title
stringlengths 1
200
⌀ | text
stringlengths 10
100k
| url
stringlengths 32
885
| authors
stringlengths 2
392
| timestamp
stringlengths 19
32
⌀ | tags
stringlengths 6
263
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Why are mass gainers important? | A person who is aiming to reach their strength and muscle building goals, mostly would have considered a body mass gainer.
A really good thing about mass gainers is that they make easier to meet the calorie requirements. Meeting the extra calorie requirements may prove to be extremely trying for men and a weight gainer makes this far easier. Another big benefit of using a weight gainer is that most of them come with a particular type of dietary fat that helps to keep them leaner while they go about their muscle building process. Dietary fat is the greatest variable macronutrient in terms of what the implications are of the type they take it on their body, therefore it’s critical for a person to be exactly sure to take in the correct form as often as possible. One should always eye a body mass gainer that contains medium chain triglycerides and as little saturated fat as possible. Another great thing about weight gainers is that a person can find ones that are more formulated for using closer to the workout and that are others that are designed to be taken either as meal replacements or as an addition to the meals they are already eating to boost calorie levels higher. Weight gainers come in a variety of calorie levels and one needs to sure what exactly they are looking. Weight gainer supplements help to achieve a lot of goals at one go. Most weight gainers come with creatine, which eliminates the need to buy this product separately. Weight gainers are also very effective in terms of enhanced recovery. It also works to support a healthy immune system.
Power Massive is the best mass gainer available in the market by Steadfast Nutrition. It comes in chocolate, mango and strawberry flavours. | https://medium.com/@steadfastnutrition/why-are-mass-gainers-important-cbc08ef48881 | ['Steadfast Nutrition'] | 2021-06-08 12:30:31.209000+00:00 | ['Exercise', 'Workout', 'Mass Gainer', 'Health', 'Supplements'] |
Capital Markets, Blockchain & Tokenisation | It has been a busy 2 weeks at IntellectEU. Covid-19 has dramatically changed the way we work and is clearly having an impact on the economy. The past 2 weeks IntellectEU reassured continuity for current client projects, remote onboarding for new hires, and foremost the wellbeing of our people. Additionally, we came with the idea to start blogging, so welcome to our first blog post. In this post, I’ll introduce you to how capital markets work, and why we believe blockchain technology can have an impact on this industry. With this, I hope to start a discussion on the impact of tokenisation and open data platforms whilst concisely describing how some of the players interact with each other today.
MAD architects ‘Fake Hills’
To understand how the markets work, it’s important to get a clear overview of the “Who” and the “Why”. Capital markets involve many participants, each with their own responsibilities, needs, and regulatory constraints. But before we dive into the different roles it’s important to make a clear distinction between trading and post-trade processing. Trading is when a buyer (someone who wants to invest capital) and a seller of financial products (bonds, equities, options, etc.) are matched, typically using a stock exchange (e.g. Nasdaq, NYSE, Euronext, etc.). Post-trade processing only occurs when the trade is completed. The buyer and the seller will compare trade details, approve the transactions and arrange the transfer of securities and cash. This last process is what we call settlement. During this settlement period, the buyer must execute the payment for the securities while the seller must deliver the securities that were acquired.
Below, I’ll briefly describe the participants involved in the equities market, both on the trading and the post-trade processing side:
Issuer: public companies or governments that issue stock (or other financial products). These are legal entities that have agency.
public companies or governments that issue stock (or other financial products). These are legal entities that have agency. Underwriter: sells the initially offered stock (or debt). Can be done by multiple underwriters (= syndicate)
sells the initially offered stock (or debt). Can be done by multiple underwriters (= syndicate) Investors: purchase and hold financial products of a company
purchase and hold financial products of a company Institutional: mutual funds, pension funds, and hedge funds take positions that are pooled from many individuals
Retail: individuals making own decisions on financial products to buy
Trading Venue:
Exchanges: regulated organisations that publish quotes to buy or sell a stock, also post-trade data (NYSE, Nasdaq, Euronext, etc.)
Dark pools: not revealing information or details about trading, for big orders to buy/sell quietly. Operated by broker-dealers (JPM, UBS, CS, etc.)
Brokers: facilitates trading on behalf of investors (= sell side). Participate directly on an exchange and provide additional services to investors.
facilitates trading on behalf of investors (= sell side). Participate directly on an exchange and provide additional services to investors. Custodian: is usually a bank doing safekeeping and administration of securities or other assets for customers and may provide various other services including clearing and settlement, cash management, FX transactions, securities lending, and collateral management. Customers are mostly brokers and investors.
is usually a bank doing safekeeping and administration of securities or other assets for customers and may provide various other services including clearing and settlement, cash management, FX transactions, securities lending, and collateral management. Customers are mostly brokers and investors. ( International) Central Securities Depository: performs critical functions linked to initial issuance and distribution of securities on behalf of the issuer. Core services are safekeeping, settlement, notary services, and asset servicing. Issuance and distribution via CSDs include domestic, foreign and international new issues of global and domestic financial instruments.
performs critical functions linked to initial issuance and distribution of securities on behalf of the issuer. Core services are safekeeping, settlement, notary services, and asset servicing. Issuance and distribution via CSDs include domestic, foreign and international new issues of global and domestic financial instruments. Issuer & Paying Agent: is an intermediary that can act between the issuer and the issuer CSD. It provides issuance services (corporate actions, accountancy, etc.) and is in most cases a bank.
Custody Chain
There are many other players in the market but for obvious reasons, I wanted to keep it as simple as possible in this post. Others include national numbering agency, trustee, transfer agent, common depository, and registrar.
In the next section, we describe how these participants in the stock market interact to form the lifecycle of a trade, initiated by the institutional investor. It all starts with the investor (individual or entity with excess capital) that gives money to an investment manager. This manager will decide which financial instruments to buy and sell. The portfolio manager will communicate trade orders through an order management system to the trader, who will make a decision on what the broker should be used and what algorithms. Broker-dealer communications go via an execution management system, the broker will route the order to (various) stock exchange(s) to buy/sell the required financial product. Once the trades are confirmed the broker will communicate this back to the investor. This process of matching orders to buy and sell a stock, and execution of the resulting trades are quite efficient today. Large stock exchanges, such as Nasdaq, execute over 10 million transactions daily. Most of them are fully automated (straight-through-processing). Most of the manual processes, inefficiencies, risk, and reconciliation happen in the post-trade process.
To understand the post-trade process we have to go back in time. Historically, securities were issued as paper certificates and the bearer was presumed to be the owner (bearer securities). This process was costly and risky, so they came up with the idea of central securities depositories. These entities immobilised the certificates and removed the need for physical settlement. When technology became more advanced securities were dematerialised — this refers to the substitution to electronically book-entry keeping of securities. In this new holding system an intermediary holds a record of the ownership of financial instruments. Will the next step be tokenisation? More on this later.
Now that we understand that financial instruments are held by intermediaries (brokers, custodians, etc.) on behalf of their clients with the CSDs, and change ownership via a book-entry accounting system, we can start looking into the settlement cycle. This starts after the execution of the trade (day T) and finishes typically one to three days later. Two main processes occur:
Clearing : is the process of offsetting or netting trade obligations. This can involve a central counterparty (CCP) to protect participants from the risk of a trade failing to settle and having to be replaced at an unfavourable price.
: is the process of offsetting or netting trade obligations. This can involve a central counterparty (CCP) to protect participants from the risk of a trade failing to settle and having to be replaced at an unfavourable price. Settlement: is the process of transferring ownership. It includes two transfers, the delivery leg (move of the securities) and the payment leg (move of the cash). Some transactions such as collateral movement or securities lending are free-of-payment and only include a delivery leg.
During settlement we link the securities and cash transfer, this process is called delivery-versus payment. It ensures the delivery occurs, if, and only if, payment occurs. This process was put in place to mitigate counterparty risk (the risk that one counterparty will lose the full value of a transaction). A graphical example of the process is attached below.
The DvP Process
Within DVP we have identified three different approaches:
DVP 1 is a system that transfers both legs on a gross basis. This reduces exposure among the participants during the settlement day. (Euroclear, Clearstream, Iberclear)
is a system that transfers both legs on a gross basis. This reduces exposure among the participants during the settlement day. (Euroclear, Clearstream, Iberclear) DVP 2 settles the delivery leg on a gross basis and happens throughout the processing cycle, but the cash leg only settles on a net basis at the end of the day. Why would you do this? Because less cash liquidity is needed as a result of netting. (Nasdaq CSD Iceland, CSD Prague)
settles the delivery leg on a gross basis and happens throughout the processing cycle, but the cash leg only settles on a net basis at the end of the day. Why would you do this? Because less cash liquidity is needed as a result of netting. (Nasdaq CSD Iceland, CSD Prague) DVP 3 settles both the delivery and cash leg on a net basis. This happens at the end of the processing cycle and reduces liquidity requirements. (OeKB CSD, SKDD, LCD)
Another important concept of settlement is finality. This is the moment after which a transfer order cannot be revoked — nor by a participant in the transaction nor by a third party. It’s important to manage and eliminate risk and many financial institutions believe distributed ledger technology can establish settlement finality.
So, now that we understand how the trading and post-trade processing work we can look into the tokenisation of securities. This is the process of issuing securities as digital tokens. It involves immobilising the book-entry securities and trading representations of them. The properties of this token can vary and the record of transactions can be held on a distributed ledger (for example The Corda Team The R3 Team). This is a network of nodes/organisations that keep a synchronised secured copy of the ledger. The validation of a token happens with the private key and permits the holder to unlock the rights related to this specific token. This means authorisation depends on this validity and not on the authorisation of the CSD verifying the identity of the account holder. As Bitcoin represents cash, we can compare a digital security to the digital version of a bearer security. The holder of a valid paper (= private key) is bestowed to the rights related to this paper/token. Another interesting feature is the potential to create “programmable securities”. Through the use of smart contracts (such as DAML) we can code self-executed actions based on predefined criteria. Think about a cash equity automatically paying out dividend to its rightful owner or routing tax payments directly. Other interesting built-in features in the token include KYC and AML regulatory requirements. So why is tokenisation so interesting for these big market infrastructures and financial institutions? They have the potential to dramatically reduce some of the costs, complexities, and inefficiencies in the post-trade process. Today brokers, custodians, and CSDs have thousands of resources committed to reconciliation, trade confirmation, and other back-office processes. A shared ledger eliminates the need for reconciliation and tokenisations increases STP. This could lead to a reduction in manual processes, overhead costs, and intermediaries. Tokenisation could only fully solve for counterparty risk if we have both the delivery and payment leg on the DLT. This could reduce settlement cycles and mitigate the principal risk. A shorter settlement cycle and lower counterparty risk could eliminate the need for a CCP. But do these participants really want shorter settlement cycles as this could exponentially increase liquidity requirements (need for cash on account to settle in real-time)?
At IntellectEU we believe tokens are the future of securities settlement but should be combined with rethinking and digitising the issuance process, governance models, and collaboration between participants. Many challenges remain, such as managing counterparty and replacement risk and (central bank) cash on the ledger. These are definitely challenges that can be overcome by an industry that has always been driven forward by innovation. IntellectEU is working with some of the largest stock exchanges and CSDs to reinvent themselves and discover the wonderful world of DLT & tokenisation.
For more information reach out to [email protected] or contact Thomas Bohner, head of Blockchain directly!
Sources:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/170515-eptf-report-annex-3_en.pdf
https://www.bis.org/publ/qtrpdf/r_qt2003i.htm
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/post-trade-processing.asp | https://medium.com/intellecteu-blog/capital-markets-blockchain-tokenisation-512587077d0b | ['Thomas Bohner'] | 2020-03-27 12:18:35.280000+00:00 | ['Distributed Ledgers', 'Tokenization', 'Financial Services', 'Fintech', 'Blockchain'] |
LESSON I LEARNT FROM TWO BASTARDS | A LESSON I LEARNT FROM TWO BASTARDS
— — — — — — — — — — — — — This evening I was sitting under the pavilion with two guys beside me. And there was a lady standing right in front of me waiting patiently for some one.
As I was sitting, I was also observing every move of the two guys sitting beside me towards the girl. Those two guys keep disturbing this girl, asking her series of ridiculous questions but the girl did not reply them. Questions like; Where are you going, Who are you waiting for, Are you waiting for your boyfriend, Do you want to call your boyfriend, you can take my phone and call your boyfriend.....etc. Hope you understand when guys are like this, but I found it disgusting with their lack of mannerism.
After few minutes later,her boyfriend arrived and apologize to her for his lateness. then instead of keeping quiet, the guys continue to embarrass the girl in the presence of her boyfriend and this nearly cause a big fight.
THIS IS WHAT I LEARNT FROM THE TWO BASTARDS.
QUOTE...." Sometimes we human are the cause to the problems of our life, simply because of our STUPIDITY AND ARROGANCE.
https://www.facebook.com/100014572420492/posts/1035843333578071/?app=fbl | https://medium.com/@historyguardian/lesson-i-learnt-from-two-bastards-b8b21e160360 | ['The History Guardian'] | 2020-12-19 21:10:23.779000+00:00 | ['Brutalism', 'Relationships', 'Quotes', 'Life Lessons', 'Love'] |
From a Viral Tweet to a Dedicated Community: “Fatventure Mag” Celebrates Joyful Movement beyond the Bounds of Diet Culture | A viral tweet kicks off the Fatventure Mag journey
As Puc and Lesperance started getting serious about the Fatventure Mag idea, “we did what every millennial who has an idea but isn’t sure how to execute it does,” Puc says — they tweeted about it. Almost instantly, replies began to pour in from people who wanted to contribute art, writing, or design expertise. “Alice and I got something like 600 emails between us over the course of two weeks,” Puc says. (Fatventure’s design editor, Carrie Alyson, was one of those people, and she was instrumental in getting the print publication off the ground, Puc says.)
Feeling empowered by the outpouring of support, Puc and Lesperance set to work planning the first issue and launched a Kickstarter campaign for Fatventure Mag volume one in May 2018. “We didn’t have any money, but we knew that if we were starting this venture, we very much wanted people to get paid for their work,” Puc says. They raised over $15,000 from more than 500 backers, which allowed them to produce print and digital copies of the magazine (which are still available on Fatventure’s website, along with some delightful patches and pins bearing slogans like “Fat in the Wild” and “Big Bitches Like Trees Too”).
“Alice and I say all the time that we never thought this would go anywhere, and now we’re halfway through our second Kickstarter and our [online] community is going all the time, which is really humbling and also really, really wonderful,” Puc says. While Fatventure continues to be a side hustle for the small team, Puc hopes it will one day be a self-sustaining full-time gig; she also dreams of expanding it into a small press.
Fatventure’s second issue will focus on home and belonging
For their second issue, Puc and Lesperance encouraged writers to pitch stories, comics, and artwork about “the concept of home through the lens of joyful movement outside of the context of diet culture,” Puc says.
“Some of our pieces reflect on this feeling of being at home when you’re doing something active that’s just for yourself — that sense of, ‘My body is my home, and I can use my body to do these things.’ We also have some pieces that are about a connection to a specific place, whether that’s a specific home, a specific building, a city, a country, or even just a specific experience that you’ve had in connection to how you use your body to be in that space.”
A few of the pieces Puc is most looking forward to are an essay by a person with limited mobility who derives a sense of home from caring for their pets; a piece from a gender nonconforming person about how the fetishization of both fatness and nonbinary identity can make the act of sex uncomfortable; and an essay on what it’s like to feel like you don’t belong in your body.
Fatventure Mag patches
Fatventure’s message: “There is no right or wrong way to have a body”
Serendipitously, the fat acceptance movement is having a mainstream moment with the debut of the Hulu series Shrill, a loose adaptation of the Lindy West memoir of the same name. But as with anything that enters the mainstream, body positivity and fat acceptance have not been free of corrupting or co-opting influences.
“The mainstream body-positive movement is very much like, ‘We accept all bodies,’ but then when you see people tagging their posts with #BodyPositive or #BoPo, it’s often very thin people who are being open about the fact that they use cleanses or whatever. That’s not really the point of body positivity,” Puc says. “There’s a lot of health concern trolling. There’s a lot of discussion of how ‘it’s okay if you’re fat as long as you’re healthy.’ But being healthy is not a prerequisite for respect. That’s also incredibly ableist, because there are plenty of people who have bodies of all sizes who are not what we might consider ‘healthy.’”
Puc and Lesperance strive to keep Fatventure’s messaging free of judgment. “We are not trying to say that fat people who are active are any better or worse than fat people who are not active,” Puc says. “There is no right or wrong way to have a body, and everyone is deserving of the same human decency.
“There is no right or wrong way to have a body, and everyone is deserving of the same human decency.”
“With our last issue, we said we wanted people to come away recognizing that fat people are people, and that fat people have a wealth of experiences that can’t be pegged down to, ‘That person is fat and therefore is like all other fat people,’” Puc says. “With the second issue we’re still building on that theme, but also really driving home the fact that the way one person identifies ‘belonging’ is not the way another person will, and that everyone has their own sense of comfort. Even if it’s something you don’t necessarily understand or haven’t experienced personally, it doesn’t diminish or devalue that.”
With their second Kickstarter campaign, Puc and Lesperance are looking forward to growing the Fatventure community and continuing to push the tenets of fat acceptance and body positivity into mainstream culture. “There are a lot of people doing really important work furthering the fat acceptance movement,” Puc says. “It’s an honor not only to be a part of that, but to also be able to uplift the voices of people who are doing that work.”
— Rebecca Hiscott | https://medium.com/kickstarter/fatventure-mag-celebrates-joyful-movement-beyond-the-bounds-of-diet-culture-e2e6fa29e027 | [] | 2019-03-27 14:49:42.428000+00:00 | ['Magazine', 'Projects We Love', 'Body Positive', 'Kickstarter', 'Fat Acceptance'] |
White People Can’t See Themselves, But I Can | A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a very honest and maybe upsetting (to some) piece about my continued struggle to see humanity in white people. This is at the backdrop of a racist President trying to shift the U.S. from a shaky democracy, into an ethno-fascist state. And as that plays out, police are continuing in their campaign to shoot unarmed Black and Brown people with no accountability. These are dark times, and the moments to have hope, and be hopeful of where this country can go in its racial journey are few and far in between.
The responses from the piece have been pretty interesting, to say the least. In the weeks since It was published, the comment section has become occupied by a coalition of opinionated whites. I have read comments that call me racist, attempt to explain why I am wrong, express disappointment in my assessment, or just tell me to leave the country. Most of the comments are so off base, I wondered if they even read past the first paragraph. Alas, their response was understood.
What person, or in this case, a group of people would respond glowingly to someone questioning their capacity to be “human?” Especially from a person who did not look like them, have their experiences, or know their story? I understand the outrage, but I don’t care, because they’re wrong.
Whiteness has many powers, chiefly, it is an entity that continues to evolve, it has to if it hopes to continue its stronghold on the world. It exists to pillage, dominate and expand, this must happen no matter the obstacle, whether that be a person, project, or object, whiteness must reign supreme, and because whiteness moves in such a way, those of us who are impacted by it the most are constantly forced to learn how to adapt/live with or through it. But one of its deepest flaws, or strengths, depending on who you’re talking to is that it has no self-awareness. Anyone willing or able to participate or look the other way on countless horrors needs the ability to separate themselves from that savageness.
I have spent the better part of my life consciously and unconsciously navigating through life while considering and making adjustments to survive in a world dominated by white people, ideas, and leadership. I would argue that all Black and non-Black people of color have done the same, whether they know it or not. The fact of the matter is, we live in a world where the comfort and feelings of white people or lack thereof could be the difference between living another day, having a place to rest your head, or having the ground beneath you completely shifted.
White people’s fear of Black bodies has influenced the way that I move in predominantly white spaces. It has forced myself and others to attempt to create structures where white people and the concepts of whiteness have no rule. But even within that, those safe havens are only as secure as the level of interest white people have in it. There is no corner in America where whiteness does not have the power to disrupt.
If you build a neighborhood they will bomb it, if they think it has value, they will gentrify it. If you mind your business, they may be threatened by your lack of interest and feel a need to confront you, if you have no interest in them at all, this can be seen as an affront. I have seen far too many times the ways in which whiteness goes from being a theory to an actual problem in my life, millions of other Black and brown people have as well. So we have been forced to study it, become experts, know everything there is to understand, whether what is understood makes any sense at all, or even keeps me safe because if we don’t, we will die.
It is with that forced knowledge and understanding of whiteness that I have continued to lose hope. I know the good, the bad, the indifferent, and the problematic. I know what whiteness looks like when it feels threatened, when it is intrigued, and when it’s indifferent. I have learned how to entertain whiteness, appease it, and keep it at bay when necessary. But I have also learned how to function when there is no way to escape the grips of white supremacy. That’s the superpower that all Black people develop. So when I talk about the failures of whiteness, and the sinking feeling that there may be no hope for them. I’m not being facetious. I’m speaking from 34 years of experience, and the collective knowledge and experience of all the Black and Brown people in my life.
We know you and have been forced to deal with whiteness for as long as whiteness as an idea has existed. We have had front row seats to all of the traits, societal norms, and habits that white people get to ignore because it doesn’t impact them. So when I speak, it’s not from a place of assumption, it’s from a deep well of knowledge, pain, and experience. I see you. | https://medium.com/letsnotbetrash/white-people-cant-see-themselves-but-i-can-44637f490786 | ['Stanley Fritz'] | 2020-10-19 11:07:07.782000+00:00 | ['Race', 'White Privilege', 'Trump', 'Raceinamerica', 'BlackLivesMatter'] |
Why Hire an SEO Company? | Before knowing about why you should hire an SEO Company, you should know well what an SEO Company is. An expert SEO service provider which helps and assists businesses to achieve their goals of internet marketing vision and goals. When you plan and wish to rank higher on search engines and get quality traffic, an SEO or Search Engine Optimization Company should be hired by the businesses. There are cases when one can afford an in-house team of SEO experts too for the same purpose. In cases where you cannot afford them, you may hire an SEO company. Every SEO Company will provide you with certain benefits but what would vary is the business vision and benefits would also depend on it.
In today’s world, you need to optimize the web, if you wish to attract ideal customers for your business. Here you can find various benefits of search engine optimization companies and also how you would be able to find one.
Benefits of hiring an SEO Company for your business-
Various businesses tend to be confused about hiring an SEO company. To get rid of such confusion, there are some of the benefits these companies bring in-
● They are Industry Experts.
● Higher Rankings and Quality Traffic
● You can Focus on your Niche
● More than Just SEO
They are Industry Experts-
It is seen from various studies that conversion rates tremendously rise when SEO is done right. Also, there are a wide array of clients with which the SEO companies have worked. They have been working with vast industries which span across different sectors. These SEO companies have updated experts with them, having done the latest SEO practices. And if you are unsure whether your vision would be understood by the SEO company and they would be able to work with your industry, there is nothing to worry about for that case.
The team of SEO companies becomes experts in handling multiple projects. The SEO companies help in providing insights and reports on how the local business in SEO can be made better.
Higher Rankings and Quality Traffic-
It is seen that people are exploring and browsing the web and looking for services, information, or even entertainment. It is recommended that you, as a business, should optimize the web, if you provide services of value. This is so as the ideal and prospective customers are exploring the web and looking for services. You would not be found by your customers if not properly optimized. This would lead to a loss of opportunity.
To solve this problem, an SEO company comes in and fills in the gap and helps the businesses in ranking higher on search engines. It also would result in gathering quality traffic to your website. The professionals in SEO companies have been knowing the latest web tactics with which both the audience as well as the search engine would be benefited.
You can focus on your Niche-
Most of the time, you do not get time to create quality content, build high DA links, or even fix technical issues on your website. There also may be cases that you do not have sufficient resources for the same. Then, you need to hire expert SEO services from an SEO Company.
Also Read: How to Make Money from Instagram in India (Plan for 2022)
More than Just SEO-
The SEO companies not only work over web optimization but also provide complete digital marketing or internet marketing services. By hiring SEO companies, you get the benefits of PPC, without hiring a PPC Company in India and even without opting for PPC Packages, Social Media Optimization, and more. This is so because the SEO companies provide various social media management services with various social media packages. The SEO packages in India depend entirely on the marketing service agency. You will have various price ranges and services to be offered.
By knowing about the benefits of SEO, you will understand why there is a need to hire an SEO Company. It would surely help you to scale up your business which you need to optimize your web for and a Search Engine Optimization company would be the ideal option for you.
You should know that an SEO company can prove to be the right addition to your business. Such agencies would emphasize targeting your ideal customers, thereby allowing you to do more business and help earn more profits. In short, more sales and revenue, optimized work, increased traffic are some of the benefits that are offered by the Search Engine Optimization Company.
For more information on the reasons to hire an SEO Company, get in touch with an SEO expert at Rankon Technologies Private Limited, the best SEO Company in India, and get the best social media marketing packages in India.
Disclaimer- The information provided in this content is just for educational purposes and is written by a professional writer. Consult us for more information on reasons to hire an SEO company. | https://medium.com/@rankontechnologies/why-hire-an-seo-company-4d80f87e072b | ['Rankon Technologies Pvt. Ltd.'] | 2022-01-05 06:46:37.783000+00:00 | ['Seo Company In India', 'Ppc Packages In India', 'Social Media Marketing', 'Ppc Company In India', 'Seo Services'] |
Yes, you can bike to LAX! | Growing up in LA, you learn from an early age that a car is the only way to get around town. You equate cars with “freedom,” and it’s this thought that I had in my head at the DMV at 8am on my 16th birthday. I. Couldn’t. Wait.
As I made more money as an adult, I spent a disproportionate amount of it on expensive car leases, even going so far as to do European Delivery on BMW’s that I custom designed — twice.
Nine years ago, for a variety of reasons, I did a complete 180° and gave up my car, challenging myself to get around LA for a week by bicycle without dying. Not only did I not die, but I fell in love with the lifestyle — with never being late because of rush hour, in never having to look for parking and getting free V.I.P. parking anywhere I went, and feeling great mentally and physically.
It felt like a superpower flying past gridlocked cars at rush hour — I felt like I had hacked my city — documented in my most popular tweet.
The first bike I used to get around LA — a vintage Schwinn given to me by my wife.
After going further and further on my bike, on December 18, 2017, I did something “crazy” — I was going up to San Francisco for a night, and I decided to try biking to the airport for the first time. Even for me, this felt extreme.
I didn’t know there was bike parking at LAX the first time, so I took a chance and locked it to a railing. Luckily it was there when I got back.
It turns out that LAX is one of the closest airports in the world relative to the city that it serves; at just 14 miles from Downtown LA, it is actually accessible by bike if you live anywhere other than the San Fernando Valley:
From West Hollywood: 54 minutes
From South LA: 45 minutes
From Westwood: 56 minutes
From Santa Monica: 51 minutes
From DTLA: A little over an hour
After my first time, I was hooked. The combination of always knowing my exact travel time, not having to worry about traffic, not having to pay for or wait for an Uber, and having free VIP parking on arrival was addicting — not to mention getting a workout in just by getting to where I needed to go. Especially after sitting on a plane for hours, this part felt especially great.
I finally found the bike parking in February 2018 — it’s at the entrance of Terminal 6 (I believe there are a few other spots too)… note I was the only bike at the time.
What may surprise many is that the route to LAX is surprisingly pleasant for much of it — the Ballona Creek Bike Path gets you extremely close to the airport. From the East or North, get on it at Syd Kronenthal Park in Culver City — easily accessed just off Venice Bl, which also has a bike lane. A great north/south quiet residential street is Formosa Ave/Cochran Ave, and they go all the way from West Hollywood to Venice Bl. From the West, get to Ballona Creek’s bike path — it begins in Marina Del Rey and goes East.
Here’s what biking on the Ballona Creek looks like:
Once you’re on Ballona Creek, get off at Sawtelle, and take the bridge over the creek to McDonald St, and make a right. Take McDonald eight blocks to Mesmer Ave, and make a left. Both of these streets are very quiet residential streets and pleasant to bike on.
Take Mesmer until it ends at Centinela, and make a left. Go about 1/4 of a mile to Sepulveda, and make a right — where you’ll find a bike lane that begins! This bike lane, despite a very busy street, is pretty comfortable as there is no street parking and therefore no doors to deal with. This will take you all the way into the airport — the bike lane, unfortunately, ends at Manchester, so the last few blocks you need to simply take the lane. I’m hopeful they fix this when they finish work on the LAX people mover.
Once you’re in the airport, just stay to the right and follow the “Arrival” signs (so you stay on the lower level). Depending on what terminal you need to go to, you can use the bus-only lanes nearest to the curb, or take a lane in the general vehicle traffic. Even at LAX, you’ll be flying past gridlocked cars:
The best bike parking is at the entrance of Terminal 6, although bike parking also exists outside of Terminal 1. Here’s how to find it from the Terminal 5/6 turn off:
If you want to zoom in, here’s a Strava Route I created showing the play-by-play from Mid City West to LAX, and here’s what the whole thing looks like:
Here’s what the overall route looks like from my house to the airport. Other than the short stretches on Venice Bl, Centinela, and Sepulveda Bl, everything else is on the car-free bike path or calm residential streets.
If you’re in a rush, there are quicker routes, you just have to deal with more cars. Here’s the route for my fastest time ever, at 47 minutes door-to-door.
The Bluff Creek Trail — at the end of it, you go on a path between two houses to access a quiet residential area of Westchester
If you like the idea but don’t want to bike on Centinela and Sepulveda, there’s also a way to do that. There’s car free path through Playa Vista (you access it from Mesmer) called the Bluff Creek Trail. It gets you to the top of Westchester, just behind LMU, and then you go through chill residential streets until where Lincoln and Sepulveda meet (where In-N-Out is). From there it’s one block into the airport (and there’s a sidewalk if you’re too nervous to take the street).
But what about luggage!? Surely this can only work for short, day trips, right? In June of 2019 I flew to London for a week. Prior to this, all of the trips were short trips, where a saddle bag would do (my favorite is the Ortlieb Vario, which is a saddle bag that converts into a backpack). But I did need a carry on for this trip. So I bought a Burley Nomad and hitched it on to my bike. Any carry on fits perfectly in the trailer, and you can cover the suitcase using the built in cover. I also purchased an extra lock.
When I arrived at the airport, I locked my bike as usual to the bike rack (now there were a lot more bikes!), and then I wrapped the trailer in my new cable lock and secured that to the main lock. Here’s what it all looked like locked up:
My Burley Nomad trailer locked to my main bike lock, locked to the rack — untouched for a week while I was away.
After a week in London, and a 10 hour flight home, I arrived to find everything just as I left it. I unlocked everything, snapped the trailer on, put my carry on in it, and biked home (a great feeling to move after a 10 hour flight)!
If you’re worried about theft… don’t. Think about it from a bike thief’s point of view. Are you going to go to a mall, or a school, or somewhere with lots of bikes — or are you going to go to an airport crawling with police with few bikes? I’ve never had an issue.
The last time I biked to the airport — I even convinced my wife to try it with me! Her saddle bags had our “personal items” you’re allowed to carry on, my trailer had our carry on suitcase, and I also had a cold bag for food attached to my rack (my favorite is the Ibera PakRak ).
What about sweat? Yes, you do get a little sweaty, especially on the last mile into the airport climbing Sepulveda. But even that has a great solution these days — electric bikes. Pedal assist e-bikes handle hills without making you sweat, or you can turn off the motor and sweat if you want a work out. The point is you can choose. I own a Rad Power Mission (this is the bike my wife used in the picture above), and am also a fan of Vela Bikes. E-bikes also solve distance, so you could bike to LAX even from the depths of the San Fernando Valley, Highland Park, or San Pedro, in about an hour and change.
If you’re thinking about trying biking to the airport — do it! You won’t regret it. If you have questions about my experience or looking for any tips or tricks, feel free to tweet at me. | https://medium.com/@michaelschneider/yes-you-can-bike-to-lax-fb7aafd6a8c8 | ['Michael Schneider'] | 2021-06-22 22:01:42.210000+00:00 | ['Los Angeles', 'Travel', 'Fun', 'Biking', 'Lax'] |
My birth experience in Japan | My birth experience in Japan
I gave birth at Tokyo Women’s Medical University Hospital. The hospital does labor induction for those who want epidural. Since I wanted it, I was scheduled to give birth on March 4th, five days before my due date.
I had to be admitted to the hospital the day before and the doctor used a method called foley bulb induction (a catheter was inserted into the cervix to cause it to dilate). The whole night I was having cramps and could only sleep for about three hours. The nurse asked me to get ready (wash my face, brush my teeth and change) at 6am the next day. I was so tired and hungry (I couldn’t have any food after 9pm the night before and water after midnight).
When the doctor checked at 8am, I was 3cm dilated. My water broke soon after and things started happening very quickly. The contractions were pretty strong from around 9:30 and I asked the midwife if I could have epidural already. The doctor finally came but somehow epidural didn’t work at all! I felt a lot of pain but the breathing techniques taught at the birth class were very helpful. With my partner’s help, I was able to focus on breathing instead of the pain.
By around 11:30, the doctor said that I was 10cm dilated and finally epidural started working. I was asked to sit up and wait for the baby to come down more. After 1.5 hours, the midwife asked me if I was ready to push and we started practicing. However, I was not able to push the baby out… A group of doctors came after another hour and thought maybe the epidural slowed down the labor. Since my cervix was fully dilated, three hours have passed. They said we shouldn’t wait anymore and asked me and my partner if we would be ok with vacuum extraction. We agreed and shortly after our baby girl arrived at 2:53pm!
We got to do skin-to-skin and breastfeeding soon after the baby was born. According to the hospital, the total time of labor was about six hours. During my stay at the hospital (I had to stay for about six days after giving birth), there were some mandatory group classes. I was taught how to breastfeed and take care of the baby.
The only thing I didn’t like so much was the no visitor rule due to COVID-19… The baby and I stayed for about a week and her dad could only come on the 1st day, the day I went into labor, and the last day. The overall experience with the hospital was positive though! Both the baby and I were taken very good care of. And although epidural didn’t work for the first hours, the last part was rather painless and smooth. :) | https://medium.com/no-way-yes-wei/my-birth-experience-in-japan-90445e186507 | ['Wei 陳薇荃'] | 2020-07-20 21:34:18.864000+00:00 | ['Labor Induction', 'Baby', 'Life In Japan', 'Japan', 'Birth Experience'] |
The Ultimate Guide to Linting | The Ultimate Guide to Linting
An essential guide to linting for making your code more readable and life easier
Background
Code quality has been a big topic of discussion in the last decade. More people are talking about it now as more people have to read more code on a daily basis. Reading other people’s code is hard. We all know that! A lot of tools, IDEs have made our lives easier by providing a standard framework to work within. These tools enforce some level of sanity but a lot still needs to be done by the developer.
Good, readable code saves more time than we think. The first step, I think, to writing good, readable code is to be stylistically consistent — be it indentation, the spaces between two functions, the way you declare variables, even the way you import libraries. All this has to be taken care of while you’re writing your code for the first time. After that, there are tools to help you out.
A linter is one such tool that helps identify potential issues with the code based just on style guides, naming standards, typos, and bugs too. Linter is a part of the larger picture of code quality. Most languages, based on their stylistic grammar and syntactical structure, have found standard ways of writing code in them. Yes, there are debates over tabs and spaces but most of the other debates are, more or less, settled. Based on set patterns, tools that enforce these patterns are available in the market.
A very short introduction to Linting by Ahsan Zahid.
As engineers have realized the importance of writing readable code. This trend has spiked the use of fancy IDE features which help you write code better. It could be as simple a feature as autocomplete (e.g., Intellisense) or a query beautifier. Software developers, data engineers, data scientists, infrastructure engineers, data analysts — all these people spend a large chunk of their time writing code — code that would be maintained, code that other people would read. An average data engineer uses at least 2 IDEs — one for writing Python or Scala scripts for ETL, orchestration etc., the other one for writing good old SQL.
Good, readable code saves more time than we think.
Linters for Python
As Python is, more or less, the de facto language for data engineers and data scientists, let’s talk about it. One of the first proposals to use a style guide for uniformity and consistency was from the original authors of Python themselves. It is PEP8. Since the PEP8, a couple of other major linters have evolved and taken over the market like — Pylint and Flake8.
Flake8 is essentially a wrapper around the following — PyFlakes, pycodestyle, and Ned Batchelder’s McCabe script. Every major IDE, code editor supports this. For instance, if you’re using VS Code, you can follow this link to understand how to set up or disable linting there. Google’s Python style guide is based on pylint.
If you write code in Java, Scala, or any other language, there are linters available for them too. Here’s a repository from Google which contains style guides for all the languages they use
Linters for SQL
Almost all major SQL IDEs have an option to enable syntax checkers and query beautifiers and linters. SQL is also, for some reason, one of the most abused languages when it comes to style, consistency, and readability. Try reading someone else’s queries. I have. Bothered by that issue, a while ago, I wrote about the benefits of using a style guide while writing SQL.
Similar to Python, there are a number of style guides for writing SQL too. But there are different challenges when it comes to styling SQL. Different databases, data warehouses support different features of SQL, some are specific to the platform being used. It is, therefore, hard to come up with a unique style guide that works for Snowflake, Redshift, SparkSQL, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MS SQL Server, and Oracle at the same time. Not only that, but the style guides also have to be version-specific too.
Try reading someone else’s queries.
The most comprehensive and sensible style guide I could find was written by Simon Holywell. There are a couple of other style guides like GitLab’s SQL Style Guide and Mozilla’s owner SQL Style Guide. Both of these are also well thought-through. All that’s good but how to check if your SQL code follows a given style guide. Where are the linters?
There are two well-maintained linters for SQL — sql-lint and sqlfluff. You can choose one of them or write your own and integrate it into your CICD pipeline. Let’s now talk about the last bit I said — the CICD pipeline.
Conclusion
Finally, linting should be a part of your CICD pipeline. Executing the linter manually on your code is, again, moving in the wrong direction. The idea of linting was to reduce the possibility of inducing human errors. Running the linter in the IDE, hence, shouldn’t be the only place where linting is run. Just like automation tests, linting has to become a part of the pipeline. Before your code is merged to the next level, it should be linted automatically — and if the lint fails, the pipeline should fail.
Linting is more than just checking for style, it can be about whatever you want it to be under the purview of code quality. You can write your custom checks inside the linter. A linter can contain any kind of logic that you want. The idea is that there’s a piece of code that essentially goes through your piece of code to check if it follows the rules you have defined. | https://medium.com/dataseries/the-ultimate-guide-to-linting-edc55fc88b9b | ['Kovid Rathee'] | 2020-08-30 15:45:39.486000+00:00 | ['Programming', 'Code', 'Software Development', 'Style Guides', 'Data Engineering'] |
How to Identify a Time Waster | We all get them — the vague, non-committal inquiries, shorthand text, and other nonsense crowding our DMs, emails and texts from “clients” who have no real intention to be anything but time wasters. What’s a time waster, you ask? It’s someone who contacts you with no intention to book a date, but wants to suck up your valuable time and emotional energy. They have many ways of doing this, and some are sneakier than others. It can be hard for the novice sex worker to identify when someone is sincere in their inquiry, and when they’re just being an ass. Compounding this is when down times happen in the biz, and any inquiry can seem like a good one. We’ve all been through it. After a lively discussion on twitter, here are — in no particular order — some of your best ways on how to quickly learn when someone is wasting your time.
loladavina knows what’s up!
1. Not reading your information.
This one kills me. When someone contacts me and asks questions that are so clearly answered in my ad or website, it really gets my goat — especially when these questions are paired with one- and two-phrase emails or texts, and especially when those text and emails are with short hand.
A real client will take the time to read over your ad, website, twitter profile, or whatever it is you’ve posted, because they’re sincere in booking and want to make sure they get it right when contacting you. As an example of this, a sincere client will likely look over your rates to see if you’re within his budget, whereas a timewaster will probably balk when you tell him what your rate is (whatever that is), and possibly try to haggle or respond in some other rude way.
2. Vague language.
These can include a string of communication that includes non-committal language, such as “perhaps”, “maybe”, “might”, and “could work”, among others. It gives the impression someone is interested, but if you read the fine print, none of their words have any amount of definitive planning. When asked to confirm or clarify, an escort is likely met with silence or perhaps the guy is evading the question with random garbage replies that contain completely irrelevant information and when you call them on it, they get defensive or ghost. Good riddance, I say.
3. Using way too much shorthand or having really bad grammar.
I’m a professional and I conduct myself accordingly, and that includes all forms of written communication. When someone connects with me to book a date, how they communicate is a clear indicator of their seriousness. In my experience, those communicating with an abundance of “U avail”/ “how ru”/ “can i see u” in their messages have not turned out to be anything worth attending to. There are exceptions to this rule no doubt, and some providers reciprocate this form of communication so perhaps there’s a whole club of folks that think it’s ok to speak with each other like this, I dunno.
As an example, let’s say I wanted to apply for a line of credit and sent an email to my branch manager about it that went something along the lines of, “Hey, how ru, need sum $, how much can u give”. I don’t think it would go over very well, and I can’t imagine any bank would want to do much business with me if that’s how I got on most of the time. Similarly, if you receive an email from a guy that speaks in a similar tongue to the above note, chances are he’s not overly serious about doing business with you.
A caveat: many folks I communicate with do not speak English as a native language and may not have perfect grammar and communication, and that’s ok. These people are welcome in my world, because I guarantee you they can communicate in English better than I can in <insert foreign language here>. It’s the lazy folks that can’t be arsed to type a few extra letters in a word, that I’m not interested in hearing from, and you shouldn’t be either. Piss off.
4. An overabundance of compliments.
Ah yes, the glorification of every move you make, every breath you take, they’re watching.. (cue Sting!). Some of these time wasters will start their communiqué with a plethora of compliments about your beauty, charm, personality, wit, intelligence or whatever. They’ll waste lines and lines of copy telling you how amazing you are and how lucky they are to be even thinking of booking with you because (*gasp*) they are so nervous, and what did they do to even deserve to be in the company of such a beautiful person anyhow, and, and …
Please, spare me. Guys like these are trying to set you up for the big fall to come — that they refuse screening, haven’t read your info, or are going to put forth some ridiculous request, for example flying to Morocco to meet with a Saudi Prince. Oh but you’ll have to buy your own ticket, and he’s not sending screening or a deposit (true story, babes!)
If a guy starts off with adulation beyond a few words, stop reading his email and hit delete. Bye Felipe.
5. Self-aggrandizing language.
What’s worse than a guy who won’t shut up about how amazing you are? A guy who won’t shut up about how amazing HE is, that’s what!
Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, this Noble Fool will apotheosize his every simple act, trait and gesture, usually with big words and complicated language (see what I did there?) If you’ve ever seen Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, picture Professor Gilderoy Lockhart sitting behind his laptop, gushing on about just how fabulous he really is, and that — by golly — you should be paying him for the pleasure!
Many of these guys are quick to extol their own virtues, but when it comes time to give the important details — screening, deposits, date logistics — they suddenly clam right up. Huh.. cat got your tongue?
6. Refusing to screen and/or provide deposits.
Sigh. Are we really still talking about this? I wrote an article a while back discussing the necessity of screening in our business, and in my experience serious clients will provide some sort of screening for you; time wasters won’t. The worst of the excuses come out for this.
“I don’t know your real name, why should you know mine?” “You might take my deposit and try to scam me.” “I’m really well known, I don’t want my identity disclosed.” “I’m new.”
The interesting thing is that screening can take many, many forms and guaranteed there’s going to be one way to suit the serious client, but the time waster will try to get around all of them. I always find it laughable when clients tell me “how important” they are and that they can’t risk having their information known. Bitch, please. Screen or GTFO.
7. Multiple emails or texts back and forth without any intention to book you.
Here presents the man who will ask endless questions (many of which are already on your website), make elaborate requests, or perhaps regale you about the type of date he’d like to have with you. He will extend the length of communication, using all the evasive tricks he can to get you to keep talking without committing to anything. Maybe he’s asking for photos (you know, to prove you’re “real”), or trying to get you to sell him on why he should be booking, even though he contacted you first (wtf?).
A serious client will be straightforward, provide the info you requested, give meeting times/days and generally act like a decent human being.
8. Late-hour emails/texts with any of the above.
Check out the timestamp on this one.
If you’re a night owl and take all the after hours crew, this doesn’t apply to you. But I’m an 80 year old woman living in a hooker’s body, and I go to bed at 9. You can damn well be sure I am NOT awake at 3 am waiting for the barrage of “hey bb” texts asking if I’m “avail”. For those of us who generally function on a diurnal rather than nocturnal circadian rhythm, contacting me at this hour never brings anything good. Thankfully I turn my phone off so as not to disrupt my precious sleep. If you are also of the daylight hours, then you can probably ignore those folks trying to slide into your DMs in the middle of the night while they try to unwire themselves from whatever activities they were up to for the evening.
9. If it sounds too good to be true, run.
It’s easy to get roped into what sounds like an amazing deal but if something sounds way too good to be true, it probably is. What does this look like?
Offering way over your rate.
Extravagant shopping trips, travel, luxury, and all things related.
Wanting an extended date or overnight without ever meeting you (although sometimes this works in your favour and is actually legit).
Claims to be some famous person/big deal.
Wants to try to “rescue” you from this job forever.
There are plenty more. Now, it’s not to say that travel, shopping, gifts, and whatnot aren’t par for the course in the world of escorting; they definitely are but they may take some time to acquire, and many clients will not want to offer the world to you, sight unseen. Also, anyone that promises to “take care” of you if you’d “only leave this business”, is a lying piece of shit. You don’t need rescuing, and you don’t need that asshole trying to control you. Move on.
TL;DR
Good common sense necessitates having an understanding of how people communicate well, and how they communicate poorly. It’s likely a time waster will combine more than one of the tactics above to void you of your precious time and energy. By being a savvy sex worker, you can filter the noise and save yourself the trouble of dealing with people who have no intention to book you.
Connect with me online!
Twitter — @lafemmeisobel
Web — https://www.isobelandrews.com | https://medium.com/@lafemmeisobel/how-to-identify-a-time-waster-982e7298b02c | ['Isobel Andrews'] | 2021-01-12 23:31:03.196000+00:00 | ['Safety', 'Escorts', 'Sex Work', 'Business', 'Entrepreneurship'] |
Hunger and survival in Venezuela | These boxes, the government claims, will feed a family of four for one week. They are supposed to be delivered once a month to all those who have signed up for the “Carnet de la Patria” — a controversial ID card that grants holders access to subsidised food.
However, according to those who get the CLAP boxes, the food arrives spoiled or past its sell-by date, is nowhere near enough to last even a week, and never comes more than, if you’re lucky, once every six weeks. Around Cumana, seven hours east of the capital Caracas, people say the boxes arrive once every three to four months.
Pilongo, Vallenilla, and other locals say the trucks still barrel through here daily — in convoys of as many as 40 — laden with precious food and never stopping for angered, hungry people. They recall how people started coating the road with oil so the trucks would skid into a ditch and then everyone would swarm around and loot them.
“A population which is not well fed become thieves and will steal any food no matter what.”
When the truck drivers wised up and took a diversion, people got metal strips with sharp teeth and laid them across the other road. Tires would blow out and trucks would still be looted. When the National Guard came and confiscated the metal strips, the community protested that they belonged to them. After a fight, the mayor agreed and returned the strips.
As hunger grew around the country so did the number of incidents like these, leading Maduro to issue an edict that armed National Guards must accompany the government food trucks. This has given greater license to the much-feared National Guard, who locals accuse of being behind the bodies they say have been turning up on nearby beaches.
The threat hasn’t stopped people. They just choose different trucks.
“Malnutrition is the mother of the whole problem,” says Pilingo’s former teacher, Fernando Battisti Garcia, 64, talking from his home in the town of Muelle de Cariaco. “A population which is not well fed become thieves and will steal any food no matter what.”
People call it “the Maduro diet”.
“As soon as people see a big truck coming with supplies,” explains Pilingo, “they go into the street — men, women, even children — and stop the truck and take the supplies.”
It happened just a few days ago, he says, adding that the National Guard has begun searching people’s houses and if they find anything — food, toilet paper, supplies — they take you to jail.
So people have started hiding the goods in tombs in cemeteries, or lowering them in buckets into water tanks.
“Everyone is just so desperate,” Pilingo shrugs.
With their erratic and infrequent delivery of meagre, often spoiled goods, CLAP boxes have done little to address hunger. What they have done, however, is line the pockets — and secure the loyalty — of military and government officials.
The US treasury estimates as much as 70 percent of the CLAP programme is victim to corruption, while accusations of military and government officials siphoning off millions of dollars and creating a lucrative food trafficking business and thriving black market have led to sanctions and intensifying international scrutiny.
The CLAP boxes have also succeeded in creating dependency. As inflation continues to spiral upwards and poverty escalates — jumping from 81.8 to 87 percent between 2016 and 2017 — more and more desperate people have become reliant on them to supplement their impoverished diets. In 2018, one in two Venezuelans say CLAP boxes are an “essential” part of their diet, while 83 percent of pro-Maduro voters say that CLAP is their main source of food. | https://newhumanitarian.medium.com/hunger-and-survival-in-venezuela-db8218cec986 | ['The New Humanitarian'] | 2018-11-21 16:51:23.976000+00:00 | ['Long Reads', 'Crisis', 'Health', 'Humanitarian', 'Venezuela'] |
ME generation is group of people who are defined by the technological advancements in their time period namely smart phones, social media, high speed and instant internet | ME generation is group of people who are defined by the technological advancements in their time period namely smart phones, social media, high speed and instant internet Shrikrishna Tangatur Follow Aug 23, 2017 · 3 min read
Introduction of ME Generation
The ME generation is the group of people who are defined by the technological advancements in their time period namely smart phones, social media, high speed and instant internet along with surge of information available offhand. They are the millennials who belong to the age group of 20 to 35 including the people from Baby Boomers and Gen X, spending more time on internet and quite Me-centric. This has led the marketing requirements to be personalized and focused on them
How to Market to ME Generation
The present blog talks about the ways to woo the ME generation to become a customer of a certain product through proper marketing strategy which is personalized marketing strategy
1. With all the people falling in the bracket of ME Generation, are found online for a greater amount of time it becomes bigger arena for the organizations to use for marketing on personal grounds. On a digital medium accessing people directly is easy rather than giving bulk advertisements in newspapers, magazines or television. Thus the more time on internet by ME generation is a boon for organizations to
2. The ME generation is not a brand loyal generation. It looks for the best to be offered to them as against their peers in the market. If they are satisfied with the value of product online and they get to use it more, then ME loyalty has been for the product. It is the ease of procurement and after sale service that keeps the ME generation in line with the organization.
3. The customer loyalty of ME generation can be garnered through personalization of products to suit their tastes and preferences. Like the personalization campaign “Share A Coke “conducted by Coca-Cola where customers names were inscribed on the bottles. This was a massive hit with the ME generation. It did its engagements with the existing customers and garnered new customers for the organization too aiding the organization to hold the brand name with excitement.
4. The relevant product for the ME generation is the mantra for staying in their good books as does the search engine giant Google. Google strives to provide its customers with personalized and relevant search for each of its client. Organization needs to be providing personalized, relevant and timely offers to the customers to have them loyal to the products.
5. Being innovative and experimenting in the field of your expertise will keep the ME generation following the organization where so ever it is. The ME generation is a never satiable generation and will need more every now and then. In order to satisfy their needs organization needs to woo them with new and innovative ideas every now and then.
Conclusion
The ME generation is a generation which consist of all age groups and is a growing generation, thus needs to be kept up to date through highly personalized marketing strategies as per need of the society and market at large. | https://medium.com/https-www-opendesignsin-com/me-generation-is-group-of-people-who-are-defined-by-the-technological-advancements-in-their-time-cef665e47fb7 | ['Shrikrishna Tangatur'] | 2020-12-22 04:55:34.442000+00:00 | ['Website Traffic', 'Website', 'Seo Services', 'Digital Marketing', 'Business Marketing'] |
FRIEND vs FRIENDS | Here is the thing: Like attracts Like.
Friend versus Friends law…
We are social creatures, we are attracted to the things and people who are similar to us. Period. When you go to a new place, you look for people who do the same things as you, people who talk about similar topics as you, and people who watch similar TV shows like you.
That is how we connect as human beings, nobody wants to hang with the opposite of us. We prefer people who understand us and see what we see, laugh at what we laugh about.
You’ve probably heard it many times than you can count.
“You’re the average of the five people spend the most time with,”~ Jim Rohn.
There’s also the;
“show me your friends and I’ll show you your future” derivative.
Whichever you’ve heard, the intent is the same. Audit the people around you. Make sure that you’re spending time with people who are in line with what you want for your own life (preferably people “better” than you so it raises your average). It’s compelling. It’s provocative.
Art credits: Brian Nana
And it is true. Whether you like it or not. It is why most of our parents were very strict with the friends we had in childhood because they know this is real.
Let see how the Bible reminds us:
— Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. — Proverbs 13:20 Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. — 1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
We are what we repeatedly do every day, people we repeatedly hang out with, and if anybody wants to know what type of a person you are, is to just look at your friends.
If you listen to people who have achieved success in history, they always mention it. We are greatly influenced whether we like it or not by those closest to us. It affects our way of thinking, our self-esteem, and our decisions. Of course, everyone is their own person, but research has shown that we’re more affected by our closest influence than we think.
Your friends influence you on everything from what music you listen to, to the choices you make, to the way you carry yourself.
Self-awareness
Obviously, I missed school the day they taught us about self-awareness. Oh wait, that’s right, they never taught any of us about it!
Art credits: Brian Nana
I believe the practice of self-awareness is one of the greatest skills in life because it enables you to learn about yourself in a way no one else can ever teach you.
It teaches you how to manage yourself and how to productively engage with other people. When you are self-aware, you see how small things are connected to our behaviors, how we communicate with one another, how we embrace our differences and make fun out of them.
I try to be very aware of people. I try to remember people’s names. I feel their vibe. I notice how people interact with each other in a group. I catalog their stories in my brain. Now how does all that have to do with friends?
A lot of influence comes from your close friends. You have to practice to QUESTION YOURSELF and be self-aware every time before making a decision based on your friends’ influence.
Art credits: Slyvier
Doing something because of someone’s influence is definitely a choice, and you have to understand saying NO to your friends is not a bad thing. But you may wonder about something specific, why does it feel like it wasn’t your choice? Well, that is the power of influence. It never feels like a choice until you practice self-awareness on small things, by questioning yourself.
It clouds your conscious mind and somehow you feel you had no way to say no to them. Now the easy way to make a lot of good decisions based on the influence of your friends is to have good friends who are better than you, and by better friends, I don’t mean by how much money, cars or other materials they possess. You should remember this!
The most important thing I would love for you to leave with it in this article is when you hear “let’s do this” from friends take 5 seconds to ask yourself if you really want to do it or you are just another dead fish going with the flow.
While at the end of the day, we all are our people who can make our own decisions, we are ultimately influenced the most by our friends and peers and that’s what can either make or break you.
Have nice preparation for Christmas
Thank you. Until next time | https://medium.com/@bwanabigi/friend-vs-friends-1ef2f49f125 | ['Brian Nana'] | 2020-12-22 11:35:39.306000+00:00 | ['Self-awareness', 'Self Improvement', 'Friends'] |
How to deal when a girl rejects you | “Sorry I have a boyfriend” Ouch! That hurts
Photo by Raj Rana on Unsplash
I was at the mall a few days ago and saw an attractive girl working at one of the stores. I thought that I should approach her and ask for her number. When I was approaching her my heart started pounding and my hands were shaking. I was getting nervous thinking about what she was going to say. When I went up to her I said
“Hi I think you’re very beautiful, I was hoping to get your number”
She said” Sorry I have a boyfriend”
Then I responded with” okay, have a nice day”
I thought about that interaction and thought there was a better way that I could have left and how could I learn how to accept being rejected by a girl, so I won’t be overwhelmed by rejection.
What to say after being rejected
Rejection is scary and is one thing that no one wants to go through. But in life, it will happen and it's best to know how to be rejected without making it awkward.
The best conversationalists know how to make people feel at ease and making her feel at ease should have been my first concern.
When I got rejected I realized after that I should have looked at her in the eyes and said “Okay, your boyfriend is a lucky guy” and given her a handshake.
I didn’t make a major change but It would show to her that what she said didn’t hurt me in any way. This way she would be at ease because she didn’t hurt me.
How to accept being rejected by a girl
There’s plenty of fish in the sea, a common phrase used to get over someone.
After leaving graciously, you might have some emotions building inside but the best course would be to let it go.
Relax.
Dwelling on being rejected is not something to be worried about, it should be a learning experience to get the next girl.
What I learned
When you ask out a girl make sure to have a plan for rejection because it might happen to you. Making her feel at ease and not feel bad for saying no to you will help your rejection feel like a positive event versus a negative event. | https://medium.com/@austinbyerly/sorry-i-have-a-boyfriend-46cdbc70cfa5 | ['Austin Byerly'] | 2020-12-19 18:32:30.625000+00:00 | ['Asking Out', 'Relationships', 'Relationships Love Dating', 'Love', 'Rejection'] |
Optimism + scaffold-eth 🏗 Dapp Starter Pack | Optimism’s Optimistic Rollups are approaching mainnet release! We spun up a dedicated branch of scaffold-eth in eager anticipation:
Run a local chain (L1) with an Optimistic Rollup (L2)
Interact with L1 and L2
Move ETH between L1 and L2
Deploy smart contracts on L2
Create our own bridging ERC20 token!
Work-in-progress klaxon 🚨: this is a fresh build, on a brand-new protocol, so expect everything to evolve and change :). And feedback welcome!
If you want to get right to it: the code is here (step-by-step in the README).
Other folks have written in more detail about how Optimism’s Rollup works. This post is focused on what we found out getting up, running, and developing on Optimistic Ethereum…
Let’s go!
Running a local chain with a roll-up
You will need to have Docker installed!
Running several chains locally and having them talk to each other is not trivial. Thankfully the Optimism team have provided an out-of-the-box integration repository that runs the six Docker containers required. This is part of the local-optimism branch, as a Git submodule. When you pull the repo down you will need to initiate & update the submodules, then it is a single command to stand the whole thing up.
cd docker/optimism-integration && make up
Up and running!
It feels a bit like a spaceship taking off!
Watching the logs gives you quite a practical sense of how Optimism works -first an L1 chain is initialised, and the core Optimism contracts are deployed, then a few services that relay information between L1 and L2 initialise, then finally the L2 geth implementation starts up.
Assuming everything is working nicely, we’re ready to go!
Interacting with the rollup & the local chain
One of the real benefits of the Optimism implementation is the compatibility with the EVM — in many ways it is as simple as changing your RPC URL & chain ID:
There are of course some differences that need to be taken into account, and we will cover some as we go.
From a user and developer perspective, one of major things to consider is how to handle the L1 and L2 networks — which to surface to users, and how to ensure that connected wallets are connected to the right one.
The latter challenge is definitely a good use-case for the custom networks API (not yet implemented in this branch — PRs welcome!)
In this branch we instantiate two providers and two signers, as we want to support interaction with the local chain and the rollup.
One wallet with two balances!
Moving ETH between L1 and L2
Local rollups and the current deployment on Kovan don’t currently require any transaction fees, but this will be a key transition on mainnet. We have a simple OptimisticETHBridge component, which shows a users balance on L1 and L2, and allows them to Deposit to L2 or Withdraw:
Take it to the bridge
Depositing means calling the payable deposit function on the L1ETHGateway contract with the value you would like to deposit. This contract is deployed as part of the Optimism initialisation — the deploy address on the local setup is always the same (phew! check the deployment logs), but is different on Kovan.
On Optimism, there is no native ETH, ETH is just an ERC20 token(albeit one deployed at a predeployed address, which is the same on any rollups), and withdrawing is baked into the ERC20 contract:
await l2Tx(L2ETHGatewayContract.withdraw(
parseEther(values.amount.toString())))
This component also has simple “Send” functionality built in for L1 and L2.
Short-term gotchas that the Optimism team are working on:
Sending a transaction with { value } is not currently supported on L2, so we instantiate an ethers.js Contract and use transfer
is not currently supported on L2, so we instantiate an Contract and use The version of geth currently implemented on L2 does not throw on transactionResponse , as it does on L1 — it is necessary to wait() for a transactionReceipt . In scaffold-eth this meant adding an additional line to our Transactor helper:
result = await signer.sendTransaction(tx);
await result.wait()
Deploying on Optimism: YourContract
One of Optimism’s primary focus areas has been on transferability, from the EVM to the OVM. As such only minor alterations were required to make our stock scaffold-eth contract viable on L2 — we just had to import the Optimism compiler in our hardhat configuration (which will then compile all contracts unless they have a //@unsupported: ovm flag) and then use the Optimism ethers variant to deploy our contract.
const { l2ethers } = require("hardhat"); ...
contractArtifacts = await l2ethers.getContractFactory(contractName, signerProvider);
const deployed = await contractArtifacts.deploy(...contractArgs, overrides);
await deployed.deployTransaction.wait()
Note the aforementioned wait() !
There are some slight nuances — we were not able to use the inbuilt Hardhat network, and had to instantiate our own providers & signers.
We didn’t have to make any changes to our contract, though that might not necessarily be the case, for example calls to .balance will throw an error when compiling. In general the compiler errors are helpful in tracking down any problems.
We did make some changes to dig into time on Optimism — block.timestamp does exist, but is a reference to L1 time. Two things update the time on L2: Bridge messages from L1 to L2, and a “heartbeat” that regularly updates the L2 time on a set frequency.
This does create some interesting challenges in dealing with time on L2, as block.timestamp will always be in the past. More thinking on this to come…
On a very practical note this means that in local development, you need regular transactions on your local chain to keep your L2 time up-to-date!
Bridging on Optimism: Old English ERC20
While for many use cases, the ETH bridge & token-bridges deployed by others will be all the L1<->L2 functionality required, we also wanted to understand what it took to move our own L1 ERC20 to L2 and back again.
Fortunately the Optimism team have some reference contracts as part of their contracts package, plus a helpful tutorial, so we were able to pull them into our branch. We will be deploying three contracts:
ERC20.sol : on L1, this is the “source of truth” — a simple implementation with a mint(value) function that allows anyone mint themselves some tokens.
: on L1, this is the “source of truth” — a simple implementation with a function that allows anyone mint themselves some tokens. L1ERC20Gateway.sol : also on L1, this allows us to deposit to L2, locking the tokens while doing so
: also on L1, this allows us to deposit to L2, locking the tokens while doing so L2DepositedERC20.sol : this contract is deployed on L2, it is an ERC20 implementation that mints new tokens when they are deposited from L1, and burns them when they are withdrawn.
Deployment order is important, as the L1ERC20Gateway needs to know about the ERC20 address and the L2DepositedERC20 address, then the L2DepositedERC20 contract needs to be activated via init() with the L1ERC20Gateway address, completing the connection. Our deployed contracts communicate with the L1Messenger and L2Messenger respectively to make deposits & withdrawals.
Once we have deployed, we can test the bridging functionality, either in the frontend app, or in the deployment script itself.
The L1ERC20Gateway must be approved to move tokens to get the whole thing started.
There are conversations afoot to have a single “unibridge” for ERC20 tokens, so such individual bridges may not be necessary in production, but it remains a helpful proof-of-concept for local development.
What next?
Obviously the key next step is to go to a testnet (and then to mainnet!) This branch includes configuration options to go to the Kovan deployment of Optimism —it is as simple as updating the selectedNetwork in App.js , and the defaultNetwork or --network parameter when deploying from Hardhat.
But the bigger question is what to build on Optimism!
We’re going to be releasing more run-throughs, proof-of-concepts and maybe even full-fledged products over the coming weeks. Watch this space, and always happy to chat.
And if you haven’t already — pull down the branch and start building!
Many thanks to Ben & Kevin from Optimism for their helpful answers, and Austin Griffith for the help, hustle & support! | https://medium.com/@azfuller20/optimism-scaffold-eth-draft-b76d3e6849e8 | ['Adam Fuller'] | 2021-03-11 16:03:31.850000+00:00 | ['Web3', 'Optimism', 'Ethereum'] |
React Hooks — useEffect. Managing Side-Effects in Functional… | React Hooks — useEffect
Fun with Effects
In React class components, we have lifecycle methods available to us. The best way I have heard lifecycle methods described is what happens to a React component from its birth to its death² (if you haven’t heard of Mosh Hamedani before, check him out, especially his ‘What Is Javascript’ tutorials on Youtube). As we move from class components to functional components, we still need to handle side effects of a component in the stages of it’s ‘life’ (updating the DOM, clearing the Dom, fetching data from an API endpoint, etc), but methods like componentDidMount, componentWillUnmount, and componentDidUpdate become unavailable to us. Enter another incredible React Hook — useEffect.
I’m going to walk through a few basic examples of useEffect, but please visit the links below for more information directly from React, or the multitude of easy to follow videos on the subject.
While working on this blog, I also learned about a great Visual Studio Marketplace for ReactJS snippets: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=xabikos.ReactSnippets It gives you quick shortcuts for anything from small state objects to building an entire skeleton for a functional or class component.
Let’s start with a building a basic counter. We will implement the useState hook here for access to state in our functional component, making sure to import useState from React. If you are new to useState, I have a blog piece on it here. We will return a button in our div tag when the component is rendered. The synthetic event of onClick will increment our counter by one every time that it is clicked.
Lets say we want to change the title of our document every time the counter button is clicked. In a class component, we would use the lifecycle method componentDidUpdate, but in our functional component, we will now have access to the hook ‘useEffect’. First, import useEffect from React. Our return ill stay the same, but we will build the useEffect function and set the document.title to equal `You clicked count ${count} times`, with count being the dynamic state of count as it increases each time we click our button on the DOM. As the value of count’s state updates, so will our document.title. useEffect runs after every render of the component, and because React renders anytime there is a change to the code, useEffect will execute each time the component is mounted and re-rendered.
When you only want to do something when a specific element on your page changes, you will want to incorporate useEffects second parameter, aka the dependency array. This second parameter is always an array, and whatever is passed into this array, when the value of this variable is changed, the useEffect hook will be run. Below, I have shown what happens when you use this second parameter to tell useEffect to only run when the count is changed, in the first picture you can see that as the count changes, the color of the text changes from it’s original ‘yellow’, and the document.title changes. In the second picture, if I change the dependency array to specify ‘color’ and comment out the onChange functions part of the body that changes color, the text color of the button never changes from it’s original ‘orange’ and the document.title never increases, bc it’s reliant on the state of the color changing.
If you would like a side effect to ONLY happen upon component mounting, simply change this second parameter of useEffect to be an empty array. In the picture below, you can see that with that empty array determining the dependency, although the button is clicked multiple times, the document.title never changes. I did, however specify to change the background color of the div when the component mounted, and recognizing that this was a part of the function solely based on mounting, it changed the background color.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
React | Using The Effect Hook| https://reactjs.org/docs/hooks-effect.html | https://medium.com/@ogroetz/react-hooks-useeffect-80478a49015b | ['Osha Groetz'] | 2020-12-20 01:53:06.832000+00:00 | ['Code', 'Useeffect', 'Software Engineering', 'Software Development', 'React'] |
Transgender “Uglies” | Shame fear doubt self-hate sadness desperation rejection denial depression disgust anger loathing grief rage anxiety loneliness despair contempt
I am writing this for cisgender readers. Anyone who is transgender already knows these words.
I am not suggesting that those who are transgender have an exclusive monopoly of these feelings, but they feel most, if not all of them, regularly. These words dominate their emotional landscape.
When I read or hear cisgender individuals speak with dismissal or disdain about trans people I feel tremendous anger. They have absolutely no clue about the incredible internal pain that trans people suffer predominantly caused by the intolerant and ignorant world in which they are forced to live. This social reality magnifies just about every negative human emotion a person can experience.
I know this for a fact because I am transgender and I have experienced every one of the “uglies”.
The transgender uglies are an emotional club that we constantly batter ourselves with. Few of us, if any, would choose to be transgender. It would be like asking for a lifetime malady like leprosy. The sad reality for anyone transgender is we were never even given a choice, it just happened to us.
The uglies are the additional burden placed on us by society.
No one ever brags that they know someone who is transgender. In fact, it is the complete opposite. At the very least it confuses and makes people uncomfortable; at the extreme, it makes them hateful and then we internalize that hate.
How else can you explain the staggering percentage of transgender suicide attempts and, sadly, those that are successful, not to mention transgender murders on a global scale?
Trans people are not born depressed. Social intolerance, ignorance and rejection make it so, not in a moment or a day or a year, but over a lifetime. It takes immense courage, strength and desperation to survive the daily internal attacks that are a reflection of the external ones that occur in the world around them.
In spite of the fiction created by the various entertainment media, transgender people are not murderers, pedophiles or sexual deviants. In my experience far from it. In fact, the cisgender population has a much higher percentage in all categories of depravity and criminal behavior. So why demonize us?
But nothing speaks stronger about the quality of the transgender community than their willingness to set aside their own pain to help others. That is something the world needs more of.
So, if you are cisgender and reading this, spread the word: we are worth knowing.
Maybe someday you will be able to brag you know someone transgender.
Emma Holiday
Please also read:
Writers note: If you have read any of my writings on Medium you will have noticed a definite theme: the incredible pain of gender dysphoria and all the difficult aspects of just being transgender.
My writing has three specific goals:
1. Writing is my therapy. I have a very limited outlet for my thoughts so I write to find a way to process the most profound experience in my life. I need to understand and I need to accept myself to move forward.
2. Being transgender, for me, is a very lonely existence and if I can share some of the things that I feel and think as I go through the process of transitioning with others who are transgender and, in some way, lessen their pain and sense of loneliness, then all of this public exposure of my personal thoughts is not a waste.
3. I write to help cisgender people understand that all trans people want is to simply be understood, accepted and treated as a normal person. We are. | https://medium.com/prismnpen/transgender-uglies-fd531699d936 | ['Emma Holiday'] | 2020-12-19 14:24:03.237000+00:00 | ['Transgender', 'LGBTQ', 'Humanity', 'Society', 'Life'] |
Heroku and Streamlit Under the Hood | Heroku and Streamlit Under the Hood
You’ve probably heard of streamlit. It’s one of the best ways out there to quickly build attractive, user-friendly data apps. If you haven’t heard of streamlit, you should definitely go check it out, you can find a quick-start guide here.
If you have heard of streamlit, and you’ve started playing around with it a bit, then sooner or later you’ve probably wanted to share your app outside of your local machine. I’ll go a step further and say that since much of the beauty of streamlit lies in its ability to make components that typically lie in the general realm of the developer rather than the data scientist, accessible to anyone who can work through a bit of python. It’s incredibly user friendly.
Heroku is one of the best ways to deploy an app with streamlit without a whole lot of overhead needed to get up and running. There are numerous guides to getting your app online with this combination: see here, and here for a couple great examples.
If you start reading these guides, you’ll find that many of them have something in common. They almost all ask you to define a Procfile, and write a shell script called setup.sh, that looks something like this:
Sample “setup.sh” text (Image by Author)
I have yet to find one that breaks down the contents of this script, but my interest was piqued, so I figured I’d share what I found. Let’s start with the first clue: the very first line. If you know your way around the terminal a bit, you probably already know where this is going, but if not, a good place to start on commands like mkdir is the man page. Here’s what happens if you type:
man mkdir
into your terminal.
The Text of The man Page for “mkdir” with the p flag included (Image by Author)
So in plain English, the first line of our setup.sh script will create a directory in the home directory called “.streamlit”, making any intermediate directories (shouldn’t be necessary), as necessary. If you try
ls ~
and don’t find “.streamlit” in the output, just remember that you can use “-a” to show any hidden directories like so:
ls -a ~
I did say this was a clue though, so… What is the clue here? We just made something called a “dotfile,” which is how you talk about configuration files if you’re super hip (try searching github or youtube for dotfile if this is new for you, it’s a brave new world out there). Okay, so we made sure this configuration file for streamlit exists (actually the slash at the end makes it a directory, because streamlit has a few things that live here), what next? Maybe streamlit has something about this in the docs?
It sure does! Here’s the link to the relevant bits, labeled, appropriately, “streamlit configuration.” The first thing we’ve done here is to echo some text into a file called credentials.toml, but if you search streamlit docs for this “credentials.toml” bit, you won’t find anything except maybe on the forum pages. So what exactly did we do here? There’s another clue that lies in the context in which this script is being run — via the Procfile. The contents of the procfile look like this:
web: sh setup.sh && streamlit run your-app.py
So what is this “web” bit? Luckily Heroku has some documentation to help us out with that. The page on the Procfile states:
A Heroku app’s web process type is special: it’s the only process type that can receive external HTTP traffic from Heroku’s routers. If your app includes a web server, you should declare it as your app’s web process.
So our app has a web server. We’ve declared it as our web process, and the setup.sh bit is to do some, well, setup work before running our app. The setup work is largely to make sure that the image we build for the web server interacts with streamlit in a way that allows streamlit to touch the components it needs to serve our app. The last three clues can all be found on the streamlit documentation page for configuration referenced above. We create a config file (the format is a toml), and we set the variables in the [server] section as follows:
[server]
headless = true
From the docs we read:
# If false, will attempt to open a browser window on start.
Reasonable enough: we just want our app to be served, there’s no need for a browser to pop up anywhere on the serving end.
enableCORS = false
This one is pretty technical. Mozilla has a good page explaining the underlying technology (Cross-Origin Resource/Request Sharing), but it’s beyond the scope of this post.
port = $PORT
From the docs:
# The port where the server will listen for browser connections.
$PORT is an environment variable which gives access to the port Heroku is using (frequently not 8501, which is the default value for this variable).
The “
” sequences are echoed as new lines, so each variable gets its own line in the resulting config.toml, which is where streamlit reads its configuration settings.
So what is all of this shell stuff doing? Pretty simple really, the setup.sh file allows Heroku and streamlit to get on the same page. Go make some apps! | https://medium.com/dev-genius/heroku-and-streamlit-under-the-hood-f77ba6ae5a22 | ['Jake Miller Brooks'] | 2020-12-14 17:31:02.389000+00:00 | ['Data Science', 'Heroku', 'Streamlit', 'Procfile', 'Shell'] |
I remember Death of a Princess | I remember Death of a Princess
Memories of Saudi Arabia, circa 1980
Photo by Joshua Sortino on Unsplash
The news is filled with Saudi Arabia these days. First, the glowing articles about the new prince modernizing the Arabian peninsula, allowing women to drive, and the like. Fawning, hopeful articles that appeared in the middle of last year.
Then the shocking and abhorrent killing and dismemberment of journalist and Saudi national Jamal Khashoggi in his own consulate.
The sisters who bound themselves to one another last year and threw themselves from a bridge so they wouldn’t, couldn’t be sent back to Saudi Arabia alive.
Rahaf Alqunun who fled her family while vacationing in Kuwait a few weeks ago, boarding a plane to Thailand, where a man blithely pocketed her passport, leaving her high and dry.
It just doesn’t end, this torrent of news about Saudi Arabia. Now, we’re hearing dark murmurings of nuclear power deals between Trump’s cronies and the government in Riyadh. And before that, references to $30 Billion in deals that “businessmen” are loathe to sever, no matter the ethical implications.
These articles catch my eye perhaps a little more than they do the average Joe. (Or Joelle.)
You see, I lived in Saudi Arabia for two-and-a-half years — rather formative years, I might say. I was 10 years old when we arrived and nearly 13 when we left.
One of the articles mentioned — just barely — the Death of a Princess debacle.
The reference was tucked into the bottom of the article about women escaping the “kingdom.” It was given rather short shrift, and I wondered about that. It had a certain ring to it… “death of a princess.” I had heard that phrase before.
I began googling around. The NYT article offered barely anything about it — just that women had been trying to flee since at least the late 70s, when a princess and her paramour were executed. There was no hyperlink. No name. No reference. That disturbed me. As I sought to learn more, memories of my time in the country stirred.
We left our home in Piedmont, California, in March, 1979.
The flight was interminable. I listened, rapt, to the hits of the day, including Christopher Cross’ “Sailing,” Lipps Inc.’s “Funkytown,” the Bee Gees’ “Too Much Heaven,” and Chic’s “Le Freak.”
I read James Herriot’s “All Creatures Great and Small” and accepted meals and proffered blankets from pretty flight attendants in trim navy suits. By the time we touched down in Jeddah, on Saudi Arabia’s western Red Sea coast, we’d traveled more than 24 hours.
When the aircraft doors opened, an intoxicating scent — sweet and fragrant — filled the plane. The air was hot and silky, like an animal. It was the feeling and aroma of the desert, and it branded me. I love it to this day.
The airport floors were entirely covered with sleeping and otherwise prostrate men in white and brown robes and red-and-white-checked keffiyehs. We stepped gingerly over and around them. To this day, I don’t know why dozens of men were lying on the floor that night.
We had an incredible 36 pieces of luggage. I remember my mom laughing about it. My father hailed several “taxis,” which were dusty pickup trucks decorated with ornate, brightly painted ironwork. We couldn’t all fit in the cab. My brother and I sat in the back of one of the trucks with some of the luggage.
It was night. The sky was black. Soft, warm air caressed our skin. Keening, wild, dissonant Arabic music tumbled through the little window from the radio in the truck cab as we made a U-turn out of the airport, onto a black road lined with beige dirt and rubble.
We were delivered to a relatively small, gated compound on the edge of the city. From the window above the kitchen sink where we washed dishes together, my brother and I watched packs of salukis, wild Arabian dogs, roam the desert twilight.
My father played Abba, Crystal Gail, and Nana Maskouri tapes on a little boombox he bought. Also The Beatles.
We lunched at The Jeddah Sands Hotel sometimes, where we’d select elaborately decorated cakes from beneath glass domes. They were tasteless and collapsed in our mouths like sawdust.
One day, we were seated in the Sands’ cavernous dining room full of pink tablecloth-topped tables. The dining room was empty except for us. A large black man with a big belly entered the room. He wore a white robe, or dishdasha, and a white keffiyeh secured by a black cord. He was followed by a line of six or seven women who took their seats quietly at alongside the window.
My mom, a consummate journalist, suddenly said in a low, intense voice, “Oh my God. That’s Idi Amin.”
She fished out of her purse paper and a pen. She stood up. My father put his hand on her arm and said, “Joan. You cannot. You will be arrested, and I won’t be able to get you out. Sit down.”
I know that killed her. It cut deep.
Recently, I researched it and learned that the brutal dictator Idi Amin indeed fled Uganda to shack up in Jeddah in 1979, where he lived for years with several of his wives and some of his children in the top two floors of the Novotel Hotel. He had, according to my reading, “at least six wives and by some counts 43 children.”
A boy named Brian Boyd lived in our compound. He was 18. He had smooth brown skin and tousled brown hair bronzed by the sun. He’d sit in the shade of a building by the pool and play his harmonica to The Logical Song by Supertramp. He played with us in the pool. I was beside myself when he’d catch and throw me in the air. I’d gaze at him surreptitiously out the window. I’m 50 now and still remember his handsome face and how painfully my young heart bloomed whenever he was near.
Sometimes we’d go out for “broasted chicken.” Usually, we got it to go, but sometimes we ate at a small table by a window in a kind of mall.
Driving through the streets of Jeddah, I saw piles of ornately carved wooden shutters, splintered and tossed in the gutters. They were being pulled from traditional houses in the old town and junked. Even at that tender age, I knew this was a travesty. I wanted one of them but never tried to acquire one.
At the gold souk, we wended our way through aisles of folding card tables piled with mounds of gold. My sister saw a heavily jeweled ring on the ground. She tried to pick it up, but my father jerked her away.
My father gave me a View-Master with a set of thin cardboard “reels” of photos of Mecca and Medina, which I imagine are very rare now. I was fascinated by these photos, in large part because we were told many times that photos of Mecca and Medina were forbidden to infidel such as ourselves. I’d lie on the couch, aim the device at a bright window, and click through the images of pilgrims circling the mysterious black Kaaba.
Crossing the street in Jeddah one day with my father, cars began slowing en masse, then stopping. Men leaned out their open windows, shook their fists, and yelled. My father quietly said, “I need to release your hand, dear. Walk behind me.”
He dropped my hand. I followed his instructions. The cars resumed their progress.
I tamed a wild kitten born under our pre-fab house and named her Patches. She was a delicate calico, tiny, slender, and smart. My mom allowed me to keep her when we moved to Yanbu, a little more than three hours north of Jeddah, a Red Sea village destined to become a new international port.
We were one of the first foreign families to arrive to Yanbu Al-Bahr, a new industrial city built from scratch in the desert outside a little fishing village named Yanbu.
The same brochure refers to the Yanbu International School, which evidently still exists. It was founded in 1979 — the year we arrived. We were among the first students there.
I remember being on a school bus. Kids joked around the open window as the drab beige desert flew by outside, jostling each other for the chance to yell, “I’m Jewish” out the window so they could see traffic come to a shuddering halt.
Sometimes, we were able to find imported frozen pizza in the commissary . My parents laughed and showed us how the word “pork” had been obliterated from the ingredients list on the back of the box by a heavy dark marker.
We lived in Camp IV, which evidently still exists, though the Camp IV in the linked video is far nicer than I remember. When we got there, it was a conglomerate of flimsy pre-fab houses plopped in the middle of the desert. There was no vegetation except bright pink and green coleuses which thrived in pots and some pink bougainvillea tended by residents.
The sand storms were legendary. No matter how tightly we closed the doors and windows, within a short time, eddies of sand could be seen in the air inside our home. Furniture became coated with powder-fine sand.
On a flight over Bahrain once, a sandstorm kicked up and infiltrated the airplane cabin. You could see and feel it flying through the air, grinding between our teeth, peppering our eyes. My mother was white as a sheet. We thought it was fun.
Our parents made wine, like foreigners. They tore open plastic bags and poured incredible amounts of white sugar one after another into a giant pot on the stove stirred by my mother. They’d unload cartons of grape juice, add yeast, boil it up, and then pour everything into big plastic containers which then lived in the bathtub of one of our two bathrooms, where it would brew into something that would do the trick.
My mother found astonishingly fresh bread in the market. It was soft as cotton candy and fragrant as all get out. I remember my father coming home for lunches at our round wood table. My mother put out the bread, a bread knife, cold cuts, and mayonnaise, and we’d gorge ourselves on this bread, the likes of which I’ve never since found.
My father took us to The Sharm on the weekends. We’d pile into the beige and white van my mom named “Lurching Matilda” and bounce our way along rocky dirt roads past staggeringly tall sand dunes to deserted beaches on the shore of the Red Sea.
Above the water, the sand was colorless. The skies were often white-hot. The landscape barren. We’d don masks, snorkels, and fins and spend hours paddling happily over expanses of psychedelic corals in every imaginable color amid schools of clown fish, moray eels, lion fish, trigger fish, and groupers, above giant rays, and in one particularly memorable case, above a rather large shark. My father was in the lead. He turned around slowly, put an index finger to his mouth, and beckoned us to follow him slowly.
Sometimes, my dad brought a spear gun and hunted red and blue polka-dotted groupers for our dinner.
Once I picked up a fan of red coral from the sea floor. My mask was filling with water, so I put the coral between my legs to drain my mask as I kicked, treading water.
Suddenly a stultifying pain bloomed between my legs. I’d been stung by fire coral. Faint and breathless, I managed to make my way slowly to shore where I collapsed on the beach. I had lace-like scars for years.
Everyone in the compound collected giant white conch shells which, when turned over, revealed shiny pink lips.
None of us had a conservationist bent in those days. The richness and bounty of the sea was unimaginable.
BBC blared from our radio most of the time. Our parents listened intently. Jimmy Carter was trying to rescue the hostages in Iran. Things were tense. Eight months after we arrived in the country, the Grand Mosque in Mecca was overrun by people trying to overthrow the House of Saud, resulting in the “deaths of hundreds of militants, security forces and hostages.”
My parents planned an escape route out of the country in case things got out of hand and we were unable to reach an airport safely. They arranged a boat to cross the Red Sea at a moment’s notice.
I fell in love with a seventh grader named Jeff Jenkins, from Texas. He had straight sandy blonde hair and green eyes, and I wrote page after page about him in my journal. I’d climb out my bedroom window to hang out at the “Rec Hall” and watch Jeff play ping pong. Of course, he never looked my way.
I got my first period at our makeshift international school. The nurse sent me home, ostensibly to get help from my mother. When I got there, my mother began to cry and barricaded herself in her bedroom for three days.
Since they had their steady supply of homemade wine, and the occasional Sidique, which is “basically neat distilled alcohol” she could continue her favorite hobby, which was drinking. My budding sexuality was apparently a problem for her. My dad helped me when he got home.
And throughout I heard murmurings about the princess.
Two years before we arrived, she was executed in a car park in Jeddah for the crime of rejecting the suitor her parents had chosen for her and eloping with a young Saudi student she’d met at university in Lebanon. They were captured after she tried to stage her own drowning. She and her lover were apprehended at the airport. She’d chopped off her hair and donned boys’ clothes, but the ruse failed.
Her name was Misha’al. She was beautiful, vibrant, and beloved. Her grandfather tried to warn her. He coached her on what to say before the courts. When she defied him and said before a court of law, that she had committed adultery, he intercepted the proceedings, leading her away. In Saudi Arabia, you are convicted if you state three times that you have committed adultery. He beseeched her to stop. He said, “I cannot save you if you continue.”
She returned to the room and stated twice more that she had committed adultery. God knows why she did this. Perhaps she thought this was her way of proudly declaring she loved this man, her paramour, her fiancee.
She was a princess. The king’s daughter. She was 19. She was shot by firing squad. Her lover was forced to watch and then beheaded.
The furor when I was there, the reason I kept hearing the phrase “Death of a Princess” in hushed tones, was that a construction worker managed to covertly snap a few photos of the executions from an Instamatic camera hidden inside a cigarette case in his shirt pocket. When those made it out of the country, a film crew got interested.
A British producer named Antony Thomas made his way to the kingdom to interview people about the princess’s story. The resulting documentary was titled Death of a Princess and was scheduled to air on April 9, 1980 in Britain and a month later on PBS in the US. We’d been in the country a couple of months when all this began.
The Saudis exerted “strong diplomatic, economic and political pressure” to cancel the broadcasts. When he failed to get the British broadcast cancelled, King Khalid expelled the British ambassador from Saudi Arabia.
In May 1980, PBS officials in the US endured unending pressure from corporations and politicians. Mobil Oil Corporation took out a full-page ad in the New York Times’ op-ed section opposing the film, declaring it “jeopardized U.S.-Saudi relations.” Sound familiar?
Although King Khalid offered $11 million to the network to suppress the film, it was broadcast by PBS on May 12, 1980. Some PBS stations refrained.
I didn’t know or understand any of this. I had never looked into “Death of a Princess” in the decades since my time in the kingdom. I didn’t even know I remembered the phrase, or that it would have resonance when it surfaced in the New York Times article about women trying to flee.
I finished finished fifth grade, sixth grade, and half of seventh grade at Yanbu’s International School. I was 10, 11, 12. A time of sexual awakening. I had painful crushes on boys. I noticed how handsome so many of the Arab men were. I stared at their hairy, brown forearms.
Sometime during the first half of seventh grade, my parents threw a big party. I believe it was New Year’s Eve. My mom and her drinking buddy Jan Robinson were wasted and got the hare-brained scheme to go for a little walk. They were shrieking and singing at the tops of their lungs when they were apprehended by Arab guards.
Small, dark, Arab guards wearing black pants, short-sleeved blue shirts, and red-and-white-checked keffiyehs flooded the house. They had small automatic rifle-like guns slung over their shoulders. They filled the hallways of our small house. We were ushered into my bedroom and told to stay there with the door closed. There was lots of yelling in the house and disruption.
We were lucky. My father’s company, Parsons, was able to protect him. We were permitted to leave the country without punishment. We had two weeks to do it, as I recall. We packed and left in a whirlwind. I remember we were officially forbidden to ever enter the country again, neither my parents, nor us, nor any member of our family. Evidently, there’s a list somewhere with our names on it.
I used to be an apologist for Saudi Arabia. I saw beautiful things there. I have meaningful souvenirs in my home from that time. A painting of a disabled boy on a crutch and some burros in the souk beneath a sign in Arabic slung over a stall. A bronze Bedouin coffee pot. A red velvet dress embroidered in satiny yellow and green thread. A Bedouin bracelet. An Omani knife. An Arabian sword. A camel saddle. A bronze camel. An antique map of the country. Even a big bronze dish with the kingdom’s emblem emblazoned on its surface.
I heard the mean things said about the Middle East all my life. I nearly got a master’s degree in Middle Eastern studies. I remain fascinated by the region.
When people said things, I thought, they just don’t know. They’re over-generalizing. They’re ignorant. We all are. How can we say we are somehow more evolved. That’s ridiculous, ethnocentric.
Until the Jamal Khashoggi killing. Until the “death of a princess” phrase floated up, and I decided to do a little research. My attitude about the country changed, and hardened. Now, I find myself reading every word and every story I see about women trying to escape these regimes.
In March 2018, a princess from Dubai tried to escape the United Arab Emirates, a country with similarly draconian policies. Her name is Latifa Al Maktoum.
She was apprehended at sea, in the Indian Ocean.
Just before attempting her escape, she made a video explaining her plight. “Pretty soon,” she says, “I’m going to be leaving somehow… If you are watching this video, either I’m dead, or I’m in a very bad situation.”
A description on the video’s YouTube page states:
On the night of March 4th, 2018, there was an unprecedented international incident when a significant Indian and UAE military force converged, and carried out an unprovoked attack on a small, American pleasure yacht off the coast of Goa, India.
The family is claiming she is now safely at home recovering from a kidnapping attempt.
She is believed to be under house arrest and heavily sedated. | https://christianawhite.medium.com/i-remember-death-of-a-princess-da61afc99aa3 | ['Christiana White'] | 2019-02-26 00:14:45.760000+00:00 | ['Freedom', 'Women', 'Saudi Arabia', 'Memoir', 'Princess Mishaal'] |
Doing DesignOps — 18 months of being resilient | Finding the things that flow
My goals for 2020:
1. Measuring the impact of design
2. Storing research
3. Design system rethink project
4. Onboarding and career frameworks
5. Digital accessibility
6. Community
So how did I get on…
1. Measuring the impact of design
Together with our products teams, we tried to measure the impact of design. We used a tool we designed called Design Impact Evaluation Tactic or DIET. We had 16 teams all with slightly different dynamics. To get them to adopt one method would have taken a huge effort. The teams that did adopt our system all got really low scores. Perhaps there was already an awareness. So the scoring didn’t tell us anything new.
Our delivery managers monitored team health and our product people measured metrics. It would put a strain on the team to measure and record another thing.
I said in my talk at the Global DesignOps conference “Don’t measure your progress using someone else’s ruler”
I believe in this, but measuring something can be expensive and be hard to implement. I needed to focus elsewhere.
2. Storing research
After interviewing all our researchers. We found people talked to people when they wanted to know something. It was then down to the person asked, to dig out what was needed and share it.
Managing data and nuances in languages are complex. It would be a huge job and as things stood at the time we’d need the people doing the research to do it. Or we’d need to hire a research librarian.
For now, we created focus pillars based on our learnings.
3. Design system rethink
The biggest problem with our design system was a lack of trust. Bits of it were out of date. It was a side of the desk project at the time. We couldn’t fix the design system but we could capture the experience and knowledge of our designers.
To do this we needed to lower the barrier on contribution.
The component lounge was born.
It asks three questions…..
1. Do you have an example of the component? (screenshot and link)
2. Why do we need this component?
3. Is there any research to support the design of the component?
Contributions increased massively. This has resulted in greater knowledge sharing, which ultimately gives a better experience to our end users. | https://uxdesign.cc/designops-the-resilient-role-74998a245a07 | ['Dave Cunningham'] | 2020-12-22 12:10:53.224000+00:00 | ['Design Thinking', 'UX', 'Accessibility', 'Designops', 'Service Design'] |
Neighborhood Council Expresses Concern About Over-Due Bills and Fraud | Neighborhood Council Expresses Concern About Over-Due Bills and Fraud
“The NENC is concerned about the harm being caused to LAUSD students by charter schools improperly using the Proposition 39 co-location process and urge the City of Los Angeles to do everything possible to assist the LAUSD in recouping funds owed to them and to identify fraud.” - Northridge East Neighborhood Council
Under Proposition 39, charter schools in California have the right to demand space on public school campuses. The amount of space that they receive is based on the number of students that the charter claims have a “meaningful interest” in attending the charter school during the following academic year. The district must then spend bond funds preparing the space and turn it over to the charter school in time for them to start the new school year.
In the event that a charter school requests more space than it actually needs, state law specifies a formula to determine a penalty that must be paid. This is meant to compensate the district for the space lost for use by public school students and the costs borne by districts to prepare space that was not needed.
As shown in a spreadsheet prepared by the district, the LAUSD has sent invoices totaling $14,253,674.28 to cover over-allocation penalties. Of this amount, only $2,817,905.27 had been paid as of December 16, 2020, leaving a balance due of $11,435,769.01. As an example, the New Heights Charter School has been sent invoices totaling $1,046,783.96 covering four years of over-allocations. None of this has been paid and at a recent LAUSD Board meeting the founder and Executive Director of the school stated that she was “not going to comply and pay”.
It appears that one of the reasons that charter schools have been subjected to such high penalties is that they have included children on their list of prospective students who did not have a “meaningful interest” in attending their schools. For example, the principal at one of the Citizens of the World charter schools posted a message on Facebook that asked parents to put their children’s name on the list but assured them that doing so would “not impact your family’s plans for what school you would like to attend or currently attend.” The process was referred to as “a fun game schools get to play each year.”
Over the past four years, Citizens of the World charter schools have been billed $1,052,428.70 in over-allocation fees. As of December 16, 2020, they had a balance due of $955,737.12.
On December 16, 2020, the Northridge East Neighborhood Council (NENC) expressed concern about the harm being caused to LAUSD students by charter schools improperly using the Proposition 39 co-location process. The board voted unanimously to urge the City of Los Angeles to do everything possible to assist the LAUSD in recouping funds owed to them and to identify fraud. This request was made in a letter sent to the Health, Education, Neighborhoods, Parks, Arts, and River (HENPAR) Committee.
In the aftermath of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the LAUSD is expected to face difficult times fiscally in the next couple of years. This problem is going to be exacerbated because of the United States Senate refusing to include aid for local governments into the new stimulus bill. The students of the district can not afford to lose the $11,435,769.01 owed to them by the Los Angeles charter school industry. All neighborhood councils should be demanding that pressure be applied to force payment and end fraud associated with the PROP-39 program.
________________________________
Carl Petersen is a parent, an advocate for students with special education needs, an elected member of the Northridge East Neighborhood Council, a member of the LAUSD’s CAC, and was a Green Party candidate in LAUSD’s District 2 School Board race. During the campaign, the Network for Public Education (NPE) Action endorsed him, and Dr. Diane Ravitch called him a “strong supporter of public schools.” For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own. | https://medium.com/@changethelausd/neighborhood-council-expresses-concern-about-over-due-bills-and-fraud-5b70242aa4ca | ['Carl J. Petersen'] | 2020-12-22 04:22:01.256000+00:00 | ['Charter Schools', 'Lausd', 'Los Angeles', 'Education', 'Education Reform'] |
Getting Rid of Stockholm Syndrome | After reading a story of Girl in The Box (2016), many of my feelings were mixed and overwhelming. A familiar feeling was triggering in my head. I have no intention to threaten anyone, but the movie is about a woman who had a Stockholm Syndrome — a type of psychological illness that a victim fell in love with the hostage when there is a good amount of time.
A victim that develops a special relationship with a kidnapper while they are together for a while.
A girl was kidnapped when she on the road and kept as the hostage emotional tools for seven years before getting the release by the kidnapper’s wife. However, after the release, she still tried to contact the kidnapper.
Photo by Jamez Picard on Unsplash
Even though my experience was not as intense as a case in the movie. Luckily, I used to be in the state for a few months, not 7 whole years. When I think of it again, it’s making me sick of why I could feel like that to a person who did that to me (No physical action involved).
Even though how horrible the person is, I was still trying to contact the person. I had no idea what I thinking. I just worried about how the person was living. Had the person had enough money to live? Had the person arrived at their home?
Personally, Stockholm syndrome could happen less intensively in a similar situation.
I don’t want to tell the whole story. I was not kidnapped. I just stayed with the person for a month. Only I just tried to understand the situation of the person’s family situation until it was even worse; I let the person borrow my money without questions. Maybe, it’s because I am too kind and care the other too much.
Spending time with the person seemed like a happy ending, but it is a deadly poison that was killing me slowly. I gave a lot of effort to assist no matter what happened (Financial, every kind of help I could do at that time). However, there is nothing I got from the person, except pain in heart, loss of borrowing money, lies, and cracks in my family relationship.
I know that my situation was not deadly, but it gave me a lot of lessons.
I should not fell in love easily for the second time Don’t trust anyone easily. If the problem is too much to handle, asked for experienced assistance. Family always love me in some ways. Being love is giving chances, but if it’s more than 3 times in the same kind of stuff, that’s unforgivable
Recovering Methods
It always takes time when comes to emotional issues, so the same as Stockholm syndrome. There is no absolute solution to this symptom. There is only time that will heal the wound in their hearts. In my case, it took 2 months after the problem ended to clear out my mind and find someone to talk to. However, there are some alternative ways.
1. Don’t judge and listen without judging
If you start with judging the person who has got Stockholm syndrome, it’s not going to end well. He or she will build a wall and answer your questions in a way you want. That will not be the way they want.
What the person wants is people who are on their side or could agree with his or her idea which is mostly impossible. Open-minded talk could work in this situation. The talk should not be offensive to the person. If he or she feels so, shutting out their mind and not listening to anyone would be his or her only option.
2. Let the person make their own decision
Making their own decision is a good idea for curing this type of symptom.
Try not to interrupt with words or actions when the person is speaking. If you do and give your advice straight away, that is going to make the situation get even worse. That would mean “you know best” which will construct a wall even higher.
The Stockholm syndrome person is thinking that he or she is closer to the hostage, no way that the other would know better than they do. That is how I am when I was in the state. I was really against my mother when she tried to give me the advice she though is best for me.
Deciding for himself or herself is also giving power over a manipulated force from the influenced person.
3. Stable pillars
To estimate the situation of the symptom, having someone which the person can rely on is important. Good cop, bad cop would a method which the person could talk open-minded. In my case, at that time, the good cop was my therapist and bad cops were my parents.
Photo by Alex Iby on Unsplash
I think I might be overstated, but that made me understand myself more at the time. Sometimes, the Stockholm person might not know what he or she is thinking; having someone who can comfort and truly be rely on is an alternative solution — Finding someone who can be their stable pillars other than the hostage. I think it will depend on each person’s case that who the pillar would be.
I think it might be hard to find the pillar person if the Stockholm person does not believe in anything except themselves. Initially, I have to admit that I did not believe in my family. | https://medium.com/the-ascent/getting-rid-of-stockholm-syndrome-81147c899a4b | ['Praemai Thassneeeprapakorn'] | 2019-12-15 13:06:01.296000+00:00 | ['Life Lessons', 'Mental Health', 'Love', 'Love Yourself', 'Mental Illness'] |
How Much do Fiction Writers Earn? | The question of how much a fiction writer earns is a tough one to answer, because there are so many fiction writers and they run the gamut from zero to richer than the Queen of England.
Remember sixth grade math? Average is found by adding up what every fiction writer earns in a year and then dividing the answer by the total number fiction writers.
So, if 100 fiction writers earned a total of $100,000 — then the average income is $1000.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the answer to the question of average into for ‘writers and authors’ in 2016 was $61,820 per year. (Writers and Authors covers more writers than just novelists. So this isn’t a perfect answer on more than one level.)
I’ll pause a minute for most of the fiction writers that I know to catch their breath from all the laughing.
The problem is that there are a few writers who earn the vast majority of that $61,820 average. So, using my example of 100 fiction writers earning $100,000 — there might be one that earns $75,000, leaving the other 99 to share the remaining $25,000 in some way. Probably with one other writer earning $24,000 of that and the majority of fiction writers earning nothing or very close to nothing.
My husband has spent most of his adult life as a craps dealer in casinos in Atlantic City, Las Vegas, and Reno. At the end of each shift all of the tips (they call them tokes) earned during that shift are pooled and ‘cut.’ Each dealer earns an equal share.
If we all got to equally share all of the money earned by all of the writers in a year, ‘writers and authors’ would make $61,820.
Sometimes casino dealers don’t split tokes evenly. Sometimes, they ‘go for their own.’ That means that each person keeps any tokes that they’re offered.
Writers and Authors go for their own.
We don’t all get to equally share the money that writing endeavors earn in a year. Most make considerably less than the median. Many work for years without receiving any income at all.
This isn’t the kind of job where you get a nice, steady, reliable pay check every month, either. So even if a writer has a year where they earn the ‘average’, it doesn’t mean that they will again next year. Or any other year ever again.
Here’s my fiction-earning background.
In 2012 I sold two novels to a major publisher. My advance against royalties was $7500 for each book, or a total of $15,000. It took me two years to write the first book (before it was sold, of course, so two years of writing without pay or any real proof I’d ever be paid) and two years to fulfill my contract and be paid the entirety of my advance.
So, about $3750 per year for four years work.
Last summer (July 2017) I sold two more novels to a different major publisher. My advance this time was considerably larger: $75,000 total for two books. Most of that was paid in 2017, so I did actually earn close to the median for the first time that year.
I sold four books in six years and earned a bit less than $100,000. A solid part-time income.
The real answer to this question is this: The average income for a fiction writer depends on what kind of money they’re pulling in via their day job.
I talk sometimes about quitting my day job — which three years ago was pretty awful. I was the assistant to a burned out special education teacher. I earned $9 an hour and, although I loved the kids, going to work everyday was a struggle.
But the truth is, I didn’t quit my day job because I was earning a full-time income writing fiction. I quit my terrible day job for a much better day job where I can be my own boss. Doing work that is not fiction writing.
One of the best ways I know to be a happy writer is to learn to think wider.
Don’t isolate your writing as a separate thing. Consider it part of the whole of your life. If you can, think about your writing as a business and everything you do to earn an income as being in service to that business.
You’re probably going to have to have a day job for a while. Most likely a good long while. Whether you resent that or embrace it is entirely up to you.
Convince yourself that your employer is actually your biggest client. I know it sounds weird, but just try it.
You are the boss of You, Inc.
You, Inc.’s main business is writing. But also? It serves as a provider of whatever it is you do at your day job. A fine purveyor of retail blue jeans or seller of perfectly flipped burgers or provider of quality education to children in the third grade.
Right now, the burger-flipping, blue-jean-selling, elementary-school-teaching arm of You, Inc. might be subsidizing the fiction writing arm — but it won’t forever. Or maybe it will. Who knows? But, the fiction writing arm will eventually become at least more self-sustaining if you give it time. | https://medium.com/the-write-brain/what-is-the-average-income-for-a-fiction-writer-1b6337df08a6 | ['Shaunta Grimes'] | 2019-07-19 23:36:20.224000+00:00 | ['Creativity', 'Money', 'Productivity', 'Work', 'Writing'] |
Ways To Build Brand Awareness Today | People these days are not going to find it weird if you are going to associate your personality with a brand whether it be an Apple person, Nike person, or anything. What you are doing is promoting these brands and their products without even expecting any kind of incentive. That is what we call the power of brand awareness. As a business, if you are able to embed your business into the lifestyle and purchasing habits of an individual, that’s what is going to provide you a huge edge.
Firstly, What is Brand Awareness?
Brand Awareness refers to how familiar your target audience is with your brand. If we put it in other words brand awareness lets you understand how people recognise and remember you. Companies with huge brand awareness are often the ones that are referred to as trendy, popular, or buzz worthy.
Brand Awareness is an important aspect for companies who are at an early stage and have not developed a customer base for themselves. It’s always recommended that the businesses at an initial stage should focus on this once they have solidified their business idea.
Your idea might be the best in the world, but what’s the use of it if no one actually knew about it. Brand Awareness is the first step in your marketing funnel. Through the creation of brand awareness, a marketer can cast a wide net across your audience who can be your potential buyers. An effective SEO strategy plan can help better create brand awareness.
How to build brand awareness?
Step1: Determine your path (organic or paid)
When you are working towards starting to create brand awareness then the first step towards that is determining how would you want to do it organically or through paid advertising. The path you are going to choose largely depends on what type of business you have and what’s your financial condition. Going through the organic route implies that you don’t want to spend a lot of money while you create brand awareness. Most small businesses don’t like spending way too much of money and try if they can avoid it. You need to also consider one of the major cons of organic marketing i.e speed. This path can take a long time for you while seeing results through organic marketing.
So, now you might ask what about paid marketing? Paid marketing’s speed is an advantage to itself. A proficient marketer can set up your campaign in one day. A paid advertising campaign can reach a wide range of people across social media platforms. Everything has con to its name. So, the cons of paid marketing are the cost you spend on it. If you are trying to reach millions of people then be ready to append millions behind it.
Step2: Develop Content
You would definitely agree if we tell you that you can’t create brand awareness if nobody knows anything about you, right? SO the first step towards people getting to know you is by starting to create content that catches people’s attention and which compels them to remember it. You should also remember to create something that is really valuable which is related to your brand and which yields the max business of your products and services. That’s when you have a brand new start to a relationship.
Step3: Promoting a content
Last but not the least, promoting content is another major step towards creating brand awareness. When you are using paid advertising you definitely are aware of the fact that you need to spend money such that you can reach your audience. But finding the right audience can take time. In order to that, you will have to run experiments to test the age, genders along with locations, and interests of your audience. This helps in getting to know your audience really well.
The more content you put out there’s more likely that you reach more people. Are you looking out for the creation of valuable and relevant content as soon as possible? Experience a digital marketing agency in Bangalore that can help in yielding better results. | https://medium.com/@ronitariverhood/ways-to-build-brand-awareness-today-d05e728c8bb2 | ['Ronita Cutinho'] | 2021-02-01 08:56:16.128000+00:00 | ['Digital Marketing', 'Digital Marketing Agency', 'Seo Strategy For 2020', 'Brand Strategy'] |
Katafin Week 16 — Evaluating The Model, Prepping for Expansion. | Earlier this year, I began trading option premium and put together a model for a sustainable investment approach. This was inspired in part by my colleague Jason Osborne with whom I have shared countless conversations about the options space and an experimental spreadsheet showing a conservative options premium trading model that would in theory, provide predictable, very low risk returns. I was very interested in Jason’s theory that this is likely how our broker’s make money, they just sell premium on our investments. Factual or not, it would be a viable strategy.
Jason and I are both fans of figuring out how things work, deconstructing the pieces and looking for easier models with less friction. Much of the financial world is doing the same as the friction put money of the pockets of people that own the friction tolls like banks, investment houses, hedge funds etc. and leave most individual investors with at or below market returns. The real money in investing is the fees, not the returns. At least it has been. The early trading computers and algos didn’t make money from picking stocks, they made money by taking the lunch money from the exchanges, banks and market-makers that were making banks from being in between investors and investments.
Financial service is one again undergoing a period of rapid change. Retail traders powered by frictionless platforms like Robinhood, TD Ameritrade and IBKR are affecting markets in new and unexpected ways. Professional traders are watching Robinhooders who are in turn anticipating the pros moves (and discussing them with their communities on Reddit). The algos are responding to all parties and each other. The interplay is fascinating and its changing the investing landscape rapidly. Alongside this change is the rise of new forms of currency/stores of value found in cryptocurrencies. While the debate rages on about crypto, it has been one of the best investments of 2020 and in fact the previous decade.
Much like the early computer traders, crypto-investors don’t really care much of what the establishment thinks, they are just seeking a profit from their endeavors. Many are doing just that and others are losing money as well. Sounds much like any type investing, most people, including professionals, don’t outperform the market long term.
The Katafin model continues to perform consistently with the past 4 weeks this programs is averaging $2,695 in weekly returns on average invested capital of $95,494 (2.8%, 1.49% including total account cash used for short puts ~$180,000). The model is being assigned more often now and the profits are adding to the total return and the occasional dividend is nice burrito money.
Net Invested Capital — $106,656
Assigned Short Puts: AFYA-100 shares at $30-$3,000. APHA-200 shares- at $8.00-$1600. HEES-100 shares at $30.00-$3,000. INTC-100 shares at $50.50-$5,050. Call Assignments: ASAN-$3,000 ($176 profit). TOWN-$2,000 ($200 profit). GE-$700 ($80 profit). RIO-$6,250 ($0 profit).
GE Assignment-$7 12/18 Call — $32 (Assigned for $699.97 —$79.97 profit) $32. note: I sold this position on October 1st. It’s a good lesson in being patient and waiting for the market to develop. I was selling further out looking for any kind of positive return but this leaves money on the table and locks up capital that could be invested elsewhere.
APHA Premium-$7.50 12/18 Put-$23 (closed early for $4) $19 (2) $8.00 12/18 Put-$32 (assigned — $1,600) $32.
QIWI Premium-$15 12/18 Put-$75 (assigned $1,500). $75.
GOLD-Premium-$22 1/8 Put-$27 (closed early for $10) $17. $22.5 12/24 Put-$25 (closed early for $10) $15. Dividend-$7.65.
ASAN-$25 12/18 Put-$110 (assigned-$2,500) $110. $30- 12/18 Call (closed early for $5) $65.
HEES Premium-(3) $30 1/15 Put-$675 (closed early for $480) $195. $30 1/15 Put-$215 (closed early for $180) $35. $30 12/18 Put-$120 (assigned — $3,000) $120.
MUR Premium-(5) $10 1/15 Put-$225 (closed early for $100) $125.
BB Premium-(5) $9.50 12/18 Call-$125 (closed early for $70) $55. (3) $9.50 12/24 Call-$90 (closed early for $27) $63.
XPEV Premium-$51 12/18 Call-$60 (closed early for $5) $55.
T Premium-(2) $31.50 12/18 Puts-$96 (assigned for $6,300) $96
SDOW-$18 1/15 Call-$125 (closed early for $100) $25.
TOL Premium-$46 12/18 Put-$60 (expired) $60. $46.50 1/8 Put-$250 (closed early for $200) $50.
INTC Premium-$50 12/24 Put-$83 (closed early for $59) $24. $50.5 12/18 Put-$49 (assigned $5050) $49.
TOWN Premium-(2) $22.50 12/18 Puts-$120 (expired) $120. $20 12/18 Put-$15 (expired) $15. $22.50 12/18 Call-$20 (assigned — $1999.94, $199.94 profit) $20.
AAPL Premium-$124 12/18 Put-$204 (closed early for $150) $54.
ASAN Premium- 12/18 Put-$60 (closed early for $6) $54. $30 12/18 Call-$38 (assigned-$2,999.92, $175.93 profit) $38.
SNAP Premium-$51 12/18 Put-$73 (closed early for $2) $71. $50 12/31 Put-$144 (closed early for $73) $71.
RIO Premium-$69.39 1/15 Call-$95 (closed early for $70) $25. $65 Call 12/18-$130 (assigned-$6250-$0 profit) $130.
COLD Premium-$35 12/18 Put-$90 (expired worthless) $90.
ELF Premium-$22.50 12/18 Put-$100 (closed early for $5) $95.
TWTR Premium-$53 12/18 Put-$37 (closed early for $7) $30.
DKNG Premium-$50 12/24 Put-$100 (closed early for $35) $65.
QS Premium-$57 12/18 Put-$220 (closed early for $50) $170.
IWM Premium-$186 12/18–$145 (closed early for $19) $126. $195 12/18 Put — $30 (expired worthless) $30.
RXT Premium-$20 1/15 Put-$170 (closed early for $140) $30. note: another potential tech acquisition stock that I’ve been tracking.
JETS premium-$22.50 12/18 Put-$60 (closed early for $22) $38.
PLTR Premium-$25 12/18 Put-$33 (closed early for $8) $25 $26.50 12/18 Put-$25 (assigned-$2650) $25.
NRZ Premium-(2)$10 12/18 Put-$120 (closed early for $20) $100. (2) $10 12/18 Put-$24 (assigned $2,000). $24.
OLLI Premium-$77.5 12/18 Put-$65 (closed early for $5) $60.
Total Return: $3,306.49, 3.10%
I was a week late in creating my recap this round. We’ve just finished a very short holiday week and it was another directionless week with lots of conflicting directions. These recaps are critical for me to consider what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. With this week’s assignments, my portfolio is now at the highest level of invested capital since I began. I know that my PTON Calls will be assigned next week which will be a significant reduction but I would still like to have less invested capital and more cash for a potential pullback at some point.
The beauty of the democratization of investing is that we can all learn to manage our own finances and explore investments once limited to very sophisticated investors and brokers. This comes with its own set of risks and rewards but so has every market. The best part is that people can take control of their own investment and not simply pay a tax to achieve what more often than not, doesn’t exceed or even meet what the market would deliver anyway. I plan to expand the capital committed to the model in 2021 with the same basic approach and basic goal of creating 1% weekly returns.
The house has been broken.
Note: This is not financial advice, and I am not a financial professional. This article is an account of my personal experience. This information is for entertainment purposes only. | https://medium.com/@katadhin/katafin-week-16-evaluating-the-model-prepping-for-expansion-d397cf3d43a3 | ['John Andrews'] | 2020-12-25 15:02:42.494000+00:00 | ['Options Trading', 'Options Strategy', 'Fintech', 'Retirement'] |
Article: A Sidelined Wall Street Legend Bets on Bitcoin | Michael Novogratz was in a good mood. It was the thirtieth reunion of Princeton’s class of 1987, and the on-again, off-again billionaire was getting a lot of respect. “I want to hit you up about something,” a two-star general said. “Those are the freshest kicks,” a young bro in a dressing gown observed, complimenting Novogratz’s black patent shoes with orange piping and matching tassels. (“It’s all about peacocking,” Novogratz later told me, of his sartorial extravagance.) He huddled with Joseph Lubin, a former roommate and one of the co-founders of the hit cryptocurrency platform Ethereum. It was a warm June day, last year, and the Princetonians were amiably crushing cans of Bud amid chants of “Tiger, tiger, tiger, sis sis sis, boom boom boom”. | https://medium.com/moviq-38/article-a-sidelined-wall-street-legend-bets-on-bitcoin-46560ead8f2 | [] | 2018-08-26 13:29:56.551000+00:00 | ['Articles', 'Bitcoin'] |
Introducing Quarantine Sessions | For the past year and a half, we’ve travelled the world and gathered stories for our clients. We interviewed lava surfers and ministers of European Parliament, salmon fishermen and rum producers, and so many others. Our mission was to bring the world to life through in-depth storytelling.
We loved this work. We loved knowing that our passports were always in our backpacks, that our next meal might be in a different country, that our favorite beer was always the one we were about to try. And that, without fail, we’d learn some amazing things along the way.
And then everything changed.
Suddenly the world seemed so far away. But the stories are still here. So we decided to reach out to our favorite storytellers — people who once lit up the crowds of New York, Los Angeles, and beyond. Now we’re bringing their worlds to you in our favorite way: with beautiful graphics, rich audio, and their words.
Our first story comes from our Creative Director, Aaron Wolfe. He’s a Moth GrandSlam winning storyteller who’s been featured on the Moth RadioHour, Risk!, The StoryCollider, and WGBH’s Stories From the Stage.
Sign up for our newsletter and never miss an episode of Quarantine Sessions. | https://medium.com/wearefaculty/introducing-quarantine-sessions-3b87c2c50c26 | ['Faculty Ny'] | 2020-08-10 22:46:36.834000+00:00 | ['Quarantine', 'Personal Story', 'Documentary', 'Stories', 'Storytelling'] |
What Does Success Look Like? | What Does Success Look Like?
Photo by krakenimages on Unsplash
Before starting a new project, speech, or business, ask yourself:
What does success look like? Who can help me succeed?
Do not focus on how to get things done, define the finish line, and build a team to help you get there. The possibility of you reaching the finish line improves dramatically when you stop focusing on HOW and focus on WHO.
WHO can be a mentor, an employee, a partner, a friend, and maybe a neighbor who knows one thing you need to learn.
Do the Work | https://medium.com/@louierahil/what-does-success-look-like-b8a145cc23f9 | ['Louie Rahil'] | 2020-12-20 02:55:04.229000+00:00 | ['Leadership Development', 'Who Not How', 'Marketing', 'Entrepreneurship', 'Success'] |
Looking back on our 2019 | New Faces
We welcomed five new team members in 2019, growing our investment and operations efforts in New York and Silicon Valley:
We also hosted two Summer Associates to introduce more young professionals to corporate venture capital. Each shared thoughts on our blog about their experience — Adrianna Samangiego, from Columbia Business School, and Sloan Rudberg, from London Business School.
New Investments
We reviewed almost 2,000 new startups in 2019, met in person with 300+ new entrepreneurs, and grew our portfolio with the exciting additions of:
A snapshot of the growing JTV portfolio.
We also made seven follow-on investments with existing portfolio companies — Lumo, Skyhour, FLYR, Unicoaero, Redeam, Shape Security and Joby Aviation. This brings JTV to a total of 25 initial investments and 18 follow-on investments to date in our almost four years.
Ecosystem Partnerships
In April, we announced a second partner in our international innovation program — Vantage Airport Group — to collaborate on deal flow and initiatives to improve the airport experience. Vantage joined Air New Zealand, our program launch partner from 2018, and a soon-to-be-announced third partner.
We helped facilitate six proof-of-concepts for Vantage and Air New Zealand last year, including with ClimaCell and Assaia. That’s in addition to the six new proof-of-concepts launched in 2019 with JetBlue Airways and JetBlue Travel Products, including with our portfolio companies Lumo and Unicoaero.
Innovation Programming
We were grateful to speak at 35+ travel and technology conferences last year as well as host a series of our own startup pitch events in Boston, London, New York, and Miami in partnership with Voyager HQ. We also organized an inaugural Blockchain Travel Summit in March in New York City with 30+ speakers and almost 200 attendees to deep dive into blockchain technology applications for travel and hospitality. Check out the highlight reel of the day and a three-part blog series detailing our learnings from the event.
Amy Burr welcoming attendees at our Blockchain Travel Summit.
In October, Vantage and JTV hosted a workshop with industry stakeholders to debate what’s in store for the next generation of airports. We explored how to integrate more comfort, charm, process, and cutting-edge technology into airports to improve the customer experience.
We also helped three JetBlue Airways teams — Tech Ops, Legal and Sustainability, and System Ops Control — understand and envision the next generation of their respective business units through our signature Innovation Sprints. These are 12-week collaborative programs to help the teams maintain a fresh outlook and understand what the future of their sector looks like by getting to know a select group of startups.
And for some weekend reading, if you missed it last fall, JTV Managing Director of Investments Raj Singh shared insights and tips for founders seeking funding from travel and hospitality investors and Amy Burr shared perspective on how startups can best build out and manage proof-of-concepts.
Portfolio Milestones
Lastly, here are some notable 2019 highlights and achievements from across our portfolio: | https://medium.com/jtv-insights/looking-back-on-our-2019-28b05e6e8316 | ['Bonny Simi'] | 2020-01-15 20:19:53.677000+00:00 | ['Venture Capital', 'Travel', 'Aviation', 'Silicon Valley', 'Innovation'] |
1 year, 5 different apartments. Only in Berlin, Germany. | More than a year has passed since the wide-eyed wonder gal moved to Berlin, Germany. Packed with a giant Lowe Alpine backpack, she arrived in the mid-summer August of Berlin, greeted with brightness and warmth, a welcomed surprise compared to what she had in mind the last time she was here.
Armed with an innate motivation to blend in with the locals, speak German and make a mark in this new chapter, there were only a few things capable of throwing her straight-lined vision and plans a giant curved ball.
German bureaucracy and apartment finding.
About a year ago I made the move from Singapore to the capital of Germany. Berlin is a dream to many. Cosmopolitan and sophisticated, yet kind on the wallet and generous with opportunities. Probably the best city for entrepreneurs, students and musicians, one can imagine that there are many others like myself settling in this city.
I moved into was a nice corner-block apartment located on the 3rd floor of a building in Prenzlauer Promenade, in the area of Pankow. It was sorted out by the language institute by paying an extra 500euros/month for rent + administrative costs.
places I’ve lived in // original map from inyourpocket.com
Pankow marked the start of my life in Berlin. It was where I experienced Berlin’s surprisingly warm summer, warmer than Singapore minus our humidity. A tip for moving to a new place is to begin a routine, and mine consisted of school and the CrossFit gym. Social events fitted in whatever blank spaces I had left.
In my first Berlin home I had 2 students as housemates and the landlady whom stayed with us. I must say, having German-speakers in the house really helped as first-time movers can expect many bureaucratic procedures such as the ‘Anmeldung’ registration, and not forgetting an oh-so-innocent ‘Runkfunkbeitrag’ letter.
My room was quite a change from living on the 12th floor back at home. The first floor was a pub and I stayed on the third, being the glass-half-full kinda gal I’d argue that the noise might have helped me learn German in my sleep. What was interesting for a first-time Berlin tenant was that doors have locks, but room keys are not a thing. It’s typical for apartments to not have a living room, and building levels starts with 0, not 1. Furthermore, two ways of burning quick holes in your pockets are by pirating movies and losing keys. The first one is illegal and the second one is a costly mistake, since all apartments share the same main-door key. Both careless mistakes will cost you an upwards of 500 euros, each. Welcome to Berlin.
at my first home filling up the Anmeldung
Due to issues with attaining an ‘Anmeldung’, I soon relocated from Pankow to the district of Kreuzberg. Kreuzberg grew to be my favorite spot due to great memories of staying in this area which was filled with youth. I’d say student apartments are usually a hit or miss. If you’re lucky, you could be allocated with good flatmates, accessibilities and a spacious room. If you had the misfortunate of getting tied up with untidy flatmates and out-of-whack neighbors, that’s probably signs to look for a new place.
For me, I shared our fifth floor apartment with 2 other girls from the same language school. Staying on the fifth floor without lift-access means we get a daily workout — again, glass half-full. However this time round, the apartment had a living room and even a balcony where I started planting strawberries and greens before winter commenced. During weekends we’d gather friends, create makeshift tables to play beer pong, have ‘taco nights’ and pretty much do what students do without supervision.
I stayed a total of around 5 months in Kreuzberg before terminating lease with the school contract, which were both tied together. As it was all very last-minute, the only place I could move to was Hermsdorf, a district far away from Berlin itself, and into the state of Brandenburg. While living in Hermsdorf I found my love for Berlin’s nature. After chancing upon the majestic serenity of Tegel forest, I started searching for other nature spots around all corners of Berlin to explore.
My stay in Hermsdorf coincided with COVID taking a turn of worst in Berlin. This would be around March 2020. Before long, work and school transited online and panic buying assumed. As we can imagine, populous parts of the city took the worst hits and hence I’d count myself lucky to be outside of the city during this period.
While living in Hermsdorf was enjoyable, I decided to move a little closer to the city for better accessibility. Charlottenburg was perfect. Away from the central district and close to the best nature spots of Berlin. These include the Schloss Charlottenburg, Grunewald forest and numerous Volksparks, all of which kept me safe and sane during social distancing measures from COVID.
By this time, Berlin was still under strict restrictions from the pandemic. I made the decision to switch from using public transports to transiting with a bicycle at this point in time. There were a few instances where drunkards or homeless men blessed me with unkind remarks on the U-Bahn. There was another instance where a Muslim friend and I took the tram and had a lady come at us swearing. I spoke with a German-born Asian, and understood that no matter how local you are, it’s the skin color and outer appearance ‘they’ see, and what Social Media had painted. That rests my case with COVID and racism.
Getting a bicycle would probably be one of the best decisions you can make in Berlin. The strict bicycle laws and infrastructure put in place makes Berlin a heaven for cyclists. The downside therein — bicycle theft. If you could enjoy all the perks without getting your bike stolen, then join me in declaring my love for cycling in this amazing city! If one would ask me my best experience in Berlin, I’d say exploring the city and it’s nature on bike.
After witnessing a decent snowfall, exploring countless nature spots in West Berlin, my stay in Charlottenburg had to come to an end. Fortunately, a friend of mind was leaving Berlin and I for one could not pass off the chance of taking over his lease at Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz.
In the heart of Mitte, living at Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz is as wild as Berlin gets. The left side of our apartment got full blast of noise from the high traffic, but the right side pretty much guaranteed a good night’s sleep. There was no living room but a large bathroom shared within 4 of us and a balcony overlooking a children play area and the neighbour’s backyard. The more interesting aspects of this place has to be its surroundings. The area is pretty much a tourist spot, within it Alexanderplatz, Mauer park and Beach Mitte a stone’s throw away. Cluttered with all kinds of nightlight, bars and restaurants, a night’s out usually meant just visiting one of the restaurants we’ve yet to try. As much as living here seemed to be a city-gal’s wet dream, at times it did feel abit much, having to pass through crowd-filled streets on a daily basis. Then again, it was a well-lived experience and I appreciate the perks of it all every single day.
Living in Berlin has been a dream come true. Although moving 5 times in a year is not something I’d wish for, without these inconveniences would not have been experiences and stories to share. Moving to a new place comes with it’s own set of potential problems and issues. Akin to any problem in life, my advice is one taken from Eckhart Tolle, author of ‘Power of Now’. Whenever you find yourself in a stressful situation, there are 3 ways to go about it.
Accept it,
Change it, or
Remove yourself from it.
This has been my compass and I hope yours too. | https://medium.com/@blogbyjessicabong/1-year-5-different-apartments-only-in-berlin-germany-96684fb3bd26 | ['Jessica Bong'] | 2020-11-10 11:50:05.612000+00:00 | ['Migration', 'Germany', 'Berlin', 'Relocation', 'Expat'] |
How One Smart Food Locker Startup Is Revolutionizing The Restaurant Pick-up Experience | A customer scanning a QR code from a mobile phone to open the Lavii smart food locker.
“I’ll be ordering from here more often, now that I know they have this!”. This was one of the many great responses we’ve heard since restaurant customers have started using the new Lavii smart food locker system. When I overheard this unprompted response in a conversation between friends at a nearby table, I knew that we had achieved one of our primary goals with the product. It was installation day for our first client, Crab Boss Seafood & Crab Shack on H Street in Washington DC, and customers had just started rolling in. Already their feedback had convinced us that we had created a pick-up process so desirable that customers would want to order food from their favorite restaurants more frequently. That’s a win-win for customers and restaurants!
It’s already evident that convenience is king. No arguments have to be made supporting the fact that we all want things fast. When it comes to restaurants, there have certainly been some significant improvements in the area of convenient pick-up over the past few years. Online ordering has allowed us to complete the transaction before arriving at the establishment and, in most cases, even bypass the lines to get our order. Curb-side has made it so that we don’t have to leave the comfort of our cars. However, even with the introduction of these improvements, there are still some issues. For instance, with traditional pick-up, there’s a chance that you’d have to wait in line when arriving, wait to get the attention of staff as they serve other customers, or have to sift through other people’s bags on a counter or shelf to find your order, which is not secure. With curbside, the shelves and counters are obviously eliminated, but the long-line and staff attention issues are just moved outside once the number of orders starts picking up. To sum it up, the improvements that have been made to standard pick-up processes still had efficiency and security issues that needed to be addressed. As annoying as these problems can be, these are problems that we’ve accepted and learned to live with.
Now, with the arrival of COVID-19, we add health safety to the list of issues. As many of us have recently observed in some restaurants, making transactions contactless means leaving the pick-up tables or shelves completely unattended. Let’s add that any sneezing or coughing in the pick-up area potentially contaminates all of the orders. As far as curbside goes, handoffs obviously aren’t contactless.
With efficiency, security, and safety in mind, let’s consider a different process now, one that addresses all of the problems mentioned above. Imagine going online to order your evening’s dinner from your favorite local place. As you are headed to pick it up, you receive both text and email notifications stating that your order is ready and that the linked QR code can be used to access it. You walk into the restaurant and head to the designated pick-up area, bypassing all of the long lines of people and service counters inside. You then scan your QR code at the locker bay and the doors immediately open, allowing you to grab your food and be on your way.
While the process is super simple, it yet addresses all of the problems we have talked about. There is no waiting in any line. There is no need to interact with any staff, making the transaction contactless and efficient. Insulated compartments keep the order secure away from any potential theft and safe from any germs. Because the software ensures customers can only open their assigned locker, people get the correct order without searching through everyone else’s. It should also be considered that the ordering process has not changed in any way. Customers order as they usually would from the online site. No mobile app download is necessary for the restaurant or the lockers.
The restaurant also benefits significantly in this scenario. The contactless nature of the transaction means that staff is kept safe too. No restaurant employee is needed to handle the pick-up area to serve customers means that they can be re-assigned to more pressing operational tasks. Also, faster pick-up means fewer people standing around in the establishment. This lowers the chances of customers spreading the virus or the restaurants hitting COVID-19 building capacity limits. Let’s add in a few more details such as optional custom designs to match the restaurant’s look and feel, integrations for the POS and third-party drivers, seamless automatic software updates, affordable pricing, and it’s easily a no-brainer for the restaurant.
Lavii smart food lockers at Shark Bar @ Seafood House in Waldorf, MD
Since we’ve launched, restaurant customers have raved about their experiences with the lockers. This was our overall goal from the beginning, to address all current pick-up issues while also creating what we like to call “The Simple Experience” for restaurants and their customers. After all, pick-up should be easy, efficient, secure, safe, and maybe even fun.
Feedback collected from customer surveys
Check us out at www.lavii-inc.com for more information about our smart food lockers. Follow us on Instagram at @lavii_inc to follow our innovative and fun journey as we continue to transform the takeout experience. | https://medium.com/@what-marcus-thinks/how-one-smart-locker-startup-is-revolutionizing-the-restaurant-pickup-experience-b7dafb30ce4d | ['Marcus Gunn'] | 2020-12-26 17:22:59.001000+00:00 | ['Virtual Kitchen', 'Hospitality', 'Restaurant', 'Ghost Kitchen', 'Covid 19'] |
Create Your Own Door Monitor with Python + Raspberry Pi | It might look daunting at first if you are new to Python. Once you break it down piece by piece its not complicated. Keep in mind this is one of the first scripts I wrote in Python when I first started using it. This is what got me interested originally almost 4 years ago. I had an issue I wanted to solve and worked with this until I got it working. It was a very rewarding experience when it finally worked.
The Hardware
I used a Raspberry Pi Model 3 for this project. They are cheap ($35) little single board Linux computers that you can do a lot with.
As for the sensor, I used a cheap magnetic reed switch from Amazon and CAT 5 Network cable for the wiring. I ran the wire up from the closet into the attic and dropped it down into my office closet. There is a network jack at both ends making it look innocuous.
I took an electronics prototyping board and soldered on a female ribbon connector. This allows it to easily connect it to the Pi board. The board also has a female RJ45 jack. A short network cable is used to plug into the wall for the sensor. Lastly, I added a RGB status LED (this is optional).
I made sure to stay consistent on the wiring for the sensor, always using the orange wires. With there being 8 wires in network cable, connecting the wrong ones will lead to nothing happening and a lot of frustration. It is worth noting, that if you are not comfortable soldering you might not want to dive into this endeavor. However, if you are wanting to learn, this is a small enough project to get your feet wet.
I did not put together a schematic for the wiring. It is pretty basic. Just look at a pin-out diagram and wire it how you see fit. | https://python.plainenglish.io/door-monitor-with-python-raspberry-pi-2a36674c84a9 | ['Reece Althoff'] | 2020-12-16 22:26:10.831000+00:00 | ['Raspberry Pi', 'Python', 'Software Development', 'Programming', 'IFTTT'] |
This Shirt May Not be Bulletproof — but Tesla’s Sense of Humor Might Be | Tesla isn’t a company to underestimate a little self-deprecating humor.
Remember how the supposedly bulletproof glass of the Cybertruck window shattered? Here’s a refresher:
How many other people do you know that could get up on stage, fail spectacularly in front of a live audience (and the entire internet), and then with a straight face, say to their marketing team “Let’s put that on a shirt and sell it.”
So they did.
The $45 asking price is a bit much for a t-shirt, but it is 100% cotton. More importantly though, it’s the definition of bold marketing; it’s smart, genuine, and if you ask me, pretty hilarious. But the world has come to expect that of Elon Musk these days.
It accomplishes three things in one fell swoop:
It piggybacks off the viral fame of the Cybertruck’s window gaffe, It says “we’re not afraid to fail, as long as we learn (and therefore profit) from it,” And it reminds the world that there’s not a more bulletproof sense of humor than being able to laugh at yourself.
We can be sure Elon is laughing all the way to the bank right about now.
Update: Case-in-point, since the time of this posting, the shirt has sold out. Twice in two days. | https://medium.com/worthix/this-shirt-may-not-be-bulletproof-but-teslas-sense-of-humor-might-be-8cd30148acd6 | ['Steve Berry'] | 2020-01-15 19:47:56.300000+00:00 | ['Tesla', 'Elon Musk', 'Cybertruck', 'Marketing', 'Humor'] |
How the US Government Helped Penicillin Production in the 1900s | Collaboration between the government and scientists is vital if we are to mitigate the potential spread of a virus or bacteria that could kill millions of people. A perfect example of a time when science and government collaborated to do just that concerns penicillin. In 1940, Howard Florey was able to not only extract penicillin from a mold species, Penicillium notatum, but also administer it to mice, showing that mice could be protected against deadly bacteria.
However, with World War II on the forefront of everyone’s and every government’s mind, large-scale production of penicillin was a challenge for companies. Many companies were focused on the war effort, like manufacturing weapons and uniforms. In the US, the Defense Production Act was passed by Congress to give the president the power to mandate companies to switch to manufacturing products for the war effort.(1)
How exactly did the US Government help in the race to reduce the number of American lives lost to deadly bacteria? The government created the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD) in 1941, with the purpose of ensuring enough attention was given to research on scientific — and more importantly, medical — problems that could be a national security issue.(2) Part of the OSRD was the Committee on Medical Research (CMR).(3)
The chair of that committee was Alfred Newton Richards, a friend of Howard Florey’s. Richards approached US companies with Florey’s penicillin because he trusted Florey’s expert opinion in the potential value of large-scale production of this compound. Richards advocated for Florey’s work and worked with both industry and the government agencies to create a collaborative research plan to mass produce penicillin.(4) That collaborative research plan played a critical role in the increase of penicillin production and the decrease in the cost.
The increase in production from 21 billion units in 1943 to over a trillion units in 1944, however, was due to the efforts by mainly American and British scientists, government agencies, and companies. It further increased to almost 7 trillion units in 1945. This ability to scale up also meant that the price per 100,000 units dropped significantly. In 1943, 100,000 units of penicillin, or approximately 60 mg, cost 20 dollars. By 1949, the cost was less than 10 cents.(5) That’s a 99.5 percent decrease in price over a five to six year period. That meant that more people could afford this lifesaving medicine.
Since the federal government believed in scientific research and development and was willing to invest in helping companies, universities, and individuals pursue scientific research and development, penicillin became an affordable lifesaving drug. It wasn’t meant for only military personnel or those who can afford high drug prices. It was meant for everyone.
With the number of vaccines and medicines that followed the discovery and large-scale production of penicillin, the overall health of people in the world has significantly improved. We now have vaccines for polio, various strains of the flu virus, mumps, and measles. New and improved vaccines are constantly being researched, developed, and tested every year. A great example of this is Ebola: in 2019, the FDA approved a vaccine for Ebola called Ervebo® that was developed by Merck. The company had performed clinical trials in New Guinea among endemic Ebola patients to make sure that the vaccine was effective and safe.(6)
Federal, state, regional, and local governments must all work together to fight infectious disease. When Ebola broke out again in 2014, President Obama trusted the judgment of scientists in controlling the pandemic and providing aid to countries that needed it, much like how Richards trusted Foley’s scientific judgment.(7) But what happens when the US government doesn’t trust the judgment of scientists? What happens when key players in the US government try to keep the public calm by pretending an outbreak couldn’t become worse? What happens when the very agencies in the government that ensure the safety of the public have their budgets slashed drastically?
What happens when a government fails to prepare for a pandemic? | https://medium.com/necessary-symbiosis/how-the-us-government-helped-penicillin-production-in-the-1900s-9cbf532081b | ['Vyshnavi Karra'] | 2020-12-17 19:38:14.646000+00:00 | ['Books And Authors', 'New Book Release', 'Science Policy', 'Science Education', 'Science Communication'] |
On the Supreme Court ruling against Uber, and the response from couriers. | [From a faceb**k post written in Feb 2021]
Scrolling through a few Deliveroo/Uber Eats groups on fb to see the response to the Supreme Court rulling that Uber drivers are employees. Here’s a few quick notes.
(The ruling only applies to Uber Taxi drivers, and even then it’s disputed whether it will apply to all Uber Drivers, just those who were involved in the court case, or just those who were signed up at a certain time etc. So all of this discussion is based on speculation )
Only around a third of workers* are in favour of being made employees. Worries include:
- seeing a pay cut. earnings can vary massively between cities etc, but many riders still earn a decent amount above minimum wage, especially the case for those who work peak hours.
- Getting booted out. It currently benefits the platforms to have as many couriers signed up, and online, as possible, but not so much if they’re paying us hourly. The platforms already have a habit of terminating couriers on spurious grounds and minor infractions.
- Loss of freedoms/flexibility on the job. While there is no legal reason that we couldn’t have rights AND flexibility, there is also absolutely nothing guaranteeing that Uber allow us to keep flexibility. At the very minimum, it would be a return to shifts rather than free-login as it works at the moment. On top of this, many suspect our ability to choose which orders to take would be taken away. Both of these ‘freedoms’ are masively valued by the majority couriers. Uber will want to recoup their losses somewhere and workers (reasonably)think it will come from them.
- Nobody is under any illusions about the state of low pay/ zero hours jobs, or the rights given to employees. The prospect of holiday pay has little resonance with people who already see their earnings fluctuate massively on a week to week basis.
- a crude psychological attachment to being ‘self-employed’, rather than an employee.
One response is to say that the workers have fallen for the bosses propaganda about freedom and flexibility, and as such fail to see their true interests. There’s definitely a degree of truth to this ‘false conciousness’ argument, but I think that trying to use it to explain away all of the workers concerns is condescending. From my long conversations with both, Deliveroo couriers understand their own material situation, and their realistic job prospects, better than the academics who study them and the odd journalists that champion the cause.
I’ve got a lot of respect for James Farrar of the App Drivers & Couriers Union** and the other organisers who have brought this to court, and I don’t mean to sound dismissive of what is genuinely a big and positive ruling, and I’m interested to see how it all pans out. The biggest benefit of employee status as far as I’m concerned is union recognition, and a stronger basis for taking collective action and winning pay increases/guarantees in future.
I haven’t investigated how Uber taxi drivers are responding to the ruling, but I imagine there is a similar range to food couriers.
* Using ‘workers’ in the common sense definition, rather than any legal definition.
** I previously stated James Farrar was still invovled with the IWGB ‘United Private Hire Drivers’ (UPHD), but this was incorrect.
[in a comment below]
One last quick comment -
I think that the threat of court cases such as this are the reasons that the platforms give us the flexibility we do have on the job, such as the ability to reject orders without being penalised, as well as being (relatively) lax about ocasional fuck ups etc. So even those who really like being self-employed benefit from the actions taken by the IWGB. | https://medium.com/@gigworkernotes/on-the-supreme-court-ruling-against-uber-and-the-response-from-couriers-2e5efb565d7e | ['Notes Of A Gig Worker'] | 2021-04-09 13:21:44.820000+00:00 | ['Trade Unions', 'Workers Rights', 'Deliveroo', 'Uber', 'Courier'] |
Save critically endangered species | problem statement:
Due to over population, deforestation and pollution, avian species are in danger.
There was a time when nature had it’s verity of species
And then we came here and took their place :(
In Pakistan, we are facing a lot of issues because of air pollution. Out of which bird migration and death is a big problem. As I am a bird lover, it’s sad for me to see the damage we are making to the nature. Green trees were the homes of many beautiful birds but because of over population we don’t have a much of them left behind. In December 2019, the international Union of Conservation of Nature(IUCN) listed 223 critically endangered avian species. Following is the list of some endangered birds in Pakistan. I have mentioned only a few of them because I want to be focused on main point
Black-tailed godwit
Cheer pheasant
Cinereous Vulture
Dalmatian pelican
Egyptian Vulture
Peregrine Falcon
According to some studies, bird population recorded in Lahore is reduced to 85 which was 240 in 1965 including both residents and migrants.
I have searched a little deeper and have found that in Lahore district “Royal Raw Parrots” are in danger. Other than that I would like to mention some of the residents like
yellow-footed green pigeon
A pair of yellow-footed green pigeons
old world flycatcher
A White eyed flycatcher
parakeets
Rose-ringed parakeets
Old world bubblers
Striped tit-babbler
woodpeckers
black kite
Black kite
Now one of the many ways to save these species on which I am focused is is to pet them in home. Feed pets indoors if they are not wild.
In this way we can encourage plant growth, tree plantation and can make a new home for these beautiful little creatures. We were the ones who destroyed their home so it’s our responsibility to give them an alternative. But unfortunately we are not putting any effort here
Strategy:
The point is why would people with business mindset put effort in saving these species?
My plan is to bribe people, in a sense that these birds can not only give aesthetic look to our balcony but they can also be a source of handsome income. Yes we can keep them and then sell their chicks or birdlings to earn profit.
In this way everyone would start keeping birds in home and we can at least save these birds from getting extinct. Selling their offspring gives you money and increase birds population at the same time | https://medium.com/@syed-umer173/save-critically-endangered-species-8a48b38e9c44 | ['Syed Umer'] | 2020-12-27 21:29:36.568000+00:00 | ['Birds', 'Future', 'Social Change', 'Environment'] |
Most famous cities to visit in India | India is a country of diversity, ancient traditions, artistic heritage, beautiful landscapes and architecture. Not compromising the tradition of cooking with fire in the country. There is no doubt that India will satisfy your curiosity and also surprise you with its shocking culture.
We are talking about the second most populous country in the world. It spans everything from the northern peaks to the south coast. in the midst of this natural beauty Such majestic structures have risen everywhere. India was a British colony until 1947, and Indian urban planning and culture were evident throughout the country.
MUST VISIT:-drow names
One example is English as the most widely spoken language in India, where the country is the second largest English-speaking country in the world! You can see the cultural impact of the cricket festival. As in other countries in South Asia
Delhi
The city reflects three different periods of the country’s diverse history. The city is one of the best places to experience the history and heritage of the country. There is a beautiful story about the resurrection and fall of many kingdoms over the years. and was built under the license of eight historic towns in the area. The architecture of the city has everything you can find. That is why (new) Delhi is the capital city of the country. A city that captures the history of India’s unification and national development.
Agra
Agra attracts tourists just as the blue light attracts flies. One of the main reasons for this is the Taj Mahal, which attracts a lot of attention. despite getting attention The Taj Mahal is not any better than you may have heard. But the structure is not the only illusion of the city. The city is beautiful and has the heritage of the Mughal Empire which left a beautiful fortress in the area.
Jaipur
Jaipur history capital city of Rajasthan It’s the gateway to the most high-class architecture in India! colorful and beautiful But it has some of the roughest roads in the world. It was a mistake! The bus did its best to avoid an accident with the next camel. and traffic that never stops make traffic easier
In the center is a window showing the glorious times of Jaipur. A very important area and of course you enter another world that we’ve talked about here before.
In the center of the city is Borgarhöllin. which is the location of the former Jantar Mantar dynasty You will find the beautiful Amber Fort. which is the highest tourist attraction of Jaipur
South India — The Most Famous Cities To Visit In India
South India is like a gorges that stretch out to sea. Thousands of miles of coastline and fertile plains are found among the hills in the area. The image contrasts with the peaks and plains in the north. The south is one of the wettest areas in the world. with more rain forest area
Kerala
For many tourists, Kerala is the most beautiful part of South India. with everything from 600 km of plains to sparkling and golden waters surrounded by spicy hills and tea . We do not intend to change psychology just by entering this field. In Kerala, the world is Far out of Kerala is almost overtaking other places as India has moved to Extreme Makeover Home Edition and overall it has been quieter.
You may want to read — Himachal Pradesh Trekking
Chennai
Chennai is located in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on the Coromandel Coast off the coast of the Bay of Bengal. The city was originally called Madras. Chennai is often compared to Detroit in the United States. Because it plays an important role in the Indian automobile industry.
The country is famous for its education system and has the highest literacy rate in India. Chennai is known as The “gateway to South India” is filled with rivers, lakes and canals, modern architecture structures and ancient temples built in the 7th and 8th centuries.
Kolkata
Kolkata is the capital city of West Bengal and a port in the Ganges Delta. The largest commercial city in East India and the center of many public and private enterprises. It has a well-developed infrastructure and prides itself on its diverse culture. Kolkata is one of the friendliest cities in india.
READ MORE:-getloadedinthepark | https://medium.com/@manishmaheshwar/most-famous-cities-to-visit-in-india-74224b5831e1 | ['Manish Maheshwari'] | 2021-06-22 06:11:39.274000+00:00 | ['Visiting Place Of India', 'Travel', 'Famous Cities In India', 'Visit India', 'Traveling'] |
5 Integrations for Greater Automation Testing | It’s no secret that it requires a lot of investment, both in time and money, to figure out which tools are required for your automation testing services. This is exactly why tools that allow you to maximize your investment is key. Kualitatem understands this better than most, especially when it comes to your testing integration. Our automation testing tools allow you to better manage connections across the technical architecture of your software and extend the automation boundaries.
It’s crucial to look for a few prerequisites when looking for the ideal test management tool or platform. Typically, tools that can give you continuous integration will aid you in the syncing and running of tests on a regular cycle. They also come with the benefit of allowing you to automate the entire process of managing tests. This can help you in significantly reducing your testing team’s time & efforts. It’s also imperative to check if they work perfectly with Continuous Integration (CI) software to modify the build release cycles and deployment automation.
For this exact reason, we think finding the best integrations for your testing tools is crucial to maximizing your automation testing services. Let’s take a look at some of the most powerful and readily available integrations that are available to your testing company. These integrations are available to provide a powerful automation experience to test engineers and QA leads.
Let’s go over some of the most prominent and popular integration options available today:
1. Continuous Integration & Test Automation
Continuous Integration tools like TeamCity, Jenkins, and Bamboo helps you stimulate automation of build deployment & testing on an endless basis, quickening your regression and agile release cycles. With a mixture of those CI tools, our Test Automation tool decreases complexity and may recognize bugs easily and in a very effective way. Test automation within the continuous integration cycle assures maximum coverage while reducing the risks of human errors.
2. Test Case Management System
Test Management tools provide you with the opportunity to conduct your test activities and also allow you to better manage reports and insights to streamline the testing process. We integrate with test suit Management System which incorporates Quality Center (QC) & TestRail. And with the assistance of those tools, we provide multiple test information that has the handling of bugs, test progress, project tasks, etc. which guarantees a culture of high-level collaboration within the automation process.
3. Defect Tracking Tools with Automated Defect Creation
“Better is that the bug tracking tool, better the standard of the product”. Integration to those bug tracking tools report bugs as and once they are expected during the testing process. And it helps to report, recognize, track and fix bugs to stay up with the merchandise development process and regression testing cycles. and therefore the hottest integrations are Mantis, Jira, and Fogbugz.
4. Database Integrations
Database Integration empowers you to check database, form controls & their configurations and make sure you validate the whole application from the core and workflow and not just the front-end. Integration with multiple databases helps you monitor data integrity and may even assign a database to load test data during database test automation. Some of the most popular databases that are used for integration are MS SQL Server, Oracle, My SQL, Teradata Beta, IBM DB2, Hadoop Beta and PostgreSQL.
5. Cloud Based Executions
Managing test environments are often really cost-effective and time-consuming. These cloud-based test environments like BrowserStack and SauceLabs offers automated cross-browser testing in order that testing is often done easily in operating systems and browsers.
While looking to get a perfect test management tool, meet your Agile and DevOps needs and attempt & make sure that the tool checks all the boxes of features which are mentioned above. Automation testing companies today require careful planning and a well-researched approach and starting out with integrations that maximize your testing process can be the defining factor for most. Selecting one that fulfils the criteria mentioned above, or at least most of them will take you a long way to achieving greater automation testing for your company.
Let’s keep the conversation going. If you feel we’ve missed any points or haven’t included any notable integration options to automation testing, let us know in the comments section below. | https://medium.com/@kualitateminc/5-integrations-for-greater-automation-testing-370b1b1d5e95 | [] | 2021-06-08 15:54:57.828000+00:00 | ['Automation Testing', 'Test Automation', 'Automation Test Company'] |
Artist Interview: No Sleep For Lucy | Tell us about yourself and your music
No Sleep For Lucy is an Swedish alternative Arena/Rock band. We have played together for about 5 years and we can still remember when we first met “Lukas” our singer. We had been tipped off from “Christian”(the guitarists) sister that she knew a good singer we should audition. We wrote 3 songs that day and 2 off them is on our album “Until The End” thats soon is going to be released. Writing music has always comed out naturaly since all off us three is listening to the same music, mostly melodic pop/rock bands from USA. We have heard from people trying to describe us that we sound like “Foo Fighters, Jimmy Eat World, 30 Seconds To Mars” etc.
Talk to us more about your latest release
We have released 3 singles so far, “Feel Alive”, “Going Down” and lastly “Closure”, all of which have been voted into top-5 most wanted songs on Sweden’s №1 rock radio station, “Bandit Rock”. The success also led to the band being nominated for a “Bandit Rock Award” in the category “This year’s breakthrough” in 2015. We are soon going to release a new single “Don’t Let Go” before we release the album “Until The End”. That we had the privilege to write with “Stevie Aiello” the bass player in “30 Seconds To Mars”.
What inspired you to write this release?
For the upcoming single release “Don’t Let Go” we wrote that song in “Hollywood Hills” with “Stevie Aiello”. The inspiration was that we had the pleasure to write the song with a member from a band that has been an inspiration for us for years. And that we had an amazing view over LA while doing it just made it better.
Any plans to release a video?
We have recorded a video for the next single “Don’t Let Go” but haven’t got an release date yet. Hopefully in the end of february.
Any plans to hit the road?
We are finalizing everything for our album release so no planned giggs yet. We gonna have an release gigg as soon as we have a date for the album.
As an indie artist, how do you brand yourself and your music to stand out from the rest of the artists out there?
This field we need to better in we think, there is so much that can be done but you need time. We always focus on writing music. What we have done is to sign us up on the most common social media pages for music like Reverbnation, Soundcloud etc. And we have been lucky to get featured on several on them. What stands out from the rest is that we have been lucky to get some great co-writes name on the music we have written like, Tommy Henrikssen(Alice Cooper, Bowling For Soup, Simple Plan), Mark Holman(Halestorm, Daughtry) and Stevie Aiello(30 Seconds To Mars).
Who have you been listening to lately?
Ed Sheeran and Florida Georgia Line
Tell us about your passions
Training and being outdoors as much as possible when it’s not winter and minus 20degrees.
What else is happening next in your world?
Trying to get our album out there as soon as possible.
Thanks for an awesome interview, Christian!
Connect with No Sleep For Lucy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nosleepforlucy/?fref=ts
Twitter: http://twitter.com/nosleepforlucy
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/NoSleepForLucy
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/nosleepforlucy
Reverbnation: http://www.reverbnation.com/nosleepforlucy
Source: ArtistPR Indie Artist Interviews | https://medium.com/@artistpr/artist-interview-no-sleep-for-lucy-7fd0a14aa78a | [] | 2019-10-16 08:34:45.367000+00:00 | ['Rock'] |
“Gün Olur Asra Bedel” Hakkında | Get this newsletter By signing up, you will create a Medium account if you don’t already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Check your inbox
Medium sent you an email at to complete your subscription. | https://medium.com/t%C3%BCrkiye/g%C3%BCn-olur-asra-bedel-hakk%C4%B1nda-4246e5e458bd | ['Mücahit Muhammet Karakuş'] | 2020-12-25 08:11:37.444000+00:00 | ['Kişisel Gelişim', 'Kitap', 'Edebiyat', 'Türkçe'] |
Cómo entender el Big Data | in In Fitness And In Health | https://medium.com/eivos/c%C3%B3mo-entender-el-big-data-9bf516cbc22a | ['Gabriela Nova'] | 2017-01-31 15:29:52.497000+00:00 | ['Español', 'Tecnología', 'Medios', 'Redes Sociales', 'Big Data'] |
The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a novel written by Mohsin Hamid that illustrates the difference in… | The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a novel written by Mohsin Hamid that illustrates the difference in life between Asians and Americans. He mostly tells us about the gap between the two cultures which cannot be filled. Hamid narrates the story of a young man named Changez who goes to America to find more opportunities. Although he got a good job and fell in love with a young American girl Erica. But, his American dream is not realized. The two of the lovers never accepted each other wholeheartedly. Neither the American society embraced him openly but kept him under suspicion all the time. Finally, the young man returns to his homeland, with a broken heart and disillusioned by the American perspective of Muslims. | https://medium.com/@israrkhan1112/the-reluctant-fundamentalist-is-a-novel-written-by-mohsin-hamid-that-illustrates-the-difference-in-6cd712b8273a | [] | 2020-12-19 15:25:44.044000+00:00 | ['Stories And Culture', 'Book Recommendations', 'Books', 'Books And Authors', 'Book Review'] |
When life gives you lemons, Santos Collective will help you make lemonade. | When life gives you lemons, Santos Collective will help you make lemonade.
During my last weeks at Ironhack, I was given the opportunity to pair up with Santos Collective as a stakeholder for my final project.
What is Santos Collective?
Santos Collective was established by local companies in Santos-o-Velho, Lisbon thinking about their community as a whole and to support local commerce. Following the success of the social initiative called Festa Estranha, on Feb 2019, local merchants came together for the well-being of the community. This collective created Santos Collective, a social and environmental cooperation.
Largo da Santos-o-Velho Church — Santos Collective gather point
Since June 2020, Santos Collective has been organizing community gatherings in the Largo da Santos-o-Velho Church that provides a safe community meeting, while supporting local businesses and merchants. They’ve sought to include and support different commercial sectors. For this reason, it has created different types of community events: Pop ups from local restaurants, launching small businesses, promoting small producers and local artisans.
What’s the problem?
My main point of contact throughout this process was Joana Bernardino. Our conversation about Santos Collective was exciting and enthusiastic and I could tell just by her tone that this is her passion and she needed help to bring this passion into light, visually. A new updated website, something that told a story of who they are as an organization, while bringing her community together and stronger, especially during these tough times.
“Something that represents who we are and what we aim for” — Joana
Research and Findings
I knew an updated web design was our main goal for this task but to truly understand what users need and how the web sight should be organized, I sent out a survey on several social platforms. Around 50 people shared their ideas and experiences on the topic:
To dig deeper into these results, I conducted a series of interviews.
I spoke with a couple of locals from Santos-o-Velho and some regulars of Santos Collective markets, along with people who have never been to this event but have been to other markets. There were a lot of positive outputs, but what I noticed the most was the sense of familiarity and welcomeness it created for the community — whether it be Santos or a different location.
Most of my interviewees from Santos were people who had recently moved or had been there for years but weren’t native. And everyone said the same thing — we see Santos as our home away from home and we want to help continue this amazing organization.
Santos Collective has managed to bring businesses and locals together and create a home away from home. So…
Meet Ana, our User Persona
As a User Persona, Ana reflects the people who took part in our research. She is originally from Austin, TX but fell in love with Lisbon during a study abroad trip and decided to move back with no return date in mind. She’s a regular and owes much to Santos Collective for opening their arms and welcoming her to the Santos community. Her Portuguese is a bit rusty so language barriers are very common. She wants to give back and contribute to this amazing cause but has no clue how and neither do any of her local friends.
How can we empathize?
By creating our empathy map, we were able to reflect key traits that
the user demonstrated during the research. The map provided
an overview of the personas experience.
Through this map, we understand who we are empathizing with, what they need to do and what they currently see, say, and do. We also know what they gain and what are some of their current pains — by breaking down this this information, we are able to decipher what is not so important and what to prioritize in the website redesign.
Take us through our User’s Journey
We are able to visualize the users process from finding Santos Collective to accomplishing our main goal — giving back to the community. With this, we can understand and address the users needs and pain points.
Our pain point is the user needs an accessible and fast way to find relevant information on Santos Collective. This can be accomplished by accessing their redesigned website, and having those options easily displayed.
Sitemap
Minimizing any confusion that a visitor might have when navigating the Santos Collective website or interacting with its content was the main goal.
After a dozen card sorting exercises with some volunteers, I decided on the following site map. As the user opens Santos Collective website, it’ll have 5 options displayed, these were the main pain points and needs from our users. As you’ll notice later on in the final prototype, the Give Back sub-tabs were reduced to just a post, given feedback from users.
Wireframes
This was a great opportunity to really break down the steps I wanted my user to use and decide what would be the most user friendly path. | https://medium.com/@sampaioliliana/when-life-gives-you-lemons-santos-collective-will-help-you-make-lemonade-fd561ea3b002 | ['Liliana Sampaio'] | 2021-03-09 01:18:03.422000+00:00 | ['Figma', 'Community', 'UX', 'Uxui Design', 'Website Redesign'] |
Your Great Love Story Might Be With Your Girlfriends | Your Great Love Story Might Be With Your Girlfriends
Romance isn’t a requirement.
Photo by Jackie Parker on Unsplash
I was watching a reunion special with the cast of the culturally relevant sitcom, Girlfriends. The show focuses on a group of women with contrasting backgrounds and lifestyles who become best friends. Its eighth and final season aired in 2008 during the writer’s strike, before a proper series finale could be filmed.
Tracee Ellis Ross played the leading character in Girlfriends named Joan. She was engaged in the show, but we never got to the wedding. During the reunion special, the host asked Tracee how she would write Joan’s ending if given the opportunity.
The show’s fans anticipated seeing Joan, who was perpetually unlucky in dating finally get the adoring husband and family she desired and deserved. But Tracee’s answer went in a different direction.
“I don’t think that Joan has gotten married,” Tracee responded. “I think that Joan is actually happy in herself. I don’t think she’s had a child and I don’t think she’s gotten married. And I think it sets the example of; the happy ending does not mean that you ride off with a man on a horse... Maybe her friends are her thing.”
Tracee said she felt that making a wedding the centerpiece of Joan’s ending undermines the story, and perpetuates the myth that marriage is the goal for a woman. She believes that the love affair of the show is between the Girlfriends. Not to say that men, partners, or children shouldn’t be included — but Joan’s relationship with her friends is enough on its own.
What Tracee said made me think of two things.
First, it reminded me of what Prentice Penny, showrunner for the Emmy-nominated HBO sitcom Insecure, had to say after the show’s most recent season finale.
The main characters, Issa and Molly, are best friends but had been estranged for much of the season. In the meantime, each was nurturing a promising romantic relationship with a guy. However, in the finale, it all falls apart. The two ladies find their way back to one another.
Insecure fans were particularly disappointed that Issa and her ex-boyfriend were wonderfully reunited for the first time in three seasons — only to have it not work out, again. Prentice responded to the dismay with this tweet:
Although these are TV shows and fictional characters that Tracee and Prentice were discussing, they make a critical real-life point. It all made me think of how, since I was a girl, I’ve carried the same sentiment that the two of them expressed.
Friendships are relationships.
Yet, we don’t always value them as such. Or, we place disproportionate value on those that involve romance.
I never adopted the notion that relationships with boys or men are innately superior to other forms of companionship. My close group of high school friends didn’t operate this way either. If we got boyfriends, they had to fit into our dynamic, not the other way around.
None of us ever coupled up with a guy and disappeared or became noticeably less available. Nurturing our friendship always came first. It was the love affair of our stories.
Granted, we were in high school and not yet establishing serious, life-altering commitments. But I saw other girls ditch their friends for boys all the time. Then as we got older, I saw other women follow suit.
Our group never did this — not even as we matured and went out into the real world. I realize now how lucky we were. However, they spoiled me as far as my expectations of friendship.
As an adult, I couldn’t understand when I saw women go out of their way for random men, but not show their best friend the same consideration. It bothered me if a close girlfriend got into a relationship and went missing. If I suddenly didn’t hear from her much and she declined every invitation to do something with me, it was hurtful.
When a relationship changes, it takes some getting used to — I know. We’re adults now, with different priorities. I get it.
I just loathe the idea of a relationship with a man being more substantial simply because it’s with a man. I can’t agree with the notion of disregarding someone who’s given you years of love, care, support, and unconditional friendship because “Hey, I’m seeing someone now.”
I’m well aware that as women, we’re conditioned to view the attention of men as something to be coveted. The picture painted for us of happily ever after does indeed portray finding our prince charming, becoming his wife, and having babies. That goal is set for us without our consent.
Such a viewpoint attaches a stigma to being single. It makes women self-conscious about being unwed or struggling to “keep a man.” It causes us to diminish the significance of platonic relationships and additional sources of love.
It’s a beautiful thing to find your person.
To build a life with someone, share experiences, and form a butterfly-inducing bond feels….AMAZING. That’s undeniable. There’s also no substitute for passionate, meaningful, physical intimacy.
However, you can have a great love story without romance.
You can love and be loved, fiercely, with no sexual component — and the blessing remains beyond measure.
That’s what shows like Girlfriends, Insecure, and even The Golden Girls demonstrate. Love is love. It doesn’t lose substance based on who’s involved in the exchange. Finding love in any form is enviable. | https://medium.com/fearless-she-wrote/your-great-love-story-might-be-with-your-girlfriends-105f9b43c57 | ['Acamea Deadwiler'] | 2020-10-05 11:47:07.006000+00:00 | ['Friendship', 'Culture', 'Love', 'Feminism', 'Women'] |
Deploying React Application in Github Pages | Photo by Richy Great on Unsplash
As developers we’ve been struggling with deploying low budget applications and private projects because of the cost of Deployment and Domain Name. So, Github has introduced a cost effective way of deploying static web applications (web pages) with a public repository which called Github Pages. Github Pages will let to deploy static content in it’s server with a customizable Domain Name . In this article let’s dive in and checkout how to deploy a simple React App using Github Pages.
First Let’s create a simple React Application using create-react-app
npx create-react-app sample-app
Now let’s create a new Repository in our Github Account
Remember that you have make the repository public repository in order to serve the application in Github server.
Then let’s initialize an empty git repository
git init
Then after, link the remote Github repository to the local repository.
git remote add origin https://github.com/ username/repo.git
Next let’s install github pages command in your application as a dev dependency
npm i gh-pages --save-dev
Now we have to do same changes with the package.json. You have to add following lines of code inside the package.json under scripts
"predeploy": "npm run build", "deploy": "gh-pages -d build"
Meantime you have define the default Domain Name for your application for that you have to add homepage into the top-level of the package.json in following format.
"homepage":"http://yourgithubusername.github.io/your-repo-name"
Now your package.json would look like this.
{ "homepage":"http://sankalpafernando.github.io/sample-app", "name": "sample-app", "version": "0.1.0", "private": true, "dependencies": { "react": "^17.0.1", "react-dom": "^17.0.1", "react-scripts": "4.0.1", }, "scripts": { "start": "react-scripts start", "build": "react-scripts build", "test": "react-scripts test", "eject": "react-scripts eject", "predeploy": "npm run build", "deploy": "gh-pages -d build" }, "devDependencies": { "gh-pages": "^3.1.0" } }
It’s time to deploy, let’s run the deployment command
npm run deploy
After executing the command you would have wait for a while and then after you can see a Success message in the terminal. Now you can view your application through the URL defined in homepage.
What the above command does is it would create a separate branch called gh-pages and create a production build of the application in folder called build. Then after it will push that folder into the Github repository and then on Github starts to serve the static files in that folder through it’s server.
Github Page is a new and cost-effective way of deploying frontend static application but this method is not recommend for production or commercial build since you have make your repository publicly visible in the Github. | https://medium.com/@sankalpafernando2017/deploying-react-application-in-github-pages-a33858afafba | [] | 2020-12-07 12:46:00.574000+00:00 | ['React', 'Deployment', 'Deploy', 'Github', 'Github Pages'] |
Correspondencia olvidada a inicios de Pandemia | 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/cartas-a-la-cercan%C3%ADa/correspondencia-olvidada-a-inicios-de-pandemia-4c2d359182a9 | ['Emmanuel Prado'] | 2020-10-04 02:39:48.870000+00:00 | ['Carta', 'Español', 'Radiohead', 'Letter', 'Technology'] |
Starting a People Analytics Function: 3 Building Blocks | A solid foundation to building a scalable People Analytics function. You’ve got to start somewhere, you might as well start here.
Photo by Alex Kotliarskyi on Unsplash
People Analytics (also known as HR Analytics, Talent Analytics, and Workforce Analytics) is essentially the utilization of employee-related data to drive business decisions.
And it’s all the rage.
Data is everywhere, and every second, every mili-second, we are collecting more of it. Business leaders have learned that harnessing their data to make business decisions can have huge implications for their bottom line.
What types of ad campaigns generate the most sales? What kinds of products have the highest profit margins? Where does our target demographic do most of their shopping?
Collecting data, analyzing it, and then making decisions based off of those insights has become an expectation. And as business leaders have grown increasingly data savvy, there is a hot demand for ways to apply these principals to employee-related decisions. In comes People Analytics.
If you want to see super cool examples, Google’s People Analytics team has made some of their most impactful projects openly available.
Okay, so you’re bought in. You are convinced that People Analytics is going to change the world, make your business a million times more efficient, and enable your employees to be the most engaged employees on the planet. You want your organization to reap the benefits of this new field. Welcome to the cool kid’s table.
But where do you start? | https://towardsdatascience.com/starting-a-people-analytics-function-3-building-blocks-4293ddc160f8 | ['Jenna Eagleson'] | 2020-09-21 13:38:34.439000+00:00 | ['Scalability', 'People Analytics', 'Business', 'Data Science', 'Data Driven'] |
PyCharm vs VSCode | Opinion
PyCharm vs VSCode
Is it time to change your IDE?
Photo by Thao Le Hoang on Unsplash
Maybe I’m a bit behind the curve, or maybe because JetBrains have such a big hold on the Python IDE market, it became clear to me in a previous post that a lot more Python coders are using VSCode than I was expecting.
Now I’ve used a combination of PyCharm and Notebooks for a while and I’m super happy with it. I love that if I have some data I want to explore then Notebooks is pretty easy to navigate, keep track of my work and also visualise data. On the other hand, PyCharm is just a pure machine when it comes to production: it’s never let me down and helps me churn through most tasks.
I also like the fact that the makers of PyCharm (JetBrains) are not some big American Goliath (like Microsoft), but comes from a much more humble region.
Either way, Visual Studio Code (or VSCode for short) is Microsofts open-source IDE. Its initial release was in 2015 and since then (according to Stack Overflow) it’s become the most in-demand IDE.
Given the fact that I’ve never really spent much time using VSCode and what it offers, I’ve decided to put it next to PyCharm try to figure out which is better, and which should I use?
PyCharm > VSCode
One would expect that developing code would feel more natural in a purpose built IDE and as PyCharm was created with the sole purpose of coding in Python. Does that make a difference?
Let’s take the example of autocomplete support. VSCode struggles at times with autocomplete support whereas when using PyCharm, it works nearly perfectly in every instance. My personal experience of VSCode was that the autocomplete can at times work great and other times not. It’s not just me though, people on reddit complain about the same thing: it’s oddly temperamental.
Further, VSCode struggles to load extensions at times and I thought it may have been me, however, this seems to be a bit of a recurring theme as its been reported multiple times: here, and here, and here, and here, and here, and here, and the issue is still present.
Now at first, you’re thinking “Oh awesome, I can customise my VSCode to be exactly how I want” but in reality, it never works that well and you end up having to spend a lot more time trying to fix the bug and less time developing, which is something you just don’t need to worry about in PyCharm.
So for those reasons, PyCharm being native to Python and built to really capitalise on that gives it a huge edge over VSCode. However, VSCode has a lot to offer as well.
Photo by i yunmai on Unsplash
VSCode > PyCharm
First and most importantly, VSCode is free. Yup, completely. The pure editor is pretty simple and you can expand its capabilities by installing plugins. PyCharm Professional, on the other hand, isn’t exactly cheap.
There is a free version of PyCharm (called the Community Edition) but it has fewer functionalities: it doesn’t include tools for developing databases or web related things, nor does it include advanced features such as performance profiling and remote debugging. VSCode has way more functionality than the free PyCharm Community edition, so let’s keep our focus on PyCharm Professional.
Now, something that PyCharm users are aware of is how big its memory footprint is. At the upper limit, it can take up to 1.5gb in disk space and that does have a knock on effect on your coding experience. If your computer can’t handle that then it’ll take ages to load up and sometimes it’ll take a bit longer to get through basic tasks: no one likes that!
Visual Studio Code has a much smaller footprint for memory consumption and physical disk space, about 30% that of PyCharm. So as VSCode is relatively light weight, it’s a particularly good editor for smaller projects or applications, and when performing quick edits to one or more files.
Finally, people generally seem OK with having to build a custom IDE in VSCode, as compared to PyCharm which works great out of the box and you don’t really need to do much more to it. However with VSCode, you have to build it from the beginning with plugins to even get Python working on it, so users are already comfortable with upgrading its functionality with plugins. This means that these users are also thinking about further enhancements which over time, leads to more development and a better coding experience, whereas with PyCharm, it’s mostly left to JetBrains.
Which is best?
Both PyCharm and VSCode allow the community to create plugins to enhance their user experience. Both have full-blown IDE’s and really do tick all the boxes in terms of what you need and want, although, neither are entirely perfect. Both have a strong community behind them and despite VSCode not being around for as long as PyCharm, both do have fairly mature systems in terms of technical capability.
I think it ultimately comes down to you. Do you want to pay for PyCharm professional and have a more specialised experience, or, would you rather have the free VSCode experience with a little bit less specialism, but, potentially more extensibility?
So what does my gut say?
Stick to PyCharm if you only code in Python. If not, VSCode. | https://towardsdatascience.com/pycharm-vs-vscode-9ffbed46ac9e | ['Mohammad Ahmad'] | 2020-06-22 10:41:12.352000+00:00 | ['Python', 'Programming', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Software Development', 'Startup'] |
Heart or Mind | Our hearts don’t tell us to kill
to harm
to fear
to hate.
Our minds tell us that. | https://medium.com/poetryfromtheheart/heart-or-mind-bd1fe473a0a0 | ['Laura Black'] | 2017-08-23 22:19:21.092000+00:00 | ['Mindfulness', 'Life Advice', 'Poetry', 'Inspirational', 'Poetry On Medium'] |
Jacqueline Franklin | The rape destroyed me
It ripped open every wound I had and created more
It taught me how to hate
And it taught me how to die
But it also
Taught me how to live | https://medium.com/@jacquelinespoetry/rape-c370fb7906a | ['Jacqueline Franklin'] | 2020-11-18 06:27:37.717000+00:00 | ['Rape', 'Poem', 'Sexual Assault', 'Metoo', 'Poetry'] |
Game Dev in Progress… Day 47 | Player Animator
Hello and happy Christmas Eve. Hopefully you are having a wonderful evening! Today is day 47 and probably the second to last day of working for Game Dev HQ. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to reach my goal of finishing up the 2.5D Game Development Course but I am pretty close. On Monday, I plan to finish if we have the time to do so. The picture above is the animator that is attached to my player. As you can see, there is a lot of animations going on for the player and the day was mostly spend on tweaking these to get them to work in conjunction. I had particular problems mainly on the ladder system and the idle jumping animations.
The ladder system that I built isn’t the best but gets the job done. Essentially what it does is that when the player reaches the ladder, they press the E key to climb it. Then a short climbing animation before teleporting the player on top of the platform they are climbing. I need some more time to create a more robust system where it can work for any ladder types. Right now, the animation doesn’t move along with the player when climbing up and thus will look awful when using it on longer ladders. Here is a short clip of it:
The next feature I was able to do was the roll. That was super easy to do because all it required was to check if the player is grounded and press the left shift to roll. That part wasn’t hard but having to connecting the roll animation with the other animations to allow for smooth transitions took some trial and error to get it right.
The last feature I was able to finish up was the Idle Jump Animation. This animation will play when the player is falling. This took me a really long time because of how I set up the different animations. I had to get back and rewrite my code a couple of times as well as doing a bunch of test runs to figure out how to get it to work. I still have some problems with it not doing the right animation when I’m jumping and falling. I need some more time testing that out. Here is a clip show casing the roll and falling features:
Hopefully I can get some help on Monday with some of the animations. This is the first time I had to deal with a lot of animations and using the animator. It’s really hard to get the animations to run correctly as well as do the logic of moving the player at the same time. Next Monday, which is our last day, will be spent polishing and adding the last two features for this course and I think I’ll be done.
_
Cristian Aspacio | https://medium.com/@aspacio/game-dev-in-progress-day-47-746ed5acdfac | ['Cristian Aspacio'] | 2020-12-25 05:17:45.735000+00:00 | ['Unity', 'Games', 'Intern', 'Coding', 'Game Development'] |
Leaving | Photo by Andreas Dress on Unsplash
Sometimes
There is a leaving
A thing that happens,
Even when
We would rather
That things
Already in place
Would just
Stay the same
Where there is comfort
In knowing
What to expect,
Even when
What
We expect
Is not the best, and
Is flecked with
Anguish, and
Heartache
A natural occurrence
Yet, not the only way
That we can play
Within a life
Filled
With
A
Sense of mastery
And knowing
More
Sometimes, then
Leaving is necessary
My friend,
To
Learn more
About ourselves
And, our place on
This beautiful planet
So, when next
A leaving is needed,
Please remember,
That inside of a leaving
Already lives
Your returning | https://medium.com/@jeffflesch/leaving-7081ad7f2006 | ['Jeffrey Flesch'] | 2020-12-20 11:12:53.302000+00:00 | ['Poem', 'Poetry Writing', 'Written Tales', 'Poetry', 'Poetry On Medium'] |
The Best Time Minnie Mouse, My Hero, Took Off Her Head and Projectile Vomited At Me | by Claire Meyer
Minnie Mouse is the spokesperson of domestic goddesses everywhere. Minnie Mouse keeps her house cute all the time. Minnie Mouse’s relationship with Mickey inspired my dreams of love. Minnie Mouse’s polka-dot dress summed up all that I hoped the future held for me.
When I was six, and my parents told me that we were going to Disneyland, I felt sure that this was my moment to blossom. Growing up I was hopelessly odd: I preferred to be called “Chest”; a turkey that police named “Rambo” attacked me; I permed my bowl cut. Disneyland was my chance to meet my idol, who I knew would make me feel cool.
I envisioned the future, in which I would tell the kids at school about my trip, and the stories of my adventure would take me from “Claire Meyer? Isn’t that the girl that collects human teeth?” to “Claire Meyer? Oh, yeah, she’s that cool girl who went to Disneyland.”
I brought my autograph book. I met Goofy, Chip & Dale and two different versions of Mickey. Briefly, I became addicted to meeting these characters. How lucky that we all lived in the same place and they so casually walked around to greet me! I couldn’t imagine life any different. After riding Peter Pan’s Flight three times, though, I’d still yet to meet my main girl Minnie.
Soon, that would change.
***
In retrospect, Disneyland was the last time I believed I had a shot at a perfect life. If only I’d known then how many meals I would eat in bed, or the number of times I would yell “I’m walking away now, not because I’m dramatic, but because I have nothing left to say to you,” or the percentage of those times that would occur on first dates. Or, that after a final fight in a toxic relationship I would take nothing from his apartment but two steaks out of the freezer and a Bruce Springsteen album — all I needed for a fresh start.
At the Disneyland point in my youth, I still saw Minnie’s squeaky perfection as a real possibility, and the Mme. Mouse herself as just the person to tell me how to achieve it.
On the last day of my Disney trip, I finally saw her. My hero. My friend.
Between the churro stand and bushes shaped like Disney characters, Minnie appeared before my eyes. My world filled with magic. I broke away from my parents and started running toward her. If my hair had been longer than my bowl cut, it would have blown in the wind. Instead, my hair just sat right on top of my head, like always, and Minnie didn’t seem to care. My new best friend threw her hands up in the air to hug me. While still running, I stretched out my arms to mimic her greeting.
Then it happened.
With those beautiful white gloves Minnie clutched at her neck. I halted. Vomit started to trickle out of a slit I’d never noticed before. My role model took off her head. Minnie projectile vomited.
Men came out from what seemed like nowhere but has since become clear to me as those weird underground Disney tunnels. One of the men promptly took Minnie away from me. The other man picked up the head with her smiling face and eyes pointed right at me. He lingered for a moment.
“Minnie’s not feeling that well right now,” he said.
My parents caught up to me and tried to explain everything. It was too late. All this happened in about five seconds. Magic didn’t necessarily die for me that day, but it did get violently ill and then decapitate itself.
What did die that day was the foundation of my domestic-goddess self-imagination. If Minnie could take off her head and vomit, then what would stop me from eventually going on a date with a man that preferred to be called “$bill”?
Nothing, apparently.
***
It’s been twenty years since Disneyland. Now, I’m engaged to a wonderfully weird man, and my house is never clean, and I still would be over the moon if the nickname Chest finally caught on for me.
I told my fiancé this story on our first date. He reciprocated with his own stories of childhood trauma, and we laughed, and it was awkward magic.
I can only hope that Vomit Minnie and her Mickey equivalent have been able to do the same.
Claire Meyer is one-half of the @WeFoughtAbout Twitter. The Awkward Phase Tumblr, which she co-runs, would love it if you sent in a photo/story celebrating your most awkward years. You can submit here. | https://medium.com/the-hairpin/the-best-time-minnie-mouse-my-hero-took-off-her-head-and-projectile-vomited-at-me-cab62c9c610b | ['The Hairpin'] | 2016-06-02 04:48:22.197000+00:00 | ['Childhood', 'Personal Worsts', 'Personal Bests'] |
Insane or Inspired? Book 2 (Part 2) | The Loneliest Number
I had a significant phobia of hospital food, after being informed, as an impressionable young child, that the NHS had adopted a zero waste policy. That is to say, anything that was taken out, or sawn off, during surgery, went straight down to the hospital’s kitchen. Of course, I felt that Tink’s parents needed to be made aware of this too.
“That’s disgusting!” said Mrs Cooper, who subsequently appeared to masticate her steak and kidney pie with a little less enthusiasm. I found myself wondering whose kidney it was, exactly, and whether the fact that it came from an animal (probably), made it more disgusting or less disgusting.
Certainly, if people were told that cannibalism was now okay, due to climate change, or whatever, then they’d probably go along with it. Perhaps not immediately, but eventually, once it had been legalised, rationalised, televised and, therefore, normalised. For this was the process through which every kind of insanity had already been embraced by society. And, conversely, through which every kind of natural human behaviour had been discouraged, suppressed, discredited, stigmatised or blatantly outlawed. Welcome to your so-called life, by the way, if you weren’t already aware of these things.
In any case, having seemingly put Mrs Cooper off of her offal, I carefully inspected the contents of my supposedly vegetarian sandwich. It didn’t seem that any of the ingredients could possibly have come from a human body. Although, most commercial bread does contain human hair, apparently. Go figure. Perhaps we’re all cannibals, after all.
“That’s a pretty necklace,” said Mr Cooper, looking at my silver pendant. It was silver in appearance, anyway. The metal itself was platinum. Jay was no cheapskate, after all. Although, precisely where the money came from remained something of a mystery.
Following a brief conversation about it, Mr Cooper questioned the appropriateness of a man in his forties buying jewellery for a sixteen-year-old girl. In any other situation I’d have probably ripped his narrow-minded head off. As it was, I calmly explained to him that the pendant wasn’t a romantic gift, but rather a spiritual ID tag. And, by wearing it, I was showing my affiliation with a particular religious movement, as well as my loyalty to the Goddess.
“To God, you mean?” he said, as if I had misspoken.
“No, to the Goddess.”
“What’s the difference?” he asked.
“Well, if you’re referring to the Old Testament God, then one of them is a brutal tyrant and a genocidal maniac, whereas the other is the divine feminine Source and sustainer of all life, everywhere.”
He briefly closed his eyes, as if struggling to compute this apparently new information with his microscopic pea-brain. “Jesus is God,” he replied, “and so that’s who I worship.”
How convenient, I thought to myself. And what wonderful mental gymnastics you are capable of, that allow you to overlook the crimes of his Father. I didn’t actually voice these thoughts, under the circumstances. But I wanted to.
“Perhaps you would like to join us in prayer, later on?” he asked. “Annabelle needs all the help she can get right now.”
What was he up to? Was this a deliberate attempt to convert me? Two can play at that game, I thought. “I’ll lead us in prayer, if you like,” I offered.
“Okay,” he agreed, much to my surprise. And so that’s what happened, not long afterwards. After gathering around Tink’s bed, we respectfully lowered our heads, closed our eyes, and… “Heavenly Goddess,” I began, “we collectively recognise your divine and eternal presence, as you lay here before us, in this body known as Annabelle. For I know that you have gone completely unrecognised, up until now. Even the love of your biological family was rooted in their perception of you as their property, with no inherent identity beyond that which is apparent to the senses. I know that thousands have passed you on the street, without recognising you. And I know that some have even intentionally hurt you, such is their level of ignorance.
“And so, as Annabelle struggles to decide whether to stay with us, or to return to spirit, please let her know that, finally, there are those in this world who do indeed recognise her true identity, and who will treat her accordingly. Advise her not to give up on her species, because she is not separate from it, any more than you yourself are separate from it, or separate from her, dear Goddess. And so it is.”
I didn’t know when the Coopers opened their eyes, exactly, but they were already staring at me when I opened mine. And I opened mine immediately after I’d finished speaking. So they must have jumped the gun a little. In any case, they didn’t seem to understand my prayer, or appreciate the sentiment. But since I wasn’t actually addressing the Coopers, I wasn’t overly concerned about it.
After bidding the couple farewell, I walked back to my hotel room, which was only ten minutes away, and tried to avoid using the television to, “avoid myself,” as Jay had so succinctly put it. And it was true, I did do that. Which got me thinking about the Genesis play, and the undeniable truth that it had so dramatically exposed. Who could deny, after all, that their consciousness was neither sought, nor desired? And who could deny that being alone with their consciousness, for any significant length of time, had a detrimental effect upon their mental health?
We knew these things, psychologically; they couldn’t be denied. Even the most experienced meditators crumble during long-term isolation. And despite apparently blissful states of consciousness that can be reached, temporarily, in meditation, there was no evidence to suggest that consciousness itself was an inherently pleasant thing. Quite the opposite. For in the absence of content, of one sort or another, consciousness was a decidedly unpleasant thing. And we acquired this knowledge through raw, human experience.
Even so, it was a rarely discussed and even taboo subject, within the spiritual marketplace. For the goal of most practises was to become more conscious, in the name of freedom and spiritual evolution. And, indeed, that’s what I myself had been doing. However, as I sat there alone, in a sterile hotel room, it didn’t seem to help very much. I still looked at the blank television screen with a degree of longing, knowing that human voices, and human faces, were only an arm’s length away.
It is claimed that ‘public speaking’ and ‘death’ top the list of human fears. But, in truth, death is something that every human being would pray for, if their greatest unacknowledged fear were ever realised. The reason why people don’t mention isolation as a fear is because it’s not a realistic possibility. I’m not just talking about loneliness, after all, but permanent isolation: No contact, whatsoever, with others, whether human or animal. This means no virtual contact, either, through computers, and no access to television or radio. Forget about reading, too, or listening to music, or consuming any other content produced by human beings.
Television shows have actually experimented with this concept, asking volunteers to be filmed in isolation. And what we learn from these experiments is that most people can’t even handle a few days of total isolation. Why? Because consciousness, devoid of content, is very unpleasant. Which may explain why we dream at night. We simply need to be aware of something, anything, save for the briefest of interludes. As humans we are desperate to avoid feeling isolated and alone, even though this is all there really is to existence, by definition. It could even be said that it’s our natural state.
Bearing all of this in mind, therefore, is it really so hard to imagine that Consciousness itself, from which we all emerged, and in which we all partake, might have found the experience of isolation equally unbearable? Even an isolated human has the memory of others, at least. Source would have had no such memory, nor even the concept of otherness, necessarily. For true otherness cannot exist, in reality. It can only be experienced, through dreaming. We know this from our own experiences, every night, during sleep. Do we not, after all, accept and interact with dream characters as if they were real? And is this Divine dream called life really any different?
To become lucid within a dream means that the illusion ends, and dream characters are seen for what they truly are. In life this awakening is called self-realisation, because the one true Self is finally realised, and the socialised self, or ego, is seen as having no more substance than a dream character. This doesn’t imply that, in an awakened community, like Haven, everyone becomes a clone of each other. Quite the opposite, in fact. Human uniqueness blossoms, in the absence of a contrived and tightly regulated social order.
Ultimately, the Divine Herself seemed to have dealt with the problem of Consciousness by dreaming up the illusion of others. And now She continued to deal with that problem, vicariously, through us. As a singularity she didn’t have the luxury of choosing death. And neither did we. Suicide was no solution to the challenge that consciousness posed, because consciousness survived the illusion of death. Millions of people had realised this truth for themselves, through near-death experiences. And now, as I would soon discover, my friend, Annabelle, was one of them.
To Be Continued | https://medium.com/@jcshakti/insane-or-inspired-book-2-part-2-998e5db4de05 | ['Jay Campbell'] | 2020-12-17 09:06:55.879000+00:00 | ['Spirituality', 'Awakening', 'Loneliness', 'Consciousness', 'Mental Health'] |
The Bore | Kalighat painting, artist unknown.
You look at some people and you can tell how they’re likely to laugh. She was one of those people. Hers would be a low, rhythmic rumble that would make the cushions on the sofa vibrate. The kind she’d have to hold in by pressing her belly with her hands and slowly ease out, a rumble at a time. She held large laughs within her, anyone could guess that much. But it was only that morning that these aspects of her preoccupied me, I had never considered them before.
This despite the fact that I spent most mornings studying her. I watched her in the early hours as she slept, waiting for her to wake up in a repetitive pattern of gestures. First one of her toes would twitch and she’d turn to a side (usually the left) then her slightly ajar mouth would snap shut, finally she’d open her eyes and rub the sleep out of them. That was my cue to nuzzle her. If she didn’t respond I’d pull her hair gently. She’d make these half-hearted complaints but I knew she didn’t really mind.
The morning I’m referring to, began like any other. I followed her into the kitchen, watching the ends of her housecoat flap against her heels. Usually she watered the plant by the window and then set a vessel of water to heat. But today she did none of those things. Instead she pressed her back to the counter, resting her weight on it and stared at the wall in front of her. I looked at the wall too, wondering what had caught her interest, but I saw nothing except plaster peeling in a sharp trail towards the ceiling. I heard her sigh softly before she resumed her duties.
By the time the old man woke up and came to the table for his breakfast, she seemed perfectly normal. In fact, when she set down his bowl of rava upma on the dining table, she was smiling.
“Aha!” he said looking at the steaming hot bowl of his mushy breakfast and pulling out his chair.
“Why feel down when there’s always an Up Ma!” he said, his voice carrying the unnecessary cheeriness that humans often begin their day with.
She said nothing as she slopped three spoonfuls onto his plate. When she was done, I circled her legs, losing myself within the folds of her housecoat as I followed her back to the kitchen.
“Umm?” I looked up at her in a manner I had perfected over the years.
“Hmm,” she grunted and poured me a bit of milk, half of which sloshed outside the bowl.
I lapped up the outside first, gradually moving to the inside of the bowl which smelt like it hadn’t been washed. I wasn’t in a position to grumble though, so I finished my milk with every intention of taking a quick nap right after.
“Chai?” I heard him asking her.
“You’ve never made me laugh,” she said in answer.
“Huh?” he sounded as surprised as I was.
We probably thought we’d misheard her, so we waited.
“You have never made me laugh.”
He ignored her, thinking the problem if there was any, would present itself to him, he didn’t feel the need to wrench it out of her. I did, though.
So, I flopped on my back and displayed my belly, cycling through the air with my legs, inviting her to tickle me.
“You’re a bore,” she said to him as she gave in to me and bent down to pick me up. “Even Poocha is more interesting than you.”
Uh-oh, I thought. Comparisons are a sign of deeper problems, I didn’t want to be involved now and I tried to make it abundantly clear by attempting to jump out of her grasp. But she held on tight, her frustration evident in the tightening clasp of her fingers.
“Arrey, what did I do now?” he asked in a voice that now sounded like a lullaby to me, (milk always makes me drowsy.)
“I have made a note…” she said, finally setting me down.
“A note of what?” we both wondered, only he said it out loud.
“A note of the number of stories you have in total.”
She picked up his empty plate and headed to the kitchen as if to show him the basics of building intrigue, drawing him in with cryptic statements and then leaving him hanging.
He rose to the bait, following her into the kitchen as she rinsed his plate.
“What on earth are you talking about Mala?”
She set the plate down dramatically. I briefly wondered if she was going to rinse my bowl…
But she turned around and sighed again, her shoulders drooped and her jaw sagged as she said, “I have counted the total number of stories you have told me in the duration of our marriage. There are 76.”
Both me and the accused bore found ourselves unable to react to this so we waited for what was coming.
“In the 43 years of our marriage you have repeated every single story and sometimes…before you can speak, I can guess what you’re about to say.”
He looked a bit hurt, poor chap.
“Whenever I make upma, you say the same stupid thing, and I make upma twice every week. When we drive past Chembur Chemists, you read out loudly- “Chembur CHEmist”. Every 31st December before we sleep you say- see you next year Mala. I am sick of it!”
“But Mala…” they both said at the same time, only she said it to mimic him, curling her lips exaggeratedly and modulating her voice into a taunting, cruel imitation of his.
He went quiet then. I felt it was important to establish that I was not on either side, but again she scooped me up in her arms purposefully.
“You see…I can predict your every sentence. And after retirement it’s gotten worse, every day I hear those same 76 stories repeated along with different newspaper headlines.”
“Do you think I can’t read?” she said as a parting shot.
She took me to the bedroom after that and as we sat on the bed together, I saw her scroll through texts on her mobile phone. This time I didn’t just watch her, I really saw her. The blue light of her phone brought to my attention that everything about her drooped and stooped in protest against the dullness of life. The soft, sagging flesh of her face was held up by little lines like brackets around the corners of her mouth and her rounded shoulders curved her body into a cocoon within which she hid herself. I realized then that I had never heard her laugh.
We heard the door slam shut, it seemed that he’d left in a huff. Not that I cared, because he and I only interacted when he ate fish once a week and I begged him for a morsel (he never parted with any). I focused my attention on her once again, allowing her slow movements to lull me into sleep.
When he came back that evening, I think she felt a bit sorry for him. She served him fat round pooris, swollen with guilt.
He poked them right in the centre and I watched the steam rise out of the fried dough, waiting for either of them to throw me at least a little piece. They didn’t.
“I have to tell you something…” I heard him say.
“Huh? Listen… I was just annoyed in the morning don’t take it so…”
He ignored her and went on. “A wife asks her husband to pass him her lipstick. By mistake he passes her Fevicol, so you know, she’s still not talking to him.”
The old man looked at her expectantly.
I saw her lips curl up a little around the left side but there was no rumble, yet. Not even a sign of it.
He pulled out a book from his pocket and set it down on the table. It was tiny book of the sort people carried on their person, to read when bored at bus stops or train stations.
“200 hilarious and ribald non-veg jokes,” she read out the title.
“276.”
“Huh?” she asked distractedly as she rifled through the book.
“200+76.”
She sighed heavily, “the problem is not your joke, it’s…” she fumbled searching for the kindest explanation. “…it’s the way you said it. The delivery was off. You’ve got to wait a bit, pause, wait for me to want to know the answer and then…crack the joke,” she slapped her hands together to demonstrate the impact.
Now the old man was not just boring, he was also timid, he didn’t have the imagination or the courage to really challenge her. But his ego was hurt and I saw him substitute his humiliation with anger.
“You’re no Sridevi that I’ve to learn jokes for you,” he snapped.
The next morning also disturbed the routine of mornings I had gotten used to. Before her toes could twitch, I saw his stomach wobble and empty itself of snores. He woke up then like a rattling old engine, coughing and sniffling as he dressed silently and walked out with purpose. I was desperate to know what he was up to, but I didn’t want to miss breakfast either.
But there was no time to ponder this dilemma so I leapt up and followed him.
“What?” he asked me when he spotted me outside the door at his feet.
I shrugged and followed him down the stairs. He ignored me after that.
We walked like strangers who were heading towards the same destination. I resisted the smells and distractions that wafted up towards me, keeping my eye on him as we took the long road out of the building leading to the colony’s community hall. Normally I avoid this area as it’s full of thugs, one of whom -a large ginger- tends to be jealous of me. I prayed they were out dining with the Cat Lady from B-wing.
The old man had no such fears, he swung his arms and walked without concern, stopping only to say hello to two old friends who were going for a walk.
“Morning walk today Raghavjee?” one of them shouted from across the street.
The old man crossed over to greet them and answered, “I wanted to attend the society meeting.”
There was an awkward pause.
“Uh…I’ve never seen you attend any, how come suddenly?” said the portlier of the two.
“I’m just curious, I heard some interesting stuff goes on in there…”
At this both men laughed assuming he was joking. Only I knew he wasn’t, the man really did not know where to find a good story.
“Curious or ambitious?” said the skinnier companion, interrupting my reverie.
The portly one scoffed, “Aha! Someone wants the building secretary position, it’s open now isn’t it?”
“Maybe,” the old man shrugged and walked off without saying goodbye.
Having discovered his intent, I didn’t see the wisdom of risking my fur, so I gave up following him and trudged back to the house for my milk. She was awake by now and flustered to find both of us missing.
“Where did you run off to?” she scolded me when I got back. She’d been standing by the door waiting for us to come home.
I gave her one of my famous side hugs, as she led me in to serve me milk. She still hadn’t cleaned out my bowl.
Later when the old man came back, he excitedly related the only interesting thing that had happened at the meeting. It was as follows:
Someone was throwing hardboiled eggs into the 3rd floor lady’s sacred tulsi plant, thereby tainting its holiness. Various theories had sprung up, some of them turning into religious conspiracy theories that targeted the Muslims in the building and the lone Catholic lady on the 10th floor. When things got really heated however, a harrowed mother from the 4th floor above, confessed that lately she’d been surprised at how quickly her fussy son was eating his boiled eggs. It was deduced that the boy had been spitting his eggs into his downstairs neighbour’s balcony, somewhat cruelly aiming for her plant. The case was closed when the harrowed mother promised to get the lady a new plant.
“It would be better if she made her son eat his eggs na?” she said, but I saw her eyes twinkle, amused at the distress a boiled egg can cause.
“77” he said to her in bed that night.
“Did I laugh?” she scoffed at him but her arm moved to encircle his belly as they finally fell asleep.
It became a pattern thereafter, as he tried something new each day to bring back a story. Some of his attempts, (actually most of them) failed miserably, while the others were mild successes.
One day he dyed his grey beard an astonishing shade of deep, unnatural black that made him look like he’d stuck a disguise on himself. It was unclear whether he was trying to make her laugh or remind her of their youth. In any case, this only made her cry out in alarm.
There was also that time he took part in the women’s march, after which he made tea for the next two days.
While she was occasionally amused by his efforts, I noticed that she still hadn’t really laughed. Quite often I caught her by herself in the mornings, staring into a distance either at the wall or out of the window. During these times, it seemed that she had a far more interesting world of her own in her head, one where she found all the sustenance she needed to get through her repetitive days.
Around this period, on one of my jaunts downstairs, I heard gossip about a large and slender black cat, who was new to the colony. The rumours suggested that she was looking for a potential mate and many toms were vying for her attention, but she hadn’t yet committed herself to anyone yet. When I finally did meet her, it was outside B-Wing, where the Cat Lady had put out her fortnightly spread of food for all the colony’s cats. She stood behind the aggressive ginger, patiently waiting her turn at one of the bowls, which in itself an unusual act for a cat. I was immediately drawn to her, and I couldn’t help but think that when she noticed me her large eyes stayed on me a little longer then they should have. Long after the others had left, she stayed back to ask me who I was, and where I stayed. We soon began to meet by the stoop at the water tank to talk and eventually she let me know that she wanted to take things further.
The excitement of meeting a mate had left me feeling unnaturally expressive and one day I sprayed the old man’s shoes leaving my scent on them. I don’t know why I did it, but it had seemed like an urgent need at the time. He didn’t take to this at all and spent quite a while yelling at me, finally ending his tirade in a hard kick. I left yowling and didn’t come back for two weeks.
This is not to say that I left because of the kick or that I had a bad time during those weeks. I had already decided to spend these two weeks getting to know my new partner. She was an engaging creature, with a sensuous velvet coat that lit up like dark fire in the golden light of evenings. On some nights, despite the full, round moon I could barely see her, I only sensed her perfume until I finally saw her lamp-like eyes glow at me in the dark. I’d met plenty of females before but this one had an ability to leave me feeling unsure of myself. I often wondered if this was how the old man felt — unable to predict his mate’s reaction, always on slippery footing.
I often tried to impress her, Cheeni, her name is, I still see her around and she still treats me like I’m dispensable. But during those days, I was convinced of how special I was. Many of us are born with an exaggerated sense of self-importance and there are those who come into our lives, either as mates or competitors to chip away at our self-esteem, or simply give us a reality check.
One day, I came back to our usual spot to find her scent gone. She’d left and not found it important to say goodbye.
The next morning, I got back to the apartment and clawed at the door, calling out for the old lady. There was no response. I looked up to see a large lock hanging outside the door. This surprised me as I had adopted the old lady and old man for two years now and never once had I seen her step out. I lay by the door, hungry and waiting. I craved the warm milk the lady poured me and the fish she boiled and fed me every week. Dreaming of a stream of warm milk pouring into my blue bowl I pushed away thoughts of Cheeni and fell into thick sleep.
Loud voices woke me up and I looked up to find a man in white shorts and a white shirt pushing a cycle towards the door, the old man was floating on it. I was alarmed! I looked to the right and saw the old lady, her shoulders even more slumped, pulling the keys out of her handbag.
When she looked up the old lady caught sight of me and scooped me up.
“Poocha!” she nearly wept. “Where had you gone? He fell sick, you disappeared! What a terrible time I’ve had.”
So, the old man was sick.
“Let me push the wheelchair and get used to it,” she told the man in white shorts and attempted to wheel the old man through the door.
So that was a wheelchair.
“It’s only for a few days, I won’t be in a wheelchair forever,” grumbled the old man.
The old man had to be fed, washed and bathed for a few days and she was miserable throughout the time. I felt sorry for her, but also mildly relieved that there no longer was time for her vacant staring.
Our days went by in the way they once had, except the old man now took to watching TV at all hours, his previous gusto to impress her now entirely abandoned.
I missed those days, like the one where he’d plucked a bunch of bougainvillea and given it to her in a flourish and she’d been bitten by the ants crawling on it.
I took it upon myself to make her laugh, bringing her a dead frog one day, but she didn’t appreciate it. So, I resorted to physical humour, turning on my back, cycling the air, nipping her feet as she walked, but none of these things made her laugh. Sometimes there was a faint smile, but that was it.
I finally gave up and fell into their routine. Every evening, the three of us sat in the balcony and watched people below- absorbed in their lives, for lack of having our own. The old couple would have their tea and I would be given a bit of kibble after which I lay down at her feet and she stroked my fur and scratched my ears fondly. The peace of those evenings was interrupted one day when their son’s old friend dropped in.
He was a smartly dressed man, and his shoes gleamed enough to reflect my face in them. He bent down to pet me from his perch on the drawing room’s sofa.
“When I heard uncle had a fall in the bathroom, I had to come and check on you two,” he said warmly.
“Thank you, Satish, you’re a kind boy, Hiren always said good things about you,” the old lady said as she served him a cup of tea.
“We still miss him aunty, and now that he’s not here, I want you to call me if you ever need anything,” the man called Satish went on.
It occurred to me that the couple’s son had either gone away somewhere far or was no more. But before I could dwell on this, the old man let out an awkward laugh.
The man called Satish took this as his cue to leave, “I must go now, and before I forget, I brought you a box of samosas from the sweet shop.” He handed the old lady an oily box that smelt heavenly and left in a click of gleaming shoes.
Once he left, there was an excitement in the air. We all wanted to eat the samosas as quickly as possible, before the sunset, watching the people downstairs. Who knows what we had missed?
She rushed to heat up the samosas on a tawa and poured prickly smelling tamarind chutney into a bowl. When she finally came to the balcony, the old man looked up eagerly as she handed him a plate with two golden samosas, their crisp crowns curling in a wave of sculpted dough.
I looked up at him hopefully. Would he finally change his selfish habits today? He took a large bite into his crisp samosa. So, no.
I turned to her hopefully and was startled to hear a shriek.
The old man was screaming.
“What a disgusting samosa this is! There’s someone’s tooth inside it!”
He had flung the samosa in shock, the lady picked it up and we both saw a large tooth embedded right in the middle of the samosa. When I tried to investigate further I heard it…
It came in a shrill, fluttering wave. Like a sound that had been trapped deep inside a box and was finally being set free. It was followed by a series of other sounds, none of them a rumble but low musical chortles. Soon the air was full with the sound of her laughter.
“That’s your own tooth,” she told the old man.
He was silent, his mouth agape with a dark space where his tooth once was.
“96,” he finally whistled.
“76+20, is 96.” | https://medium.com/@meeraganapathi/the-bore-9a7c2db13fd5 | [] | 2021-06-03 10:21:01.438000+00:00 | ['Lovestory', 'Writing', 'Relationships', 'Cats', 'Fiction'] |
Including inclusion (and why it’s key to growing your business) | When you’re a startup, everything you do is geared towards driving growth — and understandably so.
Product development; funnel optimisation; rapid recruitment — a focus on the tangible, measurable outcomes that grow your business and increase your top line makes complete sense.
But if there’s one thing we’ve learned in 2020 it’s that we can’t take anything for granted any more. At Futureplay, as in many other flat and low hierarchy organisations, it’s led us to be even more mindful of the ways we work together, how we treat each other, and how we look out for one another.
In fact, developing our culture together is something we’ve been working on for a while. In mid-2019 we launched Futurefuel — our collective focus on articulating our ways of working together into tangible, concrete behaviours that would support and guide us as we grow.
Collaborating to build our company values at Futurefuel last year (a time before face masks)
As part of Futurefuel, at the beginning of the year we set ourselves the company-wide goal of improving how we communicate internally. And in the past twelve months we’ve learned a lot — whether it’s been workshops on our values, externally-led sessions on giving and receiving feedback (thanks Miltton), or presentations on special topics such as empathic communication and leadership.
Futurefuel has brought with it challenging, complex, and often contentious topics that raise key questions about the purpose of our company (beyond making mobile games), what we stand for as a community, and how we be proactive on important issues such as diversity and inclusion.
Figuring out the answers out as a collective and staying true to our flatness is tough — especially as we increase in number. Often times it feels as though it’d be easier to adopt a more traditional, structured approach, but if one thing’s for sure we want to maintain our organic structure dearly. Being part of Futureplay is more than just work — it’s about belonging — and we never want to lose sight of that.
Now, we’re growing faster than ever thanks to the success of our latest game Merge Gardens. And with that, we’re determined that each of us retains a strong voice on both project and company matters — even when we’re not sharing the same physical space.
That’s meant continuing to build on our ways of working to foster a sustainable, inclusive working environment that we not only enjoy being part of, but thrive under.
How does that take shape exactly? It’s certainly a challenge considering there’s almost 40 of us now split across multiple functions and projects. If communication is hard, inclusion is even harder.
And when the data shows that employees who feel their voice gets heard are almost 5 times more likely to feel empowered to perform their best work, it’s clear that inclusion doesn’t just concern people — it concerns business too.
What is inclusion?
On a very basic level (and according to the Oxford English Dictionary) inclusion should be about giving equal opportunities and resources to people who might not otherwise get them, be it because they’re from a traditionally marginalised or excluded background, an under-represented minority group, or any other reason.
In approaching inclusion at Futureplay, we’ve taken a broad view that it encompasses something like the following:
Our approach to inclusion at Futureplay.
Words on slides are one thing. Steps and actions to get there are another. Enter Pluuro Inclusion Development and the brilliant Laura Smith. We’ve known Laura for a while (we’ve been part of her work on organisational development in the past) so when the opportunity came up to collaborate in a more concrete manner on something as topical to us as inclusion, we couldn’t turn it down.
Through Pluuro, we’ve solidified three inclusion development areas we’re focusing on as a company:
Feedback : How can we build an inclusive feedback giving/receiving culture?
: How can we build an inclusive feedback giving/receiving culture? Inclusive decision making (without having to have everyone in a meeting)
(without having to have everyone in a meeting) How to make remote work feel less lonely
Breaking it down, here are some things we’re doing about each of them:
Feedback
Steve Jobs demanded fearless feedback from all his employees. This internal Netflix culture doc highlights the weight of importance they place on feedback, too.
But feedback is complex. And as humans we tend to steer clear of seeking out complexity. That’s in spite of the fact that getting more inputs and opinions is vital for seeing the bigger picture and understanding a wider range of points of view, even if it is more cognitively demanding. We’re trying to be mindful of this as we build our feedback and decision-making culture at Futureplay.
With that in mind and as part of our theme year on communication, feedback has become a strong area of focus for us. And in a flat organisation, feedback is particularly challenging. When nobody has strict titles, how do we know who should be giving feedback on what? With no regular, structured feedback forums, when is the right time to give feedback?
Our work with Miltton has equipped us with some valuable tools of giving and receiving feedback — the most resonating of which for me being to view it as a gift and as a sign of care, rather than as a complaint or criticism.
We’re also working out that it’s as incumbent on each of us individually to ask for feedback from each other than it is to give it in the first place. Take this as an example, from our company-wide Slack just last week:
Taking matters into our own hands by asking for feedback (redacted for anonymity)
The conversation is continuing on a higher level, too — here’s an internal overview of the kind of discussions we’re having on the topic right now (and a very open window into life at Futureplay).
And we want to keep that conversation going until feedback is integrated so deeply into our culture that giving and receiving it — on any kind of level — feels like a natural part of our workday. That’s a concrete step towards an inclusive environment.
Decision making
Understanding how and why decisions are made, and who makes them, is crucial to creating an inclusive working culture. And it works both ways — decision makers need to know who to turn to to consult and seek advice from, and those affected by decisions need to know who’s responsible for making them so they can seek involvement, challenge, give feedback, and of course, praise.
As we’ve matured we’ve found that although our flat hierarchy brings a great deal of efficiency when making decisions on a project level, there can sometimes be ambiguity around the topic on a company level.
Take these two survey results that were carried out as part of our Futurefuel circle on decision making as a case-in-point:
85% of us agreed or strongly agreed that decision-making works on a team-level.
Less than half of us agreed or strongly agreed that decision-making works on a company level. Almost 1 in 5 of us disagreed.
It’s far from a disaster, but it’s clear that there’s work to be done to bring the same level of clarity to company-level decision making as there is on a team level.
And lots we do in this area tends to take shape on a team level first, before then being carried over to the company. As an example, we recently held an externally-facilitated ‘blue sky dream day’ on the Merge Gardens team with the very professional folk at Grape People. It was superbly run — we learned a lot — and there’s already plans afoot to run a similar session on a company level early next year regarding the decision making topic.
The goal is that more clarity over our decision-making processes on a company level will bring with it a greater culture of inclusion on an individual level.
Remote work
Like many companies, we’ve always been open to remote work — but 2020 has propelled us into discovering and implementing new company-wide practices that make remote work accessible, manageable, and more productive than ever.
We want remote work to feel even better than coming to the office. We’re trying to ensure that our culture of caring and belonging transcends online as much as it does in person, even when we’re not seeing each other face to face, so that each of us feels included and empowered.
When remote times got into full swing, the company granted each of us a monetary benefit to invest in setting up our home office. That, plus prior office visits on optimal work ergonomics, started us off on the perfect footing.
Since then it’s been about being present for each other virtually, even when we can’t be there physically. And we’re learning that for many, life is actually much better this way.
Besides the obvious benefits of things like no more commuting, the increased interaction we’re enjoying as a by-product of collaboration at the click of a button has almost taken us by surprise.
For example, it seems easier than ever to drop into meetings and get a feel for what’s happening with a particular project or feature without any direct pressure to actively contribute, which is a big plus for staying in the know when there’s lots of moving parts.
This is in part thanks to our custom-designed virtual office (yes, it’s just like our real office — even the toilets are the same). Granted, regular video calls via Hangouts and Zoom are great, but where they fall down is perhaps their openness — it’s impossible to just drop into existing chats, and there’s no transparency over conversations that are happening at a given moment in time. With a virtual office space, this isn’t an issue at all.
Team rooms, toilets, breakout rooms, saunas — our remote office is just like our real office.
We’re noticing that conversations that weren’t possible when we were in a physical office are now taking place online—it’s almost as if we’re experiencing the democratisation of communication.
And then there’s the little things. The virtual morning coffees. The daily stretching challenges. The online lunch walks. The surprise packages sent home. We often find ourselves organically sharing tips and best practices on what works well for us and individuals. Whether it’s cold switching on/off your computer at the start/end of every day, changing your clothes, or something a bit more quirky (believe me, we’ve heard a few), being mindful in this way helps let one another know that we care.
It’s all part of contributing to a remote work rhythm that actually makes it easier to collaborate than before.
What’s next?
We’re still learning. Right now we’re experimenting with new online tools that will bring us even closer in 2021.
More than anything, we know we’re a unique company, and copy-pasting template approaches to inclusion from existing models likely won’t stick. We need to find our own ways of cracking this, and that’s a challenge we’re relishing taking on through more discussion, action, and reflection.
Our culture of flatness and organic ways of working means that each of us has to be open to learning more about the topic, and more culturally aware of our differences, as well as our similarities.
That ties into the understanding that although we have our shared company goals, each of us is driven by our own independent motives. With no formal hierarchy in place, we all need to be leaders and take responsibility for understanding why people perceive and experience things differently, and how this affects someone’s ability not only to do their best work, but become the best version of themselves.
How diversity & inclusion transcends in our values today
It feels like a good time to close with a concrete example from our recent Merge Gardens Dream Day.
On a scale of 1–10 (or hell vs. heaven) we each rated our own perceptions of current and target state for the health of our development team. And it was far from bad news — we’re mostly around the 7s and 8s — but there were a few 6s, and in our view, that’s a few too many.
One of our inclusion-related goals is to understand why those 6s aren’t 7s or 8s, and bring them up to the same level, or even better, beyond it. Because when someone’s experiences of being part of a team aren’t quite on par with the rest, it’s on everyone else to work to truly figure out why, create a culture of belonging for everyone, and communicate values of care and respect every single day.
And we’ll keep on going until we have a team full of tens. | https://medium.com/tales-from-a-mobile-game-studio/including-inclusion-and-why-its-key-to-growing-your-business-427882f63b15 | [] | 2020-12-15 13:16:18.820000+00:00 | ['Culture', 'Startups', 'Futurefuel', 'Mobile Game Development', 'Inclusion'] |
Wisdom was always right there ready to be seen. | Life might knock you to your knees and you might be frozen in shock and confusion as to how you ended up at the bottom, but eventually, no matter how bad we are hurt, we will get back up, we have to get back up, for life is in movement.
Now where The Universe comes into these life lessons and knowledge is what I believe to be at our earliest of days on this planet when we are just beginning to learn to walk and seek out the world we found ourself in.
When we’re learning to walk, we fall over countless times. However something in us at that stage in our short lives tells us, and pushes us to just get back up and try again, and again. It’s built into our code. However I think is humans through growing older and maturing into Adults forget this basic lesson that Life and The Universe had us learning from our earliest days, and we forget it so much we age to think that to fail at something is a terrible thing and it creates fear in people, to which can ultimately effect whatever it is they’re doing because they go into something already negatively minded.
If you ever choose to go into a day already with your mind made up that the day is going to go against you, you’ve already lost.
The Universe taught us in our youngest days that to fail just means we get to get up and go again, to improve, to get better and to take valuable lessons along the way with us through life that will help us as we come across new challenges in Life. If we manage to get to a point in life where we can detach the fear tied to failure and harness it for what it really is, we stand to improve in all parts of our life, that we choose to do however, sometimes hold ourselves back from completely involving ourselves and our effort, because the fear holds us back. If we can conquer that fear, in turn we will also conquer whatever it is we find before us.
I wish the world could see the word of Fail as not a negative stigma on life but a beautiful opportunity for one to learn and understand what went wrong and to grow a better understanding on their path or task set before them.
If you never failed at anything in your life, all that means is you never tried hard enough to be the best you could be. To live a safe easy, unchallenging life only amounts as a disservice to ones self and they’ll never know their true capabilities.
People who push their hardest, fall down from time to time, fail from time to time, but will get back up, and will better for themselves for it and be more valuable to the world that surrounds them as the world stands to learn and benefit from their knowledge they learnt from believing in themselves at every corner.
You will never succeed in life if you don’t Fail along the way.
Don’t ever be afraid to Fail, only be afraid of never allowing yourself the chance to Fail.
Ashton P. Johannsen
5.12.2020 | https://medium.com/the-human-enigma/are-babies-wiser-than-we-realise-f6742ef6a88a | ['Ash Poul Johannsen'] | 2020-12-05 22:20:44.147000+00:00 | ['Universe', 'Life', 'Wisdom', 'Failure', 'Sucess'] |
The First Signs of Alcoholic Liver Damage Are Not in the Liver | The First Signs of Alcoholic Liver Damage Are Not in the Liver
Myfather died of alcoholic liver cirrhosis four years ago. It came as a surprise to all of us, even though it was clear he had a severe drinking problem for decades. It was especially surprising to me, as a former nurse and a recovering alcoholic. You would think I’d know more about liver problems and alcohol use than the average person. But the truth is, in the months before his death, I had no idea my father’s liver was struggling at all. Most people know about cirrhosis, but few people know how a liver goes from early damage to end-stage liver cirrhosis.
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-uf-v-fight-liv-pq1.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-uf-v-fight-liv-pq2.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-uf-v-fight-liv-pq3.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-uf-v-fight-liv-pq4.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-uf-v-fight-liv-pq5.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-uf-v-fight-liv-pq1.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-uf-v-fight-liv-pq2.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-uf-v-fight-liv-pq3.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-uf-v-fight-liv-pq4.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-uf-v-fight-liv-pq5.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-koshien-bowl-jpn01.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-koshien-bowl-jpn02.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-koshien-bowl-jpn03.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-koshien-bowl-jpn04.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-koshien-bowl-jpn05.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-koshien-bowl-jpn06.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-koshien-bowl-jpn07.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-koshien-bowl-jpn08.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-koshien-bowl-jpn09.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-koshien-bowl-jpn010.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-koshien-bowl-jpn01.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-koshien-bowl-jpn02.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-koshien-bowl-jpn03.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-koshien-bowl-jpn04.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-koshien-bowl-jpn05.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-koshien-bowl-jpn06.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-koshien-bowl-jpn07.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-koshien-bowl-jpn08.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-koshien-bowl-jpn09.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-koshien-bowl-jpn010.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-koshien-bowl-jpn01.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-koshien-bowl-jpn02.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-koshien-bowl-jpn03.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-koshien-bowl-jpn04.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-koshien-bowl-jpn05.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-koshien-bowl-jpn06.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-koshien-bowl-jpn07.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-koshien-bowl-jpn08.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-koshien-bowl-jpn09.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-koshien-bowl-jpn010.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-UFC-256-v-liv-on-ppv-match-tonight1.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-UFC-256-v-liv-on-ppv-match-tonight2.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-UFC-256-v-liv-on-ppv-match-tonight3.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-UFC-256-v-liv-on-ppv-match-tonight4.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-UFC-256-v-liv-on-ppv-match-tonight5.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-UFC-256-v-hq1.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-UFC-256-v-hq2.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-UFC-256-v-hq3.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-UFC-256-v-hq4.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-UFC-256-v-hq5.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/videos-UFC-v-Fight-Night.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/videos-UFC-v-Fight-Night1.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/videos-UFC-v-Fight-Night2.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/videos-UFC-v-Fight-Night3.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/videos-UFC-v-Fight-Night4.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/videos-UFC-v-Fight-Night5.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/videos-UFC-v-Fight-Night6.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/videos-UFC-v-Fight-Night.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/videos-UFC-v-Fight-Night1.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/videos-UFC-v-Fight-Night2.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/videos-UFC-v-Fight-Night3.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/videos-UFC-v-Fight-Night4.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/videos-UFC-v-Fight-Night5.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/videos-UFC-v-Fight-Night6.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-UFC-v-256-Liv-jk02.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-UFC-v-256-Liv-jk01.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-UFC-v-256-Liv-hk09.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-UFC-v-256-Liv-hk08.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-UFC-v-256-Liv-hk07.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-UFC-v-256-Liv-hk06.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-UFC-v-256-Liv-hk05.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-UFC-v-256-Liv-hk04.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-UFC-v-256-Liv-hk03.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-UFC-v-256-Liv-hk02.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-UFC-v-256-Liv-hk01.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-UFC-v-256-Liv-jk02.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-UFC-v-256-Liv-jk01.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-UFC-v-256-Liv-hk09.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-UFC-v-256-Liv-hk08.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-UFC-v-256-Liv-hk07.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-UFC-v-256-Liv-hk06.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-UFC-v-256-Liv-hk05.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-UFC-v-256-Liv-hk04.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-UFC-v-256-Liv-hk03.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-UFC-v-256-Liv-hk02.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-UFC-v-256-Liv-hk01.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live1.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live2.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live3.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live4.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live5.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live1.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live2.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live3.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live4.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live5.html
https://www.davenport-burgess.com/zox/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live.html
https://www.davenport-burgess.com/zox/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live1.html
https://www.davenport-burgess.com/zox/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live2.html
https://www.davenport-burgess.com/zox/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live3.html
https://www.davenport-burgess.com/zox/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live4.html
https://www.davenport-burgess.com/zox/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live5.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live1.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live2.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live3.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live4.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/Video-Koshien-v-Bowl-2020-jpn-live5.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live1.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live2.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live3.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live4.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live5.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live1.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live2.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live3.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live4.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live5.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-UFC-256-live-ppa1.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-UFC-256-live-ppa2.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-UFC-256-live-ppa3.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-UFC-256-live-ppa4.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-UFC-256-live-ppa5.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-Ks-v-Bw-Liv-jk03.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-Ks-v-Bw-Liv-jk02.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-Ks-v-Bw-Liv-jk01.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-Ks-v-Bw-Liv-jk03.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-Ks-v-Bw-Liv-jk02.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/video-Ks-v-Bw-Liv-jk01.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-Ks-v-Bw-Liv-jk03.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-Ks-v-Bw-Liv-jk02.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-Ks-v-Bw-Liv-jk01.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-UFC-256-live-ppa1.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-UFC-256-live-ppa2.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-UFC-256-live-ppa3.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-UFC-256-live-ppa4.html
https://cnpmyfoods.azed.gov/nos/video-UFC-256-live-ppa5.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-Koshien-v-bowl-liv-Tv.Hq1.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-Koshien-v-bowl-liv-Tv.Hq2.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-Koshien-v-bowl-liv-Tv.Hq3.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-Koshien-v-bowl-liv-Tv.Hq4.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-Koshien-v-bowl-liv-Tv.Hq5.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-Koshien-v-bowl-liv-Tv.Hq6.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-Koshien-v-bowl-liv-Tv.Hq7.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-Koshien-v-bowl-liv-Tv.Hq8.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-Koshien-v-bowl-liv-Tv.Hq9.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/video-Koshien-v-bowl-liv-Tv.Hq10.html
https://www.davenport-burgess.com/zox/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live.html
https://www.davenport-burgess.com/zox/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live1.html
https://www.davenport-burgess.com/zox/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live2.html
https://www.davenport-burgess.com/zox/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live3.html
https://www.davenport-burgess.com/zox/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live4.html
https://www.davenport-burgess.com/zox/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live5.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live1.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live2.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live3.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live4.html
https://vimto.co.uk/vpx/Video-UFC-v-256-fightcard-live5.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/Videos-UFC-v-256-Liv-Fight-Tv-a.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/Videos-UFC-v-256-Liv-Fight-Tv-b.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/Videos-UFC-v-256-Liv-Fight-Tv-c.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/Videos-UFC-v-256-Liv-Fight-Tv-d.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/Videos-UFC-v-256-Liv-Fight-Tv-e.html
https://www.electronicsrecycling.org/wordpress/voc/Videos-UFC-v-256-Liv-Fight-Tv-f.html
The combination of my father’s death and my personal background lit a fire in me to know more. He was admitted to the hospital on June 24, 2016, and he died on July 18. Only 24 days passed between the first sign there was a problem and his subsequent death.
Now, hearing that he was in end-stage cirrhosis didn’t surprise me, given his heavy drinking. What did surprise me was that he’d visited several doctors and specialists in the months before his death, and no one knew his liver was struggling either.
So what happened? Does end-stage liver cirrhosis really sneak up that fast? Were there other signs that would have alerted someone to his failing liver?
As for why the doctors and specialists didn’t know what was happening, that mystery resolved reasonably quickly. The plain truth is that alcoholics rarely divulge the amount and frequency of their drinking to their doctors. This was the case for my dad. He had many health issues that he was trying to solve, but he protected his drinking habit fiercely. So he refused to spill the beans, even when it mattered.
The problem is that liver damage has numerous multifaceted symptoms that are confusing and associated with many other illnesses. Unless a doctor knows that the patient is an alcoholic, they may not know how to interpret what’s happening until it’s too late.
As he was dying, my father told me that he didn’t think to tell the doctors how much he was drinking. He said it was as if he blanked out and “forgot” to mention it. As crazy as that sounds, this strange “forgetting” is a common part of the alcoholic mindset. It may also be due to the metabolic and physical changes of cirrhosis itself.
There are many signs of liver problems, but oddly, none seem to point to the liver at first. And in fact, many of the first signs of liver damage occur in other parts of the body. Knowing these signs may help educate alcoholics and their families if they want to understand their risk of developing liver cirrhosis.
Liver damage has numerous multifaceted symptoms that are confusing and associated with many other illnesses. Unless a doctor knows that the patient is an alcoholic, they may not know how to interpret what’s happening until it’s too late.
Digestive signs
The liver plays a huge part in our digestive process. It filters out all toxins from food as well as helping to break down fats and glucose.
When a liver starts to slow down due to significant damage, it will reduce its digestive work. Instead, it will divert its energy toward vital functions like metabolizing medications and filtering toxins.
This means that symptoms like bloating, nausea, vomiting, gas, and diarrhea will start to increase. Over time, eating becomes more challenging. In the later stages of liver cirrhosis, toxins that can’t be filtered out begin to build in the bloodstream, which causes more nausea.
Cognitive signs
Although confusion and brain fog happen in end-stage liver cirrhosis, they can also be early signs.
The liver is responsible for filtering dangerous substances in the blood. It also helps regulate hormones, blood glucose, and vitamin absorption. In the early stages of liver damage, these processes can be interrupted. Inevitably, this affects our brain and nervous system.
This means that early liver problems can make you feel tired, confused, slow, and foggy. You may have some memory issues as well.
Neuromuscular signs
The liver stores vitamins required for the functioning of many organs and systems in the body — one of them is vitamin B1 or thiamine. A deficiency in this particular vitamin has been documented in many alcoholics with or without liver damage.
Unfortunately, alcohol inhibits the absorption of thiamine in the intestine. Over time, as the liver becomes damaged, it can no longer store thiamine in enough quantities. Thiamine deficiency is responsible for many neurological issues in people with alcoholism.
Symptoms of thiamine deficiency range from mild to severe and include things like: confusion, mental fog, lack of balance, pain and numbness in hands and feet, muscle weakness, rapid heart rate, digestive problems, flushing, and involuntary eye movements.
Thiamine deficiency happens in almost every alcoholic who consumes frequent and large amounts of alcohol. And if thiamine deficiency due to alcoholism is discovered, you can be sure the liver is suffering damage at the same time.
Many of the first signs of liver damage occur in other parts of the body.
Vascular signs
All alcohol consumption can lead to blood vessel dilation, causing flushing in the face and hands. Over time, this can cause damage leading to permanent redness in the face. Although many alcoholics have rosacea or spider-like veins on their faces, this is often benign.
However, spider angiomas are different from rosacea or spiderlike veins. They’re circular and have a central point called a spider nevus that is darker than the rest of the lesion. Spider angiomas are a sign of liver disease and can be present in the early stages. They often progress to more extensive and more numerous lesions.
Spider angiomas are caused by increased estrogen levels in the blood. When the liver becomes damaged, it can’t properly metabolize estrogens, which causes them to build up in the body.
Many women who are pregnant or taking birth control pills may have a few spider angiomas. However, in alcoholic liver disease, these lesions are often more frequent and accompanied by red palms and varicose veins in the esophagus.
These are a few of the main signs of alcoholic liver damage that happen outside of the liver. It’s important to know this because most of us have no idea how the liver functions and how it communicates distress.
The liver itself doesn’t show signs like pain or swelling in the early stages of liver damage. This contrasts with other organs like the heart or stomach, where any damage will emit pain or symptoms directly from these organs.
What happens with liver damage is that its many diverse functions become interrupted, causing symptoms in other parts of the body. This may explain why most people never think they have a problem with their liver.
Unfortunately, patients with alcoholism are rarely educated about these issues. This is because they often don’t reveal their drinking, to begin with. And even if they do, the symptoms are widespread and complex, which makes patient education challenging.
My goal in writing articles like this is to help educate regular people about alcoholic liver disease to understand their health and make better decisions.
It’s hard to say if my father would have changed his drinking habits if he knew more about his vague and complicated symptoms. But I think having proper education would have certainly helped him understand his risks and health problems better. | https://medium.com/@davidganduvai253/the-first-signs-of-alcoholic-liver-damage-are-not-in-the-liver-89980fed0c24 | ['David Ganduvai'] | 2020-12-13 02:09:45.888000+00:00 | ['Addiction', 'Body', 'Alcohol', 'Mental Health', 'Health'] |
Does Technology Separate Us or Bring Us Closer Together | Does Technology Separate Us or Bring Us Closer Together Bundet Mar 22·10 min read
News hello hello welcome to today’s live YouTube lesson here on the speak English with an essay YouTube channel I’m so glad that you are learning English with me and taking time to participate even if you are watching the replay no problem please participate answer the questions give some feedback this is the place to use English. No problem all right to make sure that I don’t double here myself. Hi welcome home welcome the reason that you’re scared me gal I’m glad you’re here Douglas you are the first person to be here today perfect now that to some welcome I’m glad you’re here today we’ve got an interesting topic about technology technology so I wouldn’t know for you in your life.
What is your general opinion do you think technology. Bring us closer together or separates us I want to ask you this question right away today and then I will give some introduction and give you a chance to introduce yourself. I want to know what’s your opinion about today’s topic does technology help our relationships or hurt them. Let’s talk about it today we’ve got people from all over the world Indonesia actually from Indonesia great. Russia right from Brazil actually Miguel in Argentina I’m so glad you’re taking time today wonderful wonderful all we’ve got our first answer technology breaks all distances so we have one vote for technology bringing us closer together. I’m from Korea hello. Who never mind your yeah I’m glad you are here live welcome welcome says you can’t stand greets Honduras all this is such an international group I wonder if that answers our question today. This technology was responsible for how I met my wife so for you. You agree that technology brings us closer together in the real world very interesting. Vietnam welcome home welcome.
bundet.comWe’ve got technology helps us because we can chat with people in different countries all right we’ve got to to for bringing us closer together Gustavo says I think technology is sort of like a double edged sword Unifor expression it has pros and cons like everything else let’s talk about this expression for just a moment I double edged sword a double edged sword this means if you have a sword that you’re fighting withdrawal right. Both sides are short so it can cut on both sides this means that if you say technology is a double edged sword it means that we can see the positives and the negatives the pros and the cons of a topic and to date technology is definitely a double edge sword a double edged sword. So I want to ask you I want to ask you do you think people in your country people in your country use their phones too much. Do you think of people in your country use their phones too much. In the U. S.. I would say about 50 percent I think a lot of people use their phones at dinner with their family or when they’re in a cafe with their friends and maybe this is the negative side but a lot of people especially like my parents or the older generation they don’t use technology as much they’re not used to using their phones everywhere. We’ve got lots of yes is yes. Yes they don’t use it in a useful way always there that’s an important point. 90 percent of people use it it’s all manual says it’s everywhere yes it’s so annoying lots of people say yes.
The people use their phones too much. Jenny says in France of course all the time during dinner when you walk all the time people are using their phones. Yes he has a good point technology binds us even if we are physically far apart binds us by any means. Next connect us or ties together it ties us together I missed a comment earlier I forget who said it I’m sorry you can remind me later someone mentioned that their daughter is studying abroad in Ireland and they can communicate because of technology and I agree that is a beautiful thing a wonderful thing to be able to connect when people live far apart just like today we are connecting even though. We live in completely different places. I saw a lot of students using their phone in class he hasn’t even in the bathroom people are using their phones.
I understand people are using their phones all the time. Good for you I don’t use my phone during dinner wonderful wonderful good for you I think that’s a difficult thing to do but a lot of people use their phones and we might say this is an expression we can use to talk about. Bad distractions sometimes we say using your phone or using technology is an escape this is 2 words and A. N. and a skate E. S. C. A. P. E. it’s an escape and there’s a final part to this expression that we usually don’t say but it is implied implied means we know that it’s there but we don’t say it it means it’s an escape from the real world so people are escaping from maybe some problems or some difficulties in their daily life and they are looking at Facebook or watching YouTube videos instead of. The scene there problems facing their problems means looking at their problems and trying to deal with them so that’s the negative side the negative side is that maybe people use phones or technology as an escape as an escape but garland has a good point here he’s he says we went out using our phones we can’t learn English yes I think that is a great points now a days if you have access to the internet there’s no excuse you can find English material anywhere you can find English material here you can join people on Skype you can connect on Facebook. It is a useful tool for learning about the world. But for close relationships people close to you physically close to you the people you live with the people in the coffee shop people in a restaurant.
Maybe it’s not so good for them. Okay from result welcome welcome. Yes I want. I want to know for you do you have any advice any advice for people who want to use technology in a good way so they want to not use technology as in the skate they don’t want to use it as an escape they want to use it to learn English or to benefit themselves to limit their time with technology what is your advice do you have any way that people can try to limit themselves and that’s a great expression for talking about difficult things that you want to stop doing maybe you are eating too much chocolate or too many sweet things you say I need to limit we’re using this as a verb I need to limit the amount of chocolate that I eat I need to limit the amount of sugar that I eat I need to limit the time that I spend on. Devices or technology I have a good point using 2 G. phone this means this means you have to have no internet on your phone or it’s going to be very slow or costly yes don’t rely on the internet too much Sir big things pretty difficult but like you mentioned we can watch Vanessa’s videos thanks to technology yes so if you are interested in my opinion my opinion is similar to what you mentioned 2 things one thing it is technology is. -4 the people close to us the people who live in our household the people who we see often technology is often negative in those ways because it takes us away from those relationships but the people who are far away like this community like these YouTube videos it brings us closer together because we couldn’t communicate without technology so this is something we have to balance not easy completely not easy.
There is 8 excellent piece of advice here. That we have from. I don’t know if I said that correctly but he says when I meet my friends. And are the first person who uses their phone it has to pay for dinner hello this is a great thing when you meet your friends the first person who uses their phone has to pay for dinner very clever probably a great idea because no one wants to pay for everyone’s dinner. All she does is I think people can make a limit so like a self limit for how much they use their phones every day. I think that’s all important there is a good point about having other things to do services they can fill their extra space in time with the reading or exercises so having something else to do I think at least for me I often use my phone or I use the computer when there is nothing else to do or I think I think there’s nothing else to do but if I have a project or I’m interested in going to the park if there is another activity I will use my phone so that’s a great point trying to. Give yourself other activities other things you can do. And technology is all around us it’s not bad it’s not good it just exists. So I hope that you can use it with the limits and help the people around you to also use it with a limit.
All right that’s a good point I advise you to use new technology to improve your English and scientific research skills. Exactly exactly you can use. Technology to be able to learn English learn other things this is the beautiful thing about the internet we really can learn anything. Even with technology there is almost no excuse we can learn something about everything but we need to balance balance our lives I think in I don’t know the statistics for the U. S. or for the computer in the U. S. but T. V. T. V. in the U. S. and this is going to be my final question today TV in the U. S. I think the average is 5:00 hours each day watching TV so this is the average in the U. S. each household watches TV for 5:00 hours every day. Now for me I don’t have a TV so it’s impossible for me to watch TV for that long every day but a lot of people are watching TV I was so surprised I don’t know. How it’s possible but this is one of the statistics that people in the U. S. watch TV so much. And I think it’s like I mentioned before and escape and escape so my final question for you is one which one do you think is better for humans this is a huge question and also kind of fun is TV or the computer better for humans I’m curious to hear what you have to say. Because this is all technology.
My at my cameras technology my microphone is technology. There’s different kinds of technology but I’m curious do you think that TV or the computer art better we have one vote one vote for the computer. We have I don’t watch TV I watch very little computer computer computer computer because it has TV functions that is very true. Nowadays we can use the computer out more for the computer. 7891011 does anyone. I think no one no one would rather have a TV than a computer the computer is and this is a great expression to use for. Something that you really use and it’s valuable to you the computer is valuable invaluable Ian valuable as one word the computer is invaluable this means I can’t live without it there’s so many great things that you can use the computer for that I can’t imagine living without of course I could live without it but after I experienced the internet’s it’s hard to go back to. 15 years ago 20 years ago to us is we need to destroy the TV. I’ll TV’s are for couch potatoes great expression all we’ve got lots of good expressions today double edged sword couch potato indispensable invaluable yes you have got lots of great vocabulary to talk about technology today in the skate things that you you used to get away from the real world. Yes it is indispensable so I hope that for you today you learn something through technology we are using the internet right now incredible there are you people from all over the world who are connecting together so because of technology people around the world can connect so for me I need to think about. People who are close to me am I connecting with the people who I see continuously is the computer or it is my phone separating me from people who live close to me that’s the challenge we have to balance it seems like all of you as well struggle with similar things but it’s part of modern life there’s pros and cons there’s pluses and minuses there’s advantages and disadvantages.
It’s a double edged sword yes pretty difficult well thank you all for talking to me about technology through technology it has been a great conversation I agree with a lot of your and ideas and advice about technology and how we can use it positively and how we can try to use it in a limited way so that it doesn’t become an escape so that we don’t become like Laurie said zombies technology izombie is that’s a great way to say it that as you’re looking at your phone your eyes and your brain becomes like a zombie. So let’s try to. Consciously consciously and this means thinking about it consciously use technology I’m so glad that you guys are using it today to learn English congradulations you have successfully used technology today.
Thank you so much for joining me for today’s alive lesson on YouTube we will have a nother live lesson next Tuesday at the same time same place right here we are going to be talking about a new topic if you have any suggestions for topics feel free to write them in the comments I would love to hear your suggestions I want to talk about something that’s interesting to you and help you improve your vocabulary and improve your communication skills because that is the purpose I want you to be able to talk about a wide variety of topics in English like technology today it’s something that we deal with all the time so thank you so much for joining me if you would like to continue to learn English with me right now feel free to check out the other YouTube videos on this channel and you can also read my free ebook 5 steps to becoming a confident English speaker this is gonna help you know what is the next step for you to really improve and to take your English to the next level thank you so much everyone and I’ll see you again next week bye. | https://medium.com/@bundet/does-technology-separate-us-or-bring-us-closer-together-5f55a321db2f | [] | 2021-03-22 01:45:24.878000+00:00 | ['English Learning', 'English Language', 'Students', 'English', 'Social'] |
Content Marketing Trends You Need to Pay Attention to in 2021 | Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels
Build Fans Not Followers
An audience of fans who take action, share your content, and buy all of your products or services are far more valuable than an audience of followers who like your content, purchase once (maybe), and never engage. This is what every business strives for, yet a lot of the content that businesses put out focuses on building one-off followers instead of nurturing their fans.
Nurture your fans, and you will gain more fans. Focus on building more followers, and you risk losing fans who don’t feel like they are being prioritized. A business has a higher likelihood of being successful with 1,000 loyal fans as opposed to a business with 10,000 followers.
Your fans are what drive your business and it’s important to not only focus on growing your customer base but maintaining and nurturing the customers you already have. Your fans are the algorithm to your success.
How do you build fans and not followers? After you’ve delivered on that transformation and experience for your customers, seek out those success stories, and give your customers a voice in your content marketing strategy. You need to ask for their feedback and their opinion and you need to share their stories. People notice when a company is listening to them and taking their feedback seriously. They also notice when a company spends all its time talking about itself instead of its customers.
How to build this into your 2021 content marketing strategy | https://bettermarketing.pub/content-marketing-trends-you-need-to-pay-attention-to-in-2021-91b228bfec19 | ['Megan Elizabeth Clark'] | 2020-12-18 14:29:59.901000+00:00 | ['2021 Trends', 'Marketing', 'Content Marketing Tips', 'Content Marketing', 'Copywriting'] |
Social Recognition: The Most Powerful HR Tool In The Digital Era | Recognition is not a scarce resource. You can’t use it up or run out of it.
Evolution of Employee Recognition:
Although there is not one single event that highlights the scope of workplace recognition, some form of rewards could be found in ancient Greece during the first Olympic where the winners of the events were awarded prizes, including horses, laurel (or olive) leaf crowns and bronze tripods. These athletes were honored with statues and inscriptions too. Starting in 1896, Olympic medals were introduced which became a huge part of the modern games and are considered to be a great recognition in the sports fraternity. Human nature is known to revolve around the need for appreciation and rewards which keeps them motivated to achieve their goals, be it on the Olympic ground or modern workplace.
During the 20th century, most of the workplace recognition was based on B.F. Skinner’s study of positive reinforcement where he theorized that companies reward only those employees that display hard-working behaviour continuously. It was also observed that the recognition was heavily influenced by the employee tenure back then.
Employee recognition in the modern workplace, which began as a North American concept, in recent decades has been embraced by businesses in South America, Europe, Asia and around the globe. Earlier employees were recognized for reaching significant milestones like tenure, safety or sales achievements typically and were felicitated with a memento, lapel pins or merchandise.
Soon technology continued to advance, and in the late 90s employee reward platforms were introduced making the process of redeeming rewards simpler and quicker. Soon ‘performance points programs’ were developed, allowing organizations to distribute points for specific achievements and tasks which could be banked and redeemed for incentives.
Today, successful employee recognition is not driven by the number of years an employee has served in the organization but is given to employees for their successful performance, for unique ideas, maybe for meeting tight timelines, for active participation, even for displaying company values. Rewards today are also given peer to peer. And the most latest trend, social media has become a part of our daily lives, social recognition has become the in thing.
Read how social recognition platform is making a way into the modern work culture — https://bit.ly/BuzzzSocialRecognition | https://medium.com/@marketing-77346/social-recognition-the-most-powerful-hr-tool-in-the-digital-era-b822148381a5 | ['Karan Singh'] | 2020-12-11 06:35:12.392000+00:00 | ['Employee Retention', 'Employee Recognition', 'Employee Engagement'] |
The Capitalists are Coming for Trump and They’re at the Gate | The Capitalists are Coming for Trump and They’re at the Gate
Why the melodrama will fade and everyone will get back to business as usual
The problem with the internet is the importance it lends to voices. Inconsequential, disruptive and destabilizing voices that have increasingly found favor in our modern society. Voices that, in past generations, had been muted by the crowd. No longer. Anarchists now have a new playground.
After impeachment, when the dust settles in America, whatever the result of this convoluted and opaque process may be, the American psyche will emerge for the most part unscathed. Slightly weathered, a little bruised, but otherwise, none the worse for wear.
For most, the harsh reality of eking out an existence tends to dilute the importance of the political machinations that unfold on Capitol Hill. Life’s real issues. Paying bills, feeding children and deciding on which model of assault rifle to purchase for ridding your lawn of gophers. These things matter. In the grand scheme of things, they matter most.
You’re dealing with a group of very resilient people. The Americans are as diverse and divided as they are disenfranchised, but they can draw solace from the fact they’re not alone. Far from it. Their plight is shared globally, by citizens of every country. You may ask how?
The hallmark of a successful government and a happy society is a simple one. It is based on the government's ability to suppress the public’s awareness of being disenfranchised, In effect, how successfully it is able to brainwash its citizens into buying into the lie of the happy state, the democratic state.
As with other political systems, America’s ‘elected’ have until recently done a stellar job. Past Presidents have adhered to artfully crafted narratives to enforce the appearance of democracy.
Democracy is the dream, politicians the salesmen and capitalism provides the script. The electorate swallows it hooks, line and sinker. When the alternative is your bleak reality, the lie is that much easier to believe, the dream a necessity.
Donald Trump has rocked that boat, arguably completely capsizing it and shattering the illusion. People are waking from their ‘democratic’ slumber to the dawning awareness of their real lives. A realization they no longer live in a democracy and haven’t for a long, long time. That perhaps there never was democracy. That their voices count for naught. That, as with all democracies, they are merely the fuel for the engine that is capitalism.
They’re not alone. There is no country in the world that does not embrace this principle of enrichment of the few at the expense of the many. Capitalism runs our world, dressed in its varying guises of socialism, communism or democracy. To argue otherwise is to accept the lie. The ideologies, including the religious constructs, that form the basis of our societies, are manipulated by a select few to control masses. Dress it any way you choose, but call it by its name.
Side Show Bob may have temporarily hijacked the American narrative and exposed the democratic lie for what it is, but his masters will not allow the narrative to be destroyed.
It serves not only their purposes, but holds together the very societal fabric of America. Remove the narrative, destroy the dream that is democracy and people will wake from their slumber. The fairy tale will end and anarchy will follow in its footsteps. Much like the child waking from the edge of sleep to demand the parent continue reading, America wants its story book back.
Despite the calls from the digital void to embrace anarchy, people yearn for a return to the dream, to that lie, sold so eloquently by individuals like Kennedy and Obama. Trump’s masters will act, dispassionately and decisively, to protect this narrative, and as always, as with all great magicians, their delicate judicious manipulations to restore balance will pass unseen.
The consequences of their actions, however, will be felt across America. Democracy will be restored and people will feel their ‘faith’ in the system to be vindicated. The fact that democracy no longer means what it did before the arrival of Trump, before the Twin Towers, matters little.
It is the idea of freedom and choice that is so beguiling. Little of either remain, but the dream persists. For now. | https://medium.com/lighterside/the-capitalists-are-coming-for-trump-and-theyre-at-the-gate-5bf96911306 | ['Robert Turner'] | 2020-01-22 14:51:51.041000+00:00 | ['America', 'Democrats', 'Republican Party', 'Politics', 'Donald Trump'] |
The story behind Made From Plants | One of my Anerley Road favourites is the vegan bakery and grocery shop Made From Plants, so I jumped at the opportunity to interview the owner, Sarah, and find out the story behind the business. I find that it’s often assumed that vegan options should be healthy or low-calorie, but people wanting to eat plant-based food also want tasty, comforting treats, which is what Made From Plants offers — I’m a big fan of their deliciously sticky cinnamon buns — as well as stocking the essentials for plant-based living. As when I interviewed Sam McMeekin about the Douglas Fir, I was struck by the serendipity of how the business came into being, and I’m so glad Sarah did that juice cleanse and felt inspired!
Made From Plants, 120A Anerley Road
Tell us a bit about Made From Plants — how did it get started?
We started Made From Plants nearly two years ago. Having gone vegan two years previously, we felt passionate about show-casing vegan food in the form of food that was familiar to people, like sausage rolls, pies, pasties, cinnamon buns, cakes and other baked goods. I also wanted to stock the essentials to help people on their way to adopting a plant-based way of living. Everything we do is motivated by our compassion for animals and our desire to reduce their suffering, primarily by showing that we don’t need to hurt and kill them to eat really tasty and satisfying food.
What made you choose Anerley Road as the location for Made From Plants?
We live locally and I always thought that the space would make a cute shop, it had been empty and unkept for many years. Walking past on day six of a juice cleanse, feeling very in-touch with the universe and full of positivity and faith, I saw the notice in the shop window that it was up for rent. I took it as a sign, rang the number, got the shop, left my office job and here we are, two and a half years later. I had no idea what I was doing, I liked baking and I was passionate about veganism, so I thought I’d give it a go, and it’s been a great success.
What’s next for the business?
We also host supper clubs and other sorts of events. The future of the business at this time is more of the same, consistently showing that there are great-tasting, affordable alternatives to eating animal-based food. Better for the people, the planet and, most importantly, better for our fellow earthlings that share it with us. | https://medium.com/@loveanerley/the-story-behind-made-from-plants-3c282a9dbd22 | ['Love Anerley'] | 2019-06-17 12:49:43.374000+00:00 | ['Plant Based', 'Shopping', 'Vegan', 'London', 'Bakery'] |
Why MassMutual buying 100 million in BTC is more important than Microstrategy buying 1 Billion | This was a news piece last week that I think was just underappreciated or its significance was underestimated.
https://www.businessinsider.com/insurer-massmutual-scoops-up-100-million-worth-of-bitcoin-2020-12
In 2020 there have been a lot of companies to put Bitcoin on their balance sheet and that was an amazing thing for the space.
But then there was Mass Mutual buying a measly 100 million in Bitcoin.
This is 0.04% of their 235 Billion investment account. This investment amount is a rounding error on its balance sheet and which in the grand scheme of things might look very insignificant.
Here is my reasoning as to why this is not the case:
For an insurer to buy bitcoin, no matter the quantity it needs approval from the FED. This means that bitcoin has in a sense received a stamp of approval from a US regulatory body
The Insurance company’s investment in Bitcoin shows that even the very traditional investor institutions are entering the market.
“We believe that having an equity stake in NYDIG as well as a bitcoin position in our general investment account will help us deliver long-term value to our policyowners,” said Tim Corbett, chief investment officer at MassMutual
Like Paul Tudor Jones helped other Investors and Microstrategy helped other Companies by being first and taking the reputation hit, it could open the doors to other insurance companies and pension funds investing in Bitcoin.
According to the note from the JPMorgan strategists, allocation of just 1% of funds from pension companies and insurance companies in the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan would move $600 billion of institutional funds into cryptocurrencies. At current valuations, that amount represents a 2x market capitalization of cryptocurrencies today.
All of these are long term players who ignore short term volatility, something that pension funds might not do so I expect that they will join in the trend but like MassMutual, they will do it with very small percentages of their portfolio just to dip a toe in the water.
It also helps them figure out how to handle everything in case they want to expand those purchases and makes sure they have all the procedures in place to handle these new kinds of investments.
This and a lot of other macro news keep me bullish for the long term but I hope to be buying a bit more Bitcoin before the mad rush higher. | https://medium.com/@cryptogoodies/why-massmutual-buying-100-million-in-btc-is-more-important-than-microstrategy-buying-1-billion-23087353418b | ['Bart Eggermont'] | 2020-12-22 17:29:53.403000+00:00 | ['Bitcoin', 'Regulation', 'Insurance', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Crypto'] |
Helicopter Parents, Extracurriculars, and Those Darn Kids | by Kevin Baumgartner
What’s the real deal with helicopter parents? (Image courtesy The Telegraph, UK)
Now, I may be putting my position as a conservative blogger on the line by saying this, but I read the New York Times quite regularly. And in the past few months, I’ve begun to notice that the paper has somewhat of an obsession with college students- particularly, why we’re studying less than our predecessors, and why our parents can’t seem to let go.
Today’s “Room for Debate” forum- one of my favorite NYTimes features- was, in line with this trend, devoted to discussing how and why college freshmen have changed in the past few decades. And, predictably, the contributors focused on helicopter parenting and students who study too little. What should we, as current university students, think about these issues? And how- if at all- does any of it apply specifically to Stanford? This conversation, of course, is much too big for one blog post- especially, I might add, one blog post from a blogger with an immunology problem set due tomorrow- so I’ll just make a couple of points that struck me as particularly important, then turn the discussion over to you, dear readers.
First of all, I’ve always had an issue with the studies (extensively cited and discussed in the first article linked to this post) that show college students studying so much less these days. I’ll start by making it clear that I can only really engage this issue from a Stanford-centric perspective- I just don’t know how things go on other campuses (except Cal, where the godless communist hippies clearly spend all of their time in drum circles). My objections to the idea that Stanford students don’t do enough schoolwork aside, I have an issue with the studies’ exclusion of extracurricular activities. While part-time and full-time work hours are addressed in the study, I didn’t see a single mention of clubs, performance groups, athletics, or other organizations. The commentators on NYTimes and elsewhere all seem to spend most of their time insinuating that any time “those darn kids” spend not studying or working is wasted. I must disagree. Speaking from personal experience, my time in extracurricular activities at Stanford has been just as educational (sometimes even more so) than my time in class. I’ve gained widely applicable practical abilities (financial management, scheduling, meeting planning, fund-raising, etc.), specialized knowledge (how to arrange a song or take a medical history), and enhanced interpersonal skills (how to soothe tempers, motivate participation, and negotiate with superiors and equals). The NYTimes contributors- and many other “grown-up” opinion leaders- seem to ignore the vast educational value of this particular sector of student life.
Second, the whole parents thing. I’d like to start by acknowledging that many students here don’t have the privilege of supportive, involved, or even living parents; those of us who do have this privilege ought to remember that, and count our blessings. That said, I feel quite strongly that the rush to condemn helicopter parenting has, in many ways, led many commentators to underestimate the amount of parental involvement that is appropriate in a college student’s life. Yes, our parents shouldn’t be trying to run every aspect of our lives, solving our grade problems for us, or involving themselves so intimately in the details of day-to-day life that we never develop practical coping skills. But should parents simply abandon their children after dropping them off at college? I don’t think so. I talk to my parents at least once or twice a week; I like to update them on my life and get the news from back home. And honestly, they deserve at least a phone call every now and then- I love them, and they did undertake the thankless task of raising a child who, at one point in his life, refused to eat spaghetti with sauce on it. I’m also perfectly comfortable calling my father for quick advice about the car or my tax forms, or asking my mother, an English teacher by trade, to look over an application essay now and then. The mistaken idea that we know everything is much more dangerous to our personal development than an occasional request for parental help.
And let’s not ignore the elephant in the room: most of us are still living, to some degree, on our parents’ dime. And as much as we like to think of ourselves as fiercely self-sufficient adults, we’re not really entitled to claim the privileges and prerogatives of full independence until we can accept the responsibility of supporting ourselves financially. As much as we all hate to admit it, parents have a right to exert some degree of influence on decisions about how their money is being spent. So if, to pull an example out of thin air, your parents don’t like the fact that you’re living in a co-ed dorm room, they have every right to pull their funding for your education. (To her credit, the student mentioned in the article was willing to accept her parents’ decision to stop paying her tuition, and took financial responsibility for herself after the decision was made.)
With all of this said, however, I generally agree with what’s been said by the NYTimes commentators and others about excessive helicopter parenting: it really does damage students’ ability to develop into fully-functioning adults. We have to make our own mistakes in order to develop basic survival skills, be they emotional, financial, or car-related. The key here is to make sure that asking your parents for help doesn’t become too much of a crutch. I, for example, am careful to remember and store away any advice I get from my father, so I don’t have to run back to him again and again over the same issues. Likewise, it’s wonderfully fine and natural that we all seek emotional consolation and support from our families. I, for one, intend to continue doing so for the foreseeable future. But at the same time, we have a responsibility to develop personal coping skills and a network of peers who can lend us help and support. Do I see helicopter parenting at Stanford? Not to any excessive degree. But I do see a certain lack of practical survival skills (at this point, for example, we really ought to be doing our own taxes) that may be, at least in part, attributable to parental over-involvement and student over-dependence.
So, the message: keep in touch with your parents, respect their rights, and don’t be afraid to go to them for advice or help. But keep in mind your responsibility to learn how to live on your own. And keep it up with those extracurriculars! The reputation of college students around the world- or at least in the pages of the New York Times- is depending on us. | https://medium.com/stanfordreview/helicopter-parents-extracurriculars-and-those-darn-kids-c211d64e5532 | [] | 2016-12-11 08:43:19.135000+00:00 | ['Parenting', 'Education'] |
Computer Vision and Image Processing | Though these terms are related and often used interchangeably, the concepts are different. Here’s how…
Photo by Camila Quintero Franco on Unsplash
The Age of Selfie Filters
If you have used Instagram, or any photo sharing app, you have likely seen and/or used an image filter. These filters are enabled through Image Processing techniques. In popular social apps, you probably have also come across the ability to modify your live selfie, such as placing bunny ears or swapping faces with someone. These entertaining and delightful experiences are powered by a branch of Artificial Intelligence most often referred to as Computer Vision, which allows computers to make sense of digital images. Image Processing and Computer Vision are different concepts, but very much go hand-in-hand. This article aims to provides overviews of the concepts and how they are utilized.
What is Image Processing?
Image processing involves two methods, namely analog image processing and digital image processing. Analog image processing comprises the technique to process photographs, printouts, and different hard copies of images. In contrast, digital image processing involves manipulating the digital image for generating information with the help of complex algorithms.
The input for an image processing task is an image. However, it is essential to note that analog image processing always requires an image input. Still, digital image processing may include images or information associated with an image, such as features or bounding boxes, etc. Ideally, image processing is used for the following purposes.
Image visualization is the representation of the processed data in the form of visual output for better understanding. This task is mainly done for objects that are not easy to detect in an image.
Improving the quality of the image by using image sharpening and restoration.
Image search is associated with retrieving the image source from an investigation conducted by an image search engine.
To perform classification to distinguish different objects and locating their position in an image.
Essential Steps in Digital Image Processing
1. Image Acquisition
Typically, image acquisition involves capturing an image by a sensor such as a camera. If a non-digital form of output exists, it is converted to a digital form using an analog to a digital converter. This process also includes pre-processing, such as image scaling.
2. Image Enhancement
The process that is related to image manipulation to achieve relevant results for specified tasks to be performed is known as image enhancement. Ideally, this process relates to image filtering by performing tasks such as noise removal, contrast adjustment, brightness, and sharpening of the images for improving the quality of the image that were captured originally.
Deblurring of an image with the use of image enhancement technique (Wiener Filter). Source
3. Image Restoration
Image restoration involves improving the appearance of an image that may have been degraded by mathematical and probabilistic models. An ideal example would be the reduction of blurring in an image.
4. Color Image Processing
The extraction of features from an image with a color-based approach.
5. Wavelet and Multi-Resolution Processing
It involves representing images in terms of various resolution available that is generally used for image compression. This is useful for image data compression as well.
An illustration of Wavelet transformation (Haar Wavelet). Source
6. Compression
Reducing the storage space required to save an image or the bandwidth required for displaying an image is done with the help of compression. The techniques that involve image size reduction and adjustment such that the quality is least deteriorated falls under the image compression procedure.
Image Compression. Source
7. Morphological processing
The extraction of essential components in an image describes the shape of a particular object in an image. Some of the typical morphological operations are erosion and dilation for producing image attributes.
Morphological operation results (imtophat transform) Source
8. Segmentation
Image segmentation is one of the necessary procedures under image processing that involves the partitioning of the image into multiple segments. This procedure allows to locate objects in an image and identify the boundaries of the objects. An important point to note is that the segmentation’s accuracy will lead to better recognition and classification accuracy.
Segmentation of regions according to color values, shapes, and textures. Source
9. Representation and Description
The representation is associated with displaying image output in the form of a boundary or a region. It can involve characteristics of shapes in corners or regional representations like the texture or skeletal shapes.
On the other hand, the description is most commonly known as feature selection, responsible for extracting meaningful information from an image. The information extracted can help to differentiate between classes of objects from one another accurately.
10. Object Recognition / Image Labeling
The process of assigning labels to an object depending on its description for classification purposes. This is a very important step for Computer Vision. To train models, a large enough corpus of images need to be processed and labelled, so that the Computer Vision model can be utilize to detect similar objects in other images.
Example of tagging/labeling of image. Source
Many companies now offer data labeling services, such as ClickWorker, CloudFactory, etc.
Computer Vision
As described above, Image Processing generally refers to the application of algorithms to images. The purpose of such algorithms are often meant to improve the quality of the image or to alter it for a different visual effect. However, Image Processing is also very important to prepare images for Computer Vision models, such as applying segmentation or labeling known objects.
Computer Vision generally refers to the technologies involved in allowing computers to make sense of images. The most common application of this is image recognition, which is a process that enables the identifying of objects and image features. Image recognition is used in numerous applications today, such as medical imaging, security surveillance, facial recognition, identification of logos, and buildings, to name a few. However, for these models to work, the images need to first be labeled, segmented, or have other processing steps taken as mentioned prior.
Today, Computer Vision applications have achieved tremendous success, and some of the most notable use cases are outlined below:
Defect Inspection
Image recognition has contributed positively to the manufacturing units. The primary task of image recognition has been to identify defective items during the manufacturing process. The ability to quickly examine thousands of defective items in the assembly line speeds up the overall process and leads to efficiency in the mode of operations.
Image Classification
Perhaps, the most crucial part of image recognition that has been part of many types of research is image classification. The possibility of assisting doctors in finding a region of interest for detecting and predicting a particular disease has been part of several researches in recent years. Image classification has been a critical contributor in e-commerce industries to enhance the user experience with quick search possibilities. Image classification allows categorizing images as per a specific image content. It is part of most of the recommendation systems and image retrieval engines that we use today.
Autonomous Driving
The state-of-the-art technology of autonomous driving is yet to reach its full potential before being allowed commercially. However, to have pedestrian detection capability and to stop when a stop sign is being shown has been possible to incorporate image recognition into computer vision techniques.
Robotics
Image recognition has been part of many robotics-based projects used to train them to identify objects for better navigation and detect objects that may be found in its path.
Text Detection
Text detection is yet another promising contributions with the help of image recognition. The detection of text and characters from an image such as a photograph that can include a street sign or a traffic sign has been a possibility with text detection. Cloud Vision by Google is one of the prominent companies in the field of text detection.
Facial Recognition
With the emergence of AI, facial recognition has been a possibility. From securing the device to surveillance, facial recognition has a strong demand in the market due to its potential. However, several experts are questioning the privacy aspects of the technology. Nevertheless, it is a fact that every technology has some limitations. Therefore, the proper implementation of facial recognition techniques will result in life essentials, such as traffic and city surveillance.
e-Commerce
Shoppers can now search for similar products by uploading images of existing products they have, or products they want to find complementary styles to. This requires the transformation of the image into a visual embedding, where then the recommendations are either products similar to the one uploaded or the ones known to be complementary.
Getting Started with Image Recognition Models
Some of the most valuable packages to utilize for Computer Vision and Image Processing include:
imutils
OpenCV
Dlib
Scikit-learn
Scikit-image
TensorFlow
Keras
Mxnet
Fastai
Pytessarct
PyTorchCV
You can also explore prebuilt cloud services by using:
Thanks to the continued rapid evolution of open source software, Data Scientists and engineers and get started on using Computer Vision easily. To get started with an Image Recognition model detecting cats and dogs, please refer to this article.
A note on Convolutional Neural Networks
It’s difficult to talk about Computer Vision without acknowledging the importance of Convolutional Neural Networks. A convolutional neural network (CNN) is a type of multi-layer neural network. The most effective technique for computer vision has been the use of neural networks. CNN is intended to reduce the computational time while performing image processing tasks. It is designed to act similarly as the brain interprets the image. In the last few years, there has been a significant contribution to deep learning technologies for image recognition, learning patterns, and classification to improve image processing systems. Medical imaging is one of the prominent areas where CNNs have accomplished success. Thus, there are limitless researches that have focused on several medical imaging problems using various CNN models.
Typically, CNN consists of the following.
Input Layer
Convolutional Layers
Max Pooling Layers
Activation Layers (ReLU)
SoftMax Layer
The neurons and weights in a CNN architecture are trained with the dataset for a specific problem. The neurons are responsible for producing an output. The hidden layers in a CNN architecture forward input in single vectors, whereas the fully connected layer is the output layer that produces an image’s classification results. The final fully connected layer of a CNN consists of the loss function. Convolutional layers use convolutional filters, which activate specific features from the image.
On the other hand, the pooling layers reduces the number of parameters that a network has to learn to produce a simplified output. ReLU enables faster training for the network. The softMax function is used for classification purposes. Several types of CNNs are used for different image processing tasks, such as Mask R-CNN, Faster R-CNN, Alex Net, Google Net. These models have been widely used in academic researches.
Convolutional Neural Network Architecture. Source
Conclusion
Hopefully next time you do a face swap or apply a cool image filter, you will appreciate the sophistication of Computer Vision models and the incredible engineering it took to make it all happen in real-time. Moreover, aside from creating delightful experiences, such technologies are create tremendous value in life-saving solutions in the fields of medicine and sciences. As the fields of Computer Vision and more generally, Artificial Intelligence, continues to evolve, it will be exciting to see what new applications we develop. | https://medium.com/swlh/computer-vision-and-image-processing-470ceea06b91 | ['Richard Sheng'] | 2020-12-22 22:01:35.696000+00:00 | ['Image Processing', 'Computer Vision', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Data Science', 'Machine Learning'] |
TDD iOS Network API Call with Xcode XCTest | You can also read this article in my Xcoding With Alfian blog website using the link below.
Test Driven Development (TDD) is one of the approach that software developers can use in Software Development. In TDD, developers plan the features of the software they want to create, then before writing implementation of the feature, they write test cases for each features of the software.
At the beginning the test case obviously will fails because the code is not yet implemented. This phase is usually called the red phase. The developers then write the code to make sure the test case pass successfully and does not break any components or current test cases, the code in this phase does not have to be fully optimized and efficient. This phase is called the green phase. After this, the developer should refactor the implementation of the code by cleaning, maintaining the codebase and optimize the efficiency of the code. This cycle then should be repeated as new test case is added. Each unit of test should be made as small and isolated as possible to make it easier to read and maintain.
In this article, we are going to build a simple Unit Test for Network API using TDD with Xcode XCTest Framework. The Network API encapsulates a network call to a server to get list of movies in JSON, then encode it to array of Movie Swift class. The network test needs to perform fast without making actual network request, to achieve this we will create mock objects and stubs to simulate the server calls and response.
What We Will Build
APIRepository class: This class encapsulates our network request call to the server to get list of movies
APIRepositoryTests class: XCTest subclass that we will use to write test cases for the APIRepository class
MockURLSession class: URLSession subclass that acts as mock object to test the URL passed and MockURLSessionDataTask created with stub Data, URLResponse, and Error objects
MockURLSessionDataTask class: URLSessionDataTask subclass that acts as mock object that stores the stub Data, URLResponse, Error, completionHandler object from network call, it overrides the resume call and invoke the completionHandler stub passing the stub objects.
Beginning Test Driven Development
Test Case 1 — Get Movies From API Sets up URL Host and Path as Expected
The first test case we will create is to test that the get movies method sets up URL Host and Path within the correct expectation. Begin by creating APIRepositoryTests Unit Test Class within the Test module. Don’t forget to add ‘@testable import project-name’ to include the project module within the test module. To run the tests in Xcode, you can use the shortcut Command+U.
Create a method called testGetMoviesWithExpectedURLHostAndPath(), inside the function we set instantiate APIRepository class object, as we type the compiler complaints about unresolved identifier APIRepository because we the APIRepository class does not exists yet.
import XCTest
@testable import APITest class APIRepositoryTests: XCTestCase { func testGetMoviesWithExpectedURLHostAndPath() {
let apiRespository = APIRepository()
}
}
To make the test compiles, create a new File called APIRepository.swift containing the APIRepository class
import Foundation class APIRepository {}
Next, inside the testGetMoviesWithExpectedURLHostAndPath we will call the APIRepository method to get movies from the network passing the completion handler.
func testGetMoviesWithExpectedURLHostAndPath() {
let apiRespository = APIRepository()
apiRepository.getMovies { movies, error in }
}
The compiler will complain that APIRepository has no member getMovies, inside the APIRepository class add the function of getMovies and Create Movie class in a new File to make the test compiles.
import Foundation class Movie: Codable {
let title: String
let detail: String
} class APIRepository {
func getMovies(completion: @escaping ([Movie]?, Error?) -> Void) {
}
}
To test the URL Host and Pathname we need a way to cache the URL when the URLSession invokes the dataTask (with:, completionHandler:) passing the URL containing the hostname and path of the Server API in our test. To do this we will create a MockURLSession class that subclass the URLSession class and add a stored properties containing the URL. We then override the dataTask (with:, completionHandler:) method and assign the url to the instance property.
class MockURLSession: URLSession {
var cachedUrl: URL? override func dataTask(with url: URL, completionHandler: @escaping(Data?, URLResponse?, Error?) -> Void) -> URLSessionDataTask {
self.cachedUrl = url
return URLSessionDataTask()
}
}
Inside our test case, we will assign the MockURLSession to the APIRepository session property, then after calling getMovies, we use the XCTAssertEqual to check the APIRepository session url host and pathname to our expectation.
func testGetMoviesWithExpectedURLHostAndPath() {
let apiRespository = APIRepository()
let mockURLSession = MockURLSession()
apiRespository.session = mockURLSession
apiRespository.getMovies() { movies, error in }
XCTAssertEqual(mockURLSession.cachedUrl?.host, "mymovieslist.com")
XCTAssertEqual(mockURLSession.cachedUrl?.path, "/topmovies")
}
The compiler will fails, to make the test compiles just add the session property inside the APIRepository class
class APIRepository {
var session: URLSession!
...
}
Run the test, the test will fail because the XCTAssertEqual. We need to implement the getMovies method passing the correct URL to the sessionDataTask to pass the test. After this, the test will finally pass successfully.
func getMovies(completion: @escaping ([Movie]?, Error?) -> Void)
guard let url = URL(string: "https://mymovieslist.com/topmovies")
else { fatalError() }
session.dataTask(with: url) { (_, _, _) in }
}
Test Case 2 — Get Movies From API Successfully Returns List of Episodes
The next test is to test when the API to get movies has a successful response, the completion handler should be invoked passing the list of movies. To test asynchronous code in Xcode we can use expectation and waitForExpectation function to be fulfilled within the specified timeout we pass. After the expectation is fulfilled a completion handler will be invoked that we can use to assert the result of the fulfilment from the asynchronous code. Create testGetMoviesSuccessReturnsMovies function inside the APIRepositoryTestClass and the following code:
func testGetMoviesSuccessReturnsMovies() {
let apiRespository = APIRepository()
let mockURLSession = MockURLSession()
apiRespository.session = mockURLSession
let moviesExpectation = expectation(description: "movies")
var moviesResponse: [Movie]?
apiRespository.getMovies { (movies, error) in
moviesResponse = movies
moviesExpectation.fulfill()
}
waitForExpectations(timeout: 1) { (error) in
XCTAssertNotNil(moviesResponse)
}
}
The test will fails because we have not implemented the getMovies completion handler to serialize the JSON from the response into Movie class. But how do we test this without an actual Server that returns the data?. We can use MockDataTask and passing stubs for the data. The MockDataTask is an URLSessionDataTask subclass that can be initialized using the stubs Data, URLResponse, and Error object then cached inside the instance properties. It also stores the completionHandler as instance property, so it can be invoked when the override resume method is called.
class MockTask: URLSessionDataTask {
private let data: Data?
private let urlResponse: URLResponse?
private let error: Error?
var completionHandler: ((Data?, URLResponse?, Error?) -> Void)
init(data: Data?, urlResponse: URLResponse?, error: Error?) {
self.data = data
self.urlResponse = urlResponse
self.error = error
}
override func resume() {
DispatchQueue.main.async {
self.completionHandler?(self.data, self.urlResponse, self.error)
}
}
}
We will the MockTask as the instance property of the MockURLSession class and we also create initializer that accepts the Data, URLResponse, and Error object then instantiate the mockTask object using the parameters. Inside the dataTask override method we also assign the completionHandler to the mockTask completion handler property for it to be invoked when the resume is called.
class MockURLSession: URLSession {
...
private let mockTask: MockTask
init(data: Data?, urlResponse: URLResponse?, error: Error?) {
mockTask = MockTask(data: data, urlResponse: urlResponse, error:
error)
override func dataTask(with url: URL, completionHandler: @escaping (Data?, URLResponse?, Error?) -> Void) -> URLSessionDataTask {
self.cachedUrl = url
mockTask.completionHandler = completionHandler
return dataTask
}
}
Now inside the test we create stub json Data, then initialize the MockSession passing the stub Data. Run the test, it fails because we haven’t implemented the getMovies completion handler to handle the response and serialize the JSON data to the Movie object.
func testGetMoviesSuccessReturnsMovies() {
let jsonData = "[{\"title\": \"Mission Impossible Fallout\",\"detail\": \"A Tom Cruise Movie\"}]".data(using: .utf8)
let apiRespository = APIRepository()
let mockURLSession = MockURLSession(data: jsonData, urlResponse: nil, error: nil)
apiRespository.session = mockURLSession
let moviesExpectation = expectation(description: "movies")
var moviesResponse: [Movie]?
apiRespository.getMovies { (movies, error) in
moviesResponse = movies
moviesExpectation.fulfill()
}
waitForExpectations(timeout: 1) { (error) in
XCTAssertNotNil(moviesResponse)
}
}
To make the test pass successfully, implements the completionHandler in get movies from APIRepository class:
func getMovies(completion: @escaping ([Movie]?, Error?) -> Void) {
guard let url = URL(string: "https://mymovieslist.com/topmovies")
else { fatalError() } session.dataTask(with: url) { (data, response, error) in
guard let data = data else { return }
let movies = try! JSONDecoder().decode([Movie].self, from: data)
completion(movies, nil)
}.resume() }
Test Case 3 — Get Movies From API with URL Response Error returns ErrorResponse
The third test case is to test when the dataTask completion handler has an Error it returns ResponseError. Create testGetMoviesWhenResponseErrorReturnsError method inside the APIRepositoryTests class:
func testGetMoviesWhenResponseErrorReturnsError() {
let apiRespository = APIRepository()
let error = NSError(domain: "error", code: 1234, userInfo: nil)
let mockURLSession = MockURLSession(data: nil, urlResponse: nil, error: error)
apiRespository.session = mockURLSession
let errorExpectation = expectation(description: "error")
var errorResponse: Error?
apiRespository.getMovies { (movies, error) in
errorResponse = error
errorExpectation.fulfill()
}
waitForExpectations(timeout: 1) { (error) in
XCTAssertNotNil(errorResponse)
}
}
The test fails, because we haven’t handle the implementation or handling response error in the completion handler. Add the implementation to check the error is nil using guard and pass the error to completion handler and return if it is exist. Run the test to make sure it pass successfully.
func getMovies(completion: @escaping ([Movie]?, Error?) -> Void) {
guard let url = URL(string: "https://mymovieslist.com/topmovies")
else { fatalError() } session.dataTask(with: url) { (data, response, error) in
guard error == nil else {
completion(nil, error)
return
} guard let data = data else { return }
let movies = try! JSONDecoder().decode([Movie].self, from: data)
completion(movies, nil)
}.resume() }
Test Case 4- Get Movies From API with Empty Data returns Error
This test will check when the response returns empty data, then the completion handler will be invoked passing an Error object. Create testGetMoviesWhenEmptyDataReturnsError function inside APIRepositoryTests class.
func testGetMoviesWhenEmptyDataReturnsError() {
let apiRespository = APIRepository()
let mockURLSession = MockURLSession(data: nil, urlResponse: nil, error: nil)
apiRespository.session = mockURLSession
let errorExpectation = expectation(description: "error")
var errorResponse: Error?
apiRespository.getMovies { (movies, error) in
errorResponse = error
errorExpectation.fulfill()
}
waitForExpectations(timeout: 1) { (error) in
XCTAssertNotNil(errorResponse)
}
}
The test fails, we need to handle checking the data using guard and invoke completion handler with Error object if the data does not exists. Run the test to make sure it pass.
func getMovies(completion: @escaping ([Movie]?, Error?) -> Void) {
guard let url = URL(string: "https://mymovieslist.com/topmovies")
else { fatalError() } session.dataTask(with: url) { (data, response, error) in
guard error == nil else {
completion(nil, error)
return
} guard let data = data else {
completion(nil, NSError(domain: "no data", code: 10, userInfo: nil))
return
} let movies = try! JSONDecoder().decode([Movie].self, from: data)
completion(movies, nil)
}.resume() }
Test Case 5 — Get Movies From API with Invalid JSON returns Error
The final test for the get movies API is to handle when an invalid JSON data is passed into object serialization returns an Error. Create a testGetMoviesInvalidJSONReturnsError inside APIRepositoryTests class.
func testGetMoviesInvalidJSONReturnsError() {
let jsonData = "[{\"t\"}]".data(using: .utf8)
let apiRespository = APIRepository()
let mockURLSession = MockURLSession(data: jsonData, urlResponse: nil, error: nil)
apiRespository.session = mockURLSession
let errorExpectation = expectation(description: "error")
var errorResponse: Error?
apiRespository.getMovies { (movies, error) in
errorResponse = error
errorExpectation.fulfill()
}
waitForExpectations(timeout: 1) { (error) in
XCTAssertNotNil(errorResponse)
}
}
Run the test, the test will crash because we use try! to handle the JSONDecoder decode function to serialize the JSON into Movie Class. We need to refactor the code using do try catch block and returns the error when an Error occurs in JSON parsing.
func getMovies(completion: @escaping ([Movie]?, Error?) -> Void) {
guard let url = URL(string: "https://mymovieslist.com/topmovies")
else { fatalError() } session.dataTask(with: url) { (data, response, error) in
guard error == nil else {
completion(nil, error)
return
} guard let data = data else {
completion(nil, NSError(domain: "no data", code: 10, userInfo: nil))
return
} do {
let movies = try JSONDecoder().decode([Movie].self, from: data)
completion(movies, nil)
} catch {
completion(nil, error)
}
}.resume() }
Run the tests to make sure all of our test passes without regression!
Conclusion
TDD in Software Development leads to a more robust and maintainable Software in long run because as a developer we can always run the tests again as we develop and add new features by detecting the regression of the code. TDD should also produce less bugs in our apps as long as we have good test coverage entire our modules. | https://medium.com/swift2go/tdd-ios-network-api-call-with-xcode-xctest-34f778e36344 | ['Alfian Losari'] | 2020-02-14 10:46:54.354000+00:00 | ['Swift', 'iOS', 'iOS App Development', 'Xctest', 'Tdd'] |
How to Python: The Basics | Python
Before we write any code, let me highlight two important facts about Python. First, Python is an Object Oriented Language. What this means is that everything is treated as what is called an object. You can ask Python for help on objects by typing help(<object>) to get information on the object or dir(<object>) to show the object’s methods. As we continue through the lesson, I will no longer include the placeholder <object> in the methods I mention. You’ll see what I mean shortly.
Typing help(<object>) brings information on the <object>. In this case, we got help on 5 which is an integer (int).
Second, Python is case sensitive, which means that var and VAR are not the same thing (same goes for x and X and john and John).
Lesson
For the lesson, I will provide you with the code which you can copy and paste into your IDE to run it. Following the code will be an image of what the code should look like and what should happen when you run it.
Data Types
Alright, let’s start coding. In the last lesson, I showcased the most well-known code snippet to exist: print(“Hello World”). What is a code snippet you ask? A code snippet is a small region of reusable code and every image containing code in this post is a code snippet.
Let’s give it a shot! Type the code in your cell and hit Shift+Enter to run the cell.
print("Hello World!")
It should look as follows:
The “In [1]:” is unique to Jupyter Notebook and and allows the user to see the order in which they ran different cells.
In this snippet we are asking our machines to print (which is to return) a data type called a string (str) by employing the print() method. In laymen’s terms, when we say string, what we mean really is text. Strings are denoted by quotation marks ‘’ or “”. You can use the type() method to see what data type you are working with. This is a very useful tool for beginners. Here are a few data types that are good to know before proceeding:
Integer(int) is a whole number.
Float(float) is a floating point number, or simply, a number with a decimal.
Boolean Value(bool) is a True or False statement and is used to test whether something is True or False.
These are some of the most basic data types and it is important to familiarize yourself with them. When it comes to coding, you will work with many different data types and it is important to keep in mind what kind of data type you are working with so that you understand how you can use and manipulate them.
Comments
When running code in Python, you can add comments by beginning a line with the ‘#’ symbol. When creating a comment, Python will ignore that line so that any code in that specific line will not be executed. This is useful if you are making notes for yourself or want to keep a line of code for later without running it.
#print("This code will not run")
print("This code will run")
And this is what happens when you run it:
In the above example, I show that the commented line will not print but the line under the commented line will print.
Errors
Uh oh, I was running my code and encountered an error.
print(Hello World)
The code cannot run because there is a SyntaxError
When something is wrong with your code, Python will let you know through an Error message. These Errror messages are handy, and Python will do its best to direct you to the specific place in a line of code where the error occurred.
Shown above, we see SyntaxError: invalid syntax. What went wrong?
Something handy to do in these cases is to copy and paste the error into google. There are limitless resources on how to fix these errors and it is likely someone has encountered the same Error that you are trying to fix.
Oh, I think I see the problem. We forgot to define Hello World as a string. Let’s make Hello World a string by adding quotation marks.
We fixed our Error by adding quotation marks to Hello World, defining it as a string.
Variables
Alright, so we learned a little about data types. Let’s continue to explore them through the use of variables.
myvar = 23
myvar2 = 'Hello World'
We are declaring new variables as different data types
In the code snippet shown above, we see that I have declared two new variables, myvar and myvar2, through the use of the equal sign ‘=’. Whenever I use myvar or myvar2, it will recall the information that I have stored as these variables.
myvar
Now whenever we use myvar in our code after declaring it is as a variable, it will recall that myvar = 23.
Variables must be defined (assigned to something through use of ‘=’) and the code must be executed. If you try to use a variable, but nothing is assigned, Python won’t know what to do and this NameError will show up:
We never defined myvar3, therefore an Error occured.
Variables are useful because they allow us to recall information so that it does not need to be manually entered each time we want to use it. Furthermore, sometimes we want to set huge amounts of data as variables and therefore they are efficient. They also aid in creating generalizable algorithms and functions. We can try some of the methods that we learned on our variables.
Methods can be applied to variables.
Notice how, on the last code snippet (21), it only showed the type for myvar2. That is because Python only spits out the last line of code in the cell. If we want to see both types using only one cell, we must print each type:
print(type(myvar))
print(type(myvar2))
This cell is showing how to return/print multiple type() methods
Why would we want to include two methods in one cell? Because it is efficient. When you become an expert you may want to run hundreds of print methods at different sections in your functions.
Arithmetic Operators
Python can perform mathematical operations. We can perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Let’s give it a try using variables:
name1 = 'Spongebob'
name2 = 'Squarepants'
So, as we can see, we can add (or concatenate) strings together. If we simply add our variables, it jams the strings together (shown in Out[23]). So, in this case, I added each variable with a string space (“ ”) in between them (In[25]). I really just wanted to show you that the operators aren’t necessarily limited to integers or floats. Below is the more intuitive use of these operators (notice the use of comments at the top of each cell to show which operator is being used).
We can also set variables to other variables or as functions of other variables.
Variable1 = 5
Variable2 = 2
Result = Variable1 + Variable2
print(Result)
We set Variable1 = 5 and Variable2 = 2. Then we create a new variable, Result, which is the sum of Variable1 and Variable2.
To go a little more in-depth, let’s use our print method but, this time, let’s mix and match integers and strings by using variables. To do this, we will use print() but we will need to separate each different data type by a comma.
Variable1 = 8
Variable2 = 9
Result = Variable1 + Variable2
print(Variable1,'+',Variable2,'is',Result)
The ‘+’ in the print statement is not performing addition. It is a string. We already added when defining the variable Result.
Let me introduce a different way of writing the same code using variables. We will use %s which is a string literal, and what it does is that it specifies where in the string you would like to insert a variable. Each time you input a string literal, you will need a variable to match and in the order of which you would like them to appear. You will need to separate the string from the variables with a % and parentheses surrounding your variables. I realize this probably doesn’t make much sense and it is not easy to explain
A picture is worth a thousand words:
print("%s + %s is %s" % (Variable1, Variable2, Result))
Inputs
For the last part of the lesson, let’s expand on what we learned about variables by learning about the input() method. The input() statement allows us to get input from a user. We can set this input to a variable. By writing a string in the parentheses of the input() method, we can elaborate on what kind of input we are looking for. Let’s write some simple code that asks for a name and then, when given the name, returns a courteous message using that name.
Name = input("Hello, what is your name?: ") print('Hello',Name,',it is nice to meet you!')
With this code, the user will need to type their name because of the input() method. The courteous message will then be shown to that user, using their input.
Let’s do one last example.
Variable1 = int(input('Give me a number '))
Variable2 = int(input('Give me a second number '))
Result = Variable1 + Variable2
print('When I add your numbers, I get',Result)
The user will need to input 2 numbers. After getting user input, the user will be shown the sum of their inputs.
You’ll notice that I used an int() method to wrap the inputs. That is because inputs are strings unless specified otherwise. By wrapping the input() methods with an int() method, I’m setting the input to be an integer so that the numbers can be added together. If I had not wrapped the input with the int() method, here is what would have happened:
This line is much like the SpongebobSquarepants example above. Because the inputs were not wrapped with the int() method, the inputs were taken as strings instead of integers and were improperly jammed together which does not make sense in this context.
Parting Notes
If you have issues with your notebook freezing, you may need to shut it down and start it back up again. This could happen especially when messing with Inputs. Be mindful of your data types. Also, be mindful about the inclusion of parentheses and quotation marks: these are the two most common sources of errors for beginners.
If you have had fun learning in this basic guide for Python, be sure to follow me so that you can catch the next post. I hope you have enjoyed this guide and I also hope that it has helped you get an idea of how to begin writing code in Python. Don’t be afraid to play around with what you’ve seen today, I believe that it is the best way to learn to code.
The next part of this lesson can be found here:
https://johnkundycki.medium.com/how-to-python-the-basics-ii-9de73c82a311 | https://medium.com/swlh/how-to-python-the-basics-40d7cf4729e9 | ['John Kundycki'] | 2020-11-21 20:17:03.690000+00:00 | ['Coding', 'Guides And Tutorials', 'Python', 'Tutorial', 'Beginner'] |
Maybe in a parallel universe, we’ll be together | There was a lover like a moon ever-changing.
He is sometimes bemusing and enjoys endeavoring concepts such as black holes and galaxies.
For all I know, his words enthrall like stars in space sparkling brightly. He might be a constellation, to figure him out is connecting points.
Perplexing notions of repressed emotions denied the universe we both created. | https://medium.com/illumination/maybe-in-a-parallel-universe-well-be-together-836974bb86c9 | ['Kelaiah Amador'] | 2020-06-26 14:57:20.081000+00:00 | ['Poetry On Medium', 'Love', 'Relationships Love Dating', 'Poetry', 'Poem'] |
We loved the iRobot Roomba 960 for $600, and this model is just $280 | We loved the iRobot Roomba 960 for $600, and this model is just $280 Victoria Jan 11·2 min read
Every year we hope to renew ourselves and our lives for the new year. For 2021, how about reinvigorating your vacuuming strategy with a fantastic “renewed” iRobot Roomba 960 for under half its original $600 cost? Amazon is selling one for $280. That’s also $120 off the usual $400 for this refurbished model, and the all-time low. The is a one-day sale, which ends just before midnight Pacific time on Monday evening.
[ Want more great deals? Check out TechConnect, our home for the best tech deals, all hand-picked by the PCWorld, Macworld and TechHive editors. ]
We reviewed the Roomba 960, giving it 4.5 out of 5 stars and an Editors’ Choice Award—and that was at its full $600 price. “The Roomba 960’s flawless navigation, stellar cleaning, and advanced features set it apart from all other robot vacuums,” we said.
While that review is more than two years old, the Roomba 960 is still an excellent vacuum. It features Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant integration for voice control, and an intelligent mapping feature. The Roomba 960 has a three-stage cleaning system with rubber brushes, and you can control the vacuum via Wi-Fi using the iRobot smartphone app.
As for the “refurbished” part of this robovac, it comes with Amazon’s 90-day Renewed Guarantee, which means it will work and look like new. If it fails that promise, you can get a replacement or refund within 90 days.
The non-refurbished version of this can be anywhere from $400 to $500 depending on the day (as of this writing it’s $437). So you’re getting quite a bargain with the refurbished version.
[Today’s deal: Refurbished iRobot Roomba 960 for $280 on Amazon.]
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/@victori96240007/we-loved-the-irobot-roomba-960-for-600-and-this-model-is-just-280-f3a19e741ea9 | [] | 2021-01-11 18:23:53.842000+00:00 | ['Electronics', 'Entertainment', 'Chargers', 'Audio'] |
What is a DAPP? | Apps vs. DAPPs
A DAPP (Decentralized Application) consists of back-end code that runs on a decentralized peer-to-peer network. A DAPP can also have a user interface, created by front end code that makes calls to the back end. DAPPs do not require a central authority to function: they allow for direct interaction between users and providers.
Characteristics of DAPPs
DAPPs often have the following characteristics:
They run on the blockchain
Their code is made open-source operates autonomously without any person or group controlling the majority of tokens
They generate DAPP tokens to provide value to their contributing nodes
Users are granted access to them in exchange for tokens
Miners are rewarded with tokens when they successfully contribute to the ecosystem
Unlike most Apps in use today, DAPPs store all their data on a blockchain and have their back end code running on a blockchain instead of with a central authority.
Types of DAPPs
Ethereum delineates three primary categories of DAPPs:
1. Money management applications: users can transact with one another on a blockchain network, using its intrinsic currency. These DAPPs usually have their own blockchains, and we often refer to them as cryptocurrencies (such as Bitcoin).
2. Applications that integrate money with external, real-world events: for example, a logistics company may use an RFID chip location to determine that a shipment of cargo has reached a port, and only then release the payment for the shipment. This could even be accomplished with funds on the blockchain, with no human intervention, if both the buyer and the seller enter into a smart contract.
3. Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs): decentralized, leaderless organizations on the blockchain. These run from conception according to programmatically defined rules about what entities can be members, how members can vote, what businesses or activities they can engage in, and how tokens, funds, or value are exchanged. Once deployed, DAPPs operate autonomously according to their rules. Their members can be geographically dispersed anywhere.
To date, DAPP startups (built on top of blockchain platforms) have constituted the majority of ICOs. Most current Category 2 and Category 3 DAPPs use the Ethereum platform.
DAPPs present a new paradigm for fintech and money management related applications.
Why DAPPs?
DAPPs essentially allow all of the back end code and data to be decentralized, and hence immutable and tamperproof. Considering the decentralized nature of these applications coupled with the mechanisms that secure blockchain data, DAPPs have the potential to unlock a diverse array of use cases.
A few benefits of creating a DAPP rather than a normal application include:
• Payment processing: no need to integrate with a fiat payment provider to accept funds from users, as users can transact directly using cryptocurrencies
• User credentials: using a system of public and private keys, users can transact and bind their user sessions and metadata easily and with varying degrees of anonymity, negating the need for lengthy sign-up or registration processes
• Trust and auditability: open-source DAPP code is accessible and understandable to savvy users. This transparency and the inherent security of the inclosed data generates confidence in the applications. A public record on the blockchain also makes transaction information easy to audit by users or third-parties
Ethereum is currently the platform of choice for DAPP developers, with several extremely promising contending platforms closing in.
Conclusion
The DAPP landscape is rapidly evolving. While Ethereum is currently the platform of choice for DAPP developers, Cardano, Lisk, QTUM and NEO are also popular for DAPP development. There are also numerous efforts underway to build other large-scale DAPP platforms.
DAPP development is in a nascent phase but the benefits that DAPPs provide (which traditional, centralized applications do not) suggest that we can expect to see impressive new functionalities and use-cases for blockchain technology in the near future. | https://towardsdatascience.com/what-is-a-dapp-a455ac5f7def | ['Shaan Ray'] | 2019-12-15 06:43:48.865000+00:00 | ['Blockchain', 'Application Development', 'Application Security', 'Application Architecture', 'Data'] |
Awesome Unity : UniRx / FRP — Changing how we deal with changes | Introduction
Software engineers are mainly concerned with system architecture, and more specifically, how does the application deal with information. Most of the programs we write are directly connected to the real world, and the real world is messy and random. Systems we create should handle this messiness and randomness well enough for us to do something useful. There’s a good talk on youtube by Rich Hickey that you can check out for more information as well. The transcript is also available here.
We usually interact with the real world through “Events” (C# Events Documentation here). Mouse clicks, keyboard typing, screen tapping, etc, all fire events that can be consumed through our application. Traditionally this has been a troublesome affair since the real world is random and messy. We might need to listen to multiple mouse clicks, for example, or sequenced keyboard presses. In fact, any kind of state change can fire an Event. One might be tempted to use flags to handle them all, but I’ve shown in a previous post why flags are bad for readability and reasoning.
Practical interactive Functional Reactive Programming (FRP) has been created as a paradigm to inject some sanity into handling this messiness and randomness. We basically treat Event collections as data structures like arrays and operate on them, which makes it far easier to think about them.
UniRx is an implementation of FRP for Unity C# that I will use in this post, but most of the techniques can be applied to any implementation. The reason why Unity requires its own separate implementation is due to how Unity handles in-game time.
Observables
This is basic unit of UniRx that provides a similar API like Events. Previously you would listen to an Event, now you would Subscribe to an Observable. For example, you may have a Button that listens to mouse clicks. This Button can have an Observable that observes mouse clicks, which is then Subscribed by some class that’s interested by that mouse click, like a friend’s list panel which toggles between open and close on mouse click.
// in your friend's list panel
public Button myButton;
public GameObject root;
public void Start(){
myButton.ClickAsObservable()
.Subscribe(event=>root.SetActive(root.activeSelf));
}
Simple enough. Now what if I want another button to also trigger the same action? Since Events can now be collected into lists, if I have two buttons that will fire Events, then I have two lists that contain similar data. For them to do the same thing, all I have to do is merge them so if any of the two lists contains the Events I want it will trigger the action.
public Button myButtonA;
public Button myButtonB; public void Start(){
Observable.Merge(
myButtonA.ClickAsObservable(),
myButtonB.ClickAsObservable()
)
.Subscribe(event=>root.SetActive(root.activeSelf));
}
Now what if I want both of them to fire before I trigger the action? I simply wait for both lists to be populated before firing the action.
public Button myButtonA;
public Button myButtonB; public void Start(){
Observable.ZipLatest(
myButtonA.ClickAsObservable(),
myButtonB.ClickAsObservable()
)
.Subscribe(event=>root.SetActive(root.activeSelf));
}
As you can see, it’s scalable and extensible beyond just two Observables without requiring flags and what-not anti-patterns.
One caveat about this though, is that just like Listeners to Events, where we have to remove Listeners, we have to do the same with Subscriptions. Each Subscription implements the IDisposable interface, which allows us to Dispose them.
Taking the first example,
public Button myButton;
public GameObject root; private IDisposable disposable; public void Start(){
disposable = myButton.ClickAsObservable()
.Subscribe(event=>root.SetActive(root.activeSelf));
} public void OnDestroy(){
disposable.Dispose();
}
However, UniRx also allows us to bind the Subscription to the lifecycle of the GameObject, like so.
public Button myButton;
public GameObject root; public void Start(){
myButton.ClickAsObservable()
.Subscribe(event=>root.SetActive(root.activeSelf))
.AddTo(this);
}
There are alot more operators that you can find with these two documentation:
I try to update weekly. This is part three of the Awesome Unity Series.
Part one here.
Part two here. | https://medium.com/glassblade/awesome-unity-unirx-frp-changing-how-we-deal-with-changes-753fc8255621 | ['Daniel Tan'] | 2020-05-27 10:58:39.369000+00:00 | ['Functional Programming', 'Software Development', 'Game Development', 'Unirx'] |
In the Spirit of Nostradamus: Dire Predictions for 2021 | Emerging from the desert on a horse with no name,
The anointed rider will seize the red flame,
The firmament dweller marches towards Cerebrus on the River Styx,
A dogfight, victorious, he moves deeper to confront his nemesis Nick. | https://medium.com/the-bad-influence/in-the-spirit-of-nostradamus-dire-predictions-for-2021-80b519cea94d | ['Markus Scorelius'] | 2020-12-22 20:02:47.644000+00:00 | ['New Year', 'Predictions', 'The Bad Influence', 'Humor', 'Satire'] |
Tips to Transition: Surviving your First Year in Uni | Or, 5 years of regrets thinly veiled as a self help guide.
First off, congratulations! You’ve managed to slog through 12 years of compulsory education and presumably have done well enough to get into an undergraduate degree. That’s an achievement you can genuinely be proud of. Well done! 😊
Entering your first year of university can be an exciting time. It can also be daunting. Being on the precipice of freedom isn’t as great as you thought it would be, and 16 hour anime binges or Fortnite sessions with the boys get boring pretty quickly. On top of that, having some realistic degree of choice for the first time in your life, you are now riddled with constant self-doubt.
Some classic examples of this self-doubt include:
Am I picking the right degree?
Is my destiny to be a wage slave for some nameless corporation forever?
Am I actually meant to be studying Islam with some dude in a cave?
What does my job mean? Do I have a purpose?
Let me iterate, this article will not answer your questions. Heck, people muuuch older than you and I still struggle with these issues. Hopefully though, reading this will give you a bit of perspective on what to expect, and how to approach things a little more maturely. So, here are some scattered thoughts on picking a degree, making the most of your time and figuring out this whole career dilemma which plagues most young Muslims.
Stop worrying about jobs
In my first year of university, I was desperate to get a job. Confused about my path, I went where every misguided millennial goes for advice — the internet. Some online careers page told me that Civil Engineering was the field with the least unemployment and the most projected jobs. In a frenzy, I did the deed and transferred into Civil Engineering, blissfully unaware of the fact that I had just signed away my future to a life of mediocrity and a perpetual middle-class existence.
Every weekend, I would go to Oliver Brown with my friends, open up Indeed.com and apply for literally anything that had the word “Engineer” in it. Nevermind that I had zero qualifications, or that I was in my first year; I needed to get my foot in the door however I could — whether that was by doing weird extracurriculars I wasn’t that interested in, emailing random people or even cold calling. The thought of being unable to graduate because my 60 days of Industrial Training hadn’t been completed haunted me day and night.
Gone were my dreams of becoming a doctor and flexing an M.D on the aunties. Gone were my dreams of walking around like a hobo in the outback for 10 years, returning after reaching enlightenment. I was going to be a Civil Engineer now, doomed to look at rocks and be bald in my early 30s. Well, at least the work would be generally halal. And I’d be making a comfortable income, right?
Needless to say, I didn’t get a job that year.
So, what return do I need on this Islamic ETF to retire by 40? Don’t think my Super is gonna cut it…
Three years on, a lot has changed. I, alongside a lot of my other dropkick friends, ended up finding work, Alhamdulillah. For a lot of us, we felt it was an opening from Allah; something we did nothing to deserve. For some of us, it took some searching. Some sacrifice. But at the end of the day, we were all employed, making money, or at least, on the way to it.
And this is exactly what is so difficult to see as a student. Allah has written our rizq for all of us — on His terms, not ours. On top of this, Allah doesn’t waste your efforts. You, and everyone, in some way, shape or form will eventually receive what you wish for. Some of the stories I have witnessed have really helped put this conviction in me — people rising from the most unlikely of circumstances, late in life, after having been written off as failures and lost causes, turning it all around in a few weeks.
So, please don’t do a degree solely for the sake of “it’s employable” (the entire cohort of Malek Fahd kids going into either UNSW Civil or Data Science next year, this one goes out to you). Whatever you do, there is some potential to give back to the community through it. In saying this though, I don’t mean to shame people going into STEM fields. Gainful employment is a noble endeavour in our tradition and a necessary part of growing up. Which leads to my next point…
Learn skills, not courses.
Once upon a time, the institution of a university was designed for the elites of society — nobles, aristocrats, priests and scientists bankrolled by rich patrons. While we have moved on from the days of Galileo dropping a ball from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, our educational systems have unfortunately lagged behind. Because of this, you will do a lot of courses in a wide range of areas which exposes you to a bunch of concepts that are loosely connected but that will never make you feel like, “Hey, I’m good at this.”
Having a foundational understanding of the various areas of your field is important. However, it’s not really a selling point. Something you can really sell is a skill. For example, you can say “I am studying Computer Science,” which doesn’t tell the company much. Or, you can say “I have a high level of proficiency in managing databases using SQL”, which is far more likely to get you hired. You do a degree to learn a bunch of skills. Decide on a few skills you want to master, think about where they can lead you and then stick to them.
Of course, this is all well and good for someone working in Engineering or Tech, where the skills you’re learning are obvious. How about someone doing something more niche, like Biology or Arts? The fact is that even in these fields, you’re still learning a skill. Molecular cloning is a skill. Writing is a skill. Research is a skill. It all depends on how you sell these skills. Think of a degree as a signal that yells “I’m keen, please hire me and give me money” to a prospective employer. Especially early on, it’s not something that confines you to employment within a certain field. There are plenty of Graduate Programs run by large entities which hire a from broad range of disciplines and retrain them to do the job they want, the most notable being the NSW State Government Program.
This interns Linkedin says he has exceptional problem solving and communication skills? HIRED!
On that note, make the effort to find out about common career paths for your degree, the skills needed and what jobs require you to do in general. Most don’t need any special knowledge, just half a brain and the ability to use basic Excel.
Hope in Allah, believe in your abilities and forge ahead with the path you choose. There is a lot of work and you won’t be idle for long In shaa Allah.
Passion isn’t a given, meaning isn’t a right
As the classic boomer adage goes, “Do something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Though well meaning, you and I can never really commit to it; we’re too scared of the externalities. The second you start thinking “hey, maybe following my dreams is worth it,” you’re hit by some bloke who’s anointed himself as the second coming of Karl Marx after doing a few ARTS courses. In his revolutionary analysis, he will guilt trip you about how your concern stems from a position of privilege, how your immigrant parents worked hard at menial jobs to make ends meet, and how detached you are from the 3rd world masses exploited by the capitalist system (please, don’t be this guy). This leaves you even more cynical and directionless.
Look, there’s no easy answer for this. Some people are passionate by birth, others by learning and some have none at all. Some people see work as something to pay the bills and some have a grand vision of how they will change things wholescale. Some people derive great meaning from their work — even if it’s just pushing papers — and others, despite their involvement, see it as a necessary part of life detached from their other pursuits.
It’s just how it is. The corporate environment is draining, and there’s no easy way to engage someone who is disillusioned by it. Karl Marx’s second coming does have a point — we are in a very privileged position, and meaningful work is a modern concept, possibly created by early American industrialists. However, the nature of modern work is completely different to how we worked historically — work consumes a much bigger portion of our lives now, so it’s important that such a large investment of our time bears some kind of fruit.
On the clock🕚🕖🕞24/7😤always grinding💪👊never stop🛑never surrender ⚔️🛡get the job done✅day and night 🌞🌚grinding!!! #livingmybestlife
Debates on that aside, it’s not to say that we can’t aspire to do something we enjoy, especially if we are in the position to move towards it. The natural proclivity of the human being is toward advancement — you and I are always looking to improve, make progress, and reach an end goal. Just don’t lose yourself in your plans and be thankful to Allah for the opportunities He has afforded you, even if you can’t see where they lead.
Enjoy yourself!
Study hard! A lot of your friends will tell you “Your marks don’t matter.” They don’t, but often, if you’re good at something, you’ll like it, and good subject performance gives you a bit of confidence. Also, universities don’t advertise this, but students with very good marks often get invited to secret networking events, or are sent job/research opportunities not advertised to others.
Make lots of friends! Friends who pray together, play together. This is the best part of uni. It’s no fun otherwise. Join the MSA (subtle plug).
Finally, take it all as one big learning experience. All the exams, assignments, stress; in the moment, it seems meaningless, another obstacle to overcome. Once you come out the other end, you’ll see that you did change. Small and subtle changes, but changes nonetheless.
Obviously, I can’t cover everything. I’m no expert, and you’ll get bored. Plus, it’ll stop you from learning university’s most important lesson: you need to learn to figure it out yourself. Don’t worry, you can do it. You’ve made it this far, not much longer to go.
Best of luck.😊 | https://medium.com/@unswmsa/tips-to-transition-surviving-your-first-year-in-uni-55e89eea606e | ['Unsw Muslim Students Association'] | 2020-02-21 06:26:53.226000+00:00 | ['Careers', 'University', 'Youth', 'Success', 'Muslim'] |
Running Node.js Application on Managed Hosting | Javascript is now a days everywhere from frontend to backend, from earth to outer space, even it have a wide range of usability web development to full fledged application.
The JS game changed once nodejs came to cover the server side compiling. As nodejs is a server side language, it needs to be hosted in a place, where it can compile and render output. Due to the fact that nodejs is a single threaded application, you can use the CPU threads at best. Let’s consider you are making a REST API in nodejs and some mobile application will use this API from outside. You will need to host the application to a web hosting where it will run forever, options are AWS[EC2], DigitalOcean[Droplet] as you need to install few packages to run the node application and may require superuser [root] privilege. These options are a bit complex as you need to manage the host as well and it is also expensive for a startup company to afford. Another option available are for serverless application hosting like AWS Lambda, Heroku etc. You will be charged on the hit count base and initially comes with a lot of free hits until the threshold is reached for the month.
Another option available, which is using the managed hosting for the nodejs application. Most of us already have managed hosting for personal website or any other cases as it is cheap and we have a lot of resellers for the hosting services. We may have a misconception that we need to have superuser [root] access or unmanaged host for running nodejs application. However, hosting providers usually provides jailshell or basic shell like [bash, zsh, sh] and using only shell access, we can deploy nodejs application in the managed hosting.
Here, I will try to clear the dogma. I will demonstrate how you can use nodejs application on a managed host, without even root access. Just login to the SSH of the host and follow the below steps 😛.
Prerequisites:
First confirm you have shell access. To confirm this run the below command.
echo $SHELL
If you have access to shell it will return like /bin/bash or /bin/zsh or /bin/sh. If you are getting something else, means you are using jailshell. Ask your hosting provider to change this.
Installation:
Next we are going to install nodejs in the hosting account. with the following steps.
Login to your hosting account using SSH.
At the command prompt run the following command:
To extract the nodejs files, type the following command and rename the extracted folder to the more convenient nodejs name, type the following command:
tar xvf node-v14.15.3-linux-x64.tar.xz
mv node-v14.15.3-linux-x64 nodejs
Here we will create a bin directory inside our shell and copy the node binary and softlink the npm to the bin directory.
mkdir ~/bin
cp nodejs/bin/node ~/bin
cd ~/bin
ln -s ../nodejs/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm-cli.js npm
And you are done installing nodejs on the managed hosting. Now run these commands to verify this, type the following commands:
node --version
npm --version
Starting Application:
#1: Using npm:
For this method to work, there must be a valid package.json file for the application. The package.json file contains project metadata that the npm program reads to determine how to start the application, manage its dependencies, and more.
nohup npm start --production &
The & places the command in the background, and the nohup command ensures that the application continues running even if you log out of the current terminal session.
#2: Running node directly:
For simple applications, or for any application that does not have a package.json file, you can run the node executable directly and specify the application filename. For example:
nohup node app.js &
For stopping a Node.js application, you need to kill node applications.
pkill node
#3: Production ready application:
For a production ready application, you would not like to take risk by running in a single thread without any fallback processes. Hence you should use pm2 for using the most of your CPU threads and memory, it will handle if one thread fails and restart automatically and use npm to orchestrate. So you need to install one npm package.
npm install -g pm2 pm2-logrotate
Here installed pm2-logrotate because pm2 will generate logs and if not rotated then it may cause disk space issues.
next create config files for pm2 in yaml. Here is one sample for this.
apps:
- script: server.js
name: web-api
max-memory-restart: 200MB
instances: 2
exec_mode: cluster
Here means, it will run the server.js file located in the directory and it will create 2 application instances and run in a cluster mode. In case any memory leakage above 200MB it will automatically restart the application and when you list the running processes it will show web-api.
Now add the following lines in your package.json file and run the application from npm.
"scripts": {
"preinstall": "npm install",
"dev": "node server.js",
"start": "pm2 start web-api.yaml",
"test": "jest --coverage --verbose",
"stop": "pm2 stop web-api",
"clear": "pm2 delete web-api",
"list": "pm2 list",
"logs": "pm2 logs"
}
Initially run the npm install and then you can run the development mode until you finish with development.
npm run dev
Now you can run and stop your application in cluster mode with the following commands.
npm run start
npm run stop
To see the logs and list of processes run the following command
npm run logs
npm run list
Integrating your nodejs application with the web server
Depending on the type of nodejs application you are running, you may want to be able to access it using a web browser. To do this, you need to select an unused port for the Node.js application to listen on, and then define server rewrite rules that redirect visitors to the application. The following steps demonstrate how to do this.
In a text editor, add the following lines to the .htaccess file in the /home/username/public_html directory, where username represents your account username. If you want to change the directory inside public_html it is also possible.
DirectoryIndex disabled
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^$ http://127.0.0.1:{Port}/ [P,L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://127.0.0.1:{Port}/$1 [P,L]
These rewrite rules redirect incoming HTTP visitor requests to the Node.js application running locally on the server. 127.0.0.1 is the loopback address for localhost.
2. In both RewriteRule lines, replace {Port} with the port on which your Node.js application listens. To run a Node.js application on a managed server, you must select an unused port between 30000 and 50000 (inclusive).
3. Save the changes to the .htaccess file, and then exit the text editor. Visitors to your web site are redirected to the Node.js application listening on the specified port.
Troubleshoots: #01 If your application fails to start, the port you chose may already be in use. Check the application log for error codes like EADDRINUSE that indicate the port is in use. If it is, select a different port number, update your application’s configuration and the .htaccess file, and then try again. #02 If you are not able to call the API from the application then it may be the case of OPTIONS method permission is not allowed to your hosting, which is required for cross-origin API calls. You can ask to allow by creating one support ticket to your hosting provider.
Long article huh !! finished. Now go to your web browser and hit the URL and viola. | https://medium.com/@ferdousul-haque/running-node-js-application-on-managed-hosting-ee95d49e4d92 | ['A. S. Md. Ferdousul Haque'] | 2020-12-27 05:06:22.405000+00:00 | ['NPM', 'JavaScript', 'Hosting', 'Serverless', 'Nodejs'] |
Virtual exchange in the Asia-Pacific: research and practice | Edited by Eric Hagley and Yi’an Wang
Virtual Exchange (VE) is of great import to language and culture teachers and researchers but is also gaining popularity in other fields. However, around the world and in the Asia-Pacific region in particular, the number of exchanges is not high and the quality of those that exist needs to continue to improve. It is essential that the latest research and best practice can be disseminated to ensure VE develops further. In this edited volume, various researchers and practitioners provide firsthand perspectives, well-researched accounts of current situations, ideas for future exchanges, and areas in need of further development. We hope it will be of use to the VE practitioner and researcher alike.
Permalink:
https://doi.org/10.14705/rpnet.2020.47.9782490057788
Book publication date: 21 December 2020
#openaccess #peerreviewed #research #publication #virtualExchange #foreignLanguage #education | https://blog.research-publishing.net/virtual-exchange-in-the-asia-pacific-research-and-practice-cf53b0d64eb1 | ['Sylvie Thouësny'] | 2020-12-22 12:04:49.717000+00:00 | ['Research', 'Publication', 'Virtual Exchange', 'Open Access', 'Education'] |
How to Implement Linear Regression in Scikit-learn | Standard
If your data instead follows standard deviation, you can use the StandardScaler instead. This scaler fits a passed data set to be a standard scale along with the standard deviation:
import sklearn.preprocessing as preprocessing
std = preprocessing.StandardScaler()
# X is a matrix
std.fit(X)
X_std = std.transform(X)
As above, we first create the scaler on line three, fit the current matrix on line five, and finally transform the original matrix on line six.
Let’s see how this scales our same example from above:
import sklearn.preprocessing as preprocessing import numpy as np X = np.random.randint(2, 10, size=(4, 2)) X2 = np.random.randint(100, 10000, size=(4, 2)) X = np.concatenate((X, X2), axis=1) print("The original matrix") print(X)
std = preprocessing.StandardScaler() std.fit(X) X_std = std.transform(X) print("The transform data using Standard scaler") print(X_std)
Scaling method comparison
Scikit-learn Linear Regression: Implement an Algorithm
Now we’ll implement the linear regression machine learning algorithm using the Boston housing price sample data. As with all ML algorithms, we’ll start with importing our dataset and then train our algorithm using historical data.
Linear regression is a predictive model often used by real businesses. Linear regression seeks to predict the relationship between a scalar response and related explanatory variables to output value with realistic meaning like product sales or housing prices. This model is best used when you have a log of previous, consistent data and want to predict what will happen next if the pattern continues.
From a mathematical point of view, linear regression is about fitting data to minimize the sum of residuals between each data point and the predicted value. In other words, we are minimizing the discrepancy between the data and the estimation model.
As shown in the figure below, the red line is the model we solved, the blue point is the original data, and the distance between the point and the red line is the residual. Our goal is to minimize the sum of residuals.
Sum of residuals, data vs prediction
How to implement linear regression
import sklearn.datasets as datasets from sklearn.model_selection import train_test_split from sklearn.linear_model import LinearRegression import sklearn.metrics as metrics house = datasets.load_boston() print("The data shape of house is {}".format(house.data.shape)) print("The number of feature in this data set is {}".format( house.data.shape[1])) train_x, test_x, train_y, test_y = train_test_split(house.data, house.target, test_size=0.2, random_state=42) print("The first five samples {}".format(train_x[:5])) print("The first five targets {}".format(train_y[:5])) print("The number of samples in train set is {}".format(train_x.shape[0])) print("The number of samples in test set is {}".format(test_x.shape[0])) lr = LinearRegression() lr.fit(train_x, train_y)
pred_y = lr.predict(test_x) print("The first five prediction {}".format(pred_y[:5])) print("The real first five labels {}".format(test_y[:5]))
mse = metrics.mean_squared_error(test_y, pred_y) print("Mean Squared Error {}".format(mse)) | https://betterprogramming.pub/how-to-implement-linear-regression-in-scikit-learn-e459f6f6a3eb | ['The Educative Team'] | 2020-10-20 15:56:17.732000+00:00 | ['Python', 'Data Science', 'Machine Learning', 'Scikit Learn', 'Programming'] |
Your limitation — it’s only your imagination | “Everything you can imagine is real.” Pablo Picasso
Our imagination is one of the keys to a productive life. In fact, life is only limited by a lack of imagination. Our imagination is the key to untold worlds when we grow up as children. And it has been shown that children with very active imaginations are more likely to dream as adults and strive for more things.
At the age of five, the children’s imagination is at their peak, their memory is sharp, and they can remember anything very quickly.
But it’s a sad fact that we’re told to “Stop Dreaming” and living in an imaginary world isn’t good for us. The worst thing you can do for yourself is to suppress your imagination, for it will only lay the foundation for accelerated aging, and all too often a life that feels unsatisfied.
See an example: Imagine if you’re asking your parents or anyone else for guidance: What can I do in my life? They’re answering anything you want. And you don’t think you can do anything, you give up without trying to do it. This is your failure. Your imagination is the only limitation.
Simply, we can say that nothing will stop you except your imagination, so if you have a lot of imagination, nothing will stop you, but if you don’t have any imagination, your strengths and abilities will be limited because you don’t have enough imagination to help you overcome your problems and difficulties.
To achieve your goal, learn to use your imagination, and raise your thinking to a higher level. Your imagination is going to motivate you to move in the direction of your dreams. | https://medium.com/@MohsinSad123/your-limitation-its-only-your-imagination-28b30486ac50 | ['Mohsin Khan'] | 2019-09-04 11:07:48.135000+00:00 | ['Life', 'Imagination', 'Life Lessons', 'Limitations', 'Motivation'] |
Messaging Service with Twilio! | “The Twilio Customer Engagement Platform can be used to build practically any digital experience, using capabilities like SMS, WhatsApp, Voice, Video, email, and even IoT, across the customer journey.”
That being said, let’s create a messaging service using Twilio. You have to create an account in Twilio and it is going to be on the trial version.
→ Take a phone number using the trial version that can be used for messaging.
Trial Version Number!
→ We are going to be using MessagingResponse service from Twilio. In this article, we are going to use our mobile to send a text to that phone number that we got from Twilio. In return, MessagingResponse will return something back as a response. Make sense why it’s called MessagingResponse ?
→Now as a response, we are going to use Beautiful Soup to extract information from IMDB based on marvel movie names!
The Code:
SMS Bot!
→ The endpoint of the app is “/sms” and as you can see from line 15, Twilio will receive a “movie name” from the user which is you.
→ To extract the information from IMDB, we need the unique ID number for each movie, which we set in a dictionary so that we can find it easily using the movie name.
→ Then, we used the requests and BeautifulSoup library to get the page response and page content. Using JSON, the page content can be turned into JSON format, which is easier to find specific information such as movie names and descriptions.
→ Line 27 & 28 were used to create a response object using MessagingResponse() library from Twilio.
→ Line 34: Put the return information in the message object to return it as a string in line 35.
Codes are pretty simple in this example. We have used flask and Twilio to build an SMS chatbox! Well, let’s fire it up!
python bot.py!
The above picture says the server is running on HTTP://127.0.0.1:5000/ which is a local server using port 5000.
How will Twilio communicate with the local server?
The answer is: Ngrok
Ngrok is a cross-platform application that exposes local server ports to the Internet. Public URLs for building webhook integration. Now, since the local server is using port 5000, then we have to expose it to the internet. How?
ngrok HTTP 5000
ngrok!
The above command will expose HTTP://localhost:5000 to the internet using a temporary URL. Copy that URL and save it to the webhook section(Messaging) in Twilio for that specific number!
ngrok URL setup as webhook!
Now, it’s time to test the bot to see if it reply back properly. That being said, if we send “Endgame” as a text msg to the Twilio number, it should return the full movie name along with the movie descriptions. Right? | https://medium.com/@mahedihasanjisan/messaging-service-with-twilio-6fbf4807ca2 | ['Mahedi Hasan Jisan'] | 2021-10-19 01:14:48.020000+00:00 | ['Bots', 'Twilio', 'Beautifulsoup', 'Flask', 'Messaging'] |
One Day, Women Will Look Like Women | As I glance through Pixabay photos online in search of a new screensaver, I can’t help but note an innocent-looking snap of a couple’s feet. Typically, the man wears comfortable shoes while the woman sports heels.
She looks feminine and he masculine. What’s wrong with that?
A few things. For a start, it occurs — no matter our gender — we are born with similar feet. We walk the same way, so it makes sense we need similar footwear.
But we uphold the notion women must skew their appearance for the sake of fantasy femininity. Women’s feet and legs are naturally feminine. There’s no need to do anything to make them appear womanly.
A proper woman isn’t made from lipstick, stilettos, and magic knickers. She’s the one beneath the weird concept of what a female looks like, yet doesn’t resemble so much.
Still, you might disagree that stuffing your toes in pointy footwear and tottering about on thin stems is ludicrous. I can’t get my head round the idea though.
I recall, when I was young, older women taught me to dull down some areas and sex up others. I understood at once — in our culture, at least — a woman’s breasts aren’t supposed to wobble or sway (hence I must strap mine into a bra) and their legs ought to resemble silky smooth beanpoles.
Young girls are told it’s normal to appear constantly alluring and dim their strength. No one mentions high heels make you more vulnerable because you can’t move fast in them.
Nor do they remark that bras don’t actually prevent saggy breasts: They hold breasts in, as though moving bosoms are too much to see, and boost volume, like your natural shape isn’t sufficient. They might increase comfort sometimes if your bosoms are large. Mostly, though, bras are for show only.
I note some woman consider the power to pretend to be a different size and shape, and weaker than they are, paradoxically, empowers them. Because it garners attention, usually sexual, donning impossible heels and bolstering your breasts to greater heights is considered positive. Anything that stops me running fast or enjoying freedom, though, dis-empowers me.
If I wanted to seduce and procreate all the time, of course, putting up with special underwear designed to suck bits of me in and promote others may help. For everyday wear, however, I prefer comfortable clothes and shoes.
Why, after all, should I always look sexually available and appealing? Who decided femininity involves discomfort or distortion, anyway?
Isn’t it odd that, if you want to look like a woman, you must adopt an appearance derived from fantasy rather than portray the real thing?
Women’s fashion has come a long way since the days when it wasn’t unusual to remove a rib to cinch your waistline. But it hasn’t changed enough. Who would have thought society still wouldn’t accept women as they are in our so-called enlightened age?
A proper woman isn’t made from lipstick, stilettos, and magic knickers. She’s the one beneath the weird concept of what a female looks like, yet doesn’t resemble so much. | https://medium.com/the-bolt-hole/one-day-women-will-look-like-women-427a2984ecd9 | ['Bridget Webber'] | 2020-12-15 15:26:27.424000+00:00 | ['Relationships', 'Self', 'Women', 'Womens Rights', 'Sexuality'] |
What Really Happens When You Crack Your Knuckles | An Evidence-Based Review
Photo by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash
“Cracking” your knuckles is the act of manipulating your joints, most commonly your fingers, in a way to produce a satisfying pop.
Like most people, it is something I often mindlessly do to cope with stress or boredom. I was constantly reminded by my parents to kick the habit as a kid because of the risk of developing bony deformities. Who was I to argue against their claims at such a young age?
But with the power of Google and an expensive graduate degree, I can finally educate my parents. Jokes aside, more research has been done surrounding the adverse effects of cracking your knuckles that have provided me with the evidence to support my claims.
What causes the pop?
The physiology behind the acoustics of cracking your knuckles have been unknown for a long time. A 2018 study created a mathematical model of events that is consistent with the widely accepted belief that the sound comes from bursting gas bubbles within the lubricating fluids of the joint.
It has been compared to blowing up a balloon and stretching it until it pops.
This process is very different from crepitus, it’s harmful counterpart. Crepitus is the act of rubbing two bones together which will inevitably cause discomfort and lead to some of the misconceptions associated with cracking your knuckles.
It is very unlikely to incidentally cause crepitus when trying to crack your knuckles because of the presence of the lubricating fluids in between the joint space known as synovial fluid.
What is the claim?
People often associate knuckle-cracking with an increased risk of developing arthritis, finger swelling, weakened grip, and decreased range of motion, at least my parents did.
Quick note: For the remainder of the article, I will be using arthritis and osteoarthritis interchangeably. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition, which means it’s caused by a dysfunctional immune system, not through a mechanical process.
To combat my parents nagging, I would often cite one specific case study that I heard about through a Youtube infographic show. It was a 1998 study about a physician who cracked only the knuckles of his left hand for 50 years and later compared both hands for any bony deformities.
The result was unremarkable! There were no signs of arthritis or any visible differences noted.
I was wrong to have only an anecdotal story of one physician’s experience in my arsenal to disprove my parents. Luckily for me, there has been more research done on this topic since then.
The Research
A retrospective case-control study gathered 135 patients (cases) with diagnosed arthritis and 80 patients without arthritis (controls) and documented their knuckle-cracking habits. This included their knuckle-cracking frequency, duration, and risk factors for hand arthritis.
Conclusion: Habitual knuckle-cracking does not seem to be a risk factor for developing arthritis.
Another prospective blind study focusing on 40 patients, of which 30 had a history of habitual knuckle-cracking, found promising results. The patients were evaluated by two orthopedic surgeons, who had no knowledge of which patients were knuckle crackers, and assessed their differences in hand swelling, grip strength, and range of motion; before and after knuckle cracking.
The researchers decided their research method wasn’t good enough and had two additional musculoskeletal radiologist (who were also unaware of who were the knuckle crackers) interpret ultrasound imaging of their hands.
Conclusion: There was no evidence of immediate adverse outcomes after knuckle cracking.
Drawbacks
There are still downsides to this seemingly harmless habit.
A 1999 research paper reported two cases of acute injury after attempting to crack their knuckles. One incident involved a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (simply a thumb ligament), while the other case involved a subluxation (partial dislocation) of the extensor tendon on the pinky.
Both injuries were mild in nature and resolved after conservative management within 4 weeks.
The simple way to avoid any injuries associated with cracking your knuckles is to stop the motion if it gets painful. As we have all likely experienced, cracking your knuckles should be a painless and satisfying process (at least for some of us).
Personal recommendation
If you want to crack your knuckles, then do it! It will likely not result in any harm as the most up-to-date research has shown us.
Just be mindful of the extent of your finger flexibility. | https://medium.com/carre4/what-really-happens-when-you-crack-your-knuckles-cf87db59794 | ['Alex Ha'] | 2020-12-02 18:19:28.205000+00:00 | ['Science', 'Arthritis', 'Health', 'Medicine', 'Habits'] |
AYS Daily Digest 10/6/21: Report confirms — people are being arrested, detained, and tortured by Syrian authorities upon return | THE MEDITERRANEAN
Today, it is with pain that we still see three boat interceptions by the Libyan coastguard.
The refoulement of these people to a warfare country violates international law by contempt of the principle of non-refoulement, mentioned in the Geneva Convention of Relating to the Status of Refugees — Pilotes Volontaires
Watch The Med — Alarmphone reported being contacted by a boat in distress with 43 people on board. The people on board the boat told them that water was coming into the boat, and that they had been at sea for over a day.
They are in panic and ask for urgent help. We informed authorities and demand the immediate launch of a rescue operation.
In a later update, they said they lost contact with the people: “Last time we spoke to them, they were still adrift and in a state of panic because rescue was not in sight!
There are 9 women and many children among them.”
Photo: MSF
MSF has reported they completed a rescue of 26 people including 15 unaccompanied minors from a small wooden boat 44NM off Sabratha. “While the rescue was ongoing, the Libyan coast guard was verbally intimidating and threatening the MSF team via radio.” The Geo Barents was built in 2007, initially as a ship for geological analysis, and has now been equipped for search and rescue missions of MSF.
More than 500 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean this year. In the same period of the previous year there were around 150 deaths.
The southern Tunisian city of Zarzis is the final resting place of those who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea. With more than 200 graves on site, many of the dead are still nameless.
GREECE
MSF urges the EU and Greece to immediately stop the policy of containment
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) once again calls on European Union leaders to completely change their approach to migration and to stop intensifying their existing containment and deterrence policies.
The report, ‘Constructing Crisis at Europe’s Borders’, shows how the EU’s migration policies put the health, wellbeing and safety of people trapped on the Greek islands in jeopardy.
NGOs have been forced to provide even basic services in some camps, such as clean water. As even the basic life essentials have been taken away from people confined in official camps across the Aegean, navigating life in such poor conditions, with complicated administrative and asylum procedures, constant exposure to violence and insecurity, family separation, unaddressed medical needs, and fear of deportation are all major factors that affect people’s mental health and their lives inside the camps.
According to Greek officials, a separate camp on Chios is currently under tender. Three other camps in Samos, Kos and Leros are expected to be up and running by this winter. Also, along with the rest of the EU, Greece is increasingly turning to digital technologies such as drones, sound cannons and AI-powered lie detectors in a bid to prevent people from crossing the borders. At a recent meeting with Minister Mitarakis, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson reportedly called the use of sound cannons “strange” and legally questionable.
EU and the Greek government are spending millions of euros to standardise and intensify policies that have already done so much harm, says the Greek head of MSF.
“It is not too late for compassion and common sense.”
Criminalization as underreported constant
Bizarre court cases of criminalization reaching mainstream media headlines are the exception, activists say — most cases go unnoticed by the public. Meanwhile, activist groups and NGOs are warning that these are not isolated cases nor a new phenomenon. “Systematic criminalisation of migrants has a tradition in Greece as part of Europe’s policies of deterrence and isolation. Laws have been passed that allow draconian measures against already marginalised people under the cloak of fighting smuggling and securing Europe”, Mare Liberum writes.
The Moria6 are accused of arson in an exemplary case of criminalisation. While 2 minors were already convicted to the max. sentence of 5 years, we’re awaiting the remaining 4 teenagers in court tomorrow. We demand a fair & transparent trial.
Read more on what else Mare Liberum has to say on that topic, and read our forthcoming AYS Special this Sunday on the topic of the Moria 6.
Our friends at Wave — Thessaloniki are looking for a new logistics coordinator:
FRANCE
Evictions of the only property people on the move have, leaving them homeless again
Human Rights Observers are reporting ongoing evictions in the Grande Synthe area. They have documented the destruction of about 250 tents and temporary shelters in the area this Wednesday morning alone.
GERMANY
Germany too has to change its legal practice following the ECJ judgment
Given that judgments of the European Court of Justice are legally binding for all national courts, Germany will have to follow in changing the so far purely quantitative approach in their case law following the new ECJ judgment.
The ratio of civilian deaths to the total population in the country of origin of asylum seekers cannot be a sole crucial starting point to grant the asylum seeker a protection status or deny their claim, ECJ stated. Rather, it requires a quantitative as well as a qualitative overall assessment of the circumstances. A comprehensive consideration of all relevant circumstances of the individual case, in particular those that characterize the situation of the applicant’s country of origin, is necessary.
The verdict from Luxembourg is an important sign of hope for refugees seeking international protection in Germany. As a consequence, Afghans in particular from highly competitive provinces can now hope to be granted subsidiary protection in the future.
In the meantime, the German government said it will continue with deportations to Afghanistan, in spite of the many critics of the practice.
Since 2016, more than 1,000 people have been deported from Germany to Afghanistan. The German military said they would start processing the potentially 520 cases of Afghan translators and their immediate families who worked for the Bundeswehr so they can receive protection in Germany. They also firmly stick to the requirement that people have to prove in detail they are under threat and finance their relocation by themselves.
At the same time, the regular clashes across the country continue, and the rate of targeted killings and bomb attacks in Kabul has been rising.
DENMARK
Danish government’s response to UNHCR’s comments on externalisation | https://medium.com/are-you-syrious/ays-daily-digest-10-6-21-report-confirms-people-are-being-arrested-detained-and-tortured-by-702dff50ec94 | ['Are You Syrious'] | 2021-06-11 17:16:43.473000+00:00 | ['Refugees', 'Syria', 'Digest', 'Germany', 'Report'] |
.NET Core 3.1 Web Consumer -IIS (RabbitMQ) | .NET Core 3.1 Web Consumer -IIS (RabbitMQ)
In this Article
You can find rabbitMQ consumer service as a web application net core 3.1. You can deploy to ISS, It will run like a windows service and you can see everything in the dashboard or you can create some additional page. There is the only consumer service not pushing a message to a queue
If you want to build a web app like a windows service you’re in the right place. This project is a consumer for RabbitMQ in .Net Core 3.1 Web Application. RabbitMQ.Client 6.0.
Getting Started
Create an empty web application. You can create MVC or angular or web API, we need a web application.
ASP.NET Core Web Application
Create ConsumerService class (in a new project) you can find whole code in this link.
public class ConsumerService : BackgroundService
{ }
ConsumerService is in Service Project
Add ConsumerService to Startup
services.AddHostedService<ConsumerService>();
Startup in the Web Project
Create web.config file
web.config file
You don’t have to add web.config file but you need to add application initialization configuration and an easy way is that or you can do it in IIS. I added to the web config file because IIS is difficult for this configuration. If you want you can try.
Web App Configuration Editor
This code allows sending the first request when the server is just turned on. You don’t have to browse your website but you need to add InitPage for the first request.
<applicationInitialization
remapManagedRequestsTo="InitPage" skipManagedModules="true">
<add initializationPage="/InitPage" />
</applicationInitialization>
Web App needs to work always, and this configuration it for it. This App will run like windows service, IIS configuration is important for this.
Needs some IIS configuration
Go to Application Pools, in Advanced Settings
.Net CLR Version = 4.0 (don’t use No Managed Code)
Start Mode = AlwaysRunning
Idle Time-out = 0
Advanced Settings in Application Pool
Go to Web App Advanced Settings
Advanced Settings in the Web App
Turn Windows features on (Application Initialization) | https://medium.com/@ergin.celik/net-core-3-1-web-consumer-iis-rabbitmq-b1e9d20fd74a | ['Ergin Çelik'] | 2020-05-25 10:29:56.722000+00:00 | ['Hosted Services', 'Rabbitmq', 'Consumer', 'Net Core'] |
Dr Frank Weakly Reader for 02.01.2019 | Friday’s child is a great big ball of links, all the stuff that, for one reason or another has mostly likely escaped your notice, noted here in case they should ever need to be found again.
If I’ve been a bit distracted this week it’s because we are in the midst of Noir City, the San Francisco film noir festival that I go to every year, and the program of which is particularly great this time around. Twenty-four films in ten days, and I’m planning to see them all. So far the favorite has been Detective Story, a film I’ve known of but never got around to seeing as it turned out. I also liked The Pushover and the Kubrick’s stunning self-funded debut Killer’s Kiss, which I’m sure I’d never have seen or even really known about otherwise; Kiss Me Deadly (another I was familiar with but hadn’t quite realized I hadn’t actually seen) was just, you know, insane. Anyway, I live for this stuff. It goes through Sunday but I’m already missing it in advance.
Anyway, on to the links. Click them like you never clicked before. | https://medium.com/@drankf/dr-frank-weakly-reader-for-02-01-2019-812b964b0570 | ['Frank Portman'] | 2019-02-01 16:44:00.717000+00:00 | ['Records', 'Songs', 'Music', 'Internet', 'Memoir'] |
A User Experience Guide to Clubhouse | What is Clubhouse?
The most talked about startup of early 2020 is Clubhouse, an audio-based social network where people can spontaneously jump into voice chat rooms together. You see the unlabeled rooms of all the people you follow, and you can join to talk or just listen along, milling around to find what interests you.
A single, black and white image of a human face, sets the tone for Clubhouse, giving it a unique vibe not found elsewhere on the App Store.
An iOS and mostly AirPods exclusive experience, Clubhouse brings a combination of live-streaming and podcasting to a select group of already-popular influencers, mostly in the startup and tech community.
Clubhouse centers around individuals, most of whom have done something remarkable or noteworthy. They represent existing cults of personality (at least, in a more humble, silicon valley form), typically with tens of thousands of Twitter followers, and a pre-built audience.
You notice this when you sign in to the app, and view a list of rooms, centered not around topics, but individual influencers. A Room is defined by who is currently speaking. So, you may receive a notification to join a room where Sahil, Drew, and Tyler are speaking. No profile pages, or lengthy explanations as to who’s here. Either you’re in the know, or you aren’t.
Novel User Interaction, or just Phone Calls?
From a bare-bones user interaction point-of-view, Clubhouse shouldn’t be unique. It’s a group call. iOS supports this natively. As does WhatsApp, FaceTime, Discord, and a countless number of community chat platforms.
But what makes a phone call toxic in 2020, and Clubhouse refreshing?
This boils down to community, curation, and interaction.
Why Voice Works
Video Calls have glued us to our seats. Mobile apps may exist for Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet — but the culture that developed around using these apps in an office setting is preventing us from using them casually.
Moving from our MacBooks to our phones and AirPods, gives us mobility. Removing video reduces friction, and removes the need to “prep for a call”, giving us more flexibility to decide how to hang out with others.
Simply put, adding video introduces more friction to the call experience than it’s worth. Clubhouse introduces a new mode of interaction that can be more spontaneous, casual, and frequent than a Zoom call. | https://medium.com/swlh/a-user-experience-guide-to-clubhouse-and-the-emergence-of-audio-as-a-platform-8a425a7a6661 | ['James Futhey'] | 2020-10-06 10:16:52.453000+00:00 | ['Design', 'Startup', 'Podcast', 'Apple', 'UX'] |
Wondering how to incorporate the planet as a stakeholder into a digital project? Try starting at the end. | Wondering how to incorporate the planet as a stakeholder into a digital project? Try starting at the end.
Bring your team together, address issues and grow a culture of climate action by hosting a green retrospective at the end of your project. Erin Gallup Follow Nov 17, 2020 · 6 min read
There’s a growing realization that those of us who create for the digital world are emitting carbon through what we make and we must act to minimize the unnecessary output of what we produce.
The fact is that while the IT world is not seen as polluting as other sectors, if it were a country it would be the third largest emitter after China and the United States. And with increased video use, VR and 5G on the horizon, it is on track to overtake the aviation industry in yearly co2 emissions.
The time is right for us to shift the culture of digital abundance and work to reduce the footprint of the digital things we make. But how do we start?
Illustration by Zhi Wang
The challenge is figuring out where to start.
We actually struggled with this in a recent web project. The deadline was incredibly tight and ambitious. The client was betting big on the new sites we were creating. Our team had to rush and make decisions independently in order to hit our launch date. It was an exciting project where we all stepped a bit outside of our comfort zones. And we hit our goal, we finished two days early and launched successfully.
And that’s when we realized that during the process we were not able to assess the environmental impact of what we were creating. And because we hadn’t attempted integrating this before, we didn’t know how or when to do it. For a moment, it felt like we lost our chance to make it a part of our project.
But then we realized that it’s never too late to start the conversation, because by their nature digital products are changeable. And as climate best practices might be easiest to spot in hindsight, a good route could be to start at the end of a project.
So that’s what we did. A week after our launch and after our classic agile retrospective we held a green retrospective, where we got together and analyzed the work we had done, looked for areas of improvement and prioritized next actions.
Illustration by Zhi Wang
Preparing for the green retrospective
To get ready for the meeting, we started by writing out our reasons for the initiative. Through a bit of research we were able to compile a draft list of environmental best practices for creating digital products which could start to form our North Star.
Next we found some resources to calculate the carbon output of our sites. We found several sites that offered this service so we focused on three of them (websitecarbon.com, ecometer.org, and ecograder.com) and then compared their results and suggestions. These formed the starting point for our discussions.
We then set up a collaborative workshop space. If we were able to meet in person we would have used a whiteboard and PostIts. However, we had our retrospective during a Corona lockdown so we had to do it through a video call. We used Figma for our workshop space (as that is what we used for our project), but any meeting collaboration software would work– like Mural and Miro or even Google Slides.
Then, we sent out invites. We invited our entire team, which included frontend and backend engineers, user experience and brand designers, and our product manager.
Holding the green retrospective
Our meeting was an hour long and we divided it into two parts: First we gave 15 minutes for everyone to privately test our new sites on the carbon calculators, read our best practices list and come up with a list of edits for either design or development.
Then for the remaining time we shared what we uncovered and had an open discussion about the issues. We chatted through the results, asked each other questions and prioritized next steps.
Our green retrospective. Access a blank Figma green retrospective template here.
The outcome
The green retrospective was most effective at getting us together to rally around the environmental topic and give us each time to start to wrap our heads around it. It also helped us understand each other’s roles and limitations better and helped us leave with some concrete actions for this project, as well as some new learnings that we can take to our next.
The edits we made to our sites to reduce their carbon footprint were the following:
Try to secure hosting powered by clean energy
Reduce the size of our photographic images to the exact sizes needed
Make illustrations svgs
Trim content and images on our mobile design
Test and optimize javascript performance
Merge page components so there are fewer
Decrease build time for both websites
Here were some of our main takeaways:
1. Carbon calculators have their limitations. Carbon calculator sites are nice conversation pieces but are difficult to use for troubleshooting our work– their methodology is unclear and some of their resulting tips were either too general for us to act on or slightly irrelevant. However, they were effective for starting the discussion and helped inform our decision to use more specialized tools (like Google Lighthouse) for performance optimization to ensure our sites have the smallest possible carbon footprint.
2. Our list of fixes include many things that also increase performance. From optimizing illustrations and images to fixing our mobile design, to merging components, testing javascript performance and decreasing build time, all of these items make our sites run better and be more organized. Working through these issues is not only better for the environment but better for our users as well. They are win-win fixes.
3. We can use our power as customers to create demand for truly green hosting. Our host provider, Microsoft Azure, does score well on the overall ranking of host providers and it uses carbon offsetting to mitigate its footprint, with plans to be carbon negative by 2030. However, we were not able to select the nearest host location to us, Western Norway, which would have enabled our hosting to be powered mainly by clean energy. We contacted Microsoft to express our desire for this and posted on their suggestion board. If you like, feel free to upvote the post to increase demand for truly clean hosting.
Illustration by Zhi Wang
Is it worth doing again?
Yes! The truth is, we all want to make great things for our clients while respecting our planet as a stakeholder. And since environmental standards have not been set yet for digital products, it is up to us to help define them. Getting the group together to discuss them is the first step and plants the seed for each of us to continually seek out better solutions in each of our roles.
As was said by our team member Karen, “Good design and development are naturally green.” Good design prevents frustration while at the same time saves on erroneous clicks that make unnecessary server calls. Good development makes sites perform fast and keeps the file sizes low, reducing storage space and saving energy. Thus together they create something that is both pleasant to use and has a smaller carbon footprint.
We plan to keep the topic going. See everyone at the next green retrospective :-) | https://3min.io/wondering-how-to-incorporate-the-planet-as-a-stakeholder-into-a-digital-project-3c2850e6876c | ['Erin Gallup'] | 2020-11-17 11:23:32.526000+00:00 | ['Climate Change', 'Sustainability', 'Climate', 'UX', 'Web Development'] |
THE BEST KETO MEAL PLAN IN 2022 | If you find yourself in a conversation about dieting or weight loss, chances are you’ll hear of the ketogenic, or keto, diet.
That’s because the keto diet has become one of the most popular methods worldwide to shed excess weight and improve health.
The Ultimate Keto Meal Plan: https://www.digistore24.com/redir/283755/Ian444/
Research has demonstrated that adopting this low-carb, high-fat diet can promote fat loss and even improve certain conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cognitive decline (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source).
This article explains what to eat and avoid while following a keto diet and provides a one-week keto meal plan to get you started.
Ketogenic Diet Basics
The keto diet, as a rule, is very low in carbs, high in fat and moderate in protein.
When following a ketogenic diet, carbs are typically reduced to 20 to 50 grams per day, though looser versions of the diet exist (3Trusted Source).
Fats should replace the majority of cut carbs and deliver approximately 75% of your total calorie intake.
Proteins should account for around 10–30% of energy needs, while carbs are usually restricted to 5%.
This carb reduction forces your body to rely on fats for its main energy source instead of glucose — a process known as ketosis.
While in ketosis, your body uses ketones — molecules produced in the liver from fats when glucose is limited — as an alternate fuel source.
Though fat is often avoided for its high calorie content, research shows that ketogenic diets are significantly more effective at promoting weight loss than low-fat diets (4Trusted Source).
Plus, keto diets reduce hunger and increase satiety, which can be particularly helpful when trying to lose weight (5Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
The ketogenic diet relies on a very low-carb routine. Carbs are typically restricted to 20–50 grams per day, replaced mostly with fat and moderate amounts of protein.
Ketogenic Diet Meal Plan
Switching over to a ketogenic diet can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be difficult.
The Ultimate Keto Meal Plan: https://www.digistore24.com/redir/283755/Ian444/
Your focus should be on reducing carbs while increasing the fat and protein content of meals and snacks.
In order to reach and remain in a state of ketosis, carbs must be restricted.
While certain people might only achieve ketosis by eating 20 grams of carbs per day, others may be successful with a much higher carb intake.
Generally, the lower your carbohydrate intake, the easier it is to reach and stay in ketosis.
This is why sticking to keto-friendly foods and avoiding items rich in carbs is the best way to successfully lose weight on a ketogenic diet.
Keto-Friendly Foods to Eat
When following a ketogenic diet, meals and snacks should center around the following foods:
Eggs: Pastured, organic whole eggs make the best choice.
Poultry: Chicken and turkey.
Fatty fish: Wild-caught salmon, herring and mackerel.
Meat: Grass-fed beef, venison, pork, organ meats and bison.
Full-fat dairy: Yogurt, butter and cream.
Full- fat cheese: Cheddar, mozzarella, brie, goat cheese and cream cheese.
Nuts and seeds: Macadamia nuts, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, peanuts and flaxseeds.
Nut butter: Natural peanut, almond and cashew butters.
Healthy fats: Coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut butter and sesame oil.
Avocados: Whole avocados can be added to almost any meal or snack.
Non-starchy vegetables: Greens, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms and peppers.
Condiments: Salt, pepper, vinegar, lemon juice, fresh herbs and spices.
Foods to Avoid
Avoid foods rich in carbs while following a keto diet.
The following foods should be restricted:
Bread and baked goods: White bread, whole-wheat bread, crackers, cookies, doughnuts and rolls.
Sweets and sugary foods: Sugar, ice cream, candy, maple syrup, agave syrup and coconut sugar.
Sweetened beverages: Soda, juice, sweetened teas and sports drinks.
Pasta: Spaghetti and noodles.
Grains and grain products: Wheat, rice, oats, breakfast cereals and tortillas.
Starchy vegetables: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, corn, peas and pumpkin.
Beans and legumes: Black beans, chickpeas, lentils and kidney beans.
Fruit: Citrus, grapes, bananas and pineapple.
High-carb sauces: Barbecue sauce, sugary salad dressings and dipping sauces.
Certain alcoholic beverages: Beer and sugary mixed drinks.
Though carbs should be restricted, low-glycemic fruits such as berries can be enjoyed in limited amounts as long as you’re maintaining a keto-friendly macronutrient range.
Be sure to choose healthy food sources and steer clear of processed foods and unhealthy fats.
The following items should be avoided:
Unhealthy fats: Margarine, shortening and vegetable oils such as canola and corn oil.
Processed foods: Fast food, packaged foods and processed meats such as hot dogs and lunch meats.
Diet foods: Foods that contain artificial colors, preservatives and sweeteners such as sugar alcohols and aspartame.
Keto-Friendly Beverages
Sugar can be found in a wide variety of beverages including juice, soda, iced tea and coffee drinks.
While on a ketogenic diet, high-carb drinks must be avoided just like high-carb foods.
It’s no small matter that sugary beverages have also been linked to various health issues — from obesity to an increased risk of diabetes (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).
Thankfully, there are many tasty, sugar-free options for those on the keto diet.
Keto-friendly beverage choices include:
Water: Water is the best choice for hydration and should be consumed throughout the day.
Sparkling water: Sparkling water can make an excellent soda replacement.
Unsweetened coffee: Try heavy cream to add flavor to your cup of joe.
Unsweetened green tea: Green tea is delicious and provides many health benefits.
If you want to add some extra flavor to your water, try experimenting with different keto-friendly flavor combinations.
The Ultimate Keto Meal Plan: https://www.digistore24.com/redir/283755/Ian444/
For example, tossing some fresh mint and lemon peel into your water bottle can make hydration a breeze.
Though alcohol should be restricted, enjoying a low-carb drink like vodka or tequila mixed with soda water is perfectly fine on occasion.
SUMMARY
A healthy ketogenic diet should revolve around high-fat, low-carb food choices and restrict highly processed items and unhealthy fats. Keto-friendly beverage options must be sugar-free. Consider water, sparkling water or unsweetened green tea and coffee.
READER SURVEY
Please take a quick 1-minute survey
Your answers will help us improve our experience. You’re the best!
A Sample Keto Menu for One Week
The following menu provides less than 50 grams of total carbs per day.
As mentioned above, some people may have to reduce carbohydrates even further in order to reach ketosis.
This is a general one-week ketogenic menu that can be altered depending on individual dietary needs.
Monday
Breakfast: Two eggs fried in pastured butter served with sauteed greens.
Lunch: A bunless grass-fed burger topped with cheese, mushrooms and avocado atop a bed of greens.
Dinner: Pork chops with green beans sauteed in coconut oil.
Tuesday
Breakfast: Mushroom omelet.
Lunch: Tuna salad with celery and tomato atop a bed of greens.
Dinner: Roast chicken with cream sauce and sauteed broccoli.
Wednesday
Breakfast: Bell pepper stuffed with cheese and eggs.
Lunch: Arugula salad with hard-boiled eggs, turkey, avocado and blue cheese.
Dinner: Grilled salmon with spinach sauteed in coconut oil.
Thursday
Breakfast: Full-fat yogurt topped with Keto granola.
Lunch: Steak bowl with cauliflower rice, cheese, herbs, avocado and salsa.
Dinner: Bison steak with cheesy broccoli.
Friday
Breakfast: Baked avocado egg boats.
Lunch: Caesar salad with chicken.
Dinner: Pork chops with vegetables.
Saturday
Breakfast: Cauliflower toast topped with cheese and avocado.
Lunch: Bunless salmon burgers topped with pesto.
Dinner: Meatballs served with zucchini noodles and parmesan cheese.
Sunday
Breakfast: Coconut milk chia pudding topped with coconut and walnuts.
Lunch: Cobb salad made with greens, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, cheese and turkey.
Dinner: Coconut chicken curry.
As you can see, ketogenic meals can be diverse and flavorful.
Although many ketogenic meals are based around animal products, there is a wide variety of vegetarian options to choose from as well.
If you’re following a more liberal ketogenic diet, adding a cup of berries to your breakfast or a small serving of a starchy vegetable to your dinner will increase the number of carbs in this meal plan.
SUMMARY
A ketogenic meal plan, like any healthy diet, should include whole foods and many fiber-rich, low-carb vegetables. Choose healthy fats like coconut oil, avocado, olive oil and pastured butter to increase the fat content of dishes.
Healthy Ketogenic Snack Options
Snacking between meals can help moderate hunger and keep you on track while following a ketogenic diet.
Because the ketogenic diet is so filling, you may only need one or two snacks per day, depending on your activity level.
Here are some excellent, keto-friendly snack options:
Almonds and cheddar cheese
Half an avocado stuffed with chicken salad
Guacamole with low-carb veggies
Trail mix made with unsweetened coconut, nuts and seeds
Hard-boiled eggs
Coconut chips
Kale chips
Olives and sliced salami
Celery and peppers with herbed cream cheese dip
Berries with heavy whipping cream
Jerky
Cheese roll-ups
Parmesan crisps
Macadamia nuts
Greens with high-fat dressing and avocado
Keto smoothie made with coconut milk, cocoa and avocado
Avocado cocoa mousse
Though these keto snacks can maintain fullness between meals, they can also contribute to weight gain if you’re snacking too much throughout the day.
The Ultimate Keto Meal Plan: https://www.digistore24.com/redir/283755/Ian444/
It’s important to eat the appropriate number of calories based on your activity level, weight loss goal, age and gender.
If you’re unsure how many calories you should be eating, check out this article to learn how to calculate energy needs. | https://medium.com/@igamix.09/the-best-keto-meal-plan-in-2022-8bbd45b312ac | ['Fitness Stars'] | 2021-12-21 15:52:17.169000+00:00 | ['Ketogenic Diet', 'Ketogenic', 'Health', 'Fitness', 'Keto'] |
My Craving | Unlocked my house door yesterday coming back from work. As I stepped in the welcoming rug I felt a bump in my stomach. “Im hungry” I though, so I left the keys and my coat on the table and went to the kitchen. I opened the fridge but realised I wasn’t hungry at all. There I was, standing in front of the opened fridge feeling the cold air in my cheeks looking for something appealing to eat. Nothing, I wanted nothing. The fridge was full of everything a fridge could have. Cheese, bread, ham, bacon, eggs, fruits, vegetables, ice cream, chocolate, juice, water, wine, beer, even a homemade Tiramisu. Nothing, I wanted nothing. I closed the fridge and looked out the kitchen window. Playing around with a football were two little boys outside the street. I smiled. After fifteen minutes staring at the boys playing anything but football with a football I felt that bump again. Ugh that one felt uncomfortable! Perhaps now im hungry, I thought. So I opened the fridge again, looking for something to calm my stomach. For a-second time, that cold breeze on my cheeks. I couldn’t find something to eat and shut the fridge. I went to the couch and grabbed my phone. I got a notification from my friend gossiping about her new “crush” as we nowadays call someone we are attracted to. That bump again, three on the same day. What is this? It might be something I ate yesterday or the day before. I started looked back into yesterday’s memories of food I had and realised I had no memories of food from yesterday, so I thought “perhaps I will remember the day before yesterday” but no, I didn’t remember. I was so confused. Why can’t I remember what I ate? Turns out I haven’t had something to eat in a week. I wasn’t hungry. I was tired. Some sleep would make me feel better,I thought. With difficulty I managed to get off the couch and up the stairs to my room. I let myself fall in my bed and closed my eyes. I woke up at two a.m. Weird was, I did not care at all. I tried to fall back asleep but that did not work. A bump, the bump, again. Now it hurts. I tried to fall back asleep again. It is now six in the morning and I woke up craving something. I was still not hungry. I was craving something. I had energy again. I was mad and sad. A feeling I will never forget. What am I craving? I had this feeling of emptiness that made me crave for something. Grabbed my phone, went on Spotify and pressed play. The saddest song from my playlist started playing and within the first ten seconds of the song my eyes started tearing. Im crazy, I thought. The bump came back. The bump in my stomach with me craving something and my eyes still tearing and me sobbing. I managed to get out of bed and saw myself in the mirror. A bullet went through my heart as I saw my reflection in the mirror. I saw a skeleton, a ghost. Hate and sadness, that was what the mirror reflected. I thought I hadn’t eaten for a week but it wasn’t just a week. It was two months. I was empty, emotionless, a ghost. Hate all over me. Hate towards me. How did I let this happen to me and without even noticing? How could I have not eaten anything in two months? What happened in those two months? I couldn’t stop asking questions, I felt like I had been awaken from the longest dream ever. That craving just got bigger and stronger. I ran down to the fridge figuring that craving was food and grabbed the first thing my eye spot. I ate the Tiramisu my mom made for me on my Birthday and then a piece of bread, following it with some cheese and after that chocolate and at last some ice cream. I stuffed my face with food. Once I was done the craving came back, stronger and bigger than ever. I had just eaten my weight in food and that craving was still there! I wasn’t mad, I was confused and hopeless, afraid this craving would consume me. I did not bother to lay on the couch or on my bed, I just laid on the flor and screamed. I screamed as loud as I could, I don’t know why. I just had to, I was tired and exhausted and I couldn’t anymore. I fell asleep, right there on the flor.
A knock on the door woke me up, it was my mom. I could not get up to open the door for her, I just laid there speechless and hopeless. My mom called my phone, but I couldn’t answer. She started knocking louder, but I couldn’t get up. I heard her say “If you don’t open the door now im calling someone” and right after that my eyes closed again. Once my eyes opened I wasn’t home on the floor anymore. I was on this weird and very uncomfortable bed chained to some wires that had some fluid in them. I was so confused that I just closed my eyes again hoping for it all to be a dream. The second time I woke up I saw my mom. Her eyes where swollen and red, she had a tiering look but she still looked beautiful. I asked her where I was and if she could take this wires off of me. She started explaining what happened. Apparently I passed out on my kitchen floor and am severely anemic. I didn’t know what to answer to that, so I closed my eyes again. The third time I opened my eyes my mom was still there but with this weird man with a very weird beard. She said he was going to ask me some questions to see if im okey. He did not ask if I was okey which really upset me because I though he wanted to know if I was okey. Apparently he wanted to know when I last ate and if i’ve had any headaches and dizziness lately. What kind of person says they want to know if you are okey and asks those kinds of questions; rude. My mom then had the marvellous idea to tell me that this man was my doctor. Let me tell you he did not look like a doctor at all. If I would have known, well then I probably wouldn’t have gotten mad. I told him that I didn’t remember the last time I ate and that I hadn’t any dizziness or headaches lately. I told him about the craving. He said “Oh, you have cravings, well that is normal if you haven’t eaten in a while”. I sad “No!” and started explaining THE craving. After my perfectly good and precise explanation about the craving and how it had nothing to do with food ended, he asked my mom if they could talk outside. Again, extremely rude. What’s up with this guy? They talked for a while and right before I closed my eyes they where finished and came inside. He wanted to start explaining what was wrong with me but I stopped him, I wanted my mom to explain it. She said I have a disease, but not one that goes away with an injection or some pills. She said it was “up there” and pointed at her head.When I thought I was confused before apparently I wasn’t because now I was just clueless. A disease “up there”, what does that even mean? The doctor stepped in and said I have anorexia. I’ve heard about it but never thought you could just have it. “See, I think I got it accidentally because I do not remember why I stopped eating or when” I said. The doctor explained that anorexia comes in various shapes and forms (whatever that means). He said I might have had some experience that led to me not eating, for instance that craving. I got very mad after he mentioned the craving. I screamed. Once he mentioned the craving it came back, all of if. This time it was worse than before. My stomach started aching and I couldn’t breathe. I musst have passed out because I do not remember what happened next. Suddenly I wasn’t at the hospital bed anymore, I was safe. I was up in some mountain with all these beautiful flowers and a big clear river. I ran to it and jumped inside. The water was fresh and cold, it felt so good. The craving was gone, the pain and sadness too. I was okey, I was safe. I didn’t want to go, but I had this feeling that told me to. I didn’t know where to go, but I just kept walking until I got tired and closed my eyes. I had this dream. My craving was a someone and we started talking. I asked him why he would not leave me alone, that his presence hurts and he tolled me he was sad. He said he couldn’t find a reason to live and that holding on to me was a way of looking for it, he needed to find a reason to stay on earth because nothing he did fulfilled him and then he pushed me. I woke up. There were a lot of people in the hospital room this time and all looked relived once I woke up. My mom hugged me and thanked me. I wan’t sure for what but I said you’re welcome; she laughed.
Once the room got cleared and my mom and doctor were the only ones left in the room I told them I knew what was wrong with me. I didn’t say anything about the dream because I didn’t want them to think I was crazy, although maybe I was. I said to them that I wasn’t happy and could not find a reason to stay alive, I had stopped eating because food stopped making me happy. I couldn’t get up because I had no energy, I had no motive to use my arms or legs. I just couldn’t live anymore. My moms eyes started tearing again. I told the doctor that I was not anorexic, I was just really really sad. He said he could help, and that comforted me. He wasn’t so bad after all. I looked at my mom and said sorry. I explained to her that if I had known what was going on with me I would have told her sooner, probably before I passed out on the kitchen floor. She smiled. My mom was so beautiful, one of the most beautiful person on earth. She helped me, my doctor too of course. I stared getting medications and going to therapy weekly. I talked to people and slowly started finding reasons to stay alive. Life didn’t seem so bad after all. I found a passion and love for music, arts, books. Slowly I saw the world colorfully. I never had the craving again. I had lost me and now I had found me. The craving inspired me to look for the beautiful and ugly thing this world has and make something out of it. I realised that life is full of learning and that fulfilled me. I traveled and learned, I wrote and learned, I cried and learned. The rest of my life I kept discovering and learning, and right before I closed my eyes for the last time, I learned my last lesson: There is never enough time, so invest the time you have in something worth of it, something that will fulfill you everyday, something you can learn of and become better, because time pases by very very fast. | https://medium.com/@luciasuarezu/my-craving-54e330f27e22 | ['Lucia Suarez'] | 2021-02-23 07:26:23.848000+00:00 | ['Time', 'Cravings', 'Depression', 'Mental Health', 'Life'] |
Sadhguru | 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/sadhguru-jv/sadhguru-3f8ae621d1ce | [] | 2020-12-24 12:59:27.578000+00:00 | ['Life', 'Yoga', 'Life Lessons', 'Meditation', 'Quotes'] |
How not to drown in the cloud of solutions and not go into the endless design | Anthropometric forms are found where there is a need for a person to interact directly with the object (cars, machines, household appliances, etc.). And the depth of the elaboration of the form from a tactile point of view determines the degree of organicness of human interaction with the product.
The design of anthropometric forms with surfaces of the 3rd order and smoothness of class A cannot be performed even with a detailed technical assignment, without full-scale prototyping.
The goal of our team is to create products in which the user will enjoy use and interaction by forming a tactile and emotional connection between them.
Task: creating a single harmonious and holistic object by combining tactile sensations, emotions, and a visual image, where the design object becomes a continuation of the momentum of thought and movement.
In development, one prototype will say more than pages of text. Full-scale layouts are one of the most effective ways to create elements and products that directly interact with the human body.
Creating anthropometric forms is a multi-iterative process that takes place with the involvement of industry experts, as well as the test drive of prototypes among a sample of averaged user respondents. At the same time, it is very important to keep experts in the time-budget-decision balance so that the decision is not expensive or with a late deadline.
Based on the opinion of experts, the form is adjusted. Ergonomic tables can be a guiding light for common solutions, but working with people — both creating a product for the end-user and interacting with the client/customer — is a history of personification, faxes and unpredictable, but effective solutions, which we will tell you about using the example of the control handle of one unusual, but very useful simulator.
Stages of work
We have developed a multi-iterative workflow:
I. Generation of operational requirements, selection of reference forms used in product creation, and formation of a representative sample
II. Create a full-scale layout. As a rule, we use plasticine | https://medium.com/@verdestadesign/how-not-to-drown-in-the-cloud-of-solutions-and-not-go-into-the-endless-design-6a6f0a7e6b79 | [] | 2020-12-14 11:30:51.148000+00:00 | ['Design', 'Product Development', 'Prototyping'] |
Let life fill you with hurt… | “Life is too short for loose ends, for feelings that that were never acted upon, gestures that were never taken. So take the damn chance. Get on a plane, send that person an I’m sorry, tell them that you love them, drive all night to see someone in the morning. I don’t care if it makes you vulnerable, if it exposes you, expose yourself. Open the hell up. Let life fill you with hurt, with happiness; let it weather you, let it teach you. Let it inspire you, let it break you down and build you up. You are here to risk your heart. Please don’t ever forget that. Please don’t ever forget that love is the answer.” Bianca Sparacino.
As a person who suffers from a serious case of fear of rejection, I must say reading that quote sends chills down my spine, every time I read it. Exposing myself is 100% against my nature. It seems like the thing you shouldn’t do. I am quite adventurous but I am a very careful and safe adventurous person. I can jump off a plane sky diving, or off a cliff bungee jumping because it is mostly safe, I can say I love you because I am 99% sure that they feel the same way too. But this quote, this one suggests a different level of vulnerability that I haven’t unlocked yet and I consider myself quite vulnerable. However, this quote exhilarates me and makes me want to live this way. Perhaps it’s because my adventurous spirit craves bigger adventure or perhaps, I’d like to look back at my life and say damn! I lived. But living means the good and the bad. Opening yourself up to hurt — deliberately? Ouch! Why? It however seems there is no other way to live a beautiful life. You must open up to all of it! You must take the chances and fail or succeed, experience happiness or hurt — it is the only way you will look back and say, “Damn! I have lived!” I hope my fear of not truly living surpasses my fear of rejection because I really want to look back and smile at my life and feel like I truly lived and not passed the time. So it seems it’s time to be open to it all — bumpy ride here I come!
How does this quote make you feel? | https://medium.com/@annenyanchoka/let-life-fill-you-with-hurt-f837388f6373 | ['Anne Nyanchoka'] | 2020-02-04 08:22:58.933000+00:00 | ['Life', 'Life Lessons', 'Human Behavior', 'Feelingstuff', 'Feelings'] |
Welcome to the Patient Experience Studio at Cedar | At Cedar, we’re improving the patient financial and administrative experience, guiding each patient from pre-visit check in to post-visit billing with ease. On the Cedar Design and Data Science teams, we believe that building a powerful product requires a deep understanding of the “What” and the “Why” of the patient experience. The “What” is the output of our analytics, custom analyses and explanatory models. Through these methods, we seek to identify the key factors driving patient behavior. The “Why” focuses on identifying the relevant emotions and subconscious behavior by listening and understanding what patients have to say about their own experiences. Linking the two allows us to build hypotheses to improve our product, design thoughtful features and deliver experiences that we continuously improve through experimentation.
We foster a constant flow of insights and ideas between Data Science and Design to identify and fill our collective blindspots and contribute to each other’s work. To achieve this, we collaborate daily, sometimes even hosting team events together (like that time we toured NYC to learn about the art of graffiti and completed “masterpieces” that are on display at our NYC office). We also regularly present our work across teams to get feedback and learn about our patients from all different angles. We even coined a phrase to express this collaborative back-and-forth: “data art and design science.” This blog showcases some of our most interesting Design and Data Science methods and insights. Join us on our journey to build a better patient experience together.
Happy reading!
Amy Stillman, VP, Design at Cedar
Yohann Smadja, VP, Data Science at Cedar | https://medium.com/the-patient-experience-studio-at-cedar/welcome-to-the-patient-experience-studio-at-cedar-15f25f8cc645 | ['Yohann Smadja'] | 2020-07-22 04:55:25.755000+00:00 | ['Data Science', 'Patient Engagement', 'Design', 'Healthcare', 'Patient Experience'] |
Leaf It Up To Binary Trees | Most things in software can be broken up into smaller parts. Large frameworks are really just small pieces of functionality that have been built up to create a heavyweight code infrastructure. Object-oriented programming is really just a bunch of classes that inherit from one another. And classical inheritance and the “class hierarchy” is really just a hierarchal tree structure. And trees are data structures that are really just a bunch of nodes and links that are connected to one another.
See? Everything is a bunch of little things put together. Where it gets really interesting, however, is when we start looking at how those little pieces function under the surface — that is to say, all of the different ways that they can be used to build larger abstractions.
Last week, we learned about tree data structures, which are usually abstracted away but are important pieces of how larger things — like the file system on our computers — actually work under the hood. There are a few different types of tree structures that are used in programming, but the most common (and, arguably, the most powerful) one is a binary search tree.
Binary search trees, sometimes abbreviated as BSTs, are tree data structures that adhere to a set of very specific rules. Just from their name, you might already be able to guess what those rules are. The reason these trees are so powerful and end up being so useful is because of these specific rules. But, before we gush over binary search trees any further, let’s dig a little deeper into what they are, and what makes them different from any other tree out there!
Two trees within a tree
We’re already familiar with the term binary since we’ve talked about it in the context of the binary (or base 2) number system. However, binary also has a simpler meaning: anything relating to or composed of two things. In the context of trees, this might seem a little odd at first. A tree can only have one single root — that’s one of its defining characteristics! So how does one tree become two? How does a tree become…binary, exactly?
In order to understand what puts the “binary” in binary search tree, we have to think back to one other characteristic of the tree data structure: recursiveness. Trees are recursive data structures, which means that a single tree is made up of many others.
The child node of a tree structure could also very well be the parent node to many other child nodes — which would effectively make it the root node of a mini subtree of the larger tree structure.
The recursive characteristic of a tree is crucial to how a binary search actually functions (not to mention, one of the reasons that it is so powerful).
Binary trees get their name from the way that they are structured; more specifically, the get their name from the way that their subtrees are structured. Every binary tree has a root node, just as we might expect. But after that, things get a bit more narrow and strict. A binary tree can only ever have two links, connecting to two nodes. This means that every parent node can only ever have two possible child nodes — and never any more than that.
But where does recursion come into the mix? Well, if every parent node, including the root node, can only ever have two child nodes, this means that the root node can only point to two subtrees. Thus, every binary tree will contain two subtrees within it: a left subtree and a right subtree. And this rule keeps applying as we go down the tree: both the left subtree and the right subtree are binary trees in and of themselves because they are recursively part of the larger tree. So, the left subtree’s root will point to two more trees, which means that it contains its very own left subtree and right subtree!
Every binary tree will contain two subtrees within it: a left subtree and a right subtree.
The recursive aspect of a binary search tree is part of what makes it so powerful. The very fact that we know that one single BST can be split up and evenly divided into mini-trees within it will come in handy later when we start traversing down the tree!
But first, let’s take a look at one more important rule that makes binary trees so special.
To the left, to the left, all the small numbers in the tree to the left
If you haven’t fully grasped the power of binary search trees yet, that’s because I haven’t shared their most important characteristic: a binary search tree’s nodes must be sorted in a specific way. In fact, the way that a binary search tree is organized and sorted is what makes it “searchable”.
In order for a BST to be searchable, all of the nodes to the left of the root node must be less than the value of the root node. You might be able to guess, then, that this must mean that all of the values to the right of the root node have to be greater than the root node.
If we look at this ordering not just in theory but actually in practice, a pattern starts to reveal itself. All of the subtrees to the left of a node will always be smaller in value than the subtrees to the right of a node — and of course, because of the recursive nature of trees, this applies not just to the main overarching tree structure, but to every single nested subtree as well.
Nodes in a binary search tree are organized and order by value
In the example tree above, all of the nodes to the left of the root node, which has a value of 26, are smaller than 26. But, if we look at the green subtree on the left, we’ll notice that even though 24 is smaller than 26, it is still bigger than 19, and so it goes to the right of the node 19.
Any tree can be a binary tree if each node has only two child nodes. It’s the ordering of nodes that makes a binary tree searchable and, by extension, what makes it so powerful.
The explicit ordering of nodes is what makes a binary search tree so easy to, well, search. And this plays into all of the basic operations one might want to perform on a tree, too. For example, let’s say we wanted to perform an insert() operation, which we would expect to be able to take a value and insert it into the correct position in the tree.
How would we insert 21 into this binary search tree?
We can pseudocode an insert() function pretty easily simply because of the rules of ordering of a BST:
We start at the root node, and compare that value of the root node ( 26 ) to the item we want. Since 21 is less than 26 , we immediately determine that the item we want to insert is going to live somewhere within the left subtree of the larger binary search tree. We look at the new “root” node: 19 . We know that the item we want to insert, 21 , is greater than 19 . So, we move to the right node of the node 19 , since we know the item we are inserting is larger and has to be on the right subtree. Now we come to a leaf on the subtree: the node is 24 , which is bigger than 21 . We need to insert our item somewhere here, but we also need to make sure that the node with a value of 24 is in the correct place. We set the node we’re inserting, 21 , to point it’s right pointer reference to the pre-existing node 24 , since 24 is greater than 21 . And our insert is done!
Half the elements and twice the fun
Binary search trees are really special in computer science. And the reason for this is simple: they allow you to leverage the power of the binary search algorithm. You might recall that not all binary trees are binary search trees — they have to be organized in a specific way in order for us to perform binary searches on them.
Hold up — what even is a binary search? Well, we already started dipping our toes into binary searches in the process of pseudo-coding that insert function earlier.
A binary search is an algorithm that simplifies and speeds up searching through a sorted collection by dividing the search set into two groups and comparing an element to one that is larger or smaller than the one you’re looking for.
That definition is a mouthful, but it’s actually a lot simpler to understand and grasp by looking at it in action. So, let’s make it easier on ourselves with a drawing! We’ll work with the same binary search tree from earlier, which had a root node of 26 ; instead of tree format though, let’s reorganize it into a linear structure, like an array, to make it a little easier to look at.
Divide and conquer with binary search
Here we have 7 elements (nodes), and we want to find just one: 12 . In most situations, we wouldn’t be able to easily see the values of all of our node, but in this example, I wrote them all out so that it’s easier to understand.
Okay — so how can we search for the node with a value of 12 ?
Well, we already know that our elements are all sorted by size. So let’s leverage that. We’ll start from the middle element, which is 26 . Is 26 smaller or larger than the number we’re looking for? Well, it’s definitely larger. Which means we can be 100% certain that nothing to the right of this middle element could be home to the element that we’re looking for, 12 . So, we can eliminate everything to the right of our array here.
Okay, so we have 3 elements to look through now! Let’s choose the middle of those, which happens to be 19 . Is it bigger or smaller than 12 ? Definitely bigger; so we can eliminate everything to the right of this node, since we know it’ll be too big to be the right number.
Alright, one more number to remains, and that’s the one we’ll check! And of course, it’s the node we’ve been looking for: 12 ! Success!
If we take a look at this example again, we’ll notice that with each check and comparison that we do, we actually eliminate half of the remaining elements that we need to check. Think about that for a second.
In the process of narrowing down the search set, we also remove half of the search space. That’s enormously powerful — and that’s exactly what makes binary searches so powerful.
We reorganized our BST into an array, but a binary search on a tree and a binary search on an array function the same — just as long as all of the elements are sorted. That part is key. In an array, the elements to the left of the middle element are the left “subarray”, just like how in a binary search tree, the elements to the left of the root node make up the left “subtree”.
This algorithm is incredibly powerful when you think about the fact that we can have tons of nodes in a tree, but not have to search through all of them (the way that we would have to if we were searching through all of these elements one by one, or in a linear search). A binary search is far more efficient if our data is ordered and sorted so that we can easily cut our search space in two.
Hopefully, by seeing a binary search in action, you can start to see where it gets its name from — and why it is so perfectly named! We can search through a huge dataset, but be much smarter about it by dividing our search space in half with each comparison that we make.
Everyday binary searches
Abstractions are at their best when you can wrap your head around when they are used and why they are so important and what makes them so useful. Which begs the question: when on earth do binary searches and binary search trees actually get used in the larger world of computer science?
Well, the answer is: in a lot of places! To be a little more precise in my answer: in databases, for one. If you’ve ever seen the term t-tree or b-tree in when working with a database, these are both types of binary tree data structures. But wait — it gets better! A database uses indexing to search for the correct row to retrieve and return. How does it search for the correct index? You guessed it: by using binary search!
However, binary searches and binary search trees aren’t just used in a lower level context; some of us have probably already interacted with them directly.
If you’ve ever been working on a project and realized that, somewhere along the way, you introduced a bug or broke a test, you might already be familiar with the awesome git command that is git bisect . According to the git documentation, this command lets you tell git to search through a list of all of your commits:
You use it by first telling it a “bad” commit that is known to contain the bug, and a “good” commit that is known to be before the bug was introduced. Then git bisect picks a commit between those two endpoints and asks you whether the selected commit is "good" or "bad". It continues narrowing down the range until it finds the exact commit that introduced the change.
How does this magic even work!? Through the beauty of a binary search tree, of course!
The git bisect command uses binary search to find “bad” commits.
By telling git when the last “good” commit was, it searches through all of the commits from then to now. But it doesn’t search chronologically of course — instead, it starts from the middle commit, and if you confirm that the middle commit is also “bad”, then it will continue to the earlier commits before that one, and discard all the commits afterwards. It conducts a binary search, exactly like the ones that we’ve been dealing with today!
Amazing, right? Who knew that so many of us were using such a simple concept to debug things on such a high level?! I don’t know about you, but I, for one, am convinced: we’re all better off when we leaf the traversing up to the binary search trees.
Resources | https://medium.com/basecs/leaf-it-up-to-binary-trees-11001aaf746d | ['Vaidehi Joshi'] | 2017-10-02 20:22:54.908000+00:00 | ['Tech', 'Data Structures', 'Programming', 'Computer Science', 'Algorithms'] |
Data Science and Machine Learning books that you should read in 2020 | Data Science and Machine Learning books that you should read in 2020
“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.” — Harper Lee
It’s accepted truth that reading books provides more insights and knowledge than any videos or article. Taking that into consideration this time my article it is not about anything related to data science or machine learning techniques or algorithm, rather about books where you can find all the contents in the arena.
Source : Pexels Images by Min An
So, In this article I will be talking about some of the most read books and frequently referred one by experts in the field. So what to wait for, let’s dive in further.
1. An Introduction to Statistical Learning with application in R.
This book details about various statistical learning techniques such as graphs, variance distributions etc. along with various techniques on which foundation of various machine learning algorithms such as linear regression, its variants such as lasso and ridge regression are laid upon, Including some of the classification techniques.
This book could help us to make a strong statistical foundation if you want to set up in the field of data science and machine learning.
Click here to download PDF. | https://medium.com/an-idea/data-science-and-machine-learning-books-that-will-take-you-from-zero-to-hero-dca91470f197 | ['Shobhit Srivastava'] | 2020-10-08 05:43:02.095000+00:00 | ['Machine Learning', 'Data Science', 'Reading', 'Books', 'Statistics'] |
2020 — Tossing The Coin. When I chose the theme “tossing the… | If I walked away
Then you would say I’m just emotional
You make me mad
Then you say I’m not approachable
I pray for peace
You got me reading them devotionals
But nothing’s changing
Nothing’s changed at all — Simi
I’m obsessed with Undeserving by Simi. The songs connect with me on an emotional level. Damn! This year, I walked away from a long-term relationship and I thought it was going to be the end of me because of how much I love her. And it happened at a time I was lost, looking for my identity and I had to learn that the best part of love is letting go.
In 2019, I wrote in my year in review
It’s really been a great year. I would be reflecting on the successes and failures and then we toss the coin next year.
When I chose the theme “tossing the coin”, I didn’t honestly expect the level of change that happened across all spheres of my life. So what happened this year?
My Favorite Picture of The Year
Engineering Career Expo
Engineering Career Expo is a platform established to create an environment of interaction between students and industry-based personnel so as to empower them with relevant skills in the engineering field.
For this session, I am privileged to serve as the Chair. This comes with its own troubles and wahala. I had already selected a team in the past year and we were ready to set out for work in the new year. Just like in ECX 1.0, we were going to have weekly classes in the second edition, soft skills workshop, and a hackathon.
When ECX 2.0 started on February 5, I remember how everything was all over the place hehe. We were still looking for extensions 30mins to the start of class and everyone was sacrificing everything they had to make sure that the classes were a success. And over the next couple of weeks, my super amazing team — Angel Umeh. Ifihan Olusheye. Arafah Ogunfemi. Damola Agboola. Daniel Ejalonibu. Kodinnanma Ezike. Daniel Oni. Michelle Yakubu. Munira Adamu-Ibrahim. Christopher Nwabuoke. Olawale Goodluck. Raji Mustapha. Paul Tungbulu. Abubakar Yusuf. University of Lagos Engineering Society Executives and all the volunteers that made all these happen.
When COVID + ASUU happened and everyone had to go home, we hosted 30DaysOfCode, The Next Conference, hackX and we have a grand finale in the works.
30DaysOfCode
Omo tbh, when lockdown started, my teams (DSC Unilag x ECX) were looking for a way to engage students and keep them productive and we decided to starts 30DaysOfCode. On day 1, tasks were sent out in form of a PDF on WhatsApp, and people submitted it in a Google form. Then it occurred to me. Why not create a simple website where people could view tasks, submit tasks, and get feedback from mentors?
A few months later and more than 1,210 commits down the line, I am glad we decided to come together and build that platform. I’ve heard stories and stories.
I am grateful for the mentors who set the tasks, marked tasks, and provided feedback day in, day out on those tasks — Akinboluwarin, Babatunde, Fortune, Oluwajoba, Ose, Philip, Mastersam, Sodiq, Abdullahi, Zubair, Bami, Faruq, Kazeem, and so many other mentors.
Harith for the designs, Abubakar and Ifihan for coordinating the whole process, LordGhostX for the Cert generator, Adebayo, Chukwurah for building the backend of the website, and Issy for the super amazing FE we have.
And while the project is on hold at the moment. I am grateful for the work Major E, Olamide, Abdullahi, and the rest of the gang are putting in to relaunch it in 2021 and see how we can impact more people.
Speaking Engagements
This year, I spoke at quite a lot of places. Social Media Week Lagos, DroidCon EMEA, Become a DSC Lead Webinar, Linux Lagos, WordSesh EMEA, Dor Workshop, Community Summit, and various DSC events.
What I Am Grateful For
I am grateful for DSC SSA Family. Auwal, Aniedi, Ada, Allela, My Darling Tabby, and the rest of the fam, I love you all. I wrote about my DSC experience here — Now, my watch has ended. I am grateful for my teams — DSC, ECX, 30DoC. You guys should keep lighting the torch and even when we have not figured out what we want with our lives, we should be content in the fact that we have shone the light on the path of other people through what we have done I am grateful for Certlify. Funny how what started as a quick fix for giving DSC students certificates at the end of my tenure is now a product. Thank you Lateefah — my orange girl, you know I am proud of you(release that stuff more often before I swear for you sha). Akinboluwarin. Olasunkanmi. Ibrahim. Musa. Zubair. Divine. Thank you for building something so beautiful and useful. doaction Nigeria 2020 — Precious, Harith, Kunle Ajayi, Chukwurah Emmanuel,and I coordinated the WordPress Nigeria community and hosted doaction Nigeria 2020 to build websites for 9 NGOs for free. The Next Conference — super proud of how we were able to pull that off in May — replay here Open Hack Week 2020 — I was afraid we wouldn't be able to host OHW 2020 with little to no support due to COVID but mehn, DSC Unilag came through and it was a resounding success. Seychelles — even though we didn't launch that project. Thank you for letting me work with my ogas — Arafah. Emmanuel. Josteve. Moyosola. Christopher. Olamide. And our mentors — Olalekan and Rtd.superhero. Covenant Community Groups — thank you Soromfe, Kelechi, and everyone for the opportunity to serve. Muslim Software Developers — thank you for allowing me to serve in my little capacity and yup, we hosted a conference here KwaraBuild — every year, we keep raising the bar and this year’s virtual edition turned out great. It was also the longest trip I took outside Lagos for the year. Flutter Study Group — I have so much pride in seeing how young people coming together to learn a skill can change the direction of their lives. Peths Digital — I’m proud of the amazing young minds at Peths. Every day, y’all show up to work and use the world as your canvas. Thank you for delivering excellence when it matters. Projects — built some very nice client projects this year used by a lot of people. Started Flutter and made 7digits from it too. Raji — I know you might be wondering why you have a column. Omo, I am super proud of your growth and particularly about how you deal with me in good faith. Thank you for all the help. Thank you for delivering when it matters. I love you. Opemipojojolodoluwa — guyyyyyyyyyyyyy! My baby in whom I am well pleased. You know how I tell you that the world is not ready for you? No be play sha. Thank you for bailing me out when I have no hope and thank you for shining your light in everything you do. Got invited to Google IO, Covid-19 screwed up. Paid out 7 figures in salaries and contractor fees. Omo! Finally got that MacBook! And yeah, my biggest investment of the year has to be that Keep Work Inverter. It saved my ass. Love — You showed me what it means to be vulnerable, to love, and to care. I look at the way you wake up every day looking peng and show up to work every day. The way you try to be better than yesterday. Not everything about your year went as it should, but you are the best thing that happened to me this year and I’m proud to call you mine. I love you. All of Q Devs, DSC Unilag, ECX, Friends of Geek, Cachette Criminelle❤️, The Palladium Miners, Finals Plug, FSG and every of my people.
If you feel like you didn’t do enough, keep pushing, there’s always next year.
What I am Not Proud Of
I Just Thought About This: Early in the year, I had an idea for a podcast with this title. I got the domain name, set up the website, and all but I never got around to recording the first episode. I know I need to figure out my content creation conundrum if I am to be a thought leader in my field. I failed a Microsoft Certification Exam: I didn’t prepare enough and yeah, life goes on. I did some work I wasn’t paid for. 🤧 We didn’t win the Solution Challenge. I had to resign. Maybe I will write more about this next year🤧
Lessons?
Everyday na one thing or the other. On most days, I don’t have everything figured and there is a new problem to face. But still, I show up to work. Besides, it’s an excuse to use Simi’s lyrics again LMFAOO. Done is better than perfect. With most projects that I’ve done this year. A pattern I’ve noticed is that we just start and over the course of working on it or using it, we iterate and make it better. Learn to Let Go. I’ve learned to let go a lot of friendship because both parties couldn’t compromise. Comparison is the thief of joy. I see a lot of my friends or even younger people doing amazing thing. While you might be tempted to compare and wonder why you aren’t where they are, understand that you are on a journey and fortune favors the hardworking. Keep putting all the hard work in and it will only get better from here. Fine Yourself. One of the strategies I used to save this year was that for each time I ate chicken, I paid a 10k fine. And I stuck by it. I know it’s weird but would you like to take a wild guess at how much I saved? Know Where You Come From. Omo this year, I saw pepper o. My friends kept buying the latest gadgets and stuff but I always try to remember where I came from. A small boy out of Mushin trying to find his way in life and I face my own business. This life, run your own race. Help People — it pays. Tell your own story — don’t let anyone tell it for you. Take charge of your life and speak of it’s abundance. Give yourself a chance. Progress will always be progress. God will never let you be stranded!
I wanna be by you day or night
For you I’ll stand in line
Be the rider for your ride
Anytime you looking for a sign
Anything you need yes I’m your guy
I only wanna keep you satisfied — Simi
I’m going to end this review with another of Simi’s lyrics and tie it to my goal for next year. I believe that the more money you have, the more your impact on the world. And next year, my goal is to be kinder, make money, and help more people. So help me God.
I regularly tweet stuff. @geektutor. | https://medium.com/@Geektutor/2020-tossing-the-coin-9283b05c4b4b | ['Akinjobi Sodiq'] | 2021-01-02 07:57:14.757000+00:00 | ['Year In Review', '2020'] |
Persephone Thinks of Athena | Photo by soaad aboudi on Unsplash
I stand in the kitchen
eating cold pomegranate seeds
that burst violent
and red
on my tongue
—
nerve chill
teeth ache
tongue manipulates
arils from rind
—
six hundred and
thirteen
ways to make love
to you
—
but it’s winter solstice
and we
aren’t speaking
—
hands painted
with juice
—
lips warm
as I lick them
—
I sit back
down at the desk
alone. | https://medium.com/@kellymmarshall/persephone-thinks-of-athena-bb69b41404bf | ['Kelly M. Marshall'] | 2020-12-22 05:56:06.930000+00:00 | ['Fiction', 'Love', 'Lesbian', 'Winter', 'Greek Mythology'] |
Digital Patriarchy? | The word patriarchy has come to mean an oppressive power structure run by men and the systematic abuse and exclusion of women. It describes the ignoble sins of men throughout history and the plight of women who have always been victims of men; patriarchy is a word synonymous with ‘injustice’ and seen exclusively through a social justice lense. Of course, beyond the historical exclusion of women in public life, even today women who are rape victims are stoned to death for adultery or burned alive as witches for possessing an ‘evil eye’. In the face of such past and present horrors it is hard to argue with the evils of tyrannical patriarchy. The historical and present mistreatment of women does not need to be enumerated: it is now quite obvious to most sensitive and educated people.
However, what is not obvious to the modern mind is the potential virtue of a noble, even a virtuous patriarchy. (Note: when I say ‘noble’ I am not referring to class nobility, but rather the noble qualities of character and leadership.) What if patriarchy is not essentially evil? Patriarchy literally means ‘the rule of the father’, which doesn’t necessarily discount ‘the rule of the mother’ or an equally powerful matriarchy. Throughout history there have always been men who ruled through self sacrifice, wisdom, and dedication to the protection and advancement of women. And certainly there have always been women leaders-even if the matriarchs were not always present in the public sphere and are absent from our history books.
Of course, while we justly cherish the equality of the sexes, let us stop pretending that ‘equality of outcome’ of the sexes were possible or desirable or anything else but a totalitarian concept. Women and men should be allowed to occupy different realms through their own choice, cultural history, and biological imperative. Women today, for example, on average, are more interested in being doctors and lawyers than engineers or policemen-even if progress has allowed for both sexes to freely choose to be present in both realms. We should celebrate such freedom of choice, even if it means men will continue to dominate the tech world and women the caring professions. Let us celebrate our differences rather than try to create a bland society of sameness.
Describing the history of humanity exclusively through the lenses of male domination and exploitation of women, is reductive to say the least. Furthermore, today many women, some of whom describe themselves as feminists, do not want to be regarded as mere victims of men. Victimology is a modern obsession that has gone beyond compassion for the victim: it has become a form of scapegoating against men who are considered essentially toxic. This kind of misandry (a word that means hatred of men) is not the answer to misogyny nor is a zero-sum ‘culture war’ between men and women. Traditionally, men and women were not supposed to be ‘equal’ but complimentary. Our differences are both determined by biology, history and also our own free choices. ‘Equality of outcome’ is a mathematical concept that exists nowhere in nature except perhaps in death.
Aboriginal writer Tyson Yunkaporta has pointed out in his book Sand Talk that there has never been such a thing as a real political matriarchy at a large scale. This doesn’t mean that there haven’t been powerful female matriarchs and queens-women were traditionally and still are still so often ‘the power behind the throne’-equally as powerful as men behind the scenes. And there is some evidence that there were plenty of women warriors and hunters in primitive societies, so perhaps we should not be too categorical in our descriptions of the sexes. At the same time, until recent history it was men who died in battle, created democracy and philosophy, built skyscrapers in Capitalist America, and invented the birth control pill and washing machine to help liberate women from domestic drudgery. Men are no smarter, no wiser, no better than women. We are just different in so many ways. For one thing, we have a penis and a higher level of testosterone, which makes us volatile, prone to physical violence, and horny as hell much of the time; women’s bodies are flooded with calming oestrogen. Men have less flexibility in their bodies but more upper body strength; they like to roughhouse and strategise and spend time in the wilderness; women have greater verbal intelligence and social skills. Men do dangerous manual jobs and plan cities; women give birth to and educate young children. Men get violent and engage in antisocial behavior and end up in prison; women destroy lives through hyper-social gossip and reputation destruction. A man strategises in the boardroom; a woman keeps the community in line through the sacred power of her gossip.
Of course, we are talking about the average man and woman here, not the exception. Yunkaporta tells us that in some communities in Australia the men are quite gentle and passive and the women love street fighting. These aboriginal men and women do not relate to the stereotype of the male breadwinner and the female housewife of the typical 1950’s nuclear family. And rural women are used to shouting, working the land, and are tough as hell-the African and Slavic traditional women I know do not consider themselves to be fragile flowers or victims but powerful beings to be feared. The point is: there are different kinds of patriarchal and matriarchal power.
An ethical patriarchy?
In the recent and novel experiment of modernity-a tiny blip in the long history of mankind-men and women are now supposed to do the same things, want the same things, and be the same ‘things’ as men. Patriarchy therefore is something to ‘smash’ in the name of egalitarianism, and matriarchy is considered an ultimate good. Many considered this to be the dawning of a matriarchal age.
Since the start of the pandemic, Elon Musk’s wealth has increased by $118.5 billion, Jeff Bezos’ wealth has increased by $71.4 billion, Bill Gates’ wealth has increased by $20.7 billion. It is therefore not surprising that there is a certain resentment against the so-called patriarchy. And despite the occasional powerhouse woman, the richest barons in the tech world still are all men. And not all of them are particularly ‘noble’, let alone ‘virtuous’ patriarchs. Would you call Mark Zukkeberg a noble Patriarch? The tech leaders in Silicon Valley appear incredibly boyish!
Although Google and other companies preach equal outcomes for women, this is still more ideological than real, and profit seems to be the primary concern. While tech giants champion women’s rights and fire employees for even suggesting that there are differences between men and women (see the case of James Damore at Google) men still continue to dominate. Certainly they are right to encourage women and discourage any systematic disadvantage to women. However, should men and women not be chosen for their competence and choices rather than their sex? There is a reverse sexism and performative contraction at work: a schizophrenia split between ideology and biology, between what we think should be the case and our social reality.
By and large men still rule the world of tech. However we might ask ourselves: where are the virtuous and noble patriarchs (as opposed to the evil patriarchs or boy pharos) in tech, in the biggest and most lucrative industries in the world? The recent film ‘The Social Dilemma’ may give us a way forward. It describes many of the high performance engineers, marketers, and creators of social media platforms now taking an ethical stand against its abuses and trying to redesign tech to be more synonymous with human dignity. Perhaps the guys in tech who are standing up against tyranny are the real noble patriarchs. Perhaps the definition of a noble patriarch should be: a person of dignity and ethics who cannot be swayed by easy money. This kind of masculinity is not fundamentally toxic. It is a dignified and heroic disposition.
The patriarch was historically a religious figure, someone in charge of the ethics of a community. The examples that come to mind are the Patriarchs in the Christian Orthodox tradition, The Zen Patriarchs in the east, and Rabbi’s in the Jewish tradition-wise and compassionate men. These men were not tyrants but ethical models for the whole community-noble beings who had proved their spiritual and ethical worth through mastering the tradition and being exemplars of that tradition. This is in contrast to the soft gangsterism Hollywood and Silicon Valley, which has been both extremely creative and profoundly exploitative. What if there were real ethical and spiritual leaders in the tech world? Could we then call them digital patriarchs?
Originally published at https://www.maniphesto.com on December 18, 2020. | https://medium.com/@andrewpgsweeny/digital-patriarchy-1ee4baad1ed7 | ['Andrew Sweeny'] | 2021-01-15 16:04:48.301000+00:00 | ['Culture', 'History', 'Men', 'Psychology'] |
ETF Partners Capital, Sustainability through Innovation | We talk with Rob Genieser, a partner at ETF Partners Capital.
PetaCrunch: What’s your investment strategy in a single tweet?
Rob Genieser: Sustainability through innovation — backing great entrepreneurs who want to achieve commercial success and make the world a better place.
PC: How did ETF Partners Capital start?
RG: We wanted to focus on the environmental revolution, that we believed would follow the software, communications and internet revolutions that preceded it. We also thought Europe would be great for these types of “green” entrepreneurs, as Europe leads in many of these areas.
PC: What do you look for in founders and their start-ups?
RG: Great people make great companies. Founders have to possess a tremendous passion, and have the focus and dedication to make it happen.
PC: What’s the most exciting start-up you have funded recently and why?
RG: Our most recent investment was in Eagle Genomics, that is helping large organizations understand the microbiome. Billions of dollars are now spent in this area, and huge datasets are being created…but someone needs to offer the software platform that helps you curate all that information and draw understanding from the data. That is Eagle.
PC: What’s the most common error founders/start-ups make?
RG: The best founders listen well, and leverage the support of others. I think the biggest mistake is to go alone, when others are willing and eager to help. | https://medium.com/petacrunch/etf-partners-capital-sustainability-through-innovation-e055710092c2 | ['Kevin Hart'] | 2019-09-02 12:16:02.917000+00:00 | ['Innovation', 'Startup', 'VC', 'Vc Funding', 'Sustainability'] |
Data Science-ish | Data Science-ish
When honest intelligence becomes the ugly duckling of science.
A critical flaw in data science practices is beginning to surface: Decision-makers force data to justify their presumptions. So now that we’ve identified this problem, the solution is as simple as a change of perspective, right? False.
Even if those in that position of power were to read this article, there’s a slim chance that this is enough to touch moral compasses that are backed by decades of undisputed “experience”. The presumed conclusions differ from what the data is able to illustrate and that same data has already been through rigorous cleansing, processing and interpretation.
This workflow of a data science project involves unique individuals pressured to deliver to that one gut-instinct (conclusion) at each of these various different stages. However, since the data set completely transforms across this practice, tracing the point(s) of data-alchemy is practically a game of Chinese whisper.
The key stages in a data science practice include: defining the business problem, data acquisition, data preparation, data modelling and communication. Therefore, it rests with the individual data scientists to realize responsibility for their work at each stage of the practice:
1) Defining the business problem
One of the most underappreciated stages in a data science project is formulating a consensus on the outcomes and business value out of the project. For the data scientist involved, knowledge in the particular field is imperative. In a fast-paced business scenario, the opportunity to ask questions is limited, so it is crucial to know what kind of answers will be required. Additionally, this first step of the process is the most difficult to later revisit as it involves external stakeholders. The answers you receive pertaining to the objectives, expectations and available resources of the project, will determine the trajectory of the rest of the project pipeline. By not asking the right questions, intentionally or otherwise, you have doomed the project to ill-equipped oversight from its very inception.
2) Data acquisition and warehousing
Once access to data resources has been scoped into the project definition, the data scientist is accountable for gathering, scraping and managing data from many sources. Web servers, application programming interfaces (APIs), logs, online repositories and other databases are a few of the mediums involved. The rudimentary extract, transform and load (ETL) processes involved can always be optimized for both speed and accuracy by advanced infrastructure tools such as Alteryx that provide automation and oversight of the entire process. Furthermore, this step of the process is where a data scientist’s informed curiosity is best applied to dig deeper into the resources, beyond what is agreed upon. The integrity of the data in the databases involved are also a responsibility of the data scientist. This is the step in the pipeline in which doing “enough” is not really enough.
3) Data preparation and exploratory data analysis
As addressed in the previous stage, if analytics is only as good as the data used, unused data would put the project at a stark disadvantage. On the other hand, if data is abundant, there is a greater responsibility (not a Spider-man reference) towards data hygiene and pre-processing.
In cleaning the data, data scientists should be mindful of standard rules such as inconsistent data types, missing/duplicate values and misspelled attributes.
In pre-processing, the necessary techniques to prepare the data for modelling, such as encoding qualitative data, should be effectively applied. If a data scientist at this point were to “clean” unfavorable data or “polish” the favorable, it is a malpractice that is often difficult to retrace.
In cleaning the data, data scientists should be mindful of standard rules such as inconsistent data types, missing/duplicate values and misspelled attributes. In pre-processing, the necessary techniques to prepare the data for modelling, such as encoding qualitative data, should be effectively applied. If a data scientist at this point were to “clean” unfavorable data or “polish” the favorable, it is a malpractice that is often difficult to retrace.
Parallel to this, feature engineering plays a key role at this point. The selection and encoding of the appropriate variables for the next stages often times require contextual understanding and external research — an effort that may go beyond the technical domain of data science. This determines the accuracy of the model in the next step and is another point in which the project deserves more effort than what is expected.
4) Data modeling
The accuracy of algorithms and classifiers such as k-nearest neighbors (kNN), decision trees or Naïve Bayes are subjective to the project. It takes a significant effort in training and testing to determine the best performing model for the project. The extent to which limited dedication so far in the pipeline can compromise the entire project is best represented through the “London Whale” JP Morgan debacle of 2012.
As reported by JP Morgan in their 129 page report, the $6 billion trading loss can be traced back to the flawed use of Microsoft Excel as a program for their VaR (Value at Risk) model. “The model [run by one London-based quant] operated through a series of Excel spreadsheets, which had to be completed manually, by a process of copying and pasting data from one spreadsheet to another”. Both human error and lack of oversight can be attributed to why the model didn’t enable the bank to act — though the decision-makers had the opportunity to choose a better, more efficient environment for modelling and minimize this risk.
5) Communication and beyond
Effective communication to non-technical stakeholders is so crucial that it has developed into a field of its own within data science. In the field of information design and visualization, the story that your project is trying to put across can be (even accidentally) manipulated. Presenting too much data, distorting or cluttering the presentation, hiding data or even inaccurately annotating text within the visualizations are all opportunities for unethical practices towards project success.
This final phase of the data science project is where a large part of the immoral manipulation occurs. If they haven’t earlier, it is at this stage where all practitioners realize whether or not their project meets “expectations”. Often times the lead of the project or an intermediary in client communications is directly involved and reviews the project (with their limited context of the raw data). If you somehow manage to be the 1% who at this point in the project maintained a full ethical practice, the chances are you will still be told to reverse-engineer all the previous steps to make your results look “better” — by going back to step 1 and altering the data a little.
So what now?
As a data scientist, it is your duty to deliver solutions that bring added value to business and society. Holding back your 100% is as unethical as any data science malpractice. Spend more time on a data science attitude rather than a data science aptitude.
In their defense, data scientists today are immensely pressured. The supply of data scientists are increasing, as are standards in both industry and academia. In industry, with decreasing client budgets, your project should satisfy client goals or somebody else would — at a lower budget. In academia, researchers are constantly competing for tenured positions, funding and to simply sustain their careers — all dependent on a satisfying story to tell. Industry and academia are also becoming more codependent, sharing research and making data insights and statistics even harder to validate.
Hence, in such an era where data drives predictive strategy, a worldwide looming data dilemma that questions the truth, isn’t too far from now. Climate change is inevitable and non-believers have the benefit of seeing its impacts all around them. If you are now able to notice any of the above flaws from this brief overview, you too have that benefit. | https://towardsdatascience.com/data-science-ish-fafeef753574 | ['Kevin Dias'] | 2019-12-19 17:01:47.955000+00:00 | ['Data Science', 'Data Integrity', 'Ethics'] |
The Real Pretty Woman: An interview with a sex worker | The Real Pretty Woman: An interview with a sex worker
I spoke to Lottie, 20, about her experiences in the sex industry
Lottie and I grew up in the same town, we went to the same school for a little while, and we had similar friends. She’s always been fiercely independent, brave and articulate. Now, five years on, she works as a cam girl and a sugar baby. I interviewed her about her experiences, views on sex work and her hopes for the future.
Me: What made you decide to be a sugar baby?
Lottie: Money, ultimately. I didn’t plan to be a sugar baby, I had been doing camshows since I was 16, by advertising on craigslist. It took years to find clients who were serious about spending large amounts of cash on me.
Me: Do you feel comfortable with it?
Lottie: I have no choice. Without sex work I would be poor.
Me: So do you think it’s sort of ‘not a choice’ in that you can’t really consent as there aren’t alternatives?
Lottie: Well, yes and no. The men have such financial power over us, so we can turn down the money, but it’s really hard not to.
Me: I’m really scared about being pushed into sex work myself…would you like to see more opportunities for young women to have good wages outside sex work?
Lottie: Well yeah, but I don’t think that will happen to be honest. Men don’t want women to have power, they’re not going to give us better jobs unless we cause a suffragette-proportioned riot.
Me: Have you ever encountered uncomfortable situations as a sex worker?
Lottie: Pretty much every situation is uncomfortable. I primarily give one to one cam shows in which I meet potential sugar daddies, and almost every guy tries to haggle, says I’m a scammer, demands a free ‘preview’ and harass me and waste my time. Only about 40% of the men who appraoch me for a show are genuine about making a purchase. It’s so blood boiling and I find this the most distressing part of the job.
Just now I gave a cam show in which I had to spank myself with a brush, put my Dad’s belt around my neck and put said hairbrush inside of me, which was really uncomfortable.
Me: Is it difficult for you emotionally to work in this industry?
Lottie: Yes. I was already wary of men when I entered this industry, but now I truly despise them. My customers are just normal men, teachers, builders, bankers, fathers, husbands, boyfriends, bosses. When I meet a man, my first thought is, could he be one of those who harasses sex workers like me? Their behaviour is just so damn ugly and insulting towards me. They approach me with immediate aggression.
Me: How would you describe the guys who come to you for sex work?
Lottie: Annoying, needy, cheap, rude, desperate, misogynists. about 80% of men who actually purchase the goods, so this is excludes the number of timewasters, often try to bargain, make insulting, lowball offers, ask for discounts (WHEN THEY HAVENT EVEN BOUGHT A SHOW MIND YOU), make appointments they don’t show up to, and get angry/aggressive/offended when I tell them I don’t meet for sex. Oh, and they absolutely love to take advantage of the ‘power’ they think they have. They’re fucking deluded.
Me: You’ve described them as ‘misogynist’. What do you think makes them misogynistic? Media? Education? Environment?
Lottie: Well, they just think they’re entitled to my time. I know that all professions have timewasters, but it’s nothing compared to the entitlement of men towards women. They ask for free nudes, for free samples, try to lie about paying, and force me to perform labour by talking to me when they have no intention of paying for a service. I think media, education and environment makes them this way. We need to stop babying boys and teach them to suck up rejection.
Me: Would you say these men look down at sex workers?
Lottie: Oh god yeah. I had one tell me, “know your place”. Literally all of them. I’m treated as subhuman, they literally think I should work for free/inhuman prices, you’re basically a slave in their eyes that they shouldn’t have to pay for. That’s how they see us. As slaves.
Me: Would it help if the media presented sex workers differently?
Lottie: I kinda wish SWs weren’t represented in the media at all. It’s so nasty, vindictive and evil. The men who are in charge of writing characters are often coming from a place of rejection who have had bad experiences with us anyway. When I was a girl, I saw a documentary where a prostitute was raped and murdered. One man questioned by police said, “Is it even possible for a prostitute to be raped?” and it was at this point, when this disgraceful comment went unchallenged that I knew the world hated sex workers.
Me: Is it fair to say that class and poverty come into this? Both of us know that sex work is often the only way to make enough money to survive as a young woman…
Lottie: It wouldn’t surprise me. Keeping women powerless means more and cheapened sex work available. Take Thailand, for example. Children there will have sex with adult men for cheap because they’re kept in poverty by those same men.
Me: You started pretty young: would you say there’s a market for border-legal sex workers?
Lottie: Oh yes. Some very ignorant, rude people like to remind me, “what you did was child porn” and to that I say, well, who created the market for child porn anyway? Certainly not me. Every customer I would tell I was 16 would say they liked that, and many asked/still ask for school uniforms. I was appalled when a high school teacher told me he wanted me to wear a uniform.
Me: Should sex work be legal and regulated? Would that make you feel safer?
Lottie: Yes. People think SESTA will save us, but the worst thing we can do is give power over sex workers to police. That’s how we get raped and robbed.
Finally: Is sex work a choice?
Lottie: Yes, pretty much always. I think that only in sex trafficking situations, is it not a choice. No one is forcing me, but I would be pretty broke without the work. I certainly wouldn’t have Chanel bags and ready to wear without sex work. | https://medium.com/athena-talks/the-real-pretty-woman-an-interview-with-a-sex-worker-9b47d1bc63b0 | ['Madelaine Hanson'] | 2018-08-30 17:21:29.166000+00:00 | ['Feminism', 'Sex Work', 'Sex Workers', 'Interview', 'Consent'] |
Subsets and Splits
No saved queries yet
Save your SQL queries to embed, download, and access them later. Queries will appear here once saved.