a challenge to get a little inventive. While outreach pages on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and our vast array of mainstream social media platforms are perfect for engaging with a mainstream audience, communities that are backed by schools of thought that break away from the norm are built elsewhere.
There are a number of safe havens for blockchain followers, hidden in plain sight. Rapidly growing in numbers, they can be found on websites and forums such as Reddit, Quora, Revain, Github, and Bitcointalk. Away from forums, there are also large followings on upcoming messaging platforms, such as Slack and Telegram.
Monetisation Deliberation
When it comes to launching a blockchain-based business, the question is, subsequently, that of money. Namely, where do you get the startup capital to create a successful company, and how do you find a reliable revenue source?
The majority of companies that move onto the blockchain begin their journey with one of two methods. Primarily, they present a white paper and announce their plan to launch an Initial Coin Offering (ICO), or they aim to catch the eye of venture capitalist firms. Whichever route they choose, they invariably attract a great deal of interest and subsequent revenue.
Once startups acquire the necessary funds to launch their project, they turn to a multitude of options to sustain their business. Companies such as Blockcypher charge fees in exchange for the use of their API and infrastructure. Deloitte and IBM craft custom projects for other businesses; Chain charges small subscription fees for network transactions; and Bloq relies on enterprise customers reimbursing them for platform uptime and maintenance. There’s no shortage of options.
Here are a couple of blockchain-based companies which can be heralded as game-changing examples when it comes to the process of promoting and monetising a startup.
Hyperledger
An open source project launched by The Linux Foundation in 2016, Hyperledger is the equivalent of a greenhouse for blockchain businesses, incubating a multitude of frameworks and tools. The founders of this global initiative include leaders from finance, the Internet of Things (IOT), manufacturing, and supply chains — and they possess a grandiose vision. If Hyperledger achieves its aims, blockchain will transcend boundaries between industries to enable open source innovation at a scale as never before seen.
Community
To build a community around their project, Hyperledger created meetups, offered easy-to-access collaboration tools, and provided a plethora of webinars, videos, and tutorials. What’s more, they’re pioneering some potentially groundbreaking programs, sponsoring 15 student developers to learn firsthand from active Hyperledger developers, partnering with the Canadian government to cut red tape and save billions for businesses, and cementing their reputation as a thought leader at blockchain conferences worldwide.
Corporate Backing
Businesses that are formed by corporate interests and backed by influential investors often forego crowdfunding initiatives. They may charge users for additional software and support services, but their strong financial backing promises a good solid beginning.
Monetha
Then there are businesses like Monetha, which monetised its platform with a crowdfunding campaign that raised $37 million USD in 18 minutes. That’s over $2 million USD per minute. If you’re not backed by venture capitalists or huge corporations, you’re wondering two things: what did they do and how can I copy it?
Monetha hit upon a brilliant market opportunity when they realised that with the digital advancement came an Achilles’ heel; nefarious players scammed users with fake and illegal accounts, thus eroding trust in e-commerce. Their solution? A peer-to-peer review system that allows buyers and sellers to earn reputation points and ratings based upon past transactions, effectively re-introducing credibility to online commerce.
Mission-Based Messaging
Monetha excels at showing why their system is important for the integrity of e-commerce markets. They clearly highlight their unique value proposition — that their Reputation Platform engenders a sense of security when it comes to buying goods and services online — and provide high-quality product education to their users through their knowledge centre.
From Marketing to Monetisation
By creating a strong community prior to launch, Monetha ensured that their crowdfunding campaign achieved enormous success. While they decided not to offer a pre-sale option, they did encourage early investment by offering a 20% bonus for the first €7 million EUR contributed. They shouldn’t have worried; their hard cap of 95,000 ETH was easily attained in the investor excitement that followed and a mere 18 minutes later, Monetha earned a slot in the blockchain history books.
As for ongoing monetisation, Monetha charges merchants a 1.5% transaction fee for purchases fulfilled through their platform — a sustainable, simple, and savvy business model.
Collaborating for Change
To build a successful blockchain-based business, you must follow the trends of leaders within the tech community. That’s why, as this technology takes off, Revain engineers are developing a community platform where crypto-enthusiasts of all kinds can exchange experiences, ideas, and advice. Hosted on the blockchain, each review will be immutable, unbiased, and open to all.
Thus, whether you’re seeking to promote and monetise your business or stay on the cutting edge of industry developments, The Platform will equip you with the community-based knowledge you need to succeed.
While you’ll have to wait a short period of time for its official launch, our engineers are steadily working behind the scenes. Want to stay in the loop? Watch our Medium page for new updates, so that when the time comes, you’ll be one of the first to know. | https://medium.com/revain/building-a-blockchain-based-business-cb4d7b29c82c | [] | 2019-04-22 12:18:21.623000+00:00 | ['Marketing', 'Bitcoin', 'Monetisation', 'Blockchain', 'Hyperledger'] |
Would Fela have welcomed French President Macron to his Shrine? | The only way to meet the President of France as a Nigerian is to be a high-ranking politician or be very rich or famous.
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Why are they grinning?
If none of these describes you, then you’d have had to make do with being one of a few hundred people to have received an invitation to the New Afrikan Shrine this past Tuesday 3 July.
So when the bearded R&B man turned actor Banky W, as host, said we should sit anywhere as there is no VIP section in the shrine, he was half-lying. In a sense we were all VIPs. But even so the seats closest to the stage were for the real VIPs: Macron and Governor Ambode. To prove their own importance, the men showed up several hours after the whole thing was to start.
I had arrived after an expensive and creative way of finding the Shrine: involving paying several bike-men to subvert the bumper-to-bumper traffic imposed on us all by these powerful men. I say find because none of the usual signposts leading to the shrine were present: No one asking me to buy “SK”; no smell of weed as compass; no suya sellers; no petty traders on the day they could make really high sales. Instead I was asked very nicely for my invitation. I whipped out my phone, more out of shock at meeting a polite policeman than anything else. But of course, it wasn’t really me he was being polite to. He was working with the idea that a person who could get an invitation to meet Macron was probably important. I laugh.
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Now inside, the wait had begun. Banky continued with some filler nonsense about the “special relationship between Africa and France”. Does he even know what he’s saying, I wondered. The geographical incompatibility — the usual gibber that equates a European country to the entirety of the black continent. He was smiling his music video smile, unaware he was putting an exploiting country in the position of benign patron. But of course no one ever accused Banky of political consciousness. A video of platitudes for Macron from Trace TV succeeded Banky’s speech.
“As promised the president of the French republic is here,” Banky said around 9.45pm.
Macron met the artists Victor Ehikhamenor, Ndidi Emefiele and Abraham Oghobase. (No literary artists were showcased.) Even for a Frenchman the combination of cameras and jostling meant art appreciation could take a hike, so the president made approving noises. In company of the Lagos governor, Macron then moved to the VIP section. Already we were informed that some persons already seated close to the stage had to leave. No VIP sections, eh?
The dance group Footprints of David performed a welcome number in Yoruba. Sitting with the governor in front, Macron wore no jacket on his long sleeved shirt; Ambode wore a t-shirt. Speech here, speech there, speech everywhere. It seemed strange that a Nigerian city was welcoming a foreign president with loads of talk and no pounded yam.
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“We are glad to have you in our midst,” Ambode said as Fela rolled in his grave at the idea of politicians taking over his son’s podium. A brief tour of the shrine became a tour of Macron’s face on other people’s phone screens. All of these important people became animated at the idea of a small, slim white man smiling into their phones. This welcome proved enough to empower the night’s guest to make pronouncements on Fela. “He was a politician because he wanted to change society,” said Macron.
He later said something more in the spirit of Fela: “What happens in the shrine remains in the shrine.” Apparently back in 2002 as a French embassy intern, Macron had visited the Shrine. He’s a cool expat kid then; pretty sure he was offered a few intoxicants.
“I do believe we have to change,” he said in response to a different question from the accented Keturah King. “We have to build a new common narrative…this place is important for African culture.”
Macron of course belongs to a generation of Europeans, of white people from South Africa to Australia, who want to shrug off the impact of the past while enjoying the riches that past has given their present. “My generation never experienced colonisation,” he said, adding that, “We have to move forward”. This of course is a no brainer. But, as someone said, “the past is never dead; it’s not even past.”
Today Paris is dotted with pretty produce made from the past and immigrants are asked not to seek it? As he went on, Macron’s smiling anti-immigrant stance turned up. Africans, he said, “have to build their future here in Africa and we have to assist them.” He then announced that there would be a culture season in France for Africans and by Africans. “We need new people to make a [new] narrative.”
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So Macron came to ensure Africans stay put in Africa while France gets a chance to see the best of African culture. Good girls might go to heaven, but the rich and famous go to Paris. The poor can inherit Africa.
Yemi Alade came on around 10.40pm with a medley featuring ‘Ferrari’, ‘Kissing’ and other bland Yemi Alade songs. Selected because of her deliberate courting of French Africa, Ms Alade split her music between both languages of her oeuvre. But her performance didn’t quite fit the atmosphere. Cameroon’s Charlotte Dipanda followed. Neither performer quite drew the attention of the Shrine. In fact, it seemed only the presence of the governor or the small white guy from France could do that — evidence of the inappropriateness of the selected singers but also a tribute to Nigeria’s eternal worship of whiteness and power.
At some point in the night, Kunle Afolayan got Macron to do some acting surrounded by Nollywood royalty — Jide Kosoko, Ramsey Nouah, Rita Dominic, Omotola Jalade among them.
“He doesn’t know,” whispered a friend of mine. “He will see himself in a film or two.”
I chuckled. If it would take Macron to bring back the Afolayan that made Figurine and October 1 then the director’s sheepish smile onstage was permissible, but watching the gaudy mess onstage, I had a sinking feeling that Afolayan’s era of quality filmmaking might be over.
Mo Abudu, another believer in gaudy mess as cinema, asked Macron a few questions. To one question, Macron said he was available to act in Nollywood. Ms Abudu, in heels towering over the man, then asked how a Nollywood film could go to Cannes and win the Palme d’Or. I snorted. It seemed the kind of question the producer of such a film as Fifty would ask. Her real question was how can shallow good-looking films like mine win the prestige on offer at Cannes? The real answer is they can’t. But Macron, ever the diplomat, said, “I’m not the one to answer this question. Abderrahmane Sissako is the one to answer it.” The man who made Timbuktu came out on Macron’s prodding and gave a noncommittal answer. “Work hard and be patient,” he said. Ms Abudu clearly wanted an annotated roadmap to Cannes glory. No such luck.
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Near midnight, the place was near empty as Ara the drummer performed, dancing her red hair for Macron’s pink face. Ambode, with no hair, whispered something in Emmanuel-with-the-good-hair’s ear. Ara approached and handed the Frenchman a gift. Youssou N’dour and Angelique Kidjo would be drawn to say a thing later. “Are you still alive?” asked Kidjo. “I don’t know about you but I’m tired.” She spoke for all of us.
Banky, who was still alive, launched into superlatives to bring on Femi Kuti. As always the eldest Fela son was manic on the keyboard. The dancing girls in green and orange ass-shaking gear appeared in their cages. Macron, whose country has “liberté” as first word of its motto, didn’t seem to notice their appearance.
A part of Femi’s song had the line “dem just dey lie”. If it was a line directed at politicians, he had two of looking him in the eye. But, of course, if Fela’s activism was reckless, Femi Kuti’s has been relatively risk-free. This endorsement of politicians was the next step. Some might even say it was inevitable. I asked a Fela scholar friend if my thoughts were uncharitable. Would Fela have gone this route?
“Macron wouldn’t have gone near the Shrine were Fela to be alive,” said Kayode Faniyi, confirming my suspicion. “That’s assuming Fela didn’t ‘sell out’ in his later years, ease into a national icon of the sort endorsed by government. And given Macron’s paternalistic comments about Africa last year, ‘Beasts of No Nation’ might be on full blast. And really, Macron’s politics in France has so far been problematic, so yeah, it wouldn’t have been a nice reception.”
Femi Kuti bowed elaborately and thanked the governor. “He feels the pain of Africa,” he said about Macron, whose view on immigration seemed to have found a willing mouthpiece in Femi who said it was possible to have Africans stay here. Thankfully, he stopped talking and went back to playing music. He pulled Macron up and started shouting his lyrics in the white man’s face. The tired, non-dancing president reluctantly began clapping.
The event was at its end as Asa, Youssou N’Dour and Angelique Kidjo stepped up to dance too. These were the real VIPs of musicians, each with a seat around the politicians. And it seemed rather fair that for all of her fame, Yemi Alade was not nearby.
Watching the scene, I thought this was a fine gathering of great African musicians. But why had it taken a white man in Africa to bring all of them together?
Please subscribe to my newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/2dd54326e9f8/oris-newsletter | https://catchoris.medium.com/would-fela-have-welcomed-french-president-macron-to-his-shrine-935a02808171 | ['Oris Aigbokhaevbolo'] | 2020-12-23 16:13:33.730000+00:00 | ['Fela', 'Macron', 'Culture', 'Africa', 'Music'] |
Just Wear The Lingerie. | Just Wear The Lingerie.
Why would I be so afraid of it?
Have you ever had your partner ask you to wear lingerie for them and all of the alarm bells in your head instantly start going off like fireworks on the 4th of July?
I have.
Words start to form in your mind like, “I’m too fat to wear that!” or, “I have scars here or there — I’m too self-conscious. I just can’t!”
Yup. That was me too. Until recently. And I’ll tell you why.
I realized that the reasons why my husband wanted to see me in lingerie were completely different than the reasons why I was self-conscious about doing it.
There’s a secret that I already knew but needed to fully sink into my brain. My husband thinks I’m sexy. With “flaws.” With scars. All of me.
And the myth I believed that kept me afraid to experiment with lingerie was thinking that I was somehow expected to look “perfect” in lingerie — to look like the women in the magazines or on the internet with their gleaming, smooth, airbrushed skin.
My husband sees those women. But it turns out he’s imagining what I would look like in the same revealing get-up. Sure, he finds those images attractive, of course. But the kicker is that he’s not looking for perfection. He’s looking for me.
The images of shiny, glazed models may play an inspiring role in getting my husband in the mood, but ultimately he’s trying to invest in our relationship. He’s trying to spice things up for himself and for me.
So why would I be so afraid of it?
Mainly because quite often, my own ideas of what I think I should look like to be sexy have tainted my husband’s very real and sincere vision of me. As soon as I started to realize that my husband simply wanted me — albeit dressed up in a sexy outfit once in a while — I got it through my head that this opportunity doesn’t happen to everyone.
To have a man who has been with you for many years and is still attempting to keep the lust alive is not only awesome but utterly endearing.
How could you say no to that?
I’m not. Not anymore. I’m going to rock that tiny, lace, sort of silly outfit that makes me feel a bit cheesy.
Why not?
All I have to do is think back to a time when I was perpetually single and jaded, wondering if there was ever going to be a man in my life to love me fully and passionately.
Hello? He’s here. He’s been here.
The fact that he wants me to wear lingerie for him should be something that makes me smile with a knowing blush and a glimmer in my eye.
Have you browsed online or been to a lingerie shop recently? These days lingerie is made for all shapes and sizes as well as variations on coverage for areas of your body you’re not overly keen on. Not only that but there are also plenty of sexy outfits for men to wear as well.
I’m not going to take this moment to talk about feminism or debate about whether or not I’m somehow being sexually objectified by wearing a skimpy outfit behind closed doors for a man who desires me after years, kids, stress, and the often monotonous life of parenting.
Nope.
I’m just going to wear the damn lingerie.
More from Michelle: My Heartfelt Advice to Any Woman Having an Affair with a Married Man | https://medium.com/sexography/just-wear-the-lingerie-d7aa58168839 | ['Michelle Brown'] | 2020-12-15 01:52:50.302000+00:00 | ['Sexuality', 'Body Image', 'Relationships', 'Sex', 'Love'] |
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Smart Label Market Report 2021: Share, Size, Global Business Growth, Industry Revenue, Demand | The Global Smart Label Market Size report offers a detailed analysis of the industry, with market size forecasts covering the next ten years. This report will also analyse factors that influence demand for tactical communication, key market trends, and challenges faced by industry participants. With the tables and figures, the report provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.
The Global Smart Label Market size stood at USD 3.93 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach USD 13.91 billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 17.3% during the forecast period.
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Multi-Color Corporation
Invengo Technology Pte. Ltd.
Mühlbauer Group
Thin Film Electronics ASA
Sato Holdings Corporation
Zebra Technologies Corporation
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Impact of COVID-19 on Smart Label Market
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Table of Content
Report Overview
Study Scope
Key Market Segments
Regulatory Scenario by Region/Country
Market Investment Scenario Strategic
Market Analysis by Type
Global Smart Label Market Share by Type
Other
Market by Application
Global Smart Label Market Share by Application
Other
Smart Label Market Industry Development Trends under COVID-19 Outbreak
Region COVID-19 Status Overview
Influence of COVID-19 Outbreak on Smart Label Market Industry Development
Global Market Growth Trends
Industry Trends
SWOT Analysis
Porter’s Five Forces Analysis
Potential Market and Growth Potential Analysis
Industry News and Policies by Regions
Industry News
Industry Policies
Value Chain
Value Chain Status
TOC continued …
About Us :
Fortune Business Insights™ delivers accurate data and innovative corporate analysis, helping organizations of all sizes make appropriate decisions. We tailor novel solutions for our clients, assisting them to address various challenges distinct to their businesses. Our aim is to empower them with holistic market intelligence, providing a granular overview of the market they are operating in.
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Email: [email protected] | https://medium.com/@ganesh8kene/smart-label-market-report-2021-share-size-global-business-growth-industry-revenue-demand-d298136161c2 | [] | 2021-12-21 07:25:14.059000+00:00 | ['Market Share And Size', 'Market Research Reports'] |
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