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Relationships validated between population health chronic indicators | Relationships validated between population health chronic indicators
The ties among diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease
Photo by v2osk on Unsplash
In the last story, we started looking into a 15 year chronic disease dataset from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. The beginnings of the exploratory data analysis started with understanding the columns and rows of data and what was relevant for further analysis.
In this post, we are going to dig deeper to understand these 400K rows and 17 categories of topics, which requires a bit of data wrangling of the dataframe into a format for pivot table summary and visualization. After looking at the previous df_new.head(), I don’t think we will use the following columns, which results in a smaller set of 15 columns:
df_new = df_new.drop(columns=['YearEnd','LocationDesc','DataSource','DataValue','DataValueFootnoteSymbol','DatavalueFootnote','LowConfidenceLimit','HighConfidenceLimit','GeoLocation']) <class 'pandas.core.frame.DataFrame'>
RangeIndex: 403984 entries, 0 to 403983
Data columns (total 15 columns):
YearStart 403984 non-null int64
LocationAbbr 403984 non-null object
Topic 403984 non-null object
Question 403984 non-null object
DataValueUnit 374119 non-null object
DataValueType 403984 non-null object
DataValueAlt 273666 non-null float64
StratificationCategory1 403984 non-null object
Stratification1 403984 non-null object
LocationID 403984 non-null int64
TopicID 403984 non-null object
QuestionID 403984 non-null object
DataValueTypeID 403984 non-null object
StratificationCategoryID1 403984 non-null object
StratificationID1 403984 non-null object
dtypes: float64(1), int64(2), object(12)
Table 1: Summarizing by Topic, Question, and Value
Using a pivot table (much like Excel), let’s summarize each Question and its related values. To inform each of the questions and values, we’ll create multiple indexes from the category of each question (Topic), the QuestionID, Question, the unit of the data (DataValueUnit), and the type of the data relevant to the stratifications later (DataValueType). Pandas Pivot_table requires numeric values, and defaults to averages (numpy.mean). Further, I’ve dropped columns LocationID and YearStart since I won’t be using these later, and rounded to two decimals for readability:
df_QD = df_new.pivot_table(index=['Topic','QuestionID','Question','DataValueUnit','DataValueType'],columns=None,dropna=True) df_QD.drop(columns=['LocationID','YearStart']).round(2).head(25)
Table 1. Pivot Table showing the Question and Values
Table 2: Using Groupby with Stratification, Question, and Value
Alternative to the pivot_table, I can create a similar summary table using groupby(). I want to show a bit more information on the stratification in the resulting dataframe.
df_unittype_table1 = df_new.groupby(['Topic','QuestionID','Question','StratificationID1','Stratification1','DataValueUnit','DataValueType']).mean().round(2) df_unittype_table1.drop(columns=['YearStart','LocationID'])
Table 2. Using groupby() to summarize stratification
Table 3: Summarizing by Question and Location
An interesting approach would showing the data by each state (LocationAbbr) with the data values. The following pivot table includes additional indexes that provide context to the numbers such as the unit and type.
df_new_qloc = df_new.pivot_table(values='DataValueAlt',index=['Topic','QuestionID','Question','DataValueUnit','DataValueType'], columns='LocationAbbr',aggfunc='mean',dropna=True).round(2)
Table 3. Pivot Table of Question and Location
Visualizing Correlation Among All Indicators
Now we’ve seen the tables present the data values by question, by stratification, and by location. That’s still a lot of information! Let’s understand what the question indicators say about itself. What are the relationships between each pair of question indicators? This is where visualization of the data will paint a picture to understand the overall relationships.
Originally, I started out using the pivot_table from Table 3 but the axis labels were too long and difficult to read. Backing up slightly, we’re going to create a different pivot_table (df_new_qloc2) based on the new the column QuestionAbbr to take the first 37 characters of Question:
df_new['QuestionAbbr'] = df_new['Question'].str[:37] df_new_qloc2 = df_new.pivot_table(values='DataValueAlt',index=['Topic','QuestionID','QuestionAbbr'], columns='LocationAbbr',aggfunc='mean',dropna=True).round(2)
By transposing df_new_qloc2 pivot table, we’re ready to apply the correlation method .corr() and visualize the data. Using the code from the seaborn documentation, we can plot a correlation matrix heatmap. This visualizes each pair of indicators to understand where the positive correlation pairs reside. Since a correlation matrix yields duplicate views above and below the diagonal, we’ll mask the upper half of the heatmap for simplicity by creating an array of zeros using np.zeros_like() and returning the indices of the region above the diagonal using triu_indices_from(). Using matplotlib, we set a large figure size to allow zooming in on the jupyter notebook. The cmap sets the colormap for the figure (more options here). Lastly, sns.heatmap() renders the heatmap with the mask. | https://towardsdatascience.com/relationships-validated-between-population-health-chronic-indicators-b69e7a37369a | ['Daniel Wu'] | 2019-05-13 01:54:06.570000+00:00 | ['Digital Health', 'Public Health', 'Data Science', 'In Depth Analysis', 'Python'] |
The cuStreamz Series: Running Streaming Word Count at Scale with RAPIDS and Dask on NVIDIA GPUs | In the cuStreamz introduction blog, we demonstrated how to implement a classic Streaming Word Count example using RAPIDS cuStreamz on GPUs. In this blog, we show how to easily and efficiently scale that same word count job in a distributed fashion to leverage multiple GPU machines.
Here is the notebook that runs streaming word count end-to-end in a distributed mode using Dask. This cuStreamz job reads streaming data in JSON format from a Kafka topic, computes the updated word count after reading every batch, and writes the latest word count result back to Kafka. The details and logistics on how one can start the Dask scheduler and workers are all provided in the notebook.
Deployment Tips and Tricks
Here are some helpful tips and tricks that have helped us write and monitor production-grade large-scale streaming jobs in cuStreamz.
Tune Dask Configurations
While running cuStreamz jobs in a distributed setting, Dask workers can sometimes get really busy with long-running computationally-expensive functions which then can cause connection issues between the workers and the scheduler. For that reason, we recommend tweaking a few default Dask configurations like “distributed.comm.timeouts.tcp” as mentioned in the notebook.
Use Multiple Processes
In general, there’s a non-trivial amount of control flow in Python that makes threading more inefficient than using processes. For this reason, we recommend using multiple processes (one for each Dask worker), in workflows with high-speed input rate. Each worker process can have multiple threads each. Since these workers might also use System Memory intensively, increasing the worker memory limits per process is also a good idea. This can be done using CLI itself while starting up the workers.
Use RAPIDS cuIO for Fast Data Loading
A large percentage of streaming pipelines tend to have data in Kafka in JSON format. Users can use API like cudf.read_json() inside a Stream.map() function to convert the batches of data read from Kafka in an accelerated manner into RAPIDS cuDF dataframes before starting the actual computation. If the data format is not JSON, please have a look at the IO API in cuDF, and you will most likely find a GPU-accelerated reader that can be leveraged.
Upgrade your CPU Specs Too
Majority of the heavy-lifting is done by the GPUs, you would say? Partly, yes. But reading from Kafka comprises a significant portion of time to process the streaming data end-to-end. Since reading from Kafka is CPU-based, it needs considerable CPU cores and RAM (system memory). Especially, when dealing with data coming at a high-speed input rate into Kafka and for cuStreamz to process it in real-time (or under a strict SLA), reading from Kafka becomes a bottleneck, and the more RAM and CPU cores your machine has, the better.
New Accelerated Kafka Datasource
Expanding on the point above, we will soon be releasing a blog on an accelerated Kafka datasource that boosts up the reading-from-Kafka process, and gives really awesome improvements (our experiments show up to ~2x throughput using half the CPUs) in accelerating the streaming pipelines end-to-end. To leverage this accelerated Kafka reader, please use engine=”cudf” when setting up the stream from Kafka as shown in the notebook. This eliminates the need of having to do the preprocessing step wherein the messages in Kafka are to be uploaded to the GPU as cuDF dataframes explicitly using cuIO methods as mentioned above. This cuStreamz accelerated Kafka reader requires that the data in Kafka be in JSON format for now. We are working to support other data formats like Avro and CSV soon.
Dashboards
The Dask diagnostic dashboard provides a ton of information for both real-time monitoring and debugging purposes for cuStreamz jobs. Combine that with NVDashboard for GPU Metrics, and one has an excellent way of real-time visualization to monitor system resources and performance. For example, when you run the word count in distributed mode, you would be able to see the workers on both machines processing the data (the time each batch took, each function execution within the worker took, the system memory (RAM) the worker needed, etc.).
Next Steps
Look forward to upcoming cuStreamz blogs covering:
The cuStreamz accelerated Kafka data source
Running cuStreamz Word Count @ Scale on Kubernetes as an Orchestration Layer
cuStreamz’ Journey though Performance and Benchmarking
Stay tuned, and stream on! | https://medium.com/rapids-ai/the-custreamz-series-running-streaming-word-count-at-scale-with-rapids-and-dask-on-nvidia-gpus-9f85038866b9 | ['Chinmay Chandak'] | 2020-11-20 19:23:35.235000+00:00 | ['Real Time Streaming Data', 'Kafka', 'Data Science', 'Gpu', 'Data Streaming'] |
A small introduction from me to you | Well, as you guys can see I am a girl called Danisyah, but I guess that would be too tedious for you guys to read and say aloud so, yea. I’m Daisy.
Since this would be my first writing, I suppose it would be decent enough for me to I guess give an introduction? Just realised this would seem as if something off a book hahah!! To start off, I just entered my 20s in June (shout out to my summer babies!) Currently studying Pharmacy doing my second year, I’ll definitely write more about my degree experience soon! I’m not from the UK itself, means that I’m…. international, originally from Malaysia if you guys are wondering. I guess being international has its pros and cons, truthfully kinda leaning on the pro part. (Family problems innit) I shall also write on more about how is it like to be a hijabi and an international student soon. You can say that I categorize into the medium-pretty community with a height of 5’3 and I wear glasses. I hope you guys don’t think about how I look too much, and I’ll be linking my Instagram account in my profile (if I find out how to do it) and you guys can see how I look there!
I’m living in an apartment with a friend I just met a year ago, literally five minutes away from my campus. (that I don’t go to anymore hahah!!) To compare with my first-year accommodation, it’s definitely way better here. I would actually prefer to live alone, in a studio or somewhat but I guess it’s cool having someone check up on me every hour.
Currently I’m just home, doing literally nothing! Literally waking up at 10am and doing nothing for the rest of the day. Well, my friends and I did plan out a trip for Christmas, to Liverpool (since it’s still in tier 2 anyway and all the other places including London are in tier 3 or 4, yikes.) but then again it is the pandemic, hence we just decided to call it off. I’d be having my exams on January consequently leading me to declining the trip even more since I haven’t been studying as much and I still have so so much to cover in my syllabus. You can say that I’m stressed but then again, I’m not. Kinda just procrastinating my way through this holiday until the exams are near enough.
I reckon I’d have to be more open about my private life if I were to be writing more. Not today but probably in the near future. I’m thinking of writing here every weekend? Maybe two entries per week? I don’t have that much time but I guess there’s no harm in making a few hours for a life update. Plus, its free entertainment for you guys. (my life’s a joke as we go deeper)
Also, please remember to stay safe! Drink lots of water, eat some fruits to boost up your immune system, cover up and sanitize. Do whatever it takes for you and the ones closest to you to be safe. This acts as a reminder to myself as well typing it out since I do get carried away and needing someone else to remind me of how things are getting worse with time.
Thanks for reading my entry today! I’ll definitely be back with more stories as time pass by and I can’t wait for you guys to read about my miserable life coming up in my next few entries. See you soon daisies ❤4567 | https://medium.com/@daaisyy/a-small-introduction-from-me-to-you-45f81ea207d4 | ['D'] | 2020-12-20 15:36:58.633000+00:00 | ['United Kingdom', 'Malaysia', 'Journal', 'Student Life', 'My Life'] |
Stand for something — courage in black and white | At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Tommie Smith and John Carlos ran the race of their lives. Smith won the 200m sprint in world record time, while Carlos finished third. Australian Peter Norman won the silver.
As the American national anthem played to commemorate their victory, Smith and Carlos raised their black-gloved fists in silent protest against the treatment of African-Americans in their country. While this was a pre-planned protest, Carlos had forgotten to carry his gloves and so, on the advice of Peter Norman (in a show of solidarity reflective of the true Olympic spirit), he borrowed Smith’s left glove and raised his left fist in protest. Both athletes received their medals wearing black socks and without their shoes on to represent the struggle of black poverty.
Smith and Carlos were expelled from the Olympic village as punishment for their act, ostracized by the US sporting establishment, and subject to abuse in their country when they returned as champions. Norman was reprimanded in Australia.
Their silent, black salute that day remains one of the most powerful statements ever made in sporting history and should serve as a reminder to us every single day to speak up for what we believe in.
Fifty-two years on, in a world more aware, more equal and more open, do you have the courage to stand up for what you believe in? | https://medium.com/@en-dwarak/stand-for-something-courage-in-black-and-white-8ffc54833938 | ['Dwarak Narasimhan'] | 2020-12-17 13:01:13.978000+00:00 | ['Equality', 'Courage', 'Protest', 'Statement', 'Take A Stand'] |
The Signs Investors Look For in a Startup | Over the past month, I’ve been consuming a lot of content about what investors look for in a potential investment. I’ve studied and noted advice/tell-signs of high-potential ideas/startups, from the likes of Kevin O’Leary, Jason Calacanis, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Peter Thiel, and others. In addition to this, I’ve studied other business resources that teach what to look for in a successful business. In this post, I have laid out the top points that all of these resources have shared (in no particular order). Let’s dive in.
1. Does the Founder have what it takes?
Jason Calacanis discusses in his interview with Galileo at HyperChange that there are so many unknown things that will come up along the way. For that reason, it’s really important the founder can work through those issues calmly.
2. Is There a Market for it?
Without substantial proof that there is a market for the product, it’s not likely that you will have interested investors. This is why so many pitches flop on Shark Tank; they can’t prove market size. A good way to prove there is a market is by seeing if other companies are already in that space.
3. Is it Scalable?
If the business cannot be scaled rapidly professional investors and venture firms are not likely to pony up the cash. For them, the only reason to invest is potential returns, unless of course, it is something they have a particular passion for.
4. How Many Basic Human Desires Does it Serve?
This is taken from the book, The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman. Every human has 5 basic human drives or desires. They are, Drive to Acquire, Drive to Bond, Drive to Learn, Drive to Defend, and the Drive to Feel. The more of these that your business has the greater the market and the more likely you are to have a highly desirable product.
5. What Unfair Advantages Does the Startup have?
Y-Combinator’s Kevin Hale has a great talk that states specifically the main factors Y-Combinator looks for in a startup in this video. One of them being the 5 unfair advantages of the startup. These 5 are,
A) The Founder . I.E. does the founder have some experience that makes him extra qualified in this space? This could be many years in a niche market. They use the hard number of 1 in 10. If the founder is 1 of 10 people in the world that can solve a certain problem.
. I.E. does the founder have some experience that makes him extra qualified in this space? This could be many years in a niche market. They use the hard number of 1 in 10. If the founder is 1 of 10 people in the world that can solve a certain problem. B) The Market. Is the market growing by 20% a year? If you are building a solution to that problem in that area, you will be in good shape.
Is the market growing by 20% a year? If you are building a solution to that problem in that area, you will be in good shape. C) The Product. Is your product 10x better than the competition? It has to be very obvious that it’s better than the competition. Having that distance between you and your competitor will make you much more attractive to potential customers, furthering your likelihood of success.
Is your product 10x better than the competition? It has to be very obvious that it’s better than the competition. Having that distance between you and your competitor will make you much more attractive to potential customers, furthering your likelihood of success. D) Acquisition . Is your company growing without paid advertising? Kevin states if your only method of growing is Paid Advertising, without any organic growth, you are going to attract competition who may very well have one of the other factors and will eventually outpace you.
. Is your company growing without paid advertising? Kevin states if your only method of growing is Paid Advertising, without any organic growth, you are going to attract competition who may very well have one of the other factors and will eventually outpace you. F) Monopoly. This is referring often to the effect that being in the market longer than others will have. If as your company grows the success of your growth widens the gap between your competitors, such as through network effects, or patented technology advancements, you will be set up for success.
6. Does it Pass The Threshold Test?
Another thing that Kevin Hale discussed in the aforementioned video is, does this past the threshold test? What he means by that is, what basic thing has to happen in order for this idea to succeed. If that is, successfully manufacturing the product, is it reaching the market, is it keeping up with demand, etc? If that basic threshold is accomplishable/the founder can overtake that threshold, there is a good chance the startup will succeed.
7. Does the Idea Benefit Society/Humanity?
Elon Musk, arguably the most influential innovator of the 21st century, is motivated to do things that benefit humanity. Any startup that truly seeks to better society, is highly likely to succeed. While this point is something I’m adding from my observations, I truly believe that this, paired with perseverance, will result in a successful venture.
8. Is it in a Market Where No One Else is?
In this video, Co-Founder of PayPal, Peter Thiel discusses that one of the things he looks for in a company/organization. Organizations that are building something that is unpopular for the right reasons, should succeed. I would argue that his PayPal venture was unpopular at the time because it posed a threat to banks at surface value. The same could be said of Electric Vehicles; it posed a threat to conventional vehicle manufacturers hence the difficulty in breaking into the market.
9. Do the Founders have Team, Tech, and Strategy?
This is another piece of advice from Peter in the same video as mentioned in point 8. If the founders are only talking about the technology they are offering, then get them to talk about the team and the strategy. He says that you need to have all three areas for it to succeed. If the founders are not comfortable speaking to all three points, they likely lack some necessary foundation blocks to succeed.
10. What are Your Sales?
Is the company successfully selling their product, and on what platforms? Increasing sales is a basic factor to success but one that can occasionally be overlooked because of too much excitement in the product on the part of the investor. Identifying where their sales are coming from can be a good way to identify opportunities. Investors may know other mediums to sell the product which can help know if it’s a worthwhile investment.
11. Does the Company Actually Need Funding?
Not every company needs funding. A truly successful team and strategy might already be in place, and the inexperience of the founders might be simply seeking funding to “accelerate” their growth. This mindset can be an indicator of “money-chasing-syndrome”, where the founder simply wants explosive growth because of the huge amount of money that will be at their disposal. This is something that can be corrected but should definitely be screened for.
12. Does the Product Move Quickly?
One of the big points I noted from Shark Tank is the acute focus on how much inventory is held. If there is a large amount of inventory, it could be an indicator that the product doesn’t move swiftly.
13. What are the Costs?
Does the product have a high margin that will increase as scaling happens? When the existing margin is high at the early stages, it’s usually an opportunity for greater improvement in the future as the process is streamlined, and the production/fulfillment costs are reduced.
14. Past Debt/Cash.
Not being a financial expert, I cannot explain to you the exact importance of these calculations, but this article offers a good basic understanding of the different healthy financial ratios that a Startup should have if they are seeking outside investment. Suffice to say, if these ratios are severely out of whack, investors will likely steer clear.
15. Is there a Good Team?
Having a team is very important to many investors. By having a team of any caliber, you prove that other people are confident enough in the idea to work with the idea fulltime. Beyond having a team, it’s important to have a well-functioning team. When proper delegation methods and the right expertise are mixed, it makes a fine concoction. A red flag is when all the decisions are being made by the CEO in a manner that takes away from him/her being able to focus on the growth of the company. The CEO shouldn’t be deciding what type of snacks to have in the office. | https://medium.com/the-innovation/the-signs-investors-look-for-in-a-startup-231a1ca47331 | ['Silas Mahner'] | 2020-10-10 18:11:56.026000+00:00 | ['Investing', 'Funding', 'Venture Capital', 'Startup', 'Angel Investors'] |
The Fiercest Teenager in America | A talk with the filmmakers behind the documentary T-Rex — and a look inside the life of the country’s youngest female boxing champ.
In 2012, women’s boxing was included as an Olympic event for the first time ever. Fighting for the U.S. was Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, just 17 years old, an undefeated champion from the streets of Flint, Michigan. As she fought her way to Olympic gold, it wasn’t just audiences that watched with bated breath — filmmakers Drea Cooper, Zackary Canepari, and producer Sue Jaye Johnson were also following her story, creating a documentary that would become an intimate portrait of a new kind of American heroine. Named T-Rex, after its singular protagonist, the film explores Claressa’s relationships with her history, her hometown, and her way “out” of them.
Originally premiered at SXSW and an official Hot Docs Festival selection, T-Rex will be just one of the five films being screened at the 2015 Kickstarter Film Festival. Before the big night, though, we got in touch with the filmmaking trifecta behind the documentary to talk boxing, Olympic determination, and teenage-hood.
Text by Sue Jaye Johnson, from an interview by Cassie Marketos. | https://medium.com/kickstarter/the-fiercest-teenager-in-america-dbdc5ba6b8fd | [] | 2018-05-09 15:36:57.538000+00:00 | ['Filmmaking', 'Boxing', 'Photography', 'Documentary', 'Film'] |
Ultra-wealthy buyers enable Dubai property sector to escape six-year slump | Dubai’s property sector has been an unlikely beneficiary of COVID-19, with the ongoing pandemic sparking a long-awaited turnaround in 2021. Prices in neighbouring Abu Dhabi have also increased, but performance in Saudi Arabia´s main cities has been mixed, and Qatar has endured another tough year.
Also Read : Dubai Residential Capital Values November 2021
After a six-year slump, sales prices were up 4 percent year-on-year in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi as of September 30, according to consultants JLL. Faisal Durrani, Partner and Head of Middle East Research at Knight Frank Middle East, attributes the rebound to what he describes as the UAE’s excellent governance and the way in which the country has handled COVID-19.
“That’s when its third property cycle commenced,” he said. “Dubai is a sentiment-driven market, and positive sentiment like that goes an extremely long way.”
The IHS Markit UAE Purchasing Managers’ Index surged to 55.7 in October, its highest level since mid-2019. Such bullish indicators show local companies are confident, said Durrani, and this upbeat outlook has also aided real estate.
Dubai’s reopening of international borders brought in an influx of ultra-wealthy visitors who had never previously visited the emirate, said Durrani. “They saw first-hand the way Dubai handled the pandemic and the city’s high living standards and quality of life.”
This led to a surge in sales of so-called super-prime properties (those priced at more than $10 million), with 54 sold in the first nine months of 2021.
“That’s a record,” said Durrani. “There aren’t enough of these properties to satisfy demand. That has contributed to a sharp turnaround in the luxury end of the market, which is where we’re seeing the fastest price increases.”
Villa prices are up 17 percent in the past 12 months, according to estimates by Knight Frank. Yet oversupply remains problematic and could derail Dubai’s property rebound. Around 80,000 new units are scheduled to be completed in 2022, which would be highest annual total since 2009, said Durrani (he noted, however, that a third will probably be delayed).
In September, property worth more than 12 billion dirhams was sold in Dubai, making it the busiest September on record, according to Knight Frank. In October, sales fell to 11 billion dirhams.
“This could be the first sign that the market is approaching its third peak (after 2008 and 2014),” said Durrani. “Anecdotally, there’s a growing disparity between buyer and seller expectations. Usually, that’s a clear indication that the market is starting to peak. While COVID sparked the start of a third cycle, it also created a very short cycle.”
From Dubai’s 2014 high, property values fell more than 40 percent, according to leading real estate consultancy ValuStrat data. It also shows an increase of about 15 percent in 2021 after bottoming out last year. This rebound still leaves values at about 30 percent below their peak.
Apartment prices, which constitute 85 percent of residential units, have made single-digit gains this year, ValuStrat estimates.
“As most people live in apartments, they’re not really seeing significant price or rents increase,” said Haider Tuaima, the head of real-estate market research at ValuStrat, Dubai.
ValuStrat research shows that the average size of homes sold in Dubai has risen to around 2,000 square feet this year from 1,000 square feet in 2019. Tuaima notes that this reflects people moving from apartments to villas as well as to larger apartments. “The cash is there. Most buyers in Dubai are UAE residents and end-users. More people are becoming homeowners.”
Unlike in Dubai, it’s the low-to-mid tier properties that have had the biggest price increases in Abu Dhabi, outperforming more expensive homes, although the UAE capital is markedly more lacklustre than Dubai.
In Saudi Arabia, government measures to increase home ownership among nationals towards a longstanding target of 70 percent have helped bolstered construction activity in the kingdom´s real-estate sector as well as demand from end users.
Yet property values in the two biggest cities, Riyadh and Jeddah, have diverged. Residential prices in Riyadh rose 5 percent year-on-year as of September 30, with demand underpinned by state initiatives aimed at making the capital the Gulf´s business hub, according to JLL. Residential prices in Jeddah fell 5 percent over the same period in what JLL describes as a subdued market.
Recent indicators have also been less encouraging. Sales volumes slumped in the third quarter, which JLL blamed on procedures to obtain a mortgage becoming more onerous.
The performance of Qatar´s property sector is largely dependent on government spending, said Anum Hasan, the Qatar research manager at ValuStrat, Doha. According to ValuStrat estimates, prices across all subsectors (residential, office, retail, and hospitality) have been in steady decline since 2016, dropping more than 40 percent.
The market showed tentative signs of stabilisation in 2019, but COVID-19 derailed this recovery, quashing the temporary increase in demand that had been expected ahead of the World Cup.
Average residential prices were down 5 percent in 2021 compared to 2020, according to ValuStrat. “In the last two quarters, we’re seeing signs of the market stabilising again, with a few areas showing increases in rents and capital values,” Hasan added. “Overall, 2021 has been another year of declines, but it hasn’t been as bad as 2019 or 2020.”
Read Next : Positive Impact of COVID-19 | https://medium.com/@valustrat/ultra-wealthy-buyers-enable-dubai-property-sector-to-escape-six-year-slump-5599ed80f98d | [] | 2021-12-21 22:05:01.726000+00:00 | ['Valustrat', 'Real Estate', 'Dubai'] |
Cracking the handwritten digits recognition problem with Scikit-learn | Sklearn Hello World!
The example we’ll run is pretty simple: learn to recognize digits. Given a dataset of digits, learn the shape of them and predict unseen digits.
This example is based on the Sklearn basic tutorial.
Verify your Python configuration
Before we move forward, just run a simple Python file to make sure you have configured everything properly.
Open PyCharm Create a new project Create a Python file Add the following line into it:
print("Running Sklearn Hello World!") Run the file. You should see that string in the console.
Import datasets
Sklearn has some built-in datasets that allow you to get started quickly. You could download the dataset from somewhere else if you want to, but in this blog, we’ll use Sklearn’s datasets.
Note: How digits are transformed from images into pixels is out of the scope of this blog. Assume that someone did a transformation to get pixels from scanned images, and that’s your dataset.
Edit your Python file and before the print command, add the following import:
from sklearn import datasets
Explore the dataset:
digits = datasets.load_digits()
print(digits.data)
3. Run your Python file. You should see the following output in the console:
[[ 0. 0. 5. ... 0. 0. 0.]
[ 0. 0. 0. ... 10. 0. 0.]
[ 0. 0. 0. ... 16. 9. 0.]
...
[ 0. 0. 1. ... 6. 0. 0.]
[ 0. 0. 2. ... 12. 0. 0.]
[ 0. 0. 10. ... 12. 1. 0.]]
What you’re seeing in that output are all the digits (or instances) and all their features that each instance has. In this example, the pixels of each digit. If we printed the value digits.target instead, we would see the real values (classifications) for those digits: array([0, 1, 2, …, 8, 9, 8]).
Features are attributes about an instance. A person may have attributes like nationality, skills, etc. Instead of calling them attributes, they’re called features. In our case, our instances (digits) has the brightness levels of each pixel as attributes or features.
Learn from our dataset
ML is about generalizing the behavior of our dataset. It’s like taking a look at the data and saying something like “yes, it seems that next month we’ll increase our sales”. That’s because based on what happened, you’re trying to generalize the situation and predict what may happen in the future.
There are basically two ways of generalizing from data:
Learning by heart: this means “memorizing” all the instances and then try to match new instances to the ones we knew. A good example of this is explained in [1]: If we had to implement a spam filter, one way could be flagging all emails that are identical to emails already flagged as spam. The similarity between emails could be the number of words they have in common with a known spam email. Building a model to represent data: this implies building a model that approximates known values with unseen values. The general idea is that if we know that instances A and B are similar and A has a target value 1, then we can guess that B may have a target value 1 as well. The difference with the first approach is that by building a model, we’re adjusting it to represent the data and then we forget about the instances.
A cat-dogs classifier. In our case, we’ll classify by digit: 0, 1, 2, etc. Source
Let’s create a model that represents our data behavior. As this is a classification problem (given some instances, we want to classify them based on their features and predict the digit they represent), we will call our component classifier and we’ll choose a Support Vector Machine (SVM). There are many other classifiers in Sklearn, but this one will be enough for our use case. For further details on when to use certain components depending on the problem, you can follow the following cheat-sheet: | https://medium.com/overfitted-microservices/cracking-the-handwritten-digits-recognition-problem-with-scikit-learn-b5afc28e2c24 | ['Ariel Segura'] | 2019-01-05 01:43:24.570000+00:00 | ['Machine Learning', 'Python', 'Data Science', 'Software Engineering', 'Scikit Learn'] |
Veremin — A Browser-based Video Theremin | Veremin — A Browser-based Video Theremin
Making music visually using TensorFlow.js, PoseNet, and the Web MIDI & Web Audio APIs
You + Webcam + TensorFlow.js = Beautiful (!) Music
Meet Veremin!
Veremin, is a video theremin that allows anyone to make beautiful (:-?) music just by waving their arms! It makes use of TensorFlow.js, PoseNet, as well as the Web MIDI and Web Audio APIs.
Veremin is the brainchild of johncohnvt, from the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, who built the first rough prototype. I was then able to whip it into something that really worked!
The application attaches to the video stream from your web camera. PoseNet is used to capture the location of your hands within the video. The location then gets converted to music.
Thanks to the magic of TensorFlow.js, Veremin lives 100% in the browser and works on all modern browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, IE) and platforms (OS X, iOS, Android, Windows).
And our deepest thanks to the Google Creative Lab folks who gave us a great start with their demo apps.
Play Veremin!
Just point your browser to ibm.biz/veremin on your desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone. Allow the application to use the camera when prompted and make sure the volume is up.
Stand in front of your devices camera and adjust your position so your torso fits the screen . Adjust your stance so you are centered on the vertical red line in the center of the screen and your waist is roughly even with the horizontal red line . You should see the stick version of your form in blue. Now, move both your hands above the red horizontal line. Move your right hand up and down to control the pitch and your left hand left and right to control the volume.
Now just get jiggy with it! ┌(・⌣・)┘♪
If you’re interested, you can adjust some of the parameters by clicking the settings icon in the top right of the screen. You can read more about the various control options here.
Using Veremin as a MIDI controller
If you’re feeling even more adventurous, Veremin can also be used as a MIDI controller. To do that, you must use a browser that supports MIDI output (e.g., Chrome).
Plugin in your MIDI device to your computer and launch Veremin in your browser. Then click the settings symbol in the upper right of the screen and change the Output Device to point to your MIDI output device. You should now be able to control your MIDI device which can be anything from a simple software synthesizer (e.g., SimpleSynth) to a MIDI controlled Tesla Coil (like John uses).
John and his MIDI controlled Tesla Coil
What’s inside Veremin?
Let’s quickly review all the technologies we use.
TensorFlow.js and PoseNet
TensorFlow.js is an open-source library for creating, training, and running machine learning models in JavaScript. It brings machine learning to the browser and is a great way to start with machine learning. Tutorials, guides, and more information for TensorFlow.js are available here.
While you can use TensorFlow.js to build and train models, the real fun comes from finding new and creative ways to interact with existing pre-trained machine learning models, like PoseNet.
The TensorFlow.js version of PoseNet allows for real-time human pose estimation in the browser. An image is passed to the model and it returns a prediction. The prediction contains a list of keypoints (i.e., right eye, left wrist, etc.) and their confidence scores. What you do with this information is left up to your imagination.
Real-time human pose estimation
Web MIDI API
The Web MIDI API allows connections to MIDI input and output devices from browsers. From the connected devices, MIDI messages can be sent or received. The MIDI message (e.g. [128, 72, 64] ) is an array of three values corresponding to [command, note, velocity] .
MIDI messages are received only from input devices (e.g., keyboard). And can be sent only to output devices (e.g., speakers). To request access to MIDI devices (and receive a list of connected inputs and outputs) a call must first be made to the requestMIDIAccess function.
Web MIDI API example
Support for the Web MIDI API is unfortunately not yet wide spread. A quick getting started article for the Web MIDI API can be found here.
Web Audio API
With the Web Audio API, browsers can create sounds or work with recorded sounds. It describes a high-level API for processing and synthesizing audio in web applications.
All audio operations must occur within an AudioContext . Audio modules (i.e., AudioNode s) are created from the AudioContext and chained together to define the audio processing graph.
Web Audio API example
Working with the Web Audio API can be tricky at times. But to make it easier check out Tone.js, a Web Audio framework for creating interactive music in the browser.
Support for the Web Audio API is available across most browsers. A nice introduction to the Web Audio API can be found here.
Enjoy!
If you’re interested in the nitty gritty, head over the Veremin GitHub repository to check out the full code and learn more. The README includes instructions for deploying your own Veremin or to try it out without installing anything, visit ibm.biz/veremin.
We hope you enjoy Veremin. Please let us know what you think and share some of the beautiful music you make! | https://medium.com/codait/veremin-a-browser-based-video-theremin-1548b63200c | [] | 2019-04-24 21:09:43.659000+00:00 | ['MIT', 'Posenet', 'Web Audio Api', 'JavaScript', 'Tensorflowjs'] |
Trucker Tools’ Frequently Asked Questions for Brokers | Choosing a technology partner and the right software for your business are big decisions. Your choices impact your employees, profit margins and ability to meet the expectations of your customers. With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of the questions we frequently get from logistics providers and freight brokers and answered them as honestly as possible. Whether you’re just getting to know Trucker Tools or you’re a long-time customer, these FAQ give you answers to your most burning questions about Trucker Tools and what we can offer your business.
It’s pretty simple. Trucker Tools’ digital freight matching, real-time visibility platform and Book It Now® save you time — and in transportation, time is money. Our solutions for brokers reduce manual communications between your staff and shippers and carriers. Instead of picking up the phone to find out where that load is or to cover a load, your employees can quickly get what they need with a few clicks on their computers. Trucker Tools’ broker platforms help you reduce your operating costs, increase profit margins and build relationships with carriers.
The answer is YES! Trucker Tools’ digital freight matching and real-time visibility platform can be integrated with most transportation management systems in use today. For more about our TMS and other software integrations, visit https://www.truckertools.com/web/partners/partner-directory/.
Trucker Tools’ real-time visibility platform can be integrated with shipper visibility platforms FourKites, MacroPoint, 10/4 and Project44. With these integrations, your shippers can see Trucker Tools real-time load tracking data in their shipper software interfaces. Sharing data through this integration eliminates manual phone calls about load tracking and saves you and your shippers time.
When a document is transmitted to you via the Trucker Tools driver app, the driver must take a live photo to send the document. This means the trucker is unable to send you a file that was previously saved on their phone. Each document that you receive via our driver app’s scan and send tool is stamped with a date and time. There’s also no delay in between the time the document is scanned and when it’s sent to you.
The good news is that you have options. If a driver or carrier can’t use the Trucker Tools’ driver app, you can track the load using the driver’s ELD. For truckers who are uncomfortable with app-based load tracking, assure them that our load tracking tool is transparent for truckers. The driver has to tap on accept in the driver app in order for you to be able to see their location. Truckers also can pause or cancel a load track right in the app. When load tracking is on, they can clearly see the name of the broker tracking the load and the load associated with the track.
Our load tracking solution uses our free driver app and the GPS technology in the trucker’s smart phone to provide you with automatic, real-time location updates every five to 15 minutes. You determine how often you want to receive updates.
We’ve made it easy for you to deal with capacity-related emails from carriers. Just set a rule in your email account to auto-forward capacity-related emails to Trucker Tools and we’ll take it from there. Trucker Tools’ digital freight matching platform automatically processes the emails that you receive from carriers. This process is called email parsing. Our software can essentially read the email, identify the carrier and the number of trucks they have available, and automatically add this information to the capacity you see in our broker platform.
To find out why everyone in the industry is talking about digital freight matching, read How Digital Freight Matching Is Revolutionizing Transportation. Schedule a free demo of Trucker Tools’ digital freight matching, real-time visibility platform and Book It Now®. | https://medium.com/trucker-tools/trucker-tools-frequently-asked-questions-for-brokers-4a36b5a98b8b | ['Tracy Neill'] | 2020-12-28 17:07:24.333000+00:00 | ['Transportation', 'Shipping', 'Logistics', 'Freight Shipping', 'Trucking'] |
20 best body lotion for oily skin review | Hydration is one of the most basic yet important steps in your daily beauty routine. The skin needs to remain hydrated to remain smooth and healthy at all times. Whether you have dry, normal, oily or sensitive skin, hydration of the body should be a complete one and should never be discarded. best body lotion for oily skin review Fortunately, today, with many brands offering a variety of moisturizers for everyday use, one can explore different products. Another great thing is that a lot of sunscreen or spuff lotion is being introduced recently which is cruelty-free and free from harmful parabens.
In fact, today, the 20 best body lotion for oily skin review companies are focusing on incorporating natural ingredients into cosmetic products. Today, I am listing below some of the best body lotions on the Indian market today. I have personally used most of these and absolutely love them. So let’s start!
NIVEA Skin Firming & Toning Body Gel-Cream, with Q10 For Normal Skin, 6.7 Oz Tube
Paula’s Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA, Salicylic Acid & Chamomile Lotion Exfoliant, Moisturizer for Keratosis Pilaris (KP) Prone Skin & Clogged Pores, Fragrance-Free & Paraben-Free, 7 Ounces
The Naked Bee Orange Blossom Honey Hand and Body Lotion, 6.7oz — 2 Pack
The Naked Bee Orange Blossom Honey Hand and Body Lotion, 8 oz — 2 Pack
Butt Acne Clearing Spot Treatment Cream. Clears Acne, Pimples, Ingrown Hairs, Blackheads, Zits, Razor Bumps and Dark Spots for the Buttocks and Thigh Area. Prevents Future Breakouts.
Heritage Store Rosewater | Refreshing Facial Mist for Glowing Skin | No Dyes or Alcohol | Vegan & Cruelty Free (8oz)
Lubriderm Daily Moisture Hydrating Unscented Body Lotion with Vitamin B5 for Normal to Dry Skin NonGreasy and FragranceFree Lotion. fl., White, Fragrance Free, 24 Fl Oz
Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Lotion with Soothing Oat and Rich Emollients to Nourish Dry Skin, Gentle & Fragrance-Free Lotion is Non-Greasy & Non-Comedogenic, 18 Fl Oz
NIVEA Essentially Enriched Body Lotion — Pack of 2, 48 Hour Moisture For Dry to Very Dry Skin — 16.9 Fl. Oz. Bottles
OGX Extra Creamy + Coconut Miracle Oil Ultra Moisture Lotion, 19.5 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
Jergens Ultra Healing Dry Skin Moisturizer, Body and Hand Lotion, for Absorption into Extra Dry Skin, 32 Ounce, with HYDRALUCENCE blend, Vitamins C, E, and B5
CETAPHIL Moisturizing Cream | 20 oz | Moisturizer For Dry To Very Dry, Sensitive Skin | Completely Restores Skin Barrier In 1 Week | Fragrance Free | Non-Greasy | Dermatologist Recommended Brand
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Daily Skin Therapy Body Lotion with Vitamin E, 13.5 Ounces
Love Beauty and Planet Body Lotion Delicious Glow 13.5 oz
Alpha Skin Care Renewal Body Lotion | Anti-Aging Formula |12% Glycolic Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) | Reduces the Appearance of Lines & Wrinkles | For All Skin Types | 12 Oz
CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion for Dry Skin | Body Lotion & Facial Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid and Ceramides | Fragrance Free | 12 Ounce
Jergens Natural Glow +FIRMING Self Tanner, Sunless Tanner for Medium to Deep Skin Tone, Anti Cellulite Firming Body Lotion, for Natural-Looking Tan, 7.5 Ounce (Packaging May Vary)
Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Skin Therapy Lotion with Aloe, Family Size, Gold Fresh, 20 Ounce
Alba Botanica Very Emollient Body Lotion, Unscented Original, 32 Oz
Curél Skincare Curél Ultra Healing Body Lotion, Moisturizer for Extra Dry Skin, Body and Hand Lotion with Advanced Ceramide Complex and Hydrating Agents for Tight Skin, Fragrance Free, 20 Oz
1. NIVEA Skin Firming & Toning Body Gel-Cream, with Q10 For Normal Skin, 6.7 Oz Tube
Product description Say hello to firmer, more toned skin. Firming and Toning Gel-Cream for NIVEA Skin, enriched with Q10, L-Carnitine and Lotus Extract. How does this innovative formula work? With regular use, it works to improve skin firmness in as little as 2 weeks. It also firms and tones the appearance of the skin. The light gel-cream texture absorbs quickly. It sinks into the skin, leaving it fresh, soft and supple. How to use: Apply gel-cream twice a day on thighs, buttocks and stomach. Combine this body gel-cream with a NIVEA body wash for a complete skincare regimen. About this item
NIVEA skin firming and toning gel cream improves skin firmness in as little as 2 weeks
Leaves skin fresh, soft and supple.
Enriched with Q10, L carnitine and lotus extract
Apply gel cream twice a day on thighs, buttocks and stomach.
Dermatologically tested and approved
2. Paula’s Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA, Salicylic Acid & Chamomile Lotion Exfoliant, Moisturizer for Keratosis Pilaris (KP) Prone Skin & Clogged Pores, Fragrance-Free & Paraben-Free, 7 Ounces
About this item SOFTEN ROUGH SKIN WITH 2% BHA: This full-body treatment is formulated to soften and smooth skin with the combined powers of 2% salicylic acid (BHA) and nourishing, fragrance-free plant extracts. Gently exfoliates dead skin cells to reveal noticeably smoother, smoother, and lump-free skin.
ANTIOXIDANT-RICH HYDRATION — Not only does this formula work quickly to exfoliate, it dramatically nourishes skin with soothing antioxidants like green tea and chamomile. The result? Undeniably smooth and radiant skin, without discomfort or sensitivity.
SKIN TYPE: This lightweight lotion is suitable for all skin types, including normal, oily, combination and dry.
SKIN CARE CONCERNS: Hydrates skin and smooths stubborn clogged pores and hard lumps on arms and legs. Suitable for skin prone to keratosis pilaris (KP).
Paula’s Choice Skincare makes products that work. Fragrance Free, Paraben Free, Lint Free. Only effective, science-backed formulas that target anything from wrinkles to breakouts.
3. The Naked Bee Orange Blossom Honey Hand and Body Lotion, 6.7oz — 2 Pack
Our history The Naked Bee was founded on a simple principle: the idea that a company should give more than it needs. We strive to create products that have a positive impact on both people and the planet. At The Naked Bee we are passionate about this philosophy, which is why we choose to use only the safest and most responsible ingredients. We never use questionable preservatives like parabens, and we do everything in the USA to ensure this quality. All Naked Bee products are cruelty free.
“All the good things, none of the bad.” What does that mean? Well …
“All the good things …
70% Organic Skin Conditioning Lotion and Moisturizer for Hands and Body
Shampoo and conditioner with honey and spirulina
Triple ground oatmeal soap with saponified beeswax and guar gum
Organic olive oil, honey and beeswax lip balm
… none of the bad stuff. “
Paraben free
No propylene glycol or mineral oil
No dyes or pigments
No lauryl or laureth sulfate
Absolutely NO animal testing … ever.
About this item
ALL THE GOOD THINGS: Certified Organic Aloe Vera and Sunflower Oil, Honey, Hyaluronic Acid, and Spirulina.
NONE OF THE BAD THINGS — No Parabens, Gluten, Bay Leaf, Propylene Glycol, Mineral Oil, Laureth Sulfate, Artificial Colors or Dyes, Phthalate Fragrances, or EDTA. Absolutely NO animal testing.
6.7 fl. oz. The tube contains 70% certified organic ingredients.
Powerful moisturizer created to condition dry hands. Apply hand cream generously as needed.
The Naked Bee is passionate about creating products that make a positive impact on people and the planet, which is why we choose to use only the safest and most responsible ingredients. We never use questionable preservatives like parabens, and we do everything in the USA to ensure this quality.
4. The Naked Bee Orange Blossom Honey Hand & Body Lotion, 8 oz — 2 Pack
5. Butt Acne Clearing Spot Treatment Cream. Clears Acne, Pimples, Ingrown Hairs, Blackheads, Zits, Razor Bumps and Dark Spots for the Buttocks and Thigh Area. Prevents Future Breakouts.
About this item FAST RESULTS: immediate results in days. Specially formulated to hydrate your skin while gently healing acne and removing dark spots. Eliminate any current acne while preparing your skin for an acne-free complexion.
NATURAL AND INNOVATIVE FORMULA: Natural and innovative formula that targets the buttock and thigh area to treat new and existing acne, pimples, blackheads, ingrown hairs, pimples, bumps and other blemishes. It can also be used on the back, elbows and shoulders.
NON-PORE RESIDUE: This clever blemish cleanser cream targets skin problems from acne and other blemishes with powerful and fast results, while restoring a healthy balance of oil and moisture that does not clog pores.
LIGHT CREAM — Light lightening cream with an innovative solution to attack new and existing blemishes, while balancing the skin’s pH and moisture levels without irritating and drying the surrounding areas that are not of concern.
EASY TO TRAVEL — Packaged in a tube, be camera ready anywhere, anytime.
6. Heritage Store Rosewater | Refreshing Facial Mist for Glowing Skin | No Dyes or Alcohol | Vegan & Cruelty Free (8oz)
About this item The Original Rosewater — Spray throughout the day to refresh, hydrate and lift
Reawaken Skin — Damascus Rose Oil calms and softens, while Vor-Mag Water charges and energizes the mood
Minimal Ingredients — Clean formula for all skin types, made with just two ingredients
Your Beauty Go-To — Spray on after makeup to set or spray on hair for extra softness
Good for people and the planet: no dyes, no alcohol, vegan and cruelty free
7. Lubriderm Daily Moisture Hydrating Unscented Body Lotion with Vitamin B5 for Normal to Dry Skin NonGreasy and FragranceFree Lotion. fl., White, Fragrance Free, 24 Fl Oz
Product description Ideal for normal to dry skin, Lubriderm Daily Moisture Unscented Body Lotion replenishes and helps hydrate dry skin. From a brand developed by dermatologists, this daily hydrating lotion is clinically proven to hydrate for 24 hours. It is formulated with vitamin B5 and essential skin moisturizers to help improve the skin’s moisture barrier. And it has a non-greasy formula, for a pleasant, soft and smooth feeling on the skin. The fast-absorbing formula in this fragrance-free lotion helps keep tattooed skin looking its best. Additionally, Lubriderm is the # 1 brand recommended by tattoo artists for tattoo care and aftercare. About this item
24 fl oz tube of Lubriderm Fragrance Free Daily Moisturizing Body Lotion with Vitamin B5 to help replenish and hydrate normal to dry skin
The fast-absorbing formula in this body lotion helps keep tattooed skin looking its best. Additionally, this dermatologist-developed brand is the # 1 brand recommended by tattoo artists for tattoo care and aftercare.
The fragrance-free and non-greasy formula leaves a pleasant, soft, clean and smooth feeling on the skin.
For external use only, smooth this daily normal to dry skin care lotion onto hands and body for daily hydration and moisture.
8. Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Lotion with Soothing Oat and Rich Emollients to Nourish Dry Skin, Gentle & Fragrance-Free Lotion is Non-Greasy & Non-Comedogenic, 18 Fl Oz
About this item 18 fl oz bottle of Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Lotion to moisturize dry skin for a full 24 hours
The nourishing lotion contains a unique soothing oatmeal formula that absorbs quickly, leaving your skin soft, beautiful, and healthy-looking.
Clinically tested and award-winning fragrance-free daily lotion for dry skin that locks in moisture and improves skin health in just 1 day
The gentle moisturizing lotion works to help prevent, protect and nourish dry skin. Replenish moisture for softer, smoother skin.
The lotion is fragrance-free, non-greasy, non-comedogenic, and gentle enough for daily use as part of a regular skincare and beauty routine. From Aveeno, a dermatologist recommended brand for over 65 years.
9. NIVEA Essentially Enriched Body Lotion — Pack of 2, 48 Hour Moisture For Dry to Very Dry Skin — 16.9 Fl. Oz. Bottles
Product description NIVEA Essentially Enriched Body Lotion — 48 Hour Hydration For Dry To Very Dry Skin — 16.9 oz. Measuring bottle Product description (optional): With NIVEA Essentially Enriched Body Lotion, nourished and deeply hydrated skin isn’t as far off as you think. We know how difficult it can be to find a lotion that gives dry skin the deep hydration it needs. Infused with our Deep Moisture Serum and Almond Oil, the rich formula intensely nourishes to lock in deep moisture and deliver noticeably smoother skin for 48 hours. Designed for dry to very dry skin, this full-body lotion will dramatically reduce skin roughness after just one application. How to get the best care results: Apply this lotion daily to the entire body for best results. Reapply to dry parts of skin. Combine it with a NIVEA body wash for a complete skincare regimen that will give you the dermatological care you need. About this item
Infused with deep hydration serum and almond oil
Intensively hydrates for 48 hours to noticeably reduce skin roughness after just one application.
Washing your hands frequently can dry out the skin; After using hand soap, complete your hand washing routine with NIVEA Essentially Enriched to keep your hands happy and hydrated.
Designed for dry to very dry skin
Comes with two (2) 16.9 Fl. Oz. Bottle with pump
Hand lotion for dry hands, hand cream for dry and cracked hands
10. OGX Extra Creamy + Coconut Miracle Oil Ultra Moisture Lotion, 19.5 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)
Product description Style Name: Body Lotion
Hydrate skin with the ultra-hydrating blend of our coconut oil body lotion. Free of parabens and sulfated surfactants, its rich, fast-absorbing formula restores moisture to even the driest skin.
About this item
DIVINE MOISTURE: Nourish dry skin and send your senses to an island of escape with this fast-absorbing, rich, and creamy tropical body lotion. Infused with coconut oil, this blend restores essential skin hydration.
SOFT AND MOISTURIZE: Indulge in this ultra-hydrating blend of coconut oil, tiare essence, and vanilla extract. The non-greasy formula absorbs quickly leaving skin feeling smooth and smelling great.
PURE AND SIMPLE BEAUTY: OGX products are inspired by nature. We don’t try to make hair look “perfect” because we prefer hair to look fuller, softer, curlier or more elastic and smells irresistible.
WHAT HAIR WANTS: Whether you need moisture smoothing for curly hair, protection for colored hair, matte cream or pomade, OGX hair care products are designed to bring out the best in you.
REAL QUALITY, REAL BEAUTY: Unattainable looks don’t inspire us, but originality does. The OGX hair and skin care product collections are here to help you look your best! We are beauty, pure and simple.
11. Jergens Ultra Healing Dry Skin Moisturizer, Body and Hand Lotion, for Absorption into Extra Dry Skin, 32 Ounce, with HYDRALUCENCE blend, Vitamins C, E, and B5
Product description Repair dryness at the source with Jergens Ultra Healing Moisturizer for Extra Dry Skin. The nourishing formula penetrates through five layers of skin to heal extra-dry skin, improve tone and texture, and leave it smooth and visibly healthier. The formula absorbs to soften the areas that tend to need the most moisture, such as the heels, elbows and knees. Featuring a unique blend of Hydralucence ingredients plus Vitamins C, E and B5, this Kao USA body moisturizer leaves your skin glowing and hydrated for up to 48 hours. Jergens Hand and Body Lotion for Men and Women is carefully formulated for optimal relief from dry skin. Jergens Pump Hand Lotion hydrates and moisturizes dry, chapped hands for added relief from dry skin. The body cream for men and women soothes the skin for long-lasting hydration. Hand Cream for Dry and Chapped Hands rejuvenates chapped skin for optimal hydration. About this item
HELPS SOOTHE DRY SKIN: Jergens Ultra Healing Moisturizer helps improve the appearance and texture of the skin.
EXTRA DRY SKIN LOTION: Absorbs into extra dry skin, including typically rough spots like heels, elbows and knees
HELPS REPAIR DRY SKIN: Penetrates five layers of skin and reduces dryness at its source.
VISIBLY HEALTHIER SKIN: With continued use of Jergens Ultra Healing Dry Skin Moisturizer, skin is nourished and visibly healthier over time.
FORMULATED WITH QUALITY INGREDIENTS: A unique formula, with a mixture of Hydralucence ingredients combined with Vitamins C, E and B, to leave the skin radiant.
12. CETAPHIL Moisturizing Cream | 20 oz | Moisturizer For Dry To Very Dry, Sensitive Skin | Completely Restores Skin Barrier In 1 Week | Fragrance Free | Non-Greasy | Dermatologist Recommended Brand
Product description Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream is a non-greasy full-body moisturizer. Enriched with sweet almond oil and vitamin E, it instantly comforts and hydrates dry to very dry and sensitive skin. This extra strength moisturizer binds water to skin to deeply replenish skin moisture and prevent moisture loss, providing long-lasting 24-hour hydration that fully restores skin’s moisture barrier within one week. Ideal for very dry areas of the skin of the hands, feet, elbows and knees to leave the skin feeling soft, smooth and nourished. This fragrance-free, paraben-free formula won’t clog pores and is clinically proven for even the smoothest skin. About this item
CETAPHIL MOISTURIZING BODY CREAM — Clinically proven to provide immediate and long-lasting 24-hour relief for dry to very dry skin.
COMPLETELY RESTORES THE SKIN BARRIER IN 1 WEEK: binds water to skin, preventing moisture loss to hydrate and protect skin from dryness
MADE FOR THE WHOLE BODY: Non-greasy, fragrance-free and paraben-free formula that won’t clog pores.
THE FIRST SELLING MOISTURIZING CREAM IN AMERICA: Extra strength moisturizer for dry to very dry skin; excellent for hands, feet, elbows and knees
DESIGNED FOR SENSITIVE SKIN: All Cetaphil products are effective but not irritating
From the first dermatologist- recommended facial skincare brand
13. Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Daily Skin Therapy Body Lotion with Vitamin E, 13.5 Ounces
Product description Palmer’s cocoa butter formula is specially designed to soften and soothe dry skin. It absorbs quickly and creates a protective barrier that locks in moisture for up to 24 hours. Palmer’s lotion is also enriched with vitamin E to effectively heal and smooth, leaving skin plump and beautiful. It is ideal for skin prone to eczema and helps soften marks and scars. This product is paraben and phthalate free and comes in a pump bottle for easy dispensing. Key Ingredients: Cocoa Butter — A rich natural moisturizer that leaves skin silky smooth, transforming even the roughest and driest areas into butter-smooth skin. Vitamin E: powerful antioxidant that helps improve the appearance of scars, stretch marks and skin blemishes, giving a more uniform and toned appearance. About Palmer’s: Founded more than 175 years ago, Palmer’s is one of the leaders in treatment-oriented beauty products with its trusted brand. The Palmer’s name is synonymous with natural ingredient-based hair and skin care product lines including Cocoa Butter Formula, Coconut Oil Formula, Shea Formula, Olive Oil Formula, and Skin Success. . Palmer’s uses only the best ingredients to provide consumers with the highest quality formulas at affordable prices. About this item
DEEP MOISTURIZING LOTION — This 24-hour cocoa butter daily hydrating body lotion features a light cocoa scent and provides deep hydration for all skin types, from normal to dry to eczema-prone skin.
SPECIAL FORMULA: This lotion is made with cocoa butter to naturally hydrate and vitamin E to help improve the appearance of scars, stretch marks and skin blemishes, giving a more uniform and toned appearance.
THE BEST INGREDIENTS: We strive to use only the best natural and raw ingredients to give you smooth, hydrated and beautiful hair and skin. We support the sustainable production of shea butter, cocoa and coconut oil around the world.
CHOOSE WHAT’S REAL: Our hair and skin treatments and beauty products feature high-quality plant-based ingredients in formulas that really work to hydrate and soften, from lip balm to bar soap and body butter.
PALMER SKIN CARE: Our cocoa butter, coconut oil, shea butter, olive oil and vitamin E product lines include creams, balms, lotions, oils and soaps for hands and body, face, lips, protection sun, hair care, pregnancy and stretching. dial care.
14. Love Beauty and Planet Body Lotion Delicious Glow 13.5 oz
Product description At Love Beauty and Planet we are committed to acts of love that make you and our planet a little more beautiful, every day. Our goal is a carbon footprint so small that we weren’t even here. We begin our journey by loading our beauty products with goodness. Each of our bottles is made from 100% recycled materials and is recyclable. Our caps and pumps are not yet made from recycled plastics, but we are working on it. With our delicious luminous body lotion your skin will be radiant and soft. Our body lotions are made with plant-based moisturizers and are free of parabens, silicones, or dyes. Discover your ultimate glow with this luminous body lotion mixed with delicious Murumuru Butter and the delicate scent of Rose Petals, ethically sourced from the Rose Valley of Bulgaria. How to use? You know it: massage generously into the skin. For best results, use daily. For a heavier moisturizer, try our Murumuru Butter and Rose Body Butter. We also have 3 other variations of body lotions to try: coconut water and mimosa flower, shea butter and sandalwood, and argan and lavender oil. For radiantly beautiful skin, start with our Love Beauty and Planet Murumuru Butter & Rose Body Wash. And if your skin needs a scrub, try our Love Beauty and Planet Sugar & Rose Peace and Glow Creamy Body Scrub. Don’t stop with beautiful skin! On days when your hair needs a “lift,” try our Blooming Strength and Shine 2-minute miracle mask. We are starting a beautiful movement. Are you in? For more information, visit lovebeautyplanet.com. About this item
OUR BODY LOTION PROMISE: Love Beauty and Planet Murumuru’s Butter and Rose Shimmer Body Lotion offers incredible hydration benefits that make skin look and feel beautiful.
24 HOUR BODY MOISTURIZER: Our Love Beauty and Planet body lotions are moisturizers that last 24 hours.
INGREDIENTS INSPIRED BY NATURE: Infused with Murumuru Butter, this body lotion delights the skin and is scented with the freshness of hand-selected Bulgarian rose petals.
Murumuru Butter & Rose Body Lotion from Love Beauty and Planet leaves your skin glowing and soft.
YES Natural Murumuru Butter, YES Ethically Sourced Rose, YES Vegan Body Moisturizer, YES with Herbal Moisturizers
BODY LOTION WITH FIVE OF: Cruelty-free body lotion, paraben-free body lotion, silicone-free body lotion, dye-free body lotion, guilt-free body lotion
15. Alpha Skin Care Renewal Body Lotion | Anti-Aging Formula |12% Glycolic Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) | Reduces the Appearance of Lines & Wrinkles | For All Skin Types | 12 Oz
Product description ALPHA SKIN CARE, naturally powerful anti-aging formulas for real results to reveal younger looking skin now. We have a rich history of offering products that deliver proven, high-quality results. Our skin and hair care products are accepted and respected by consumers and medical professionals alike. DAILY ANTI-AGING ROUTINE: Following an effective anti-aging skincare routine promotes cell renewal and skin renewal for a radiant and balanced complexion. Our four-step routine — Cleanse, Renew, Hydrate and Protect — is clinically proven to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles and fade dark spots caused by aging and sun exposure. CLEANING: A cleanser is the most basic step in any skincare routine. Our facial cleanser and toner naturally cleanse the skin and restore ideal pH levels to reveal a fresh, smooth complexion. RENEW: Removing dull, dead skin cells is key to renewal. Our anti-aging products gently polish the skin, allowing ingredients to quickly penetrate so that new, healthy skin can emerge. MOISTURIZE: A daily moisturizer helps nourish and improve skin health. Our moisturizers hydrate your skin quickly, leaving it soft and fresh for hours. Create your healthier skin with our naturally powerful ingredients. Sunburn Alert: This product contains an alpha hydroxy acid (aha) that can increase the sensitivity of the skin to the sun and, in particular, the possibility of sunburn. Use sunscreen, wear protective clothing, and limit sun exposure while using this product and for a week afterward. Caution: Avoid contact with eyelids and eyes. In case of contact, rinse well with water. Keep out of the reach of children. About this item
ANTI-AGING FORMULA: Our exclusive anti-aging body lotion is specially formulated with the optimal balance of 12% Alpha Hydroxy Glycolic Acid (AHA) and a pH level of 4.0. Alpha Hydroxy Glycolic Acid (AHA) is an ingredient derived from natural sugar cane that stimulates collagen production and reduces the appearance of lines and wrinkles for a younger look. The product is free of parabens and fragrances.
HEALTHY AND RADIANT SKIN: Works naturally to gently remove dead skin cells so that new, healthy skin can emerge and stimulate collagen production to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Your skin will immediately feel smooth, fresh and healthy, and over time you will see a more radiant and even skin tone.
THE POWER OF OUR INGREDIENTS: At Alpha Skin Care, we have spent decades researching and formulating our products. We follow a simple truth: use essential natural ingredients with clinically proven results to reveal healthy, younger-looking skin.
VITAMINS AND NUTRIENTS: Our specially selected vitamins and nutrients combine with our anti-aging ingredients to enhance the benefits you will see and feel in our products. Vitamins and nutrients hydrate and smooth skin while our anti-aging ingredients work to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE: Apply to the desired areas of clean skin. Do not rinse. It can be used in the morning and in the evening. For daytime use, we also recommend applying a sunscreen to areas of skin that are exposed to the sun. First-time users must do a patch test.
16. CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion for Dry Skin | Body Lotion & Facial Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid and Ceramides | Fragrance Free | 12 Ounce
Product description CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion for Normal to Dry Skin, Face and Body has a unique, lightweight formula that provides 24-hour hydration and helps restore the skin’s protective barrier with three essential ceramides (1,3,6-II) . The formula also contains hyaluronic acid to help retain the skin’s natural moisture. The daily moisturizing lotion uses patented MVE controlled release technology to help replenish ceramides and provide long-lasting hydration. About this item
[DAILY MOISTURIZING LOTION] Soft and light texture that absorbs quickly, leaving the skin plump and hydrated, never greasy.
[LONG-LASTING HYDRATION] Contains hyaluronic acid to help retain skin’s natural moisture and MVE technology to provide 24-hour hydration
[ESSENTIAL CERAMIDES] Ceramides are found naturally in the skin and constitute 50% of the lipids in the skin barrier. All CeraVe products are formulated with three essential ceramides (1, 3, 6-II) to help restore and maintain the skin’s natural barrier.
[DERMATOLOGIST RECOMMENDED] CeraVe Skincare is developed with dermatologists and has products suitable for dry skin, sensitive skin, oily, acne-prone skin and more
[GENTLE ON SKIN] Has the National Eczema Association (NEA) Seal of Acceptance. Fragrance-free, allergy-tested, non-comedogenic, and suitable for use as a body lotion, facial moisturizer, and / or hand lotion.
17. Jergens Natural Glow +FIRMING Self Tanner, Sunless Tanner for Medium to Deep Skin Tone, Anti Cellulite Firming Body Lotion, for Natural-Looking Tan, 7.5 Ounce (Packaging May Vary)
Product description Applying this self-tanning body lotion daily can achieve a flawless, natural-looking glow and help reduce the appearance of cellulite. Jergens Natural Glow + FIRMING Daily Moisturizer for medium to deep and dark skin, gradually provides subtle, streak-free color and reduces the appearance of cellulite in as little as 7 days. To enhance your natural skin tone, apply in place of your regular body moisturizer at least once a day and you’ll have a beautiful, natural-looking color in about a week. Jergens Natural Glow + FIRMING Daily Moisturizer for medium to deep skin tones improves the appearance of cellulite. Anti-cellulite cream visibly reduces cellulite in darker skin tones. Collagen Moisturizer firms skin and improves elasticity for optimal skin health and hydration. It is infused with a blend of collagen, elastin and polymers and spreads over the skin to give it a smoother appearance. Kao USA Moisturizer also contains a blend of hydrating and antioxidant ingredients. Your skin stays nourished while getting its glow without the unpleasant smell of sunless tanning, just a light, fresh scent. About this item
Self Tanning Body Lotion — Creates a flawless deep bronze tan with gradual, natural-looking color while nourishing and hydrating dry and extra-dry skin.
Gradual Sunless Tan — Our Jergens Natural Glow + Firming Moisturizer will gradually enhance and deepen your natural skin tone to provide fuss-free, streak-free color.
Firming Tanning Lotion — Infused with antioxidants and coconut water, Jergens + Firming Moisturizer’s hydrating nutrient blend boosts hydration for healthier-looking skin and daily skin hydration.
CELLULITE REMOVER: Infused with collagen, elastin and green tea, our fast-acting anti-cellulite formula will help reduce the appearance of cellulite in 7 days.
Fresh Scent Sunless Tan: Jergens Natural Glow Sunless Tanning Daily Moisturizers will keep you fresh with a light, fresh scent
18. Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Skin Therapy Lotion with Aloe, Family Size, Gold Fresh, 20 OOunc
Product description Gold Bond Ultimate Skin Therapy Lotion Healing with Aloe, Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Lotion is specially formulated to help heal extremely dry, rough and problem skin. With seven intensive moisturizers and three essential vitamins to nourish the skin, plus the natural healing power of aloe, Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Lotion has been clinically shown to moisturize for up to 24 hours. Dermatologist-tested and hypoallergenic, the latest Gold Bond Healing Lotion has the power to restore skin health, yet is still gentle enough to use on the face. It absorbs quickly and is not greasy, but it can feel working even after washing your hands. About this item
BODY LOTION WITH ALOE: Rough, extra dry skin requires a rich lotion with 7 intensive moisturizers and vitamins A, C and E plus calming aloe, to nourish and soften dry skin all over the body.
LONG-LASTING HYDRATION: This lotion offers 24-hour hydration. It is dermatologically tested, hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic. Our fast-absorbing formula is non-greasy and smells fresh and clean.
ULTIMATE FORMULA: Our Ultimate line offers a variety of specialized lotions and creams specifically formulated for your skincare needs, with 7 moisturizers and 3 vitamins plus special ingredients.
HEALING SINCE 1908: For more than a century, Gold Bond products have provided soothing relief for the entire family, from baby’s first bath and powder, to eczema or psoriasis relief and dry skin lotion.
GOLD BOND QUALITY: In addition to our medicated body powder, foot powder and foot cream, Gold Bond offers skin care products to hydrate, soften and protect your hands, feet, face and body.
19. Alba Botanica Very Emollient Body Lotion, Unscented Original, 32 Oz
Product description Moisturize and nourish sensitive skin with Alba Botanica’s highly emollient original fragrance-free body lotion. Made with botanical emollients like shea butter, avocado oil and jojoba seed oil, this rich lotion hydrates and softens dry skin without leaving a greasy or heavy feeling. Aloe, cucumber extract and chamomile soothe and calm the skin. Our 100% vegetarian formula is hypoallergenic and contains no parabens, phthalates, or synthetic fragrances. It has also not been tested on animals. Includes one 32 oz. Bottle of Original Body Lotion without Very Emollient Aroma by Alba Botanica. At Alba Botanica, our family of products is constantly evolving along with knowledge and trends in health, beauty and ingredients. We are dedicated to making high quality 100% vegetarian products that are brimming with botanical ingredients. Make it beautiful — that’s the motto that motivates our bodies to love products that nourish the skin, hair, and of course the soul. About this item
One 32 oz. bottle of original fragrance-free very emollient body lotion by Alba Botanica
Hydrates and nourishes dry and sensitive skin.
Made with botanical emollients like shea butter, avocado oil, and jojoba seed oil.
Free of parabens, phthalates or synthetic fragrances.
100% vegetarian ingredients
20. Curél Skincare Curél Ultra Healing Body Lotion, Moisturizer for Extra Dry Skin, Body and Hand Lotion with Advanced Ceramide Complex and Hydrating Agents for Tight Skin, Fragrance Free, 20 Oz
Product description Instantly soothe very dry and tight skin and keep it hydrated for 24 hours with Curél Ultra Healing Intensive Body Lotion for very dry and tight skin. While traditional body lotions only hydrate the surface of the skin, Curél Ultra Healing Lotion works at the source of dryness and helps repair its moisture barrier. With Advanced Ceramide Complex, the lotion helps replenish ceramides, helps skin retain moisture, and helps prevent dry, tight skin from reappearing. Curél Ultra Healing Lotion is proven to soothe and repair extra dry skin 2x better than the leading intensive lotion. Dermatologist-tested, Curél Ultra Healing Lotion from Kao USA is non-greasy and absorbs quickly. The skin is soft, supple and restored. About this item
DRY SKIN RELIEF — Clinically proven to soothe and repair extra dry skin 2x better than the leading intensive lotion
ALL DAY MOISTURIZER — Provides instant relief from dry skin that lasts for more than 24 hours
RESTORE MOISTURE — Contains extra-strong natural moisturizers to help even the driest, tightest skin feel soft, supple, and restored.
NON-OILY MOISTURIZER — Non-greasy formula absorbs quickly and won’t clog pores
SKIN REPAIR: With Advanced Ceramide Complex, the lotion restores ceramide levels in the skin to help retain moisture and prevent symptoms of dry, tight skin from reappearing.
Top links | https://medium.com/@nagwanshianil722/20-best-body-lotion-for-oily-skin-review-c4d11ba64b26 | [] | 2021-04-25 08:06:57.107000+00:00 | ['Dry Skin', 'Body Lotion', 'Body', 'Body Wash', 'Skincare'] |
2021 accessibility predictions | It’s time for the annual “Year-End” accessibility predictions.
Machine Learning
Machine learning is going to continue to be exceptionally important to the advancement of accessibility. The challenges of scaling accessibility in a world where only 30 % of the tests are automated are well documented in this note from the W3C titled Challenges with Accessibility Guidelines Conformance and Testing, and Approaches for Mitigating Them.
TL;DR — Software *used* to be monolithic. One major release every 12–18 months, and a few minor releases focused on specific areas. That is no longer the case. SaaS can release hundreds of times per week. Native apps releases happen weekly-ish (more often if needed) Improved accessibility test automation is essential to avoid accessibility regressions
With the world going to SaaS and native app in droves, accessibility can't live successfully in a world where 70 % of the tests are manual. It’s not enough to GET software accessible; you have to KEEP software accessible. Machine learning will allow us to crush the 30/70 split between automated and manual testing. Image processing, natural language processing, pattern recognition, and supervised and unsupervised learning will be essential to shifting that percentage towards the automated side. That way, the tests can be run with every, single check-in preventing good accessibility from being replaced with broken accessibility.
My accessibility dream is a world that any check-in that breaks an automatic test is rejected. Something like this:
When we can automate more accessibility tests with a high accuracy level, we can tie them into the CI/CD pipeline. Code updates can be blocked if more accessibility tests fail than from the last check-in, preventing achieved accessibility from deteriorating.
High levels of accuracy, in turn, require taking into account how ARIA might be overriding an issue that is broken in the native HTML. False positives caused by performing HTML analysis alone will negate the value of automated testing.
Shifting defect discovery to earlier in the process is better, faster, and cheaper for everyone. It is also necessary to move accessibility from reactive to proactive.
(now a shameless plug for Crest, if you have already heard about this new fantastic tool, skip to the next section)
VMware’s Crest machine learning-based open-source automated accessibility extension to WAVE now checks for video captions/subtitles and podcast transcripts automatically and keyboard function, focus indicators, focus contrast, and heading relevance. The Crest team has identified and is planning to implement 26 more tests currently only manually testable that we think we can automate before the end of 2021. Stay tuned!
Personalization
Personalization is a curb cut. It is a better experience for people without disabilities and a massive improvement for people with disabilities. Why?
Personalization means less interaction — it takes people who use assistive technology three to five times (on average) as long to complete an operation than people without disabilities. Not having to turn on close captioning every time you enter a site means you are saving that interaction and operating faster no matter what your ability status is. Personalization means less user frustration — knowing what works for your particular situation and then having to re-establish it every single freaking time you log in is highly frustrating to users. If I had a nickel for every time I have thought, “why do I have to hit the Ctrl-+ button over and over again, why can’t it remember I like it set to 200 %,” I would be sipping a cocktail outside of Turtle Bay.
Eventually, organizations will start to get the memo on the importance of personalization. It is taking longer than I thought it would, though. Who would have thought that something as apparent as personalization would take so long to achieve acceptance by organizations whose success is measured by gaining and retaining happy customers?
2021 will be the year non-accessibility professionals realize that accessibility is a program, not a project.
From a Powerpoint presentation by Sheri Byrne-Haber explaining the history of accessibility over the past 15 years. Full description of relevant pieces in the narrative.
So this prediction is my secret sauce, the one I haven’t heard anyone else discussing. There have been several significant accessibility milestones in the last 15 years:
2006 — WCAG 1.0
2008 — WCAG 2.0
2018 — WCAG 2.1
mid-2021 — WCAG 2.2
2022 — WCAG 3.0 and the EAA
Note the spacing between updates. WCAG 1.0 was somewhat incomplete. Most consider WCAG 2.0 in 2008 to be the first complete accessibility standard. And then ten years passed without an update. Followed by three updates in four years (2.1, 2.2, and 3.0), two of which are pending. Then add in the European Accessibility Act for good measure if you work for a global company.
Most software professionals who are NOT accessibility subject matter experts only know about 2.0 and 2.1 (if they know anything about accessibility at all), and they know that ten years passed between these two releases. If this is what they think is the regular W3C accessibility update cadence, they are in for a rude awakening. WCAG 2.2 will come out two years after 2.1, and 3.0 (AKA “Project Silver”), which will significantly change how accessibility is measured, comes out less than two years later.
This “update WCAG every two years” approach is more likely to be the future cadence. WCAG 3.0 will be such a significant update that 3.1, though not yet started, is all but guaranteed, and it won’t likely be ten years after 3.0.
Accessibility is and should be thought of as a continuous process improvement program.
Your organization is guaranteed to fail if it only thinks about accessibility before release.
Accessibility standards are evolving as more people perform research on things like cognitive disabilities and neurodiverse conditions.
Accessibility standards also evolve as new technologies for gaming and VR/XR are released.
Accessibility is a program, not a project. Also, accessibility needs to be considered throughout the product life cycle. If people don’t understand that now, the WCAG 2.2 update in 2021 and the planned 3.0 update in 2022 may enlighten them.
“Accessibility is a program. Not a project” leads to my final prediction, which is:
More frequent application of Maturity modeling to organizations trying to improve their accessibility programs.
With the fear of litigation driving many (especially retail) accessibility programs, it is not surprising that many organizations slow down or even stop work on accessibility programs once the case has been dropped.
This approach creates accessibility regression — because accessibility was viewed from the lens of a project (make the litigation go away) and not a program. Many companies are learning this difficult lesson as they are being sued multiple times by different litigants as their accessibility backslides.
Getting a product accessible and *keeping* it accessible requires exercising two different sets of corporate muscles.
Muscle set #1: Getting a product accessible focuses mostly on people involved directly in the Software Development Life Cycle
Muscle set #2: Keeping a product accessible requires participation from stakeholders in the entire organization — Communications, Training, Support, HR, D&I, and Policy, just to name a few
Maturity modeling (MM) is a way of measuring your entire organization to see how well each of these categories (“dimensions” in MM-speak). MM findings can identify:
Which dimensions are doing better than others?
What policies and documentation (“artifacts” in MM-speak) are missing.
The changes that are necessary to achieve the next level of accessibility improvements.
I will do a deep-dive on accessibility maturity modeling in a future article. | https://uxdesign.cc/2021-accessibility-predictions-b92ff660c8bd | ['Sheri Byrne-Haber'] | 2020-12-23 22:48:41.065000+00:00 | ['UX', 'Accessibility', 'Machine Learning', 'Software Development', 'Disability'] |
Announcing WidgetStack — A new kind of plugin studio | Hey, We, @savydv and @kantbtrue, are makers. We make stuff online like QDONOW, Themes For App, Engigogo, Eposo, DesignThingy, send out a weekly newsletter called Initiator Creator.
We are building WidgetStack for a simple reason; we have some ideas that we like to develop and share with others. But these project ideas are too small to launch as an independent project and too good to ignore. We decided to launch all these small project ideas that we had throughout these years and would like to launch under a single platform called WidgetStack.
We have imagined WidgetStack as a studio to create unique widgets and plugins for WordPress (primarily) websites. If you’re wondering, “There are already thousands of studios who are making plugins then what is new with WidgetStack.” The simple reason is these plugins are the result of our struggle to find a plugin that we’re looking for for our other projects. The plugins at WidgetStack have little or no other alternative.
The primary goal of this project is to make:
provide unique features to your current WordPress stack through plugins and widgets to add some awesome functionality that you otherwise need to hire someone to develop for you. Long terms of active support. We’re building all the plugins as micro-SaaS as we want to create the platform sustainable to provide long-term updates and support. ( We never use the term lifetime, as we all know nothing is a lifetime in tech ) powerful yet easy to use and implement.
We are launching the first two plugins with the WidgetStack meta launch: the Etta list and the Nulog WordPress plugin.
Etta List
Etta list is a content curation WordPress plugin to add a list creation feature on your website. You can create an individual item card with features like upvotes etc., or you can create a library of items to create a blog post like “X+ Best Tools For Something.”
You can create an alternative to WPbegineer, WPkube, Techmeme, zapier blog-like posts using the Etta list.
The main feature which makes it stand out from the crowd is the upvote feature. Through this feature, your visitors can upvote for the item/products that they use the most.
Nulog
Nulog plugin is a changelog WordPress plugin. You can use this plugin to create a changelog section on your website. You can also use it for various other purposes as we created it for flexible use. You can use it to create info cards, timeline, review section, news bulletin carousel slider, etc.
In case you are wondering why WordPress, then I would say because WordPress is the most popular, and most people know how to use it at the base level. Also, it is easy to deploy.
After release, our next goal is to make a chrome extension to collect the links and automate the entire process.
Also, we will keep releasing the new plugins, features, and updates as they are ready. Let me know what you think, and I would love to hear your thoughts or suggestions!
Check out WidgetStack! | https://medium.com/widgetstack/announcing-widgetstack-a-new-kind-of-plugin-studio-81dbbfcde5cf | ['Saurabh Y'] | 2020-12-18 10:26:30.646000+00:00 | ['Changelog', 'Curated Lists', 'WordPress', 'Wordpress Plugins'] |
Christmas 1971: A Certain Kind of Light | “Christ is paradoxical, and life will always remain ambiguous as long as there is life.” — his grandfather said unexpectedly, pausing the pace of their traditional and always silent walk to the ice skating pond to a full stop. The holiday family chaos slowly drifting away— both looking up at the sky, which had just turned tornado green and blue and gray. He was catching snow flakes on his tongue, and taking in air from the artic blast deeply, his nose hairs tickling as they froze. If it was harvest season, and with a menacing green sky, everyone would now be packed tightly in the root cellar. But they moved forward, with recently fallen tree branches turned into walking sticks, continuing to the frozen pond behind the grain silo… but it was clear things were different.
His Grandfather was also carrying a pair of skates he had never seen before; worn black leather, ancient, and showing through each sideways crack at the toe, white tanned skin of some animal. Faded white laces, tied in bulging knots at the different stops between every eyelet on the zig-zag route to the top of his ankles. The series of tight knots, keeping them a functional and utter mystery to him. As if he was too cheap to replace them; he was not, the very opposite, a recklessly giving man his entire life. He had never seen anything like the blades of the skates, startlingly long, twice the length of the ones he typically wore. Longer than 12", quickly, he thought. The edges, shinier than the newish ones he used last Christmas. The mysterious and apparently treasured skates added a feeling of tattered grace and uncertainty to the late afternoon.
The second thing, against the snow, with the setting sun, as his Grandfather, sitting on one of the two frozen in place vertical logs, tightening the laces on the skates that baffled. Next to him, he sat, remembering when his legs dangled as his Grandfather pulled on his skates, helping with the entire process. Now, skates on, laces tightened, quickly and efficiently. He sat quietly and stared at his Grandfather as he struggles with his. He noticed and couldn’t believe, or didn’t want to consider earlier in the visit. In contrast to the winter-specific sky, with entirely white snow framing the portrait. His Grandfather’s face was ashen grey with an oily waxy yellow sheen.
It initially frightened, which quickly lifted, giving way to his heart exploding like a Milk Pod. Shooting out in different directions of the universe, like reverse snowflakes, gracefully lifting and gone forever. The finality that lightly touched him in the house, now covering the entire farm, Job completed, collecting itself, shooting upwards, worlds beyond the Midwest, to the late afternoon dark blue and green sky.
His Grandfather stood up from the log bench, lifted one skate, then another over the snowbank and onto the ice. He remained on the bench watching with no intention of joining. Focused intently as his Grandfather pushed off with unexpected strength, then quickly stopping, bending over to brush the snow off his skates. He took off again, in an elegant form he had never observed. His Grandfather leaned forward, arms folde d behind his back, the blades of his skates making a V shape. An explosive start, gaining momentum at a never observed speed, with arms now in front and synchronized with the same movement as the long blades, still pointing outwards in different directions, surprisingly, with the long back of the edges never touching, as they jointly crossed repeatedly. Suddenly, slowing down then stopping, well before the end of the pond. With a look of euphoric trance, as if, at last, seeing and feeling the covalent bonding of every molecule that helped create the beauty that lasted a lifetime. Knowing energy would soon be reversed in his orbit. S taring, unblinking, hypnotized by the rocks, “and the tough trees crammed in their stone fractures” outlining much of the frozen pond “The starting point of the human and the end.” A face now betraying the look of death, though gracefully accepting, apparent as he watched from the frozen in place log. Witnessing what he had never expected from his Grandfather, a still and wordless doxology stripped of his chronic rigidity and cynism, showing a sincere belief and praise, in something. For his Grandfather, the entirety of Ontological thought was neatly summarized.
Now taking in the cold air profoundly and every surrounding view, knowing what he would become and why, everything he had always felt, but could never express; “Yit’barakh v’yish’tabach v’yit’pa’ar v’yit’romam v’yit’nasei.” A bit too early and tweaked for the sanctification revealed on a skating pond, they seemed to recite together and alone in complete silence; in praise of rocks.
Like the old skates that brought his Grandfather to a profound reverence. Glorious memories continued to flood into his darkened stale room; Lucy, walking towards him, dressed in a green vintage 1930’s silk Georgette dress, her crooked sly smile that enthralls. An exclamation mark tonight, casting a soft light on everything. Effortless beauty and intellect, always in the periphery, in her mind, a freight train straight at you for all others. Unlike the elbow to elbow crowd, seeking points of difference and superiority, all was buried deeply within her, and rarely on display, but fully aware of her power. Earlier and fully acknowledging this, Lucy becomes resolute in not using them and not going. As always, resolved with logic, and her crazy ass robotic, Turkish with a hint of helium voice, which quickly sealed the grand bargain…
Into the either we drifted “Asla bir başka partiye katılmayacağız ve bir daha asla konuşulmayacak. Bu aptalca insan eğlencesi araştırıyor mu?” he paused, laughed loudly and quickly replied, “that is of the heavens, even more, sing-songy than Hungarian. Well played, MC Thunder Bitch. And that’s a compliment of the exact linguistic order.” He took a deep breath and answered in his most robotic voice to her stated side of the grand bargain;
“Yes. Agreed. It does. COMpute. You. Who possesses the. mAD skills. OF a. Smooth talking. Turkish overnight. DJ.” Glad I made myself clear, she spits out through tears of laughter. Just one of those in-between moments that seem so much more, most remembers similar with greater joy and recollection than life’s specific and not well thought out list of grand and easily fractured events. The in-between: pure, joyous, and unbreakable into pain and regret.
The week of the holiday party, and not entertaining any thought of seamstress craft, Lucy had taken a black Magic Marker, twisting her left foot sideways, and with Epipen urgency jabbing it high on her upper thigh; pushing deep, and spinning a dot. She then sat up straight and got to work. The evening gown became a dress, a concise dress she would only wear once. If vintage clothing sellers and collectors were aware of the uniquely altered original 1930’s silk Georgette dress, a concentrated stream of tears from Santee Alley to 7th Avenue, with Burwick Street, responding, “that was a cunty move.” They would never grasp the elegant outlier dress, with a noticeable black stain on the left hem. And the wonderfully reckless seamstress with a black dot still on her inner thigh. Hand in hand, they disappeared into a night that smelled of intoxication, and, just a bit, like Magic Marker.
It used to be perplexing how time moved slowly in childhood and into mid-twenties and sped up when reaching adulthood. In part, “our brain encodes new experiences, but not familiar ones, into memory, and our retrospective judgment of time is based on how many new memories we create over a given period.” Those many ethereal and painful memories created from youth flow easily, bumping into each other: women, the circus, drugs, parenting wrongs, sex, love, victory, breakups, now painless. Slowly walking down 5th avenue, often sideways in the crowd, brushing up against someone, smelling the same perfume, and the same aproaching winter storm… | https://medium.com/@billmacconnel-83565/christmas-1971-a-certain-kind-of-light-c5b06e923100 | ['Bill Macconnel'] | 2020-12-25 22:16:24.776000+00:00 | ['Short Story', 'Words', 'Fiction', 'Poetry', 'Nature'] |
How can I ‘secure success’ in my mixed-attaining GCSE History classes? | Since taking on the job of Head of History in 2018, we’ve done a good job in my department in improving the attainment of higher attaining pupils. However, as we’ve ramped up the academic demand, I think we’ve found that some of our lower-attaining have been left behind a little bit. So, as I’ve alluded to before, my central challenge is to maintain that higher challenge, while bringing more of the students who are likely to find that difficult, with me.
As I’ve been racking my brains about this issue, the question of motivation has kept rearing its’ ugly head. When I’ve looked at who was succeeding, and who wasn’t, there seemed to be a significant correlation between what I identified as the motivation levels for learning History (and succeeding academically in general) and strong performance. This seemed logical because to do well in History, you have to be motivated both to try and master the huge volume of content, and then write about this at length across three different exams. If you are lacking in motivation about one or both of these things, then the whole deck of cards can come tumbling down pretty quickly and a student who my bosses are saying should be getting a 4 or a 5, ends up getting a 2, a 1, or even worse they just rock up to the exam and put their head on the desk for the whole thing.
So this is where I’ve found Peps Mccrea’s latest work, Motivated Teaching, quite helpful. In it, he describes the five levers that we have available to us to improve student motivation. These are, in order:
1. Secure Success
2. Run Routines
3. Nudge Norms
4. Build Belonging
5. Boost Buy-In
The whole book is really interesting and I strongly recommend it, particularly if the problems I describe above are familiar ones to you (also, because of Peps’ economical prose style, you can whizz through it in a couple of hours if you’re concentrating). But I want to focus on the first of those levers, ‘Secure Success’, in this post, and to think about what this might look like in the context of my mixed-attaining, very large, History classes.
The premise, in a nutshell, is this. Success tends to lead to motivation, not the other way round. Therefore, we need to ensure students experience meaningful success pretty early and often — about an 80% success rate. But the word meaningful is doing some heavy lifting there. The success has to be genuine and the student needs to attribute it to themselves and not anyone else (or luck). There also has to be some degree of difficulty — hence an 80% and not a 100% success rate. We also need to put in place measures to mitigate against failure. Failure early on in the learning process is likely to deal a hammer blow to student motivation, unless we take some important action to frame that in the right way.
When I think about my own classes, I think that, with this in mind, I have perhaps made some mistakes. I tend to ramp up the challenge of History, kind of ‘big it up,’ perhaps too much, meaning not enough students are experiencing success early enough. Indeed, I think some students tragically feel defeated before they begin. I think I need to be clearer about what being successful in History looks like, which is hard because it’s not as obvious as in Maths, for example. What does being good at school history, besides ‘knowing lots’ and ‘writing more’ actually look like in a way that’s easily explainable to a child? As history teachers we can often be quite woolly as it is! I think that I need to build a stronger ‘Culture of Error’ and model success and failure a bit more clearly.
What am I trying to do about this, with the September 6th start date in mind? Well, a few things.
· First of all, I have invested in a visualiser to try to show students much more clearly exactly what I am looking for. My tentative plan is to have my own exercise book where I can show what I want in terms of layout, model answers and so forth. As well as this, I’ll be more easily able to give live feedback to the whole class on bits of work that have gone well, and, in a kind way, those that haven’t. This will be a huge change to my teaching approach if it works, furthering a process began last year as I moved away from powerpoint heavy lessons where lots of students were not processing or engaging with the full range of the material being presented. I’ve felt unsatisfied with my approach to modelling for some time, so hopefully this helps.
· I need to go back to the beginning on my retrieval practice. I’ve found that my starter quizzes at the start of the lesson can drag a bit, and the rates of completion vary wildly between different students (linked closely to motivation and attainment). I don’t think this aspect of my lessons is working as well as I would like. I need to make these a little shorter, and a little simpler. The fabulous RememberMore website is, I think, going to be a real driver of this for me with my GCSE groups. I’m also going to be using Google Forms quizzes for homeworks to help consolidate and retrieve the key points from lessons, as I aim to salvage some of the best bits of remote learning for the in-person classroom.
· I’m also going to try and be clearer to students through my lesson documents and remoulded powerpoints (see my previous blog) about what success looks like, in terms of knowledge development, for each lesson. What are the core things that everyone needs to get, to try and really establish focus for all in amongst all the Hinterland and tangents that a History lesson inevitably generates? In a sense it means coming back to ‘learning objectives’ and being much clearer about what these are — not just for individual lessons, but for topics as a whole.
· I also need to be better in terms of using praise, and being more generous in that regard. I think I probably got so entrenched in trying to promote high expectations and standards, that I lost sight a little bit of being more generous with kind words towards students and classes as a whole. This links to my point about being more visible from my previous blog, but as we return to a degree of normality in school, I need to get back to being a bit more effusive with students than I can be (without it becoming meaningless, of course).
I’m not saying these are the best ideas in the world, but it’s what I’m starting with, and we’ll see how we go. And of course, there are other factors at work, including literacy, SEMH issues and so on, which these don’t necessarily address directly.
But, I think that there is still a more fundamental question I am grappling with. If you are a student who struggles, who is told that their estimated grade is, at best, a 4 — how do you deal with that when you might be sat next to a kid who is a Grade 9 estimate, Oxbridge-potential student? That must be really challenging for your motivation, when success for you, would be abject disappointment for the person next to you? It must be hard to process internally, particularly as an emotionally developing teenager, that this student next to you makes effortless what to you seems, at times, nigh-on impossible? It’s all very well saying, ‘we’re aiming for Grade 9s for everyone’ but we all know in our heart of hearts that while we may aim for this, the likelihood of this is pretty much zero. An 80% success rate sounds like a tremendous goal, but what does that look like in any meaningful way for the Grade 9 estimate student, and the Grade 3 estimate student, in the same class at the same time, grappling with a single-tier of entry qualification?
These are the questions I have not yet found the answers to resolving. | https://medium.com/@kristian-shanks/how-can-i-secure-success-in-my-mixed-attaining-gcse-history-classes-e1152b4156e5 | ['Kristian Shanks'] | 2021-09-01 19:34:32.315000+00:00 | ['Teaching And Learning', 'History', 'History Education', 'Gcse', 'High School'] |
Merry Christmas! | My book went viral yesterday on a social media platform — what an amazing gift just in time for the holidays!
Feeling grateful for this last year on Medium and the joy I’ve had in learning to write better, share some knowledge, and make people smile or even laugh on the odd occasion.
I hope to do it much more in the next year.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays!
J.J. Pryor | https://medium.com/@jjpryor/merry-christmas-bed74e8a0c1d | ['J.J. Pryor'] | 2020-12-25 12:32:24.807000+00:00 | ['Holidays', 'Joy', 'Christmas', 'Happiness', 'Merry Christmas'] |
Christmas campaigns: it’s all in the storytelling | The way audiences are engaging with television is changing — not so much the number of people watching TV but the viewing experience. With many consumers now shifting to multi-screen viewership, such as streaming or using YouTube, many brands are now building TV campaigns that work across multiple platforms, formats and devices. And Christmas adverts are no exception.
However, while the likes of the usual Christmas campaign suspects — John Lewis, Aldi and Tesco — have kept up with the trends and different routes to market, this year, several other big brands have also joined the competition…
Branston pickle
Highlighting the role food can play in bringing people together, Branston takes us on an emotive journey, ending on a jar of pickle wrapped up in a box. The campaign — named ‘Hit of Home’ — centres on how Branston has a unique connection with home for many people and the role the brand plays in British culture. A simple but effective advert debut.
B2B takeaway: Storytelling plays an invaluable role in building brand loyalty. Bringing to life the role your product or service plays and the positive impact it has helps to create an emotional connection.
Sports Direct
For the first time in its history, Sports Direct has unveiled a new Christmas advert focused on the celebration of sport and fitness. In a bid to elevate the brand’s retail position in 2021, this edgy and fast-moving advert is coined ‘Sports Starts Here’, aimed at presenting Sports Direct as the ‘ultimate sport and fitness destination on the high street’.
B2B takeaway: Where does your brand or product fit within your industry? What can you celebrate? By associating your brand with industry milestones or achievements you celebrate success. Just don’t forget to always include a punchy USP that aligns with the overall messaging in this approach.
O2
Dropping its first-ever Christmas advert, O2 follows a heart-warming story about the power of imagination and the importance of connections when we might not be with the people we love. Full of Christmas magic and easy to watch, the ad also promotes the offers O2 has at the moment, such as Disney+.
B2B takeaway: Always reinforce what your product delivers and why that matters — case studies and the customer experience will bring your product to life in a very effective way.
Nutcracker takeaway
For B2B brands, it may not feel as easy without such large production and marketing products, however with cost-effective and cheaper routes, clever well-thought-out seasonal campaigns can be very effective, especially when executed in a very targeted way. With the right storytelling strategy, a Christmas campaign will help you strengthen customer or client relationships rather than weaken them. This doesn’t mean you have to follow in Marks & Spencer’s footsteps with a tear-jerking advert, but it can often be perfect time to get your prospect and customers attention.
This could be as simple as a 12 days of Christmas countdown on social media that is backed up by a strategic email and LinkedIn lead generation campaign; a new CSR scheme that you can share with your database; or an email campaign focused on customer appreciation over the festive season. Ice skating with a robot won’t make consumers connect with your B2B brand, but personalisation and authenticity will.
Email Nutcracker on [email protected] to discover how to bring your brand to life at Christmas and all year round | https://medium.com/@nutcrack/christmas-campaigns-its-all-in-the-storytelling-8ca289157d4c | [] | 2020-12-21 11:36:50.225000+00:00 | ['Marketing Strategies', 'Business Development', 'Marketing', 'Business Strategy', 'Business'] |
Is mental health a myth? | Years ago, our world was limited to just books and radio . Neither we were too inquisitive , nor surviving in this world was hard . People didn’t know whats happening with their mind and body and were just going with the age-old customs .
Now , with the advent of internet , there’s so much research papers, articles on what goes on mentally and physically . Plus with the rise of psychiatrists, pyschologists, life-coaches and also with the rise of content related to these on social media, people tend to have a session with them. This can be on anything –Depression, parenting, family life , minimalism whatever .
The word depression has so much stigma around . Now when people open up (still less though L) about their depression to elders , there’s this line constant from them-“ We didn’t have depression , these fellows are making a huge fuss of things”, “They just learn terms from internet and make things big “.
Now the thought of attending sessions for the sanity of the mind might lead the old generation to question that ,”We weren’t attending classes , during our days “,”You aren’t mature enough to hear us , you pay and attend classes to hear from some random person”.
Truly older generation needed so much correction and the following situations can tell you mental health is not just a myth !
1. Depression : People from previous generation were just made to dwell on so much responsibilities that , open interaction is rare . Nobody truly understood others because of so much boundaries from society .
Teenage and post partum depression were more rampant but less spoken about those days!
2. Parenting : For older generation , parentimg is all about “beating when a child does something wrong”and “forcing to do all the errands that parent says”. Child is not allowed to make his/her own life decisions ,there were so many parents who never shied away telling “negatives” about their child to others thinking that child “corrects himself” when told bad about them outside .
Nobody told them how these things could affect the child for life.
Clearly more than half of the older generation people , were made to accept their path of life , rather than helping them to make wise decisions.
3. Life-hacking :
Things which can be made so much easier , are made so much hard . There are so many planning hacks,growth hacks, life hacks that older generation wasn’t aware of . Instead of living a routine life , there are so many ways to follow your heart and do whatever you want .
4. Equality : Again this has been a vast thing those days . Women must be depenedent on someone all the time that they suffer a lot mentally . Lockdown made us claustrophobic but think of those women who lived like this all their life ? Not fair right?
The above things have created a huge impact in the society now . The younger generation is made to live in a sea of myths and superstitions , when questioned ,”this becomes a topic.”
These aren’t the mistake of them as they’ve been nurtured by the same way by their ancestors .
But now as a responsible generation, we have all right to question and take care of our mind . For the world we live in , we definitely need to attend sessions or just learn something for our mental health . Depression , effects of wrong parenting , equality issues aren’t a myth . These are real and have life changing effects .
With all respect to the older generation , lets do our bit to take care of ourselves first .
Cheers! | https://medium.com/@chanakyamentalhealthservices/is-mental-health-a-myth-c22207a8a02a | ['Chanakya Mental Health Services'] | 2020-12-05 07:17:09.273000+00:00 | ['Life Hacking', 'Mental Health Awareness', 'Mental Health', 'Myths', 'Mind'] |
Finding a Cure for Religion | by Randy Gage
This is a continuing series of posts breaking down the six most important categories of core beliefs you develop in life. I believe these areas are instrumental in terms of the self-esteem you develop and how happy and successful you ultimately become. So far we have looked at the areas of:
Last post was part one about God/Religion, exploring religious memes that could cause you to self-sabotage your success. This post we’ll finish that list and look at how you can counter-program against negative memes. And some ways to create positive, empowering beliefs moving forward.
Now we venture into the “you’re born a sorry sinner, you’re not worthy” and “you only get the good stuff after you die” memes that religion regularly dishes out.
As I mentioned here, concepts like original sin from Christianity, the 8-fold path in Buddhism, the Hindu doctrine of karma, the Jewish Covenant, and the Muslim Code of Law — are all built on the belief that you are inherently flawed and/or needing some type of salvation to be worthy.
Nuns in Sunday schools are teaching five-year-old children that they are born a sorry sinner. In other faiths, youngsters are taught that they may need to live for 150 lifetimes until they reach enlightenment. How are they expected to feel worthy if they are only on lifetime number 97? What about the kids who are taught that they were reincarnated in this lifetime, to pay penance for bad deeds they did in the last one? How do you think that affects their self-esteem?
In the past posts we explored some of the beliefs organized religion spreads on sex and sexuality. Think of the worthiness issues they cause in this area. Many LGBTQ people aren’t even aware that they are homophobic or transphobic. They suffer from unresolved guilt and worthiness issues that lead to subconscious self-hate. And that can lead them to self-destruct with unsafe sex, addictions like crystal meth, or even suicide.
Up to now, we’ve been discussing the internal issues religions create about worthiness. But we should also explore the external issues that can manifest. Sometimes, outside factors can subconsciously influence you to believe that you are somehow lesser because of your faith.
Right now in China, more than a million Muslims have been arbitrarily detained in reeducation camps in the Xinjiang Province. Most of them are Uighur, a predominantly Turkic-speaking ethnic group. Think of how being persecuted like this could cause self-doubt and affect your self-esteem.
Then of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Jews and what they have faced as a people. Certainly on the conscious level, they are taught to have belief in their faith. Start with the belief that they are the chosen people, how Jewish values like the Ten Commandments and the Torah stand at the foundation of American values, and pride about the accomplishments of so many of the Tribe. (Jews have about 30% of all scientific Nobel prizes while less than one percent of the population, etc.)
But what about on the subconscious level?
Americans speak of the Judeo-Christian tradition, but many have mixed feelings, fears, and sometimes hate of Jews. (It’s why there are Judeophobia courses in Hebrew universities.) Christians have received very conflicting messages. First that they are supposed to honor Jews (Genesis 12:3), while at the same time Jews are referred to as the spawn of Satan (John 8:44). And since a major precept of Christianity is that you can only get a ticket to heaven by accepting Jesus as your savior that would not include Jews, as they are commanded to love only god.
To any indignant Christians reading this who are thinking, “ How can he suggest I fear or look down on Jews? My whole religion is based upon worshiping a Jew. That would be crazy.” Yeah, well, that’s kinda’ my point.
Here in the West, you never see lists circulating of Hindus in the media, Sikhs in banking, or Mormons who control Hollywood. But those kinds of lists of Jews are compiled all the time. It’s a pretty safe bet many Jews are reading this blog post, nodding their heads in agreement, but would never entertain the idea to hit a share button on the page. Why? Because they’ve been conditioned by their parents and grandparents to keep their head down and avoid the topic of religion in public, to avoid becoming a target. Even people who are atheist or agnostic, but culturally Jewish have to be concerned about attack. (If you live in New York right now, you probably have to think twice before you leave the house wearing a yarmulke.)
And we haven’t even touched on the serious stuff…
If your homeland is surrounded by other countries dedicated to its destruction, if six million of your people died in an attempted extermination of your race, you can be forgiven (no pun intended) for developing some issues around worthiness.
I don’t point this out to edify Uighurs or Jews over other religions. In my mind they’re no different than the Hindus, Moonies, Catholics, Scientologists, and other religious cults in most respects. But can you see how the attacks and persecution of these faiths might cause them to develop subconscious worthiness issues?
Organized religion frequently pairs the “not worthy” programming with the very destructive meme asserting that you are meant to suffer here, to earn or qualify for your rewards in the afterlife. There are literally billions of people who believe that because they’re broke, being exploited, or otherwise suffering — this makes them godlier, and thus a better candidate for heaven or salvation. Think about just how limiting a belief like that in your subconscious mind can be.
Whether you believe you’re flawed and needing redemption, or you’re convinced you’re not supposed to be prosperous and happy in this lifetime, or both — this frequently leads to a life of lack and limitation.
The state of your self-esteem as you enter adulthood cannot be emphasized enough. If you have a negative, low self-esteem, this will impact everything you do for the rest of your life. This time is a “tipping point” for many people, a time when they are making monumental decisions such as college, getting married, and beginning a career. It starts with lowered expectations, unexceptional goals, and a neutral or even negative vision for your life. From there it progresses to self-sabotage behavior in your health, relationships, and career.
This brings us to the hate and violence certain religions practice against other ones…
The Bible includes some wonderful parables that are great lessons on living a prosperous life. It also promotes stoning people for heresy. (Not to mention for homosexuality, sorcery, and working on the Sabbath.)
And please don’t try the argument that these things are only in the Old Testament and they were somehow countermanded in the New Testament. They were not. I’ve read the whole book and there are numerous places in the New Testament where Jesus and his apostles endorsed Old Testament law. The Bible certainly doesn’t have a monopoly on killing the non-believers. Some Islamic countries still have penalties for apostasy and non-believers ranging from imprisonment to death.
This begs the question of whether any religion that proposes locking up or killing non-believers and people from other faiths would lead anyone to a life of peace and prosperity. And what kind of subconscious programming is that creating.
Finally, we should examine the meme that religion is needed to guide us to what is moral and right.
Frequently when discussing this subject religious people say to me something along the lines of, “I follow the Bible (or other Holy book) to guide me what is right and wrong. If I would be tempted to rape or kill another, the scriptures direct me to a right course of action.”
Joining a religious group seems easy, because you aren’t required to do all that messy, demanding, and time-consuming work on ethics, values, and principles. Because every gang, cult, and religion come with a “starter kit” of acceptable beliefs, philosophy, and behavior.
But do you really need a holy book to tell you that things like rape and murder are wrong? Couldn’t you spend two minutes in thought and come up with the same conclusion? I believe this is really a case of people not willing to take responsibility for their own actions and morality and trying to outsource to another entity. Imagine if they were to wean themselves off their addiction and take responsibility for living a moral, just, and prosperous life.
Which leads us to the most important part of this discussion… How do you rid yourself of all these detrimental beliefs about god and religion, and reprogram yourself with healthy self-esteem, an empowering vision, and engineer a prosperous life?
Not to belabor the point, but the most helpful strategy here is a return to rational, logical thinking. Imagine you’re a venture capitalist reviewing a proposal for an investment. If someone brought you a PowerPoint deck with a business plan based on the premise of your religion, would you write them a check or usher them out of the conference room as quickly as possible?
Understand that most organized religions are cults. They usually aren’t labeled or treated as cults, because so many people in the media and government are members of the cults. Recognize cult recruiting and retention techniques for what they are. You’re very susceptible if you’re emotionally vulnerable, stressed, or living in poor socioeconomic conditions. (Also if you’re young and still developing your identity.) Cults aren’t looking to recruit crazy people. They need sane, stable people who are going through an experience of difficulty, because they can still donate money and become recruiters of others.
Technique include “love bombing” (pioneered by the Moonies) which is feigning interest in you as a person, and then slathering you with attention, compliments, and validation. Control and dependency are big staples as well. This is accomplished by keeping the recruit off balance, moving from love to fear and back. They terrify you with fear of adverse consequences and cause you to run back into the arms of the very ideology that is terrorizing you. (Christianity and Islam excel at this.) The other powerful technique is isolation. The goal is to keep you away from any friends or family that might provide you with critical thinking and a reality check. (A frequent Scientology practice.)
If you do believe in a supernatural entity, you can still do so without becoming irrational, delusional, and or manipulated like a puppet…
Make your choices based on values. Any belief system that teaches that you are not worthy, are born a sorry sinner, or need redemption from a higher authority is anti-prosperity and thus malicious. Any organization that attempts to suppress your free thinking or mandate what you do think is dangerous. Any philosophy that teaches you should injure, enslave, or kill others because of their gender, race, religion, or non-religion is evil.
Instead of buying into limiting beliefs like original sin, why not empower yourself with a belief in original blessing?
Consider adopting a belief that your god created us in his/her/their image so we can practice self-determination and evolve into the highest possible versions of who we could become. And because this is a benevolent god, he/she/it wouldn’t want us to be mindless drones following doctrines and dogma, but free-thinking entities with the ability to learn and grow — and create our own destiny.
Keep reminding yourself that it is not holy to be broke and not spiritual to be victimized. Being a victim is being a victim. You can’t manifest prosperity — or true spirituality — until and unless you are willing to release being a victim.
Here are some questions to do some critical thinking about:
What are your beliefs about god and religion?
Did you come to them by reasoned thinking or were they programmed into you by others?
How have these beliefs affected your life in the important areas of money, sex, health, relationships, and your career?
Did you adopt your religious beliefs before you were ten years old? If so, have you actually done any critical thinking about them since?
Are your beliefs about god and religion serving you, or sabotaging you?
All these religious beliefs have had an effect on your mental health. But what about the role of your beliefs about physical health and wellness? That’s what we will examine in the next post. Until then, please share your thoughts below.
Peace,
- RG
Affiliate Relationship Disclosure | https://medium.com/prosperity-success/finding-a-cure-for-religion-77319046122d | ['Randy Gage'] | 2020-01-14 00:21:32.673000+00:00 | ['Cult', 'Prosperity', 'Organized Religion', 'Religion'] |
Missed America (Haiku) | This piece is two-fold. It currently completes the Missed America Haiku Series, and it is also a response to The Scene & Heard for light/peace/empathy/solidarity/and stepping our humanity game up.
I affirm that I am light. Whenever there is darkness, I will shine.
Missed America Haiku Series
Part IX, Part VIII, Part VII, Part VI, Part V, Part IV, Part III, Part II, & Part I
One Million Flames Call | https://medium.com/a-cornered-gurl/missed-america-haiku-4638232caa57 | ['Tre L. Loadholt'] | 2017-11-02 23:11:49.537000+00:00 | ['Light Up Medium', 'Strength', 'Light Up The World', 'Writing', 'Peace'] |
5 Pieces of Writing Advice I Paid for That Are Actually Terrible | 5 Pieces of Writing Advice I Paid for That Are Actually Terrible
Especially for beginners
Photo by Sticker Mule on Unsplash
As someone who has not-so-proudly taken at least $1000 worth of writing courses I found on Medium, I can tell you the best thing they’re good for is meeting other writers and getting you to hit publish. Other than that, it’s usually just some dude trying to come up with enough content to make you feel like the price tag was worth it.
The last time I checked, you don’t have to actually pay anyone to do either of those things, you just have to do them.
But these courses promise us other great things too like:
“Make an extra $100,000 writing online every month.”
or
“Learn the strategy that made me $300 billion writing online.”
Of course, once you’ve taken the course (heh), any success you have is proof that the course works, and every idea in that course is now certified gold! Of course!
So you keep on worshipping a bunch of ideas some “pro writer” used to pad his class syllabus, accepting it as valuable writing advice. Well, I love to break it to you: some of it’s downright terrible. Today I’m gonna single out which writing advice is the worst and why. | https://natedoesart.medium.com/5-pieces-of-writing-advice-i-paid-for-that-are-actually-terrible-969a3d0fca14 | ['Nate Miller'] | 2020-11-30 13:51:33.562000+00:00 | ['Editing', 'Writer', 'Advice', 'Writing', 'Writing Tips'] |
AmazonBasics 360-watt Standby UPS review: You’ll find better values in this space | The AmazonBasics 8-outlet uninterruptible power supply (UPS) supports up to a rated 360 watts of attached equipment, which it can provide with enough battery power to run a modest computer system with a smaller monitor for about 3 to 10 minutes. This delay lets a computer shut down automatically using built-in features in the operating systems or software provided for macOS and Windows if electrical power isn’t restored quickly enough.
This is a standby UPS that produces a simulated sine wave—the change in voltage from negative to positive and back in alternating current (AC) power—so it’s not recommended for most modern computer systems that use a power supply that requires a smoother, or “pure” sine wave output from a UPS. Standby UPSes also have a short delay in cutting over from line power to their internal battery, which for some equipment can be too long.
This review is part of TechHive’s coverage of the best uninterruptible power supplies, where you’ll find reviews of competing products, plus a buyer’s guide to the features you should consider when shopping for this type of product.Instead, consider this AmazonBasics UPS just as an option for keeping networking hardware going during a power outage, as well as blocking surges and bolstering power during brownouts to equipment. That could include a broadband modem, Wi-Fi gateway, and ethernet switch that consume less than 100 watts of power combined.
That would allow this unit to bridge quick outages and keep power running for as long as 20 minutes based on Amazon’s estimates. (Look up the specs on devices or at manufacturers’ sites for all the equipment you want to connect to the battery-backed outlets and add their wattage together to get a maximum load factor.)
[ Further reading: The best surge protectors for your costly electronics ]Amazon offers a wide array of products in its AmazonBasics line-up that trade a non-Amazon brand-name manufacturer label on the box for ostensibly a lower price for something of high quality. That promise falls short here. While this unit works as expected, it’s not price competitive with brand names that offer more: more features, more power, and a longer warranty.
Amazon This AmazonBasics UPS can delivery battery power to four of the devices plugged into it, and its offers surge protection on all eight of its outlets.
Provides the basics for network devicesThis is a standby UPS, which kicks in battery power as it’s needed, including when line-voltage slumps (a “brownout”) and to provide juice during an outage. It also includes protection against short leaps in voltage in the same manner as a standalone surge protector.
This kind of UPS is cheaper than a line-interactive model, which conditions power continuously, and it can supplement power sags and remove minor surges without leaning on the battery. A standby unit should have the advantage of lower cost, and should work just fine in most normal conditions. However, because it takes longer to kick in power than a line-interactive UPS, it may not switch over to its battery fast enough to prevent a computer from crashing.
Amazon equips the UPS with eight outlets, four of which are connected to both surge protection and backup power, while the other four provide just surge protection. This is typical for UPSes, allowing you to get two kinds of benefits in one model.
The outlet pattern is a little close together if you have several devices that rely on the wall-wart style of DC adapter. The UPS has one outlet in each group of four that’s 2.25 inches away from the next group of three, which are spaced 1.25 inches apart. Outlets are spaced correctly for standard 2-prong and 3-prong cords used in electronics.
Simplicity is the watchword on this model, which has a single button on the top that powers the unit on and off, and also manages some alarm-sound settings. Its LED lights up green in normal use and flashes (along with beeps) when it’s in battery mode and when its battery is about to be depleted.
It lacks an alert for wiring faults, a nice extra on most UPSes that can alert you to dangerous home-wiring issues.
Glenn Fleishman / IDG An onboard alarm can sound to warn you when the devices you’ve plugged in the AmazonBasics UPS are receiving power from its battery.
This Amazon model produces a simulated, “stepped” or chunky sine wave for alternating-current (AC) power output, as noted earlier, instead of the smooth sine wave that comes out of a wall socket—and which can be produced by slightly more expensive UPS models. A simulated sine wave can interact poorly with computers that use modern power supplies with active power factor correction (PFC), which use power more efficiently and can automatically adjust voltage without manual switches or modifications across power systems used in different countries.
For voltage correction and short periods of time, a stepped sine wave is not likely to cause substantial problems, but the power supply might produce a high-pitched whine. If you have expensive hardware or experience frequent power sags and short outages, however, pick a pure sine wave UPS, often a feature of line-interactive UPSes. It’s worth the often only slightly higher price with modern UPSes to avoid the potential of power-supply damage. Line-interactive units also switch over to battery power substantially faster than most standby units, preventing the possibility of a computer crashing due to a short absence of juice.
Check your computer system to find out if it uses active PFC; it’s sometimes listed in a technical specifications list by the manufacturer, but often you have to dig to find the information. A power supply that automatically switches among voltages used by different countries’ power systems without requiring a switch to be set is almost certainly using active PFC.
If you wind up using the UPS with a computer, you can connect it via an included USB cable and install software provided by Amazon, or rely on options built into the operating system. This includes notifications when power sags, when the battery kicks in, or when the battery is running out of juice, as well as triggering an automatic shutdown.
Glenn Fleishman / IDG This AmazonBasics UPS won’t restart after it fully depleting power.
The software Amazon offers provides additional statistics and other controls beyond that built in to macOS and Windows. While Amazon product reviewers said the software allows tuning certain low-level electrical features, that feature wasn’t present in the latest release. The software also isn’t mentioned in the included manual and must be downloaded from the UPS product page at Amazon, where the link for macOS and Windows versions are in small type.
Amazon often contracts third parties to make its AmazonBasics-branded goods, and CyberPower is the creator of this UPS, which closely resembles some CyberPower models. Like the software branded by CyberPower, the AmazonBasics download for macOS isn’t released using a standard, secure method Apple offers to prevent malware installation, and which costs a developer a mere $99 a year to participate in. Mac users will find themselves baffled trying to launch the software, which requires a special sequence in macOS to bypass security precautions that prevent such “unsigned” software from running.
While the AmazonBasics model works with Windows and macOS power-management features, an extra feature of the custom software is that it lets you directly configure some audio settings for when the UPS beeps or produces a continuous sound. The hardware power button allows access to only a few of those features. (A more up-to-date version of the software directly from CyberPower offers more features and appears to work fully compatibly.)
Amazon offers a fairly paltry one-year limited warranty that includes repair or replacement of the device for manufacturing defects, and repair or replacement of up to $75,000 of properly connected covered electronics if damage occurs while the UPS is appropriately connected to power. Owners have 30 days from an incident to file a claim. The warranty details are not included with the product, but only available as a download from the Amazon product page.
At the price Amazon offers the AmazonBasics eight-outlet, 600VA/360W UPS, you should instead consider a competing product from the white-label manufacturer who produced this model for Amazon: CyberPower. The eight-outlet, CyberPower ST625U Standby UPS (625VA, 360W, 8 outlets) costs almost exactly the same, has two USB charging ports you won’t find on the AmazonBasics model, has more conveniently placed and oriented outlets, and it comes with a robust three-year warranty. CyberPower includes a later version of its UPS management software, but it suffers from not being a properly signed app in its macOS version as well.
The bottom lineThe AmazonBasics 600VA, 360W, 8-outlet Standby UPS is a solid-enough product, but has nothing going for it at its price compared to its peers.
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/@donche58191719/amazonbasics-360-watt-standby-ups-review-youll-find-better-values-in-this-space-3084174af426 | [] | 2020-12-17 02:46:34.174000+00:00 | ['Home Tech', 'Entertainment', 'Audio', 'Cord'] |
How is mahashivratri celebrated in India? | INTRODUCTION :
How is mahashivratri celebrated in India? The festival of Mahashivratri is very important. According to Vedas mythological texts, Shiva is the beginning and the end. Shiva has been called the ultimate father, and Parvati mother has been called Jagat Janani. Shiva is the father of all 33 crore vagaries.
There are 33 crore Goddesses of Hindus in India, whom they believe, always worship, but the central place among them is Lord Shiva.
It is said that not all God is happy so soon. As soon as God is there, that’s why Lord Shiva is also called Bholenath. Shiva and Shakti, i.e. Mother Parvati, are always together. Shiva becomes a body without power. Shiva is unborn, formless, and is everywhere.
HOW WAS MAHASHIVRATRI NAMED?
How is mahashivratri celebrated in India? According to Shivaratri, Lord Shiva is the lord and dictator of all living creatures. All these creatures, animals and insects, perform all kinds of tasks and behaviour with the will of Lord Shiva. Shiva’s will determines the life cycle of any creature.
According to Shiva Purana, Lord Shiva resides in austerity by staying on Mount Kailash for six months in a year and after staying for six months from Mount Kailash and residing in the crematorium on earth. On their earth, “Paraya falls on the Trayodashi date of the Krishna Paksha of Phalgun month. On the day of Mahashivaratri, there is a lot of rain.
When the incarnation of Shiva takes place in the earth, that is, the death world, this day is very encouraging for all beings, and all the devotees call this day Maha Shivaratri. This day is celebrated as the festival of Maha Shivaratri.
IMPORTANCE OF MAHA SHIVARATRI :
How is mahashivratri celebrated in India? Maha Shivaratri is the festival of worship of Lord Bholenath. When religious lovers worship Mahadev with ceremonial rituals and receive blessings from them, on this day, a large number of people gather in the temple of Shiva, and all the devotees see themselves and consider themselves fortunate.
Every festival shows the path of all people to choose the right path and walk on the path of truth. The festival leaves a deep impression on our lives. The worship of Shiva is the worship of God from whom all have originated.
Shiva is himself an Aghori. He has no attachment to respect nor any place of Shiva’s ghost. The vampire, Aghori, Gana phantom always stays with him. The creation of the universe originated from Lord Shiva, and when the time comes, they also end the creation. No one is different from God Shiva, the Supreme Father God. We are all part of the living world, half of all creatures, small or big.
Ganga-bathing is also of special importance on Mahashivaratri, as it is believed that Lord Shiva, by holding the rapid flow of Ganga on his head, slowly left the earth to salvation this dead land.
METHOD OF WORSHIPING MAHADEV :
Shiva temples are very well decorated on the day of Mahashivaratri. Devotees fast for the whole day and stay fast. According to their convenience, they go to Shiva temples in the evening with fruits, plum, milk, etc. There, milk-mixed bathes the Shivling with pure water. After that, fruits, flowers, plum, and milk are offered to the Shivling. It is considered very virtuous to do so. Along with this, Nandi, the vehicle of Lord Shiva, is also worshipped on this night.
DIFFERENT NAMES OF MAHADEV :
How is mahashivratri celebrated in India? According to the mythological texts and Vedas, there are 108 names of the Gods of Gods. There is a special story attached to each name of Mahadev. Mahadev’s name is also found in him because he is the father of all the Gods, the father of birth and the solution to all problems.
The name Chandrashekhar had to be worn on his head to save him from the end of the moon. Because of which he was called Chandrasekhar.
The name Neelkanth was attributed to him drinking the most deadly poison to protect the whole creation.
By the way, Shiva has many names like Pashupatinath, Trikaldarshi, Parvati Nath, Trilochan, Trinetradhari, Mahakal, Parampita, etc. He is also called Gangadhar.
He was also named Gangadhar because of holding Ganga on his head, because when Ganga “died to save the people, Ganga was very strong due to which the entire death would be destroyed so to save it from destruction.” Lord Mahadev put on his hair and saved the world.
INTERESTING STORY OF SHIVARATRI :
In the past times, Chitrabhanu was a hunter. He used to run his family by hunting. He was a moneylender’s debtor but could not repay his loan in time. The angry moneylender caught the hunter once and made him Shivmath Mehi prisoner. Coincidentally it was Shivratri that day. The hunter was listening very carefully to all the religious things related to Shiva. He also heard the story of Shivaratri fast to the Chaturdi, and soon after evening, the moneylender called him and asked him to repay the loan, then the hunter got free of the bond by promising to return the loan the next day.
The next day, like his daily routine, he went hunting in the forest. But due to being on a captive planet throughout the day, he started to get disturbed by hunger and thirst. He went far away in search of prey. When it started getting dark, he thought that I would have to spend the night in the forest only when he saw the vine tree on the banks of the lake, he climbed on that tree and waited for the night to pass, and the Shivling was under the vine tree, which was covered with bell papers.
The hunter did not even know that the branches he broke while making a halt Coincidentally fell on the Shivling. In this way, fasting and thirsty hunters also fasted throughout the day, and bell-sheets were also installed on the Shivling. At one o’clock in the night, a deer hunter came near the pond and started taunting that Hirani said, “Stop, I am pregnant.” You will not know one or two. You will feel guilty. So the hunter left him, and while entering Varan, some Bellapatra fell on the Shivling. Thus worshipped the hunter’s first watch.
At last of the Story
After a while, a deer came again. Then the hunter gave his word. This time Hirani said, “I come now to meet my husband, then you kill me. When the hunter came inside, then some bell letters fell on the Shivling. Also worshipped The hunter’s second watch. He has completed The worship of the three guards of this type of hunter for one reason or another. Due to this, he fasted and worshipped him on the pretext of hunting and awakening. In this way, he obtained salvation by worshipping Shiva, and when he died, he was being taken to Yama Lok. That the Shivagans sent him to Shiva Lok. With the grace of Shiva, in this birth of his life, King Chitrabhanu was able to remember his previous life and worshipped the importance of Mahashivaratri and also followed it in his next life.
Conclusion :
On the day of Mahashivaratri, the person who worships Shiva with compassion attains salvation. Anyway, neither have spoken, they are happy soon. The worship of Mahadev is celebrated with great pomp throughout India. Therefore, we should also have compassion for others in our minds. We should worship Shiva so that we can request to end all our sufferings.
To know more like this festival visit our website that is : https://gyanibalak.com/. our website carries information about different types of festivals worldwide. | https://medium.com/@gyanibalakji/how-is-mahashivratri-celebrated-in-india-8b33b39a4f8d | ['Rahul Modhgil'] | 2021-12-19 11:02:35.537000+00:00 | ['Mahashivratri Pooja', 'Festivals', 'Mahashivratri Status', 'Mahashivtatri', 'Indian'] |
The 44 Closest Stars and How They Compare to Our Sun | Stars have captivated the awe and admiration of humanity since our origins. We know the closest star to our planet is the Sun, but what about the stellar bodies beyond our solar system? This infographic explores the 44 nearest stars, providing fascinating data on size, distance, luminosity, constellations, systems, and potential planets.
What is the closest star to the Earth after our Sun?
The closest star system to Earth after the Sun is Alpha Centauri, at a shocking distance of 4.3 light years away. Technically, Proxima Centauri is the closest star at 4.244 light years away. In 2016, scientists announced the discovery of a super-Earth exoplanet that is orbiting Proxima Centauri. The planet, known as Proxima Centauri b, is believed to a temperate and rocky world. The habitability of this planet has not yet been established, but scientists hypothesize that massive solar flares from Proxima Centauri may make it incompatible with life. However, these flares happen rarely, and the planet could host UV-resistant organisms. | https://medium.com/@joychurin/the-44-closest-stars-and-how-they-compare-to-our-sun-d1d9d685e641 | ['Joy Churin'] | 2020-05-20 19:21:19.326000+00:00 | ['Astronomy', 'Science', 'Space', 'Space Exploration', 'Stars'] |
Google Analytics is the Only SEO Analytics Tool You Need: Here’s How to Use It (Part 1 of 2) | Google Analytics is the Only SEO Analytics Tool You Need: Here’s How to Use It (Part 1 of 2)
Also, How to Prove the True Value of SEO for Your Boss, Client, or Business
SEO is often a Catch-22 for small and medium-sized businesses.
One common question we get from our clients perfectly illustrates why:
“We hear buzzwords like SEO a lot, but how do we know if investing time and money into SEO is worth the investment? How do I know how much SEO adds real value and profit to my business?”
Interest over time on Google Trends for “SEO” in the United States, 2004 — present. Image via Google Trends.
One option to test the value of SEO for your business is to hire a full-time digital marketer, digital analyst, or SEO consultant. Of course, they will have to prove their business value to your company using analytics.
Or maybe you want to test the value of SEO yourself using the many SEO tools out there on the market. Backlinko recently created a comprehensive review of 189 SEO tools that are currently on the market. But most of them are costly or at best freemium tools that lock away most of the valuable features for the paid tier.
And herein lies the chicken-and-egg problem facing many small and medium-sized businesses:
Businesses want to investigate if SEO will really have positive return on their investment of time and money. But they often must pay a big sum upfront for a digital marketer or consultant to analyze whether SEO is the right marketing channel for them in the first place.
But it doesn’t have to be that way — this is where Google Analytics comes in!
As you probably know, Google Analytics a free digital analytics tool, and by some measures, it is already being used by more than half of all websites on the internet. And for most SMBs, it’s actually the only SEO analytics tool you need to evaluate the value of SEO for your business.
So in this week’s post (Part 1), we’ll first show you how to find your organic search traffic metrics in Google Analytics. Then we’ll walk you through how to use Google Analytics to measure the value of SEO for your manager or client.
Part 1 will cover:
How to find your organic search traffic in Google Analytics reports How to measure the value of your organic search traffic with Google Analytics
Which SEO-related metrics and reports should you track on Google Analytics? How to build a SEO dashboard to see your key SEO metrics at a glance
Let’s begin!
How to find your organic search traffic in Google Analytics reports
Just so we’re on the same page, let’s start with some basic definitions.
SEO, or search engine optimization, is the technique of growing the amount of high-quality organic search traffic to a website via search engines like Google.
By “organic search traffic,” we mean website visitors who search a keyword and click on a search engine result, rather than a pay-per-click (PPC) ad. In other words, this is free traffic from search engines, rather than paid traffic from digital ads.
Now that we know what SEO is, let’s start with how to find and isolate your organic traffic on Google Analytics. There are at least two main ways to look at how your organic traffic is performing.
Option 1: Drill Down in the Channels Report
The first way is to simply go to your Channels report (Acquisition >> All Traffic >> Channels). This will show you how your different channel groupings are performing in terms of traffic, engagement and conversions. By channels, we mean different ways that visitors are getting to your website (e.g. traffic from Paid Search, Referral, Social, etc).
Click on Organic Search to drill down on your organic search traffic (i.e. see metrics for only your visitors from organic search).
This will then display your Organic Keywords report, which shows your top-performing keywords sorted by the metrics of your choosing (Acquisition >> All Traffic >> Channels >> Keyword).
For example, you may want to sort your organic keywords by bounce rate (the percent of users who get to your site and immediately leave without further actions). This will let you see which keywords drive the most highly engaged or high-quality traffic.
Segment by Search Engine: You can also segment organic search traffic by source if you want to look at specific search engines (i.e. how many visitors are coming from Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc). Go to Acquisition >> All Traffic >> Channels >> Source (tab).
Segment by Landing Page: Lastly, you may want to identify the landing pages that are driving the most organic search traffic to your site. By landing page, we mean the first web page that a visitor sees when they visit your website.
To see the highest-traffic landing pages for your organic search traffic, click the Landing Page primary dimension in the organic keywords report (Acquisition >> All Traffic >> Channels >> Landing Page).
Option 2: Add “Organic Traffic” as a Segment in Any Report
However, perhaps you want to further analyze your organic traffic in a different report. If that’s the case, you can add the “Organic Traffic” default segment at the top of the report. This will allow you to dive deeper on your Audience, Behavior, and Conversion reports for your Organic Traffic segment.
Now that you know how to find SEO metrics in Google Analytics, let’s talk about which specific metrics to analyze to quantify the value of your organic traffic.
How to measure the value of your organic traffic with Google Analytics
So why do you want to measure the impact of your SEO?
Because it’s typically undervalued by CEOs and SMB owners. After all, quantifying the value of SEO and organic traffic for your business is a unique challenge.
Because organic search traffic (like social traffic) often sits at the top of the marketing funnel, many if not most consumers these days do not convert to paid customers the first time they encounter your website.
As I mentioned in last week’s post, you may need an email marketing or remarketing campaign to make the conversion. As such, organic search traffic often doesn’t get the credit it deserves for bringing in revenue to the business, and is chronically undervalued by management.
What’s why I use the “Multi-Channel Funnels” reports in Google Analytics to measure the value of SEO. Specifically, I recommend using the “Assisted Conversions” report (Conversions >> Multi-Channel Funnels >> Assisted Conversions).
This is possibly the best report for investigating whether Google Analytics is underestimating the value of organic search traffic (or any channel) with last click attribution (a digital analytics model gives credit for a conversion to whichever channel the “last click” came from).
The report focuses on the “Assisted Conversions” metric, which represent conversions in which a channel appeared on the conversion path, but was not the final conversion interaction.
Like players in basketball, the value of a channel in digital marketing is more than just points scored directly, but also the number of assists.
Think about an assist in basketball, where a player may not be the person who actually puts the ball through the hoop, but may assist their teammate. Because assists provide important value to the basketball team and make “scoring” (or “conversions”) possible, the number of assists is an important metric to track to understand the value of a player for a team in both basketball and digital marketing.
Therefore, the Assisted Conversion report is your best bet for understanding the true impact of your SEO. You might be surprised to find that the measurable value of your SEO efforts is double what you thought it was.
Step 1: Go to your Assisted Conversions report
Click Conversions >> Multi-Channel Funnels >> Assisted Conversions. There you’ll see the number of assisted conversions and the value of these conversions for all your channel groupings.
As you can see in this screenshot, Display has the highest Assisted / Last Click Conversions ratio for the Google Merchandise Store, meaning Display’s impact on the company’s number of conversions is the most understated.
Step 2: Look at your Assisted Conversions for organic search traffic
Click “Organic Search” under “MCF channel grouping.” Here you’ll see
Step 3: Compare your Assisted Conversion Value with Direct Conversion Value for Each Source (Search Engine)
For the business in this screenshot, most of the assisted conversions for organic search is coming from Google. If you compare this company’s Assisted Conversion Value of Google organic search ($2912.08) with its Direct Conversion Value ($2717.08), you’ll see that the real value of Google organic search for this business is more than double its Direct Conversion value.
In other words, an SEO analyst can show their manager or client that the value of SEO is double what they originally thought it was based on direct conversions alone!
Now that you know how to demonstrate the value of SEO with Google Analytics, let’s talk about which metrics to monitor to understand how organic search is performing for your business.
Next Steps
Today, we covered: (1) how to isolate your organic search traffic in Google Analytics reports, and (2) how to measure the value of your organic traffic with Google Analytics.
As you can tell, learning how to analyze SEO with Google Analytics is not an easy task. It takes a serious amount of investment in time and learning.
That’s why at Humanlytics, we’ve been helping a few dozen businesses optimize their digital channels, including their SEO and organic search traffic. Many of these businesses are led by very smart and technical cofounders. But even these entrepreneurs who are trained in digital marketing and data analytics often don’t have the bandwidth or resources to distill actionable insights from their SEO data.
This is the reason the next feature we’re building in our digital analytics platform is an AI-based tool to recommend the right digital channels to focus on. This AI tool will tell you whether SEO is the right channel for your business based on your Google Analytics data, so you won’t have to waste any money on the wrong marketing activities.
Our AI-based marketing analytics tool whether SEO — or any channel — is right for your business. PC: The Daily Dot
In other words, the tool automates everything we’ve explained in this tutorial so you can spend less time learning this stuff through trial-and-error, and more time doing what you do best — running your business.
If you’re interested in beta testing this feature for free (or need help setting up your conversion goals), sign up with the form at the end of the post, or shoot me an email at [email protected].
Tune in next week for Part 2 of tracking SEO with Google Analytics, where we’ll walk you through how to choose the right SEO metrics for your SEO dashboard with Google Analytics.
Specifically we’ll cover: | https://medium.com/analytics-for-humans/google-analytics-is-the-only-seo-analytics-tool-you-need-heres-how-to-use-it-part-1-of-2-451e66ff102 | ['Patrick Han'] | 2018-06-08 19:41:55.873000+00:00 | ['SEO', 'Google Analytics', 'Digital Marketing', 'Startup', 'AI'] |
MVC in Web Development | MVC stands for model view controller and it’s a software architectural design pattern.
From a Web Development perspective it’s a little different for different types of programming languages and some programmers even say that you can’t have true MVC in Web Development or in a web framework.
Lets not debate on what is true and not…
Most of the popular web frameworks use at least some parts of MVC, and the goal is to separate functionality, logic and the interface in an application.
This promotes organized programming, and it allows multiple developers to work on the same project.
A good example of that would be something like PHP Laravel or PHP CodeIgniter and the frameworks actually have folders in their file structure called models, views and controllers.
The main three components of MVC are:
Model
2. View
3. Controller
Model
It is responsible for getting and manipulating the data so it’s basically the brain of the application.
It interacts with some kind of database. This could be a relational database like MySQL or NoSQL database like MongoDB.
It really doesn’t matter and in many frameworks that support multiple databases, the model code will stay the exact same. It’s just the database driver that needs to change.
It could be a simple file so you could have your model interact with a JSON file and pull the data from that so it takes care of queries like select, insert, update, and delete.
The model also communicates with the controller.
2. View
View of the application is the user interface.
This is what the user sees when they interact with the application so the view usually consists of HTML and CSS along with dynamic values from the controller.
The controller does communicate with the view as well as the model.
Now you use the template engine depending on which framework you use.
The template engine allows dynamic data.
This is easy.
You cannot output variables using straight HTML.
You can’t output variables using logic like select or if statement so with template engines we need to do it right in the view or the template.
Some examples of template engines would be Handlebars.js or Dust.js, Ruby on Rails you have ERB which is embedded Ruby and then you have HAML and Python you have Flask and more.
3. Controller
Controller can request data through the model and in most cases, the controller updates the view but interestingly with some frameworks the model can update the data directly.
Controller takes in user input either from a user visiting a page or clicking a link which makes a get request or submitting a form which makes a post request.
You also have delete requests, put requests for updating and these can’t be made directly from the browser.
You can only do a get or a post but you do have HTTP clients that are at times built in with the framework that can do that now.
The controller acts as a kind of a middleman between the model and the view.
The controller will ask the model to get some data from a database and then the controller will take that data and load a view and pass that data into it and then from there the template engine takes over.
The controller can also load a view without passing the data so just a plain web page with HTML and CSS and no actual templating logic.
Let me explain you taking an example:
The user sees the view of the application in the browser making some kind of request using an input called a router. This request could be some clicking on a link or route.
The router will call a specific controller method based on that route.
The controller will then interact with the model which interacts with the database to fetch some data. Once the controller gets that data passed back it can then load a view sending the data to the view and later is dealt with by the template engine.
Example:
The user clicked a link or wrote in the URL http://cre8ivelabs.com/users/profile/1
So ultimately they want to view the user’’s profile that has the ID of 1.
/routes
First thing it goes into the routes and sees what it matches so here it would match users/profile/:id.
The colon here in front of the ID works as a placeholder and it’s going to match that route.
And you call this Users.getprofile and pass in the (id) and this then calls in the users controller as below.
/controllers
The class is going to match the Users function in most cases i.e getprofile. Here it takes in an id and then what it’s going to do is grab a variable profile and set it equal to this.Usermodel.get profile(id).
What this means is it’s calling a function getprofile within the model and if you go down here in the Usermodel class, you do have a function called getprofile and its passing the (id).
This is where you want to interact with the database because that’s what the model does.
/models
Here it’s calling this.db.getDB which passes in a query “select all from users where the id is equal to the id” and upon getting a response will put it in a variable called data.
This is going to render a view that’s in the user’s folder under profile and pass the data into the view.
The template engine will basically make it so that we can insert these dynamic values like profile.name right in the HTML.
So finally it’s going to display the user’s name in the h1 and then an email and a phone number in the list item depending on what engine you’re using. | https://medium.com/@cre8ivelabs/mvc-in-web-development-2144849ef15a | ['Kunal Lodha'] | 2020-12-23 05:56:33.294000+00:00 | ['Laravel Framework', 'Web Development', 'Laravel', 'Mvc', 'Mvc Frameworks'] |
For Dummies: Vue.js Performance — Part 1 | By participating in the first VueConf Toronto 2020 that took place today, while I listened to some of the main world names linked to Vue.js, including Evan You, the creator and leader of the Framework’s work, dealing with several specific themes, a common point between practically all the lectures caught my attention: performance.
As I am having the opportunity to work on the code review of some members of my team and I have identified a huge lack in how to put this fundamental UX theme into practice, not as senior experts with years and years of experience and with maximum degree in best practices, but as ordinary developers who want to do an excellent job. When looking at my bookshelf, a specific title caught my attention: ‘Basic Kitchen For Dummies’ (my wife bought it for me a few years ago, and maybe you should be wondering why this is. This is for another post.). Then I thought: why not?
Why For Dummies?
When using this terminology, ‘For dummies’, I do not do it in a pejorative way, but with the view that we, in the technical area, especially logical mathematics, have a tendency to assume that everyone who hears or reads us is obliged of understanding 100% of the subject and will automatically produce products, ideas, projects and codes at a level of excellence never seen before. However, this does not reflect reality.
So, when reading ‘For Dummies’, think of something written so that someone with minimal experience has the opportunity to understand and be able to apply and if you are already someone experienced in the subject, keep in mind the posture of someone who has humility to want to learn even if you are seeing something very simple and even banal. This is it!
About Performance
Performance refers to how well an activity or work is done. In terms of UX, this means above anything else: time and cost. The best possible result, at the lowest possible cost, in the shortest possible time. This is what we want when we try a service, whether virtual or not.
Notice that something done is very different from something well done. So, let me use an example from our daily lives to illustrate this concept of performance in a simple way.
When I was a kid I had classes from Monday to Saturday and a total of 12 subjects. Each day there were two or three different subjects and for each of these subjects I had a specific book and notebook.
Scenario 1: every day I took all notebooks and books, even if I used no more than 30% of the material.
Scenario 2: every day I took only the books and notebooks that would be needed that day.
Which of the two scenarios seems to make the most sense? Scenario 2 obviously. If we only consider executing Scenario 1, we can certainly be labeled as not very smart.
So why is it that when we program, most of us select Scenario 1 as the development approach? | https://medium.com/@lucianobuhler/for-dummies-vue-js-performance-part-1-bd0ed7b4c7ef | ['Luciano Buhler'] | 2020-12-16 13:38:10.295000+00:00 | ['JavaScript', 'Performance', 'Vuejs', 'Best Practices', 'Development'] |
Floor 10 (A mother’s PICU experience) | Floor 10 (A mother’s PICU experience)
Photo by Alex Powell on Pexels
Hospitals are little worlds.
I walk in a haze through the cold-tiled hallways observing the diverse crowd that reminds me of the bustling streets of New York City.
An eclectic mix of emotions resonates from this place.
At this moment, I am not sure where I fall. Everything feels so abstract and unreal
it is as if I am lost in a painting trying to find my way home.
I am taking a brief step out of time.
A break from floor 10. The floor that many try to avoid.
The custodial staff runs through the rooms in a frenzied, awkward hurry while looking down at the scuffed-up floors.
Not many people look up on floor 10, due to the windowed boxed rooms that display the raw emotions and realities of the young.
Looking up becomes voyeuristic, no matter how accidental a simple glance may be.
People also don’t look up in fear of interaction. Most don’t want to explain, and if you hold a glimmer of hope, you don’t want to show this to the mother who has lost hers.
I don’t know how to act up there. I don’t know how to take care of myself. I don’t know what to say.
I don’t know how to exist on floor 10.
Down here, I go to the cafeteria, chapel, gift shop, and atrium. These places are lighter and busier; they provide a temporary illusion to the heaviness upstairs.
Up there, I sometimes feel that I can’t move anymore. Down here, I can pretend for a short while. I can forget that life can be painstakingly harsh.
I can forget for a moment that life is a spider web of delicacies, and spider webs can be easily broken-regardless of the fact it was woven yesterday.
But you see, it is rare that I come down here because I feel guilty whenever I am not on floor 10.
I feel guilty about everything, even though the doctors have reassured me that this is no one’s fault. Still, I feel guilty.
I hold a baby’s hand up there because the wires make it almost impossible to hold him. I stroke his tiny head because the breathing tubes cover his face. I whisper to him that I would switch places if I could.
Over and over, I say these words. I tell him, he is strong, a trooper who will make it through. I reassure him that mommy is right here. I try to ignore the beeps emitting from all the rooms, including mine.
This is what I do for hours on floor 10 until I notice the clock has surpassed time again, and I need to go downstairs briefly to recharge before the walls cave in on my soul.
And so I go to the chapel to pray; I go to the cafeteria and force myself to eat, and I go to the gift shop to buy grooming essentials I didn’t think I would need.
And after a short while, I walk to the elevator, step inside, and click the button-10. I stare at the quote, “A quiet hospital is a healing hospital” that exists on an elevator banner.
And sometimes I am in there with another person or family that is also going to floor 10. These are the saddest rides of them all because no words are exchanged, only nods and a heavy silence.
The metal doors open, and we go our separate ways to the hallways where youth does not receive a bi.
This is life.
Babies are not exempt from floor 10.
However, I soon realize this floor has somehow exemplified my faith, for it taught me to see the beauty of the ordinary and made me question why I wasted energy on such trivial matters; a broken faucet, a lost phone, a red light.
The bigger picture was always near, but there had been many times when I lost sight of it all.
Floor 10 provided a beacon for what mattered most.
A week after learning a way to live and cope with the PICU, I was on my way home with a healthy baby boy.
Blessed is hardly the word. Grateful, ecstatic, relieved-none of them was quite the word.
FOUND.
I found what mattered most; all pieces of the big picture were magnified on floor 10. | https://thecreative.cafe/floor-10-a-mothers-picu-experience-fb781e6dc458 | ['Amanda Clark-Rudolph'] | 2020-07-17 18:19:57.328000+00:00 | ['Mothers', 'Parents', 'Baby', 'Parenting', 'Moms'] |
Using Indigo.Design with Sketch cloud libraries | Lately, our team was able to push a few highly anticipated improvements to Indigo.Design, namely matching UI Kits for Figma and Adobe XD. Having released the latest version of our UI Kit for Sketch (2.1.0) nearly half a year ago now is a good time to demonstrate our continuous commitment to extend and improve it as a rapid UI design tool. The Sketch UI Kit remains the cornerstone of our design-test-iterate and eventually builds and develops a story with Ignite UI for Angular. All in all the Sketch library files are the only enablers of the end-to-end code generation story for now.
In September the Sketch team introduced new and powerful functionalities in their cloud, among which came the support for cloud libraries. We tried them together with Indigo.Design and really liked how smooth the experience was, but now with the components panel in Sketch, things leaped on a whole new level. In the following lines, I want to guide you through the download of the UI Kits, the process of setting them up as cloud libraries for your team, and utilizing them through the new and improved interface of the Sketch app.
First and foremost, we need to download the Indigo.Design UI Kits for Sketch, which is possible upon signing up for a free account. Once the registration is complete, from the navigation panel on the left you need to click on the Download Indigo.Design Assets button and get the first resource at the top of the dialog that will appear.
Having downloaded and unzipped the archive, open the Indigo-Styling file first and click on the Upload to Sketch Cloud button in the top right of the Sketch app interface. Uploading may take a while due to the vast number of assets and resources in the file, but once it is finished follow the same process for the Indigo-Components and Indigo-Patterns libraries. Every time a library is uploaded successfully, a browser window will be open with the document settings for the just-uploaded file, where you must check the Use as Library box which will treat the document as a cloud library from now on.
And having followed these steps for all three files you should be able to see the three libraries upon selecting the Libraries tab in the Sketch cloud like it is shown below. Now it is time to get back to the Sketch app.
In a new project I will create a new artboard and change my left panel view form LAYERS to COMPONENTS. Since I want to create a very basic design I will choose the Indigo-Components in order to see only symbols from that library in the section below and using the search at the bottom find and add a Large Avatar and two Buttons of type Icon. Note that I can still use overrides from my other libraries, e.g. to change the icon symbols for my buttons.
Another really neat thing to improve readability for rich libraries like ours is how the symbol naming is converted into a tree hierarchy allowing you to narrow down the left panel and have more screen estate for your design. Besides symbols, I can also filter by type and look for a particular typography asset for example, through the horizontal button group with options for symbols, typographies, and colors. And if you use a combination of cloud and local libraries, they are grouped accordingly so you can really take advantage of all the new features in Sketch at scale.
I also have a small personal celebration with the latest update that I would like to share. Creating libraries that are rich in components, states, and assets is not an easy task, and making them usable and easy to navigate becomes an impossible dream at one point. For a year now I had on my to-dos an item for coming up with a way to make the search of the Indigo.Design assets more easy and the latest update of Sketch made it obsolete as it is now built-in the design surface. With that, I would like to wrap things up and give my Kudos to the team behind this awesome design tool. If you find my article useful, feel free to try to Indigo.Design as a system and let us know what you think. | https://medium.com/ignite-ui/using-indigo-design-with-sketch-cloud-libraries-70533bca00f8 | ['Stefan Ivanov'] | 2020-10-26 03:09:29.044000+00:00 | ['UI', 'UX', 'Design', 'UX Design', 'Sketch'] |
Change and Digital in the Healthcare Industry | Change and Digital in the Healthcare Industry
This industry has become a leader in its synthesis of business strategy and technology, all in service of revolutionizing customer care. At the same time, healthcare organizations (HCOs) have had to accommodate continual developments in the political climate, government legislation, policies, funding, growth, technology, and medical advancement. To respond to these, they must equip themselves with a number of change management initiatives, often deployed simultaneously in different silos of the organization. The combination of these two forces — customer-facing digital transformation and pervasive organizational change — primes healthcare for digital transformation inside the enterprise.
Enterprise digital transformation requires engaging and aligning workers strategically through their digital touchpoints within the organization. HCOs need strategies to keep up with themselves so that no part of the organization is left behind — down to the individual workers that serve patients every day. If patients see that doctors, administrative staff, and nurses attend more to their technology than the customers they serve, then something’s amiss. When technology inhibits rather than enables patient care, then the change strategy needs adjustment at the organizational level.
Technology can contribute to an employee experience that inspires high-value practices among workers. In order to implement technology in a way that benefits both workers and patients, organizations must first invest in future-oriented work design and informed business strategy.
Pair organizational change with the efforts toward human-centered health, and you see greater transparency, dialogue, and success in patient-led care. For systemic change toward this end, HCOs should adopt a consumer-grade experience for patients and workers alike. The greatest barrier to organizational change is how individuals behave. Given the amount of time workers spend within digital spaces, what better way could there be to help frontline and caregiving staff adapt? By using a digitally shaped culture to inspire behavioral change, HCOs can create the cohesion necessary for their change efforts to be successful.
Change Models for Healthcare
If healthcare drives a culture of change, it does so strategically and in response to broader developments in our economy (see callout). To this end, HCOs have at their disposal an array of well-established change models. Indeed, the biggest challenge to organizational change is long-term adoption and sustainability. Employees regress, implementation processes lose focus, and leadership loses its momentum.
In order to achieve a culture of sustainable change, HCOs need their organizational cohesion to mature. That requires a focus on both kinds of OD: Organizational Design (the systems and structures) and Organizational Development (the people). Businesses have been exploring how to make change more sustainable for decades. They’ve employed high-level change methodologies like Lewin’s theory1 to freeze, unfreeze, and refreeze the organization and its people, or Kotter’s 8-step2 theory for gradual change.
Today, Lean Thinking serves as a dominant change management methodology in healthcare.3 Developed in the 1980s by Toyota, Lean Thinking grew out of its origins in manufacturing to impact other industries, eventually combining with digital capabilities in the spirit of cost reduction, agile methodologies, standardization, and self-directed service.
In theory, Lean is supposed to be holistic, as the many versions of its models reflect, addressing factors from business leaders to technical capabilities to culture and business strategy.4 But because the challenge for change is located at the level of operational implementation, Lean has become heavily associated with its process-centered emphasis on eliminating waste. So when companies do invest in Lean, a risk arises whereby the standardizing process can overtake the strategic imperatives of cultivating a culture in action, of designing human-centered experiences, and of maximizing talent. This risk persists even in digitally native methodologies like Agile because of an aggressive process-centered approach.
Because digital transformation in the enterprise is rooted in business strategy, it can fill the gaps of change management models like Lean that are not digitally native.
Medicine, Change & Technology: Beyond Watson Health Listed below are just a few factors that have impacted the digitalization of the healthcare experience for patients: - Implementation of user-experience to evolve patient-led care - Large venture capital investments in digital healthcare that saw an increase from $1–4 billion within a 5-year span5 - Remote healthcare that allows monitoring of outpatients or inpatients after their discharge - Digital screens in buildings for patient and physician tracking within hospitals - Healthcare in the cloud that gives patients more agency to manage their care, treatment plans, and billing One high-profile development for external-facing digital transformation in the Healthcare industry is the use of Artificial Intelligence for precision diagnostics and treatment recommendations. Cancer centers like Memorial Sloan Kettering and MD Anderson are among the first to have purchased IBM’s Watson, with varying degrees of success. With Watson Health, MD Anderson wanted to design an Oncology Expert Advisor, while MSK aimed to develop personalized treatment plans. The challenge has been the quality and quantity of their data.7 Data has become the new currency for digital capabilities. The non-profit Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), established in the mid-1960s with the mission to improve healthcare through information technology, has enjoyed greater clout since HCOs began to adopt a data-driven culture. Based on their data, the newest technology that is used the most for patient cases is Electronic Medical Records (EMR) or Electronic Health Records (EHR). But because they were invented for billing, not for patient or user experience, an overwhelming percentage of that data is neither structured nor clean enough to use. MSK is now undergoing a major effort not only to train Watson properly but also to clean and structure their data and boost the accessibility of data. Cloud platforms are designed to boost collaboration between providers, payers, and patients. Healthcare in the cloud improves user experience by making data more accessible and enabling remote health through conferencing capabilities. It makes fees more transparent so that patients can make better-informed choices between different care options. The emphasis is not on the employees who are working in healthcare institutions. Rather, cloud capabilities are designed for patients/customers as employees who are covered under the insurance policy of their employers.
Organizational Change at the Level of the Individual Worker
Technological developments in inpatient care are one source of resistance to change among healthcare workers. Large organizations can help their workers adapt to various change initiatives through a methodical approach to strategy and design. Because systemic behavioral change is the key to organizational change, a combination of human-centered design, robust organizational strategy, and digital innovation must be used to define new ways of work. Digital engagement can turn siloed change programs into a collective user experience for workers across the organization.
The task to suture fragmented worker experiences into a collective, common one is a tall order. This need across the enterprise is related to the gradual, fragmented integration of new tools and methods among different silos. A major reservation against investing in any specific change method or digital technology is the risk of obsolescence. How do organizations provide seamless transitions from older tools and methods to newer ones? And how do you effectively bring the workers with you along that transformation journey?
To answer these questions, we must begin with a comprehensive analysis of the organization’s digital ecosystem in its entirety: that is, the relationships among all properties, operations, platforms, sites, databases, and points of organizational interaction. Particularly, we need to analyze how workers behave within the ecosystem and the capabilities that enable that behavior. Only then can we begin to tie broader business initiatives and strategies to specific programs, practices, and scenarios that are part of the worker’s landscape. Organizational cohesion considers the overarching strategy (macrocosm) and specific initiatives (microcosm) in equal measure. By integrating high-level work design and change goals for the people and for the business, organizations can shape the evolution of their digital capabilities in a future-oriented continuum.
Organizational Cohesion through Digital
In all 3 models — Lewin’s, Kotter’s, and Lean — all levels of the organization are engaged, creating a two-way dialogue from the frontline to the executive. In the digital age, we call such systemic alignment organizational cohesion. It is achieved by designing the culture of a company through an omnichannel architecture. | https://medium.com/logical-design-solutions/change-and-digital-in-the-healthcare-industry-150bb3c1734e | ['Logical Design Solutions'] | 2020-12-17 03:49:45.038000+00:00 | ['Patient Experience', 'Future Of Work', 'Healthcare', 'Organizational Change', 'Digital Transformation'] |
Quotos by the Maya Angelou that changed my life | Remembering the late activist and literary icon’s most uplifting words of wisdom.
A legendary author, poet, activist and all around inspiring woman, Maya Angelou touched the lives of many through her work.
Maya angelou is a restorer and a transformer she is a woman whose practice is based in the ancestral connection to the african concept of hecka which is the evocative power of language to accomplish what one wil aswell does she use words as next to catch a restore an renew our spirit and soul.
Quotes:
“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”
“It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself: to Forgive. Forgive everybody.”
I´VE LEARNED THAT MAKING A LIVING IS NOT THE SAME THINGS AS MAKING A LIFE.
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
“If you’re always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.”
A WISE WOMAN WHISES TO BE NO ONE’S ENEMY; A WISE WOMAN REFUSES TO BE ANYONE’S VICTIM.
“The desire to reach the stars is ambitious. The desires to reach hearts is wise and most possible.”
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
“I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass.”
“Love recognize no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its desination full of hope.”
“I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.”
NOTHING WILL WORK UNLESS YOU DO
“Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world,but has not solved one yet.”
“I am grateful to be woman. I must have done something great in another life.”
“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.”
WE MAY ENCOUNTER MANY DEFEATS BUT WE MUST NOT BE DEFEATED
“No matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.”
IF YOU’RE GOING TO LIVE, LEAVE A LEGACY. MAKE A MARK ON THE WOLRD THAT CAN’T BE ERASED. | https://medium.com/@iqra-farah/quotes-by-the-maya-angelou-that-will-change-your-live-forever-3c7e77f5e686 | ['Iqra Farah'] | 2020-12-24 15:59:38.178000+00:00 | ['Life', 'Maya Angelou', 'Life Lessons', 'Quotes', 'Poetry'] |
How to Build Both Kinds of AWS Lambda Layers. (Yes, There Are Two) | Developer Ride-Along
Photo by Alvaro Reyes on Unsplash
It can be a little abstract following a guide on Medium. I’ve provided a complete working solution on GitHub for you to walk through with me.
Working examples have always helped me the most to get a hands-on approach to a problem. You might want to pause here to follow the prerequisites and make sure you’re set up.
The example I’ve provided is a small, serverless API that manages contacts and allows you to send them text messages through Twilio. You can add, update, and delete contacts, as well as send and view the messages that have gone to each contact.
Build a dependency layer
As stated before, dependency layers are useful for keeping your deployment packages small. A big situation in which this is helpful is if you have any expectation of using the AWS console to do any quick troubleshooting.
If a Lambda deployment package is larger than 3 MB, you cannot edit the code in the console.
So for our dependency layer in our contact example, we have a folder called dependencies at the root with a subfolder of nodejs. Lambda looks in specific directories for layer code based on the runtime. Since we are using Node in the example, we simply have to add a folder called nodejs .
For the complete list of all the directory names based on runtime, you can view the AWS documentation.
All we have in the nodejs folder is a package.json and a package-lock.json .
The package.json will only contain the dependencies we want to add in our layer.
In our SAM template, we want to add a LayerVersion and point it to the dependencies directory
That’s it for creating a dependency layer — super easy implementation, but not necessarily intuitive. Now on to creating a function layer.
Build a function layer
You might have more use cases for this type of layer, the layer that gives you the ability to provide shared code throughout your solution. This one is laid out similarly, but the consumption is slightly different.
Create a folder structure in the root called layers > nodejs . Again, the subfolder is because of the runtime we are using. It will be different for you if you are using Python, Ruby, etc.
Add the package.json and any file that is going to contain shared code. For our example, we have a database.js and an enums.js file.
Every file you add in this directory is a separate import in your Lambdas. This is nice because you get a reasonable separation of concerns for your shared code. It helps you stay a little more organized.
The resource declaration in the template yaml is going to be identical to the dependency layer, only this time it will point to the layers folder.
The implementation of the two types of layers is very similar, the only real difference being the files added to the layer directory. The main discrepancy between the two is how they are consumed by your functions.
Consuming a dependency layer
To make your layer available for consumption for a Lambda, you need to add it in the template yaml . If you want your layer available to all functions in your microservice, you can conveniently add it to the Globals section.
After you’ve made the layer available to the function, you need to pull the assets in. With dependency layers, it’s business as usual: simply add your require statement to pull it in. There is no change to how you build your function code.
Consuming a function layer
This is where your development will change slightly. Function layers get deployed to an opt directory, so to pull in your code, you must pull from opt/nodejs/<your filename> . | https://medium.com/better-programming/how-to-build-both-kinds-of-aws-lambda-layers-yes-there-are-two-edb945979f17 | ['Allen Helton'] | 2020-04-02 16:38:35.087000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Software Development', 'Serverless', 'Programming', 'AWS'] |
Dear Readers and Writers, | Dear Readers and Writers,
First off, thanks for being here. You are appreciated!
We have a few things to communicate today:
What’s up with the December writing prompt/contest?
New Writer submissions are temporarily closed
Some reminders and notes
What’s up with the December writing prompt/contest?
It’s still a thing.
Sometimes life has a way reminding you that your “control” over things is 99% illusion. Unforeseen circumstances, unavoidable delays, mass hysteria, fiery cataclysms, dogs and cats living together, etc… in short, the delay wasn’t planned and should not be taken as the “norm” for these things.
That said, we are, right at this very moment, wrapping up the selection process so we can get everything announced. We will do so in a special News Letter.
New Writer submissions are temporarily closed
As of March 10, 2020, New Writer requests have been put on hold.
This is to give us some time to catch up and possibly bring more editing help on board. It will be reopening at a time yet to be determined.
If your submission is already in the queue, you’re fine. They will be reviewed as soon as possible.
Some reminders and notes:
Literally Literary is not intended to be any kind of elitist publication. We’re about community and promoting literary writing and reading. We do, however, have quality standards that need to be met in order to be published at LL. We all hate rejecting pieces and we all know how it feels to have our writing rejected. There are times we may have published something that really should have been sent back for more work because we hate rejecting. That said, with the sheer volume of writing coming into us daily, we do have to apply our standards a little more strictly, or it’s going to be a giant wave of good, great, and just so-so writing. You can always edit and resubmit. You haven’t been personally rejected!
We’re about community and promoting literary writing and reading. We do, however, have quality standards that need to be met in order to be published at LL. We all hate rejecting pieces and we all know how it feels to have our writing rejected. There are times we may have published something that really should have been sent back for more work because we hate rejecting. That said, with the sheer volume of writing coming into us daily, we do have to apply our standards a little more strictly, or it’s going to be a giant wave of good, great, and just so-so writing. You can edit and resubmit. You haven’t been personally rejected! Please send us work that you’ve proofread. It’s a draft, sure, but that doesn’t mean rough draft. There’s only so much direct help we can give considering the volume of writing coming to us. If we’ve had to reject your piece, please take a good long look or have someone else have a look who will be honest with you. If we find things that just aren’t up to our quality standards, we will have to reject them.
It’s a draft, sure, but that doesn’t mean rough draft. There’s only so much direct help we can give considering the volume of writing coming to us. If we’ve had to reject your piece, please take a good long look or have someone else have a look who will be honest with you. If we find things that just aren’t up to our quality standards, we will have to reject them. Literally Literary does not publish agenda-based writing. It’s not been a huge problem here, but with a lot of incoming new writers, I thought it worth the reminder.
It’s not been a huge problem here, but with a lot of incoming new writers, I thought it worth the reminder. Please exercise some patience as we get to publishing your work. We don’t publish things we haven’t read through, so it can be quite time consuming. We will get to your submissions and either publish, send back with some notes, or let you now it’s not quite right for LL.
We don’t publish things we haven’t read through, so it can be quite time consuming. We will get to your submissions and either publish, send back with some notes, or let you now it’s not quite right for LL. We’ve published our Guidelines as prominently as possible on the main page and several times on the new Writer Submission Form which even has a check box assuring us that you did read it, agree with it, and want to be a part of LL. We cover, in some detail, all aspects of submitting your work to LL and a small list of things that are unacceptable, so if we get emails, direct messages, or Facebook messenger requests for help on something that was exhaustively covered by the Guidelines you assured us you’ve read, it’s not going to be a burning priority to get to, as our plates are pretty full. If you’ve read the Guidelines and don’t understand something we’ve written there, that’s different. We’ll do our best to address those help requests.
on the main page and several times on the new Writer Submission Form which even has a check box assuring us that you did read it, agree with it, and want to be a part of LL. We cover, in some detail, all aspects of submitting your work to LL and a small list of things that are unacceptable, so if we get emails, direct messages, or Facebook messenger requests for help on something that was exhaustively covered by the Guidelines you assured us you’ve read, it’s not going to be a burning priority to get to, as our plates are pretty full. If you’ve read the Guidelines and don’t understand something we’ve written there, that’s different. We’ll do our best to address those help requests. Literally Literary has nothing to do with the Medium’s curation process. There are publications that do seem to have some sort of input into this, but no Literary publications, that I am aware of.
There are publications that seem to have some sort of input into this, but no Literary publications, that I am aware of. If you submit your work and expect to get a lot of claps I’ve got some advice for you: If you support another writer, they will often take a look at your writing and a significant portion of their readers will likely check out your writing, as well. I’m not saying clap for no reason, but to ignore the other writers here is to hamper your own chances at reaching a wider audience.
Here’s a challenge: If you are a writer trying to grow your audience, spend the next 30 days checking out the people who clap and comment on your stories and writers for publications like Literally Literary (there are several good literary publications out there), and give some attention to those you think deserve it. I’m not talking about mass clapping for anything, just pieces that you enjoyed or feel strongly about. Don’t just read. If you like it, clap, and, even better, leave a comment!
As always,
thank you! | https://medium.com/literally-literary/dear-readers-and-writers-5bb195cb59c9 | ['Literally Literary'] | 2020-03-11 20:15:47.882000+00:00 | ['Letter From The Editor', 'News', 'Newsletter', 'Ll Letters', 'Meow Bark Hiss Grunt'] |
How to Be a Leader People Love | How to Be a Leader People Love
A little charisma goes a long way.
75% of employees consider their direct manager to be the “worst part of their job” according to a survey of almost 5,000 employees conducted by Hogan Assessments.
This is a troubling statistic for both managers and employees.
A hard-working technical genius of an employee doesn’t necessarily translate to a good leader.
Many crash and burn as a leader simply because they don’t understand what makes people want to follow them. They don’t understand how people see them. They don’t understand what makes people like and respect them.
Because leadership is all about people, it’s all about how your people feel about you.
Here are a few ways to be a more likable leader. | https://medium.com/mind-cafe/how-to-be-a-leader-people-love-8f2f1fa1a730 | ['Max Klein'] | 2020-07-18 16:33:27.633000+00:00 | ['Emotional Intelligence', 'Productivity', 'Work', 'Leadership', 'Leadership Development'] |
[JS/TS] Simple App State Management | Provider
First, Provide must be unique in the application. It makes sure all the listeners have the same data.
To make it happen, I used a design pattern: Singleton. It creates a private instance, and provides a public method to make instance accessible from the outside. This prevents the instance to be created more than once.
class Provider {
private static instance: Provider; public static getInstance() {
if (this.instance) {
return this.instance;
} else {
this.instance = new Provider();
return this.instance;
}
}
}
It should avoid modifying data from outside without control. Therefore, Provider sets data as private, and gives the public methods to manipulate data, such as addItem , deleteItem , getItems , updateItem , etc. To make demo simple, I wrote a method, addItem . Input will use it.
Finally, Provider should hold the function of the listeners. The listeners tell Provider what to do when data is update. Therefore, Provider can notify listeners by running all of these functions. These functions ask for the data in Provider. Provider always sends the copy of data to them for protecting data from being polluted.
The code is presented as followed:
In conclusion, there are 3 key points of Provider: | https://medium.com/swlh/js-ts-simple-app-state-management-c04c2a89155d | ['Jijie Liu'] | 2020-11-09 20:17:49.883000+00:00 | ['Typescript', 'Provider', 'State Management'] |
The Readability Formula: Making Your Website Easy-to-Read | Have you ever been reading an article, and after a couple of lines started to skim and then thought about closing the tab — even though you’re really interested in the subject and set out with the intent to read the entire thing?
You can tell the content is written well, and you really want to make it to the conclusion, but something’s preventing you from doing so and you can’t quite put your finger on it…
…could it be that the typographic choices on that website are causing you to stop reading the content? 😱
Readability is about more than just having your content make sense — you can spend a pile of money on a copywriter and check reading levels, but if the layout makes reading difficult you might as well set that money on fire. The right balance between font size and line length is a big difference-maker in the science of readability.
If a font size is too small and the line length too long, readers will have to strain to read the text, which causes their eyes to fatigue. On the other hand, if the font size is too big (making the line length too short), readers are forced to jump to the next line of text too quickly, which — you guessed it — is also hard on the eyes!
The last thing you want is for your website to be referred to as “too hard to read”. Customers and clients make choices quickly when you put them at ease. A comfortable reading experience leads visitors to a) easily read your content, and b) make decisions faster.
Line length & font size | https://medium.com/kick-point/the-readability-formula-making-your-website-easy-to-read-98ad56113282 | ['Emma Butler'] | 2018-02-28 22:49:53.962000+00:00 | ['Design', 'Web Design', 'Content', 'Typography', 'UI'] |
Mengalir Seperti Air | A girl who loves to listen and write. Don’t worry, my life is big and full of surprises 🌃 #BersyukurSekarangAja | https://medium.com/@intankholisa/mengalir-seperti-air-c13723cee40 | ['Kholisa Intan Rokhmana'] | 2020-12-22 14:41:48.372000+00:00 | ['Lesson Learned', 'Kindness', 'Family'] |
Biden Will Speak Softer but Act Stronger on Taiwan | Biden Will Speak Softer but Act Stronger on Taiwan
U.S. support will be strengthened, but Trump’s provocations will disappear.
President of Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen waves to supporters during a rally campaign ahead of the Taiwanese presidential election on January 15, 2016 in Taipei, Taiwan. Photo: Getty Images.
By Oriana Skylar Mastro and Emily Young Carr
Note: This article was originally published in Foreign Policy.
Last week, the world was waiting to see whether U.S. President Donald Trump would be reelected. Four days later, the verdict was in. Joe Biden, winning more overall votes than any other candidate in U.S. history, will be the 46th president of the United States.
While the United States was fixated on the final days of campaigning, China didn’t miss a beat in its aggression toward Taiwan. The day before the U.S. presidential election, Chinese aircraft flew into Taiwan’s airspace eight separate times. These military maneuvers are part of a disturbing trend of increased Chinese military activity over the past two months. Since Sept. 9, Beijing has flown near-constant sorties into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), sometimes conducting as many as 30 in a day. On Sept. 21, China claimed that the median line, the boundary between the airspace of Taiwan and China that both sides had generally respected for decades, no longer existed.
These are the tense cross-strait circumstances a newly elected Biden will step into when he takes the oath of office in January. The decisions he makes concerning Taiwan will shape the future of the self-governing island, a democracy of nearly 24 million people and the 21st- largest economy in the world, as well as the tenor of U.S.-China relations regional stability.
So what can we expect from the next president on Taiwan? We can already see some differences emerge. For example, when Trump won the 2016 election, he received congratulations from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen via phone. This made him the first president or president-elect to speak directly to the president of Taiwan since the United States normalized relations with Beijing in 1979. On the occasion of Biden’s election, no such phone call took place. Instead, Tsai sent her congratulations via Twitter, avoiding direct contact between the two.
This is just one anecdote. But does it suggest that Biden’s approach to Taiwan will differ greatly from that of the Trump administration?
Yes and no. The cornerstones of U.S. Taiwan policy — arms sales and strategic ambiguity — will change little under a Biden administration. The big difference will be in how Biden tries to maintain stability across the Strait.
The Trump administration has been bold in its arms sales, approving over $17 billion worth of arms over the past four years and blurring the line between offensive and defensive weaponry. Moreover, the Trump administration agreed to sell 66 F-16s to Taiwan in one of the largest arms sale packages ever offered to the island nation.
Yet while Trump earned praise for bolstering Taiwanese defenses against a possible mainland invasion, his approach to arms sales did not deviate significantly from his predecessors. The stated goal of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan is to ensure the “security, or social or economic system, of the people of Taiwan” and to further the “principle of maintaining peace and stability in the Western Pacific.” In other words, arms sales are largely dependent on the military threat Beijing poses
For example, relations between the PRC and Taiwan deteriorated during the early 1990s, leading to the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis and a spike in U.S. arms sales to Taiwan at the beginning of the Clinton administration. Trump was also not the first president to sell high-end aircraft to Taiwan; President George H. W. Bush sold F-16s. And while Clinton, the second Bush, and Obama all decided against selling the F-16, choosing instead to help upgrade and maintain aircraft already in Taiwan’s possession, the recent sale received bipartisan support largely because of the heightened threat posed by Beijing today.
Biden will maintain similar policies, continuing to offer arms to Taipei to address the growing threat across the Strait. Biden is a strong supporter of the policy; he was one of the original senators who voted for the Taiwan Relations Act, which serves as the basis for the sales. But that doesn’t mean that he will offer similarly large packages to Taipei; much of the island’s need for weaponry and equipment has already been fulfilled through recent sales. It is also possible that Biden may try to soften the blow to Beijing by not overly publicizing sales or by notifying Beijing privately before sales are announced. But the sales themselves will continue regardless.
When it comes to America’s overall position, strategic ambiguity has guided U.S. policy on Taiwan for decades. Presidents have periodically questioned the policy, but none have gone so far as to change it.
The same can be said for Trump. Initially, the direct call between him and Tsai caused many to speculate that he may choose to support Taiwan’s independence openly. But he was cautious in the following years to avoid actions that Beijing or Taipei could construe as recognition. Indeed, despite attempts from within his party to discard strategic ambiguity, Trump limited himself to the vague, “China knows what I’m gonna do.”
Recently, there has been a flurry of debate about whether it’s time to abandon the policy as a warning to Beijing. But such views likely do not represent those of the president-elect. Biden is on record with his support of strategic ambiguity, which he has described as “reserv[ing] the right to use force to defend Taiwan but [keep] mum about the circumstances in which we might, or might not, intervene in a war across the Taiwan Strait.”
Continuing to embrace strategic ambiguity doesn’t mean Biden will be less supportive of Taiwan than Trump. Biden was the first Democratic presidential candidate to extend congratulations to Tsai when she won reelection in January. But he correctly views strategic ambiguity as the best way to deter Beijing without emboldening Taiwan. In his words, “The president should not cede to Taiwan, much less to China, the ability automatically to draw us into a war across the Taiwan Strait.”
If the main contours of U.S.-Taiwan policy remain the same, then does it make a difference who is president? Absolutely. While Biden will work towards the same goal of deterring Beijing without emboldening Taipei, he will embrace different, more effective ways for achieving it.
Trump could not protect Taiwan’s international space because he purposefully reduced U.S. influence in international institutions. He pulled out of numerous international organizations and deals, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Paris Climate Agreement, the United Nations Human Rights Council, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. So there was little that could be done when China forced Taipei out of the WHO’s World Health Assembly in 2017, where it had been an observer since a 2009 agreement. In 2020, China forced Taiwan’s exclusion even though its COVID-19 response was one of the most successful in the region, and condemnation from the State Department was largely ignored. Similarly, Taipei has also been kept at the margins of the United Nations Climate Change Conference since the United States left the Paris Agreement. And although entry into the TTP is a priority for Taiwanese leaders, Taipei lost its best path to joining without Washington to champion its candidacy.
Biden, as he has already showed through moves such as cancelling Trump’s attempt to pull out of WHO, will be more involved in international institutions and strive to regain the United States’ global leadership role. This will give the United States more institutional power to advocate for Taipei’s inclusion and protect Taiwan’s international space better than the Trump administration’s unilateral efforts. Moreover, Biden is likely to reinstate the budgets for key U.S. organizations like USAID that Trump undermined and gutted. He also nominated a critic of the World Bank and IMF to oversee the U.S. role in both institutions. Reduced development aid and perceptions that American influence in the Pacific was declining have pushed countries toward China. In 2019, the Republic of Kiribati and the Solomon Islands both switched recognition from Taiwan to mainland China in exchange for multi-million dollar infrastructure deals.
A Biden administration will also work more with allies to meet the broader challenges China poses. The United States would not expect its security partners to play an integral role in any armed defense of Taiwan. But even the diplomatic support of other countries could go far in cautioning an increasingly confident Beijing.
In contrast, the Trump administration has relied mainly on unilateral options to enhance deterrence against the PRC, like freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs). These operations in which the U.S. navy sails through areas over which China has illegally declared sovereignty will likely continue under a Biden administration, but less frequently as he shifts to utilizing nonmilitary tools as well.
But the bigger change will be Biden’s tone. Trump has focused on provoking Beijing — using Taiwan as “an instrument of pushback against China.” Last month, a second high-level visit from a U.S. official to Taiwan within two months prompted China to fly 18 military aircraft across the sensitive midline on the Taiwan Strait, forcing Taipei to scramble fighter jets in response. The sale of F-16s was delayed because Trump was using it as a bargaining chip in trade deal negotiations with China.
Biden’s goal will not be to threaten Chinese interests for its own sake but to maintain the status quo across the Strait. For example, he has stated publicly that the United States should not come to Taiwan’s aid if Taiwan provokes war by declaring independence.
This more balanced approach will do much to reassure Beijing. Deterrence requires both reassurance and credible threats. The Trump administration has been effective at the former, signaling to Beijing that Washington is willing to defend Taiwan if necessary. But Washington must also avoid making Beijing believe that it will punish it no matter what, or else the United States loses the power to shape China’s potential use of force. Thus, reassuring Beijing that the United States is not attempting to change the status quo by encouraging Taiwanese independence is equally important. Hopefully, Biden will reinstate this balance. | https://medium.com/freeman-spogli-institute-for-international-studies/biden-will-speak-softer-but-act-stronger-on-taiwan-c9cd7dfeb296 | ['Fsi Stanford'] | 2020-11-12 14:20:49.113000+00:00 | ['Biden', 'Foreign Policy', 'China', 'Taiwan'] |
10 Invaluable Lessons on Digital Transformation in 2019 | Real talk: every company is currently tackling digital transformation in their own way. Love it or hate it, it’s happening. In fact, chances are that the company you work for, or want to work for, has plans for it. This is an exciting time to see these technologies play out, and last month, I got to see it first-hand at PLDT’s Philippine Digital Convention 2019.
The energy at the event was infectious and I found myself marveling at the pioneering digital solutions and innovative business concepts shared by industry leaders and digital experts. Envisioned with the theme “Come to the Edge”, the convention was all about the impact of technology on businesses, the state of communication, and ideas that unlock the doors to a successful digital transformation.
I personally found the idea to be very thought-proving, so I asked myself, “What does it mean to come to the edge?”. Based on the speakers and delegate-discussions, this is what I gleaned:
Tech has accelerated the pace of change and brought us to the edge. What does this entail? High performance, low latency, edging out competitors, bolder decisions, focusing on proximity, pushing the limits, living on the edge.
Now, coming down to the meat and potatoes of it all — here are the 10 invaluable lessons I picked up at #PHDigicon2019:
“We don’t have a choice on whether we digitally transform; the choice is how well we do it.” — Erik Qualman, Motivational Keynote Speaker and #1 Bestselling Author
Picture taken by Charu Misra of Erik Qualman at #PHDigicon2019
2. “With 2019 forecasted to see huge milestones in the tech and business landscapes, many analysts predict that this year will be the beginning of the 4th Industrial Revolution.” (due to advancements in AI, IoT, machine learning etc.) — Jovy Hernandez, SVP & Head, PLDT & Smart Enterprise Business Groups
3. Tech is not designed to replace face-to-face interaction. It’s to help when time and distance are an issue.
4. Job Displacement: Cisco conducted a study based on 275 million full-time equivalent workers employed in the six largest ASEAN economies and found that 28 million of those workers are going to be displaced. Innovations in digital technology will move workers from what they are currently doing to what is required in the future.
Picture taken by Charu Misra of Naveen Menon at #PHDigicon2019
5. Word of Mouth is now World of Mouth. The businesses of yesterday had to rely on customers spreading their message via verbal waterfall. Increased communication and the internet have allowed that process to occur on a global scale, at lighting speed. What was once word of mouth, is now world of mouth. We actually have that speed!
6. Gone are the days of photo copies and binders stuffed in chunky drawers and cabinets. Currently, we’re in a situation where we’re seeing everything move to the cloud. In order for enterprises to keep up, you absolutely need software-defined WAN (SD-WAN).
7. Did you know that it would take Niagara Falls 210,000 years to use up one quintillion gallons of water? If that surprises you, get this: there are 2.5 quintillion bytes of data being generated every single day(!!) So what we need is an edge in analytics to compete and succeed in the digital age.
8. Trans-humanism: the possibility of fundamentally improving the human condition beyond its current physical and mental limitations, especially by means of science and technology. | https://medium.com/the-looking-glass/10-invaluable-lessons-on-digital-transformation-in-2019-cf5f31f08e0a | ['Charu Misra'] | 2019-08-13 04:12:32.045000+00:00 | ['Artificial Intelligence', 'Technology', 'Analytics', 'Digital Transformation', 'Digital Marketing'] |
Genome Engineering Emerges from the Shadows | Originally published on January 14, 2020 in Johns Hopkins’ blog Biomedical Odyssey (link)
In a solitary cavern located on a long-forgotten island, a group of three men sit cloaked in darkness. They are nestled side by side in a neat row and their limbs are fastened, such that they can only look forward into the inky black recesses of the cave. The three men have been locked in this position since childhood and, having only observed the cave’s interior throughout their lifetimes, know nothing of the outside world. Suddenly, a fourth man lights a fire behind the other three, dousing the cave floor in a soft orange hue. He contorts his hands in such a way that their shadows produce projections of animals onto the cave floor.
What would you suppose the three men might say to one another about those shadows? Might they seek to name and characterize the behavior of the hazy shapes that they observe? Might they regard those observations as the Truth, even though we — the reader — know that those shadows are manufactured by a fourth man? If their binds were released, the three men would learn about the fourth man’s shadow puppetry. Might they come to realize the perceptual limitations they once donned in their formerly restricted state? How might they use their newfound knowledge?
Inspired by Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave,” described in the famed philosophical tome Republic, this hypothetical thought experiment allows us to peer into the nature of human perception, especially when faced with new information. Its natural conclusion is that people are often compelled to draw far-reaching and borderline absurd interpretations on the basis of limited information. However, people also possess the capacity to establish a deeper understanding that harmonizes with the objective reality, given sufficient context and time to ruminate.
As is the case for the three men in the cave, the fruits of modern molecular biology offer us a shadow on the wall, begging for an interpretation — a powerful tool that allows one to engineer the genetic code of virtually any organism. Practitioners in the field of medicine have come to recognize its importance, but perspectives about how the technology can and should be used are still in their infancy. In order to navigate this precarious position, let us return to first principles: Of each particular thing, ask what is it in itself? What is its nature?
On the Nature of CRISPR
CRISPR is an abbreviation for ‘clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats,’ which describes the unusual DNA fragments that the Spanish microbiologist Francisco Mojica discovered in the interior of bacterial cells (Cell). He, along with others in the field, soon discovered the DNA-cutting enzymes that were responsible for producing such fragments, of which the most well-known is Cas9. Yet, it was unclear why bacteria would benefit from an enzyme that cuts DNA. Wouldn’t such an enzyme compromise the integrity of the bacteria itself by digesting its own genome?
The results of pivotal follow-up studies made it apparent that Cas9 specifically targets DNA derived from viruses, thereby conferring adaptive immunity to viral infection. As is often the case in scientific investigation, the answer to one question inspired many more questions, and investigators wondered how Cas9 managed to specifically target viral DNA. They found that Cas9 achieves target specificity by complexing with special RNA molecules that harbor sequences complementary to viral genomes against which they have acquired resistance. These RNA molecules allow Cas9 to more readily lure treacherous viral DNA molecules into its biochemical jaws.
How did CRISPR-Cas9 blossom from an obscure microbial system of innate immunity into the breakthrough genome editing technique that it is now recognized for? Two creative scientists whose paths converged at an American Society for Microbiology conference — the French bioinformatician Emmanuelle Charpentier and the American structural biologist Jennifer Doudna — capitalized on a key principle by which the CRISPR-Cas9 system operates: its interchangeability. Given that Cas9 uses an evolved virus-directed RNA guide to cut specific sites of viral DNA, the system could presumably be reconstituted with minimal components and a tailor made ‘single-guide RNA’ (sgRNA), in order to cut the genomes of cells from another species at an intended position. The target cell’s internal DNA repair system would then step in to either produce a desired deletion or an insertion. In other words, scientists could use Charpentier and Doudna’s CRISPR-Cas9 system to modify or delete genes in the genome as they saw fit. This coupled with critical optimizations of the cellular distribution and stability of CRISPR-Cas9 components by the talented microbiologist Feng Zhang allowed even mammalian genomes — including those of human cells — to be efficiently engineered at a relatively low cost. How, then, should this tool be deployed?
Knowledge Is Power (and a Substantial Responsibility)
Upon seeing shadows cast upon the cave floor, the three men sought to extrapolate the cause of their behavior based on the limited stimulus that occupied their senses. Yet, the shadows themselves came about through mechanisms not yet privy to their senses — a fabrication by a fourth man. Scientists, just as with most other human beings, are readily susceptible to misinterpretation, like three men in the cave might have been in Plato’s allegory. History is replete with the catastrophic extrapolations of powerful insights brought about by individuals who lacked sufficient context or ethical forethought in one way or another.
Hermann Joseph Muller, a German 20th century geneticist, was awarded the 1946 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine “for the discovery that mutations can be induced by X-rays.” He performed the crucial work that the Nobel committee would come to recognize under the tutelage of Thomas Hunt Morgan, an American evolutionary biologist who himself was awarded the 1933 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine “for his discoveries concerning the role played by the chromosome in heredity.” Muller’s mutagenesis studies implied both that genes were made of matter and that they were prone to change by external factors. At long last, scientific efforts equipped humankind with a crude, but surefire, method of altering one’s genetic code. Unfortunately, Muller was also an ardent advocate of the eugenics movement and believed that X-ray mediated mutagenesis, if applied to human beings on a society-wide scale, had the potential to bring about an illusory ideal of human perfection. This idea, along with other gross misinterpretations of Darwinian evolution, would shape the ideological platform of the Third Reich and set off World War II (The Gene).
These calamitous misunderstandings were not just limited to the brain trusts of notorious authoritarian regimes. The very same war motivated the application of nuclear physics for the production of weapons with the capacity to precipitate devastation on a scale never before seen in history. Novel findings in behavioral psychology were harnessed to concoct propaganda that was used to manipulate public perception of subsequent conflicts, like the Cold War and the Vietnam War. Could a genome engineering platform like CRISPR also inspire misuse?
Perhaps the greatest concern among genetics-oriented bioethics groups has been the use of CRISPR to edit the human germline — sperm or egg — which would propagate changes to the genome in successive generations. Some regard the uncertain butterfly effects of making persistent changes to the human genome as bearing an intolerable burden of risk to the future of humankind. In November 2018, a biophysicist at the University of China in Shenzhen named He Jiankui crossed the proverbial line when he announced the birth of baby twins, for whom he had used CRISPR to disable the CCR5 gene (Nature). Although Jiankui’s intervention could hypothetically render those children immune to contracting HIV, he failed to provide sufficient evidence as to the fidelity of the edit and the overall health of the children, which further escalated concerns among the scientific community. On Dec. 30, 2019, a Chinese court sentenced He Jiankui to three years in prison, citing regulatory and ethical violations (STAT). Though the fate of genome engineering for the purposes of germline editing remains murkier than ever, it would be prudent to recall past misunderstandings of new and powerful scientific insights. Well-intentioned use of such tools must be supplemented with sufficient informational or ethical context, so as to avoid disastrous misunderstandings that have plagued us in the past.
The First Clinical Application of CRISPR Gene-Edited Therapies in the U.S.
A number of businesses have sprung up in an effort to responsibly commercialize the vast opportunities that CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering might offer patients. One such company, aptly named CRISPR Therapeutics, is a company based in Switzerland that was co-founded by Emmanuelle Charpentier (scientific founder), Chad Cowan (founding scientist), Rodger Novak (founding CEO), and Shaun Foy (former venture capitalist at Nomura and founding CFO) in 2013 (Science). In December 2017, CRISPR Therapeutics formed a pact with Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a large forward-thinking American pharmaceutical company, to co-develop an adoptive cell therapy for the treatment of two blood disorders: sickle cell anemia and β-thalassemia (CRISPR Therapeutics press release).
Both maladies are inherited and arise as a result of mutations in the same gene: β-hemoglobin, an important protein that equips red blood cells with the ability to distribute oxygen from the lungs to various other organ systems in the body. In the case of sickle cell anemia, mutated hemoglobin results in the formation of misshapen red blood cells that are more prone to clotting and have a diminished oxygen carrying capacity. In the case of β-thalassemia, different mutations render hemoglobin significantly more prone to degradation, resulting in a near complete loss of the protein. Both disorders result in developmental deficiencies and long-term organ damage, as a result of poor oxygenation. Additionally, patients with sickle cell anemia are at a significantly higher risk of heart attack or stroke.
Scientists at CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex Pharmaceuticals devised a clever strategy to circumvent the complications arising from distortions in the hemoglobin gene. It so turns out that human red blood cells generate a separate type of hemoglobin during fetal development, though production of this fetal hemoglobin entirely disappears within one year after birth. Throughout early childhood, red blood cells gradually come to rely on alternate hemoglobin genes — including the very gene that is responsible for sickle cell anemia and β-thalassemia. Their novel therapeutic strategy involved extracting hematopoietic stem cells — which churn out red blood cells — from the bone marrow of patients, editing the genome to re-express fetal hemoglobin, and re-implanting those modified stem cells into the bone marrow. The production of fetal hemoglobin in adulthood could potentially restore the oxygen carrying capacity of red blood cells and, in the case of sickle cell anemia, revert them to their healthy, disklike shape.
In November 2019, both companies unveiled early results of two ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trials (CRISPR Therapeutics press release, FierceBiotech). They highlighted the disease progression of two patients — one with β-thalassemia and the other with sickle cell anemia — who had received this one-time treatment. In the two years prior to receiving the treatment, the patient with β-thalassemia required an average of 16.5 blood transfusions per year, in order to compensate for a hemoglobin deficiency. However, this patient did not require a single blood transfusion in the nine months following the treatment. The patient with sickle cell anemia experienced an average of seven vaso-occlusive crises (painful blood clots) per year. Yet, this patient did not experience a single vaso-occlusive crisis in the four months following the treatment. Furthermore, both patients displayed high fetal hemoglobin content. Coincidentally, Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced its intentions to lease a 256,000-square-foot building to serve as a facility for manufacturing cell and gene therapies within a week of announcing the interim results of their clinical trial (FierceBiotech).
These early signs could foreshadow an inflection point for the positioning of CRISPR-based medicines in modern health care. As is the case with the CRISPR-Vertex collaboration, the technology could serve as a powerful platform for the fabrication of genetically modified adoptive cell therapies that have curative potential for inherited genetic disorders, like sickle cell anemia and β-thalassemia. The trend-setting pharmaceutical company Vertex Pharmaceuticals could inspire other large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to follow suit and forge developmental partnerships with envelope-pushing genome engineering companies like CRISPR Therapeutics. Importantly, the development of these novel therapeutics will pass through layers of ethical and regulatory filters, so as to promote responsible use of genome engineering technologies. In Plato’s allegory, the three men ultimately emerged from the cavern, armed with a more holistic understanding of the world and a will to apply this newfound knowledge to beneficial ends. Perhaps CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering is similarly poised to emerge from the shadows and have its day in the sun.
Update: About 9 months after this article was originally published, the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was jointly awarded to Emmanuel Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna “for the development of a method for genome editing” (Nobel press release). Furthermore, Vertex & CRISPR Therapeutics presented updated clinical results for their cell therapy in November, 2020 at the annual American Society of Hematology (ASH) conference. According to FierceBiotech, “fetal hemoglobin levels rose in all 7 patients after administration of CTX001 and have remained elevated for up to 15 months of follow-up…the 5 beta thalassemia patients last needed packed red blood cells in the first month or two after receiving CTX001, having previously more than 10 units a year, and neither of the sickle cell patients have suffered vaso-occlusive crises since being treated.” | https://medium.com/@rvchikar/genome-engineering-emerges-from-the-shadows-7e3b231d18be | ['Roshan Chikarmane'] | 2020-12-25 02:54:10.318000+00:00 | ['Venture Capital', 'Biotechnology', 'Pharmaceutical', 'Medicine', 'Science'] |
What Was Life Really Like In The Middle Ages? | You are watching your favourite historical shows and movies; You see the blood red wine, the giant turkey on the table and all the potatoes,of course, under romantic candle light . Your mouth watery, you wonder what it would feel like to experience all that royalty. Oh, if only you could wear those pretty lacy dresses and drop your hankerchief for a handsome knight to return it.
But, wait a minute. What would you even be in the Middle Ages? Surely you are special but what if you really aren’t? Or let’s say you are; Would it really be all rainbows and butterflies? Let’s take a lookt both scenarios in comparison
Clothing
Peasants generally wore tunics that could be easily made by folding a long fabric. For men it generally fell to their thighs while women wore it like a dress, with slits up the sides for better movement. Blue tunics made by the woad plants were the most common; I doubt it was royal blue though…
Undergarments weren’t really popular until the 14th century but definitely weren’t unheard of. To them, this was a luxury, to the point of passing down undergarments when a ‘richer’ peasant died.
But wait! At least they have those cool hoodies right?
Well, unfortunately they were mostly at chin length. Cause to them that would have been unnecessary expense.
But hey, it wasn’t always boring and practical; Italian men rocked sock thights. Practical, yet fun!
As for the servants in the palace, the colour of their clothes would signify a rank. The King would wear a well made tunic with gold thread and also a surcoat with their emblem on it.
While peasants spiced things up with a linen undergarnments, the royals used the most expensive material in their clothing from the finest silk to the rarest jewelery. However this was mostly towards the end of the Middle Ages because the kings were busy figthing at wars in the beginning. Thus, practicality was the key.
During the High Middle Ages, as royals got more wealthy, it got more and more visible in their clothing. The Queen even wore certain clothing items that only she was allowed to wear.
Food
Thanks to pots being examined with the help of chemical analysis, certain food items were identified by researchers of the University of Bristol for the first time; Including even butchery techniques! The pottery covers 500 years of Middle Ages.
Appearently, these were some of the food peasants ate:
Unfortunately, not much is known about what peasants usuallyt ate; But i doubt there was a huge variety anyways…
It is also known that salt was expensive at the time, so people would buy salt in big quantities every year.
People ate with their hands at the time and when forks were introduced towards the end of the Middle Ages, it seemed silly to many. Seems like people didn’t care about being hygenic, yikes. The royals on the other hand had many rules on how to behave at the table. Which also sounds tough but at least you would look fancier.
As for the royals, feasts were quite important since there wouldn’t be much to eat during the war. Oddly enough, they thought having breakfast was for the weak. Chicken, geese, pork, beef (less common), venison, duck and even cats and hedgehogs were liked; And to make it extra special, swan and peacock were preferred. Weird flex, but okay…
The royals also enjoyed dipping their bread in sauces, mustard was a favourite. Honey was the only way to sweeten food since spices were expensive as spices came from Far East. So maybe, that delicious looking turkey was actually pretty bland.
Almonds were pretty popular as a thickener in soups, stews and sauces.
Now, i am sure all of you are wondering about wine. While the royals had their quality wine, the commoners would have poor quality ones and mostly beer.
Now now, you wouldn’t expect it to be all normal right? (Not including the feasts of course…)There were also some quite bizarre food options back then :
To entertain the guests, very questionable choices were made; Like a meal called ‘singing chicken’ which was made by tying its neck with quicksilver and ground sulphur, which, when it was reheated, made it sound like it was singing. Another style of ‘entertainment’ was hiding alive frogs in pastries. When the pastries were cut open, the frogs would jump out and surprise the guests. Another brutal form of ‘entertainment’ was an alive chicken boiled and plucked, appearing to be dead at first on the table. The chicken would then wake up in horror and run, which was funny appearently. Opposed to that, there would also be animals made to look alive. Better i guess…
During the meatless days, Lamprey was another choice. Which, if you didn’t know, is a fish that sucks blood. Sounds gross and dangerous, huh? Not for King Henry of England; He enjoyed it a lot… Until he died because of it. There was another ‘spicy’ meal called sheep penis. Wait, you thought i made a sexual joke? It was actually served with ginger, cinnamon and pepper.You perv.
Another food with a great name was called ‘Garbage’. Which served its name quite well, it was stew consisting of chicken head, feet, livers and gizzard. But don’t get too grossed out, it was seasoned.
As a drink to chug down all that deliciousness, you could have some cock ale; Which consisted of crushed boiled cock, raisins, nutmeg, mace, dates.
Now let’s see what’s for dessert…A pie! You can guess it was a real treat. It is hard to make a pie as it is, and on top of that, catching wild animals and making a meat pie out of it? Yum!
Hygiene
The thing is, we cannot talk about hygiene without generalizing. Hygiene varied depending on the time and status. So please keep that in mind. But here are some gross facts!
When people were done with their business, they would throw their waste out of the window or the balcony. Thanks to that, the smell of the streets would be so lovely that people had nosebags filled with scents, for when the smell got exceptionally lovely.
Oh, look who that is! It is your business partner. You sit next to him and share business ideas. The atmosphere is friendly, you smile and shake hands. You offer leaves for them to wipe their butt and get off your bench toilet with a hole, but with a fulfilled soul.
If that wasn’t intimate enough, worry not! Join some strangers for a public bath. Now you will get rid of your bacteria and get out with new ones, yay! Oh, and maybe a disease. But hey, no complaning. Even the royals could bathe every other month; And let’s say you are a commoner, you still have 3 chances of bathing for the whole year!
Now that you are all ‘clean’, it is time to wear your clothes that were washed with urine. Now your clothes will have no stain, but a smell! | https://medium.com/@durunarli/what-was-life-really-like-in-the-middle-ages-9028bacdc4e3 | ['Duru Narlı'] | 2021-02-13 17:42:26.911000+00:00 | ['History', 'Medieval History', 'Facts', 'Medieval', 'Middle Age'] |
Elite — (s04e01) Series 4 Episode 1 [Full Episode] 2021 | ⭐A Target Package is short for Target Package of Information. It is a more specialized case of Intel Package of Information or Intel Package.
✌ THE STORY ✌
Its and Jeremy Camp (K.J. Apa) is a and aspiring musician who like only to honor his God through the energy of music. Leaving his Indiana home for the warmer climate of California and a college or university education, Jeremy soon comes Bookmark this site across one Melissa Heing
(Britt Robertson), a fellow university student that he takes notices in the audience at an area concert. Bookmark this site Falling for cupid’s arrow immediately, he introduces himself to her and quickly discovers that she is drawn to him too. However, Melissa holds back from forming a budding relationship as she fears it`ll create an awkward situation between Jeremy and their mutual friend, Jean-Luc (Nathan Parson), a fellow musician and who also has feeling for Melissa. Still, Jeremy is relentless in his quest for her until they eventually end up in a loving dating relationship. However, their youthful courtship Bookmark this sitewith the other person comes to a halt when life-threating news of Melissa having cancer takes center stage. The diagnosis does nothing to deter Jeremey’s love on her behalf and the couple eventually marries shortly thereafter. Howsoever, they soon find themselves walking an excellent line between a life together and suffering by her Bookmark this siteillness; with Jeremy questioning his faith in music, himself, and with God himself.
✌ STREAMING MEDIA ✌
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a provider. The verb to stream refers to the procedure of delivering or obtaining media this way.[clarification needed] Streaming identifies the delivery approach to the medium, rather than the medium itself. Distinguishing delivery method from the media distributed applies especially to telecommunications networks, as almost all of the delivery systems are either inherently streaming (e.g. radio, television, streaming apps) or inherently non-streaming (e.g. books, video cassettes, audio tracks CDs). There are challenges with streaming content on the web. For instance, users whose Internet connection lacks sufficient bandwidth may experience stops, lags, or slow buffering of this content. And users lacking compatible hardware or software systems may be unable to stream certain content.
Streaming is an alternative to file downloading, an activity in which the end-user obtains the entire file for the content before watching or listening to it. Through streaming, an end-user may use their media player to get started on playing digital video or digital sound content before the complete file has been transmitted. The term “streaming media” can connect with media other than video and audio, such as for example live closed captioning, ticker tape, and real-time text, which are considered “streaming text”.
This brings me around to discussing us, a film release of the Christian religio us faith-based . As almost customary, Hollywood usually generates two (maybe three) films of this variety movies within their yearly theatrical release lineup, with the releases usually being around spring us and / or fall respectfully. I didn’t hear much when this movie was initially aounced (probably got buried underneath all of the popular movies news on the newsfeed). My first actual glimpse of the movie was when the film’s movie trailer premiered, which looked somewhat interesting if you ask me. Yes, it looked the movie was goa be the typical “faith-based” vibe, but it was going to be directed by the Erwin Brothers, who directed I COULD Only Imagine (a film that I did so like). Plus, the trailer for I Still Believe premiered for quite some us, so I continued seeing it most of us when I visited my local cinema. You can sort of say that it was a bit “engrained in my brain”. Thus, I was a lttle bit keen on seeing it. Fortunately, I was able to see it before the COVID-9 outbreak closed the movie theaters down (saw it during its opening night), but, because of work scheduling, I haven’t had the us to do my review for it…. as yet. And what did I think of it? Well, it was pretty “meh”. While its heart is certainly in the proper place and quite sincere, us is a little too preachy and unbalanced within its narrative execution and character developments. The religious message is plainly there, but takes way too many detours and not focusing on certain aspects that weigh the feature’s presentation.
✌ TELEVISION SHOW AND HISTORY ✌
A tv set show (often simply Television show) is any content prBookmark this siteoduced for broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, cable, or internet and typically viewed on a television set set, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are usually placed between shows. Tv shows are most often scheduled well ahead of The War with Grandpa and appearance on electronic guides or other TV listings.
A television show may also be called a tv set program (British EnBookmark this siteglish: programme), especially if it lacks a narrative structure. A tv set Movies is The War with Grandpaually released in episodes that follow a narrative, and so are The War with Grandpaually split into seasons (The War with Grandpa and Canada) or Movies (UK) — yearly or semiaual sets of new episodes. A show with a restricted number of episodes could be called a miniMBookmark this siteovies, serial, or limited Movies. A one-The War with Grandpa show may be called a “special”. A television film (“made-for-TV movie” or “televisioBookmark this siten movie”) is a film that is initially broadcast on television set rather than released in theaters or direct-to-video.
Television shows may very well be Bookmark this sitehey are broadcast in real The War with Grandpa (live), be recorded on home video or an electronic video recorder for later viewing, or be looked at on demand via a set-top box or streameBookmark this sited on the internet.
The first television set shows were experimental, sporadic broadcasts viewable only within an extremely short range from the broadcast tower starting in the. Televised events such as the 2020 Summer OlyBookmark this sitempics in Germany, the 2020 coronation of King George VI in the UK, and David Sarnoff’s famoThe War with Grandpa introduction at the 9 New York World’s Fair in the The War with Grandpa spurreBookmark this sited a rise in the medium, but World War II put a halt to development until after the war. The 2020 World Movies inspired many Americans to buy their first tv set and in 2020, the favorite radio show Texaco Star Theater made the move and became the first weekly televised variety show, earning host Milton Berle the name “Mr Television” and demonstrating that the medium was a well balanced, modern form of entertainment which could attract advertisers. The firsBookmBookmark this siteark this sitet national live tv broadcast in the The War with Grandpa took place on September 4, 2020 when President Harry Truman’s speech at the Japanese Peace Treaty Conference in SAN FRAElite CO BAY AREA was transmitted over AT&T’s transcontinental cable and microwave radio relay system to broadcast stations in local markets.
✌ FINAL THOUGHTS ✌
The power of faith, love, and affinity for take center stage in Jeremy Camp’s life story in the movie I Still Believe. Directors Andrew and Jon Erwin (the Erwin Brothers) examine the life span and The War with Grandpas of Jeremy Camp’s life story; pin-pointing his early life along with his relationship Melissa Heing because they battle hardships and their enduring love for one another through difficult. While the movie’s intent and thematic message of a person’s faith through troublen is indeed palpable plus the likeable mThe War with Grandpaical performances, the film certainly strules to look for a cinematic footing in its execution, including a sluish pace, fragmented pieces, predicable plot beats, too preachy / cheesy dialogue moments, over utilized religion overtones, and mismanagement of many of its secondary /supporting characters. If you ask me, this movie was somewhere between okay and “meh”. It had been definitely a Christian faith-based movie endeavor Bookmark this web site (from begin to finish) and definitely had its moments, nonetheless it failed to resonate with me; struling to locate a proper balance in its undertaking. Personally, regardless of the story, it could’ve been better. My recommendation for this movie is an “iffy choice” at best as some should (nothing wrong with that), while others will not and dismiss it altogether. Whatever your stance on religion faith-based flicks, stands as more of a cautionary tale of sorts; demonstrating how a poignant and heartfelt story of real-life drama could be problematic when translating it to a cinematic endeavor. For me personally, I believe in Jeremy Camp’s story / message, but not so much the feature.
FIND US:
✔️ https://cutt.ly/RnXpUrx
✔️ Instagram: https://instagram.com
✔️ Twitter: https://twitter.com
✔️ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com | https://medium.com/@elite-s04e01-s-4-episode-1/elite-s04e01-series-4-episode-1-full-episode-2021-56d6ba37ed60 | ['Elite -', 'Series Episode', 'Full Episode'] | 2021-06-17 07:34:12.416000+00:00 | ['Politics', 'Technology', 'Covid 19'] |
Oral Cancer Awareness Month — Our Experience with Oral Cancer Detection | During a comprehensive dental examination, our team will look for signs of oral cancer. Early detection is key with oral cancer. If caught early, most forms of oral cancer are treatable.
Schedule regular oral health examinations to detect oral cancer early. Timely detection increases the chances of survival.
Though everyone is susceptible to oral cancer, some groups of people are at a higher risk. Here are the top risk factors.
Age
Are you in your mid 40s? Your risk of developing oral cancer increases with age. A noticeable increase is evident in people in their 40s and older. The recent increase in Human Papillomavirus (HPV) related cases is causing more people to be diagnosed for oral cancers between the ages of 52 and 56. As the average age for oral cancer cases decreases, it is vital that you receive regular oral cancer screenings at any age.
Gender
Men are twice as likely to develop oral cancer compared to women. Part of this difference may be related to regular intake of alcohol and tobacco. Although the gender difference is decreasing since more women are drinking and using tobacco today than in previous generations. There has also been a trend in recent years of younger men being diagnosed with HPV-related oral cancer. Both men and women should schedule regular oral health examinations to detect oral cancer early.
Tobacco
Smoking or chewing tobacco can greatly increase your risk of developing oral cancer. Tobacco can lead to cancer of the mouth or throat. Additionally, oral tobacco products cause cancers associated with the cheeks, gums, and inner surface of the lips. Development of these cancers depend on the duration and frequency of tobacco use. Non-smokers are not immune to oral cancer, so be sure to schedule an appointment with our team for an examination.
Alcohol
Among those that are diagnosed with oral cancer, about 70% of people are characterized as heavy drinkers. This is defined as having an average of two or more drinks per day for men, and one or more drinks per day for women. People who drink heavily can be more than twice as likely to develop oral cancers than people who do not drink. Oral cancer can still occur in people who have never had an alcoholic drink. Contact our team to schedule an examination.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
People who have HPV-related oral cancers tend to be younger and are unlikely to smoke or drink. Typically, those diagnosed with HPV-related oral cancers are at a much lower risk of death or reoccurrence. We suggest a proactive approach by maintaining regular visits to our dental clinic.
Diet
Poor nutrition can increase your risk for developing oral cancer, particularly diets low in fruits and vegetables and a higher risk for oral cancers. However, oral cancer can develop in healthy individuals. No matter your diet, schedule a visit with our team for a comprehensive oral examination.
Oral cancer does not discriminate. While these seven factors have been tied to an increased risk of oral cancer, that does not diminish the importance of regular oral examinations for everyone regardless of their age, gender, or other factors. Regular dental examinations make it possible for our team to detect oral cancer early. Contact our dentist to schedule a comprehensive oral examination.
Oral Cancer Awareness Month. Take preventive steps to safeguard against oral cancer, and also schedule regular oral health examination at the dental clinic.
What we offer
At Kingston Dental Clinic, our oral surgery team is experienced and qualified to fully remove small benign and pre-cancerous lumps from any part of the mouth (tongue, cheeks, palate, gums, retromolar triangle, floor of the mouth) and send them to a pathology laboratory for a full report. This is completely pain free and the recovery does not take more than a day.
The cause of these lesions and lumps might be due to tumoural changes, pre-cancerous, due to viruses such as HPV, auto-immune, due to trauma from food or your bite, ulcers due to various reasons.
These can be white, red, dark in colour; these can be flat or these can be raised; these can be soft or hard; these can be small or big; these can be in one area or in multiple areas; these can be long lines; these can have a pattern or not; these can be present in other parts of the body; these can hurt or be asymptomatic. Whatever the case, these should not be ignored.
Book with us for advice, or to remove lumps, to be sent for biopsy with a quick result within 1 or 2 weeks. Avoid a lengthy wait and talk to one of our clinicians. | https://medium.com/@kingstondentalclinic/oral-cancer-awareness-month-our-experience-with-oral-cancer-detection-996a9b5d0197 | ['Kingston Dental Clinic'] | 2021-11-26 09:54:38.465000+00:00 | ['Dentistry', 'Cancer', 'Health', 'Dental Care', 'Oral Health'] |
Synbit synthesizes everything, creating a brand-new world | As a decentralized synthetic asset issuance protocol running on Ethereum, Synbit protocol can be used by anyone to recreate traditional financial products and financial derivatives based on cryptography currency, etc. Providing traders with a wide variety of digital assets and traditional financial derivatives trading, Synbit is committed to offering users a safer, more convenient and more efficient synthetic asset trading platform. Compared with the current synthetic asset platform, there exists a tremendous room for enhancement in security guarantee, risk control, issuance mechanism, trading experience and reward mechanism.
Synbit creates a mirror world for real-world assets, which makes assets in traditional trading world traded on the chain via Synbit. On synbit, we can buy and sell stocks, real estate, precious metals and commodities. Of course, only the virtual assets of these financial assets have the access to be traded on the chain. However, we can anchor the asset prices of these trading objects in real time and explore the financial boundary through Oracle.
Synbit is primarily used to create synthetic assets on the chain and the value of all synthetic assets is supported by its mortgage assets. When the mortgagor creates the synthetic assets, debts will be generated. The collateral assets are currently preset as ETH, DAI, SYN, USDT and USDC. When the mortgagor creates the synthetic assets, debts will be generated and he or she must destroy the synthetic assets to repay the debts before unlocking the mortgaged assets. Also, users can directly exchange with other sorts of synthetic assets by purchasing synthetic assets.
Apart from synthetic assets, users can also directly exchange with other sorts of synthetic assets by purchasing synthetic assets. Users will get double rewards in the process of creating or purchasing synthetic assets: (1) Benefit from trading (2) Provide liquidity for the platform to gain revenue. Encourage users to provide liquidity for the platform and promote ecological development through rewards.
In addition, Synbit adopts a unique asset trading model: firstly, users do not necessarily need a counter party to trade assets. When a trader hopes to exchange pUSD into pBTC, he or she can convert it directly based on the current price without a counter party; Secondly, Synbit provides unlimited liquidity in theory without trading slippage, which effectively addresses the liquidity and slippage problems faced by DEX (Decentralized exchange).
Why do people use Synbit?
1. Synbit helps investors reach a broader asset class.
The transaction can be carried out without actually holding the asset through synthetic asset transaction. You can trade the asset, for example, even if you don’t hold btcor Apple Inc. stock. This sort of transaction can not only reduce the friction of asset exchange, but also carry out rapid exchange between different types of assets, such as Tesla stock, gold, oil, bitcoin and other different assets. Therefore, synthetic assets can help investors reach a wider variety of assets and enable assets to reach a wider variety of users.
2. Realize arbitrage
Linked to USD, pUSD is traded in the open market, and the price fluctuates inevitably, which may be higher or lower than USD price. The participants of synthetic assets trading generate synthetic assets by mortgaging specific assets, thus realizing arbitrage from asset price fluctuations. In addition, if users expect an asset (such as BTC) to rise, they are able to obtain the opportunity to earn income by purchasing the synthetic asset (pBTC) of the asset. The price is the same as that of the real asset, which means that once the user purchases, he or she also accepts the possibility of the asset going up or down. Suppose users expect an asset (such as BTC) to fall, they can earn income by selling the synthetic asset (pBTC) and enlarge the income space by purchasing the reverse synthetic asset (nBTC) of the asset.
Being a new concept in the DeFi world, synthetic asset owns a broad development space and unparalleled trading experience. As a token economic mechanism with smooth trading experience and exquisite design based on the concept of synthetic assets, Synbit presents a complete experience of casting, trading and position management. We will constantly verify the security of Synbit and accumulate user trust in practice. | https://medium.com/@synbitprotocol/synbit-synthesizes-everything-creating-a-brand-new-world-a7183c19fea2 | ['Synbit Protocol'] | 2020-10-26 08:20:37.565000+00:00 | ['Blockchain', 'Blockchain Technology', 'Future', 'Blockchain Startup', 'Blockchain Development'] |
Ross Douthat on Decadence and Dynamism (Ep. 91) | Ross Douthat on Decadence and Dynamism (Ep. 91)
For Ross Douthat, decadence isn’t necessarily a moral judgement, but a technical label for a state that societies tend to enter — and one that is perhaps much more normal than the dynamism Americans have come to take for granted. In his new book, he outlines the cultural, economic, political, and demographic trends that threaten to leave us to wallow in a state of civilizational stagnation for years to come, and fuel further discontent and derangement with it.
On his second appearance on Conversations with Tyler, Ross joined Tyler to discuss why he sees Kanye as a force for anti-decadence, the innovative antiquarianism of the late Sir Roger Scruton, the mediocrity of modern architecture, why it’s no coincidence that Michel Houellebecq comes from France, his predictions for the future trajectory of American decadence — and what could throw us off of it, the question of men’s role in modernity, why he feels Christianity must embrace a kind of futurist optimism, what he sees as the influence of the “Thielian ethos” on conservatism, the plausibility of ghosts and alien UFOs, and more.
Note: This conversation was recorded on February 25, 2020.
Listen to the full conversation
Read the full transcript
TYLER COWEN: Hello, and welcome to Conversations with Tyler. I’m here once again with Ross Douthat. Ross has a new book out, which I’m a big, big fan of, called The Decadent Society: How We Became the Victims of Our Own Success.
Ross, welcome.
ROSS DOUTHAT: Thank you for having me back, Tyler. It’s an honor.
COWEN: A very simple question about decadence. I read in the New York Times this morning, which is late February, “In the past several years, Kanye West has announced so many plans. That he wants to start a church. That he plans to run for president in 2024. That he will invent a method for autocorrecting emoticons. That he aims to redesign the standard American home. That he might legally change his name to ‘Christian Genius Billionaire Kanye West’ for a year.”
Is Kanye decadent?
DOUTHAT: No.
COWEN: Why not?
DOUTHAT: Kanye is not decadent because decadence involves drift, repetition, and stalemate, and Kanye’s public persona is defined by creativity, conversion, and reinvention. Now, that’s not to say that Kanye might not participate in decadence. One of the implicit or explicit arguments of my book is that even when you’re a rebel against decadence, it’s very hard to escape these fundamental forces in our society dragging us towards stalemates and repetition.
So maybe all of Kanye’s reinventions and plans to reinvent the question mark come to nothing in the end. But the fact of his ambitions and the fact that he has actually invented a church, right? Kanye has a cult. He has Sunday services that are a unique phenomenon amongst celebrities. So even if there are limits on what he can achieve, he is a force for anti-decadence in a decadent society.
COWEN: So does the popularity of Kanye suggest we’re moving away from decadence? Or is that a kind of placebo we use to insulate ourselves from dynamism? “Oh, I like Kanye.” And then we go about being decadent.
DOUTHAT: That’s probably a little bit of both. You can see this in politics, right? When I started writing the book, a long time ago now, the populist moment hadn’t really arrived in the Western world. So one of the questions hanging over the argument is, Does the populist moment prove that decadence is coming to an end? Does it end with populism and nationalism and the return of history?
I think that’s an open question. The answer that I lean towards in the book is that it doesn’t, that these rebellions are sort of more performative and virtual than real. But their appeal suggests that people aren’t content with decadence, and that is a sign that maybe, at some point, it will come to an end.
Support for Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump partakes of decadence but also represents a desire for something else. And as long as that desire is there, there has to be some possibility of escape.
COWEN: Our mutual acquaintance, Roger Scruton, who died recently — he seemed to love fox hunting and the operas of Richard Wagner. Was that decadence, or is that innovation?
DOUTHAT: I think there are forms of antiquarianism that are sufficiently antiquarian to cease to be decadent and to become almost innovative.
So you could argue that we’ve reached a point where our culture — our mass culture, but also our elite culture — is sufficiently dominated by just repetitions of cultural forms and products from the baby boomer era. That to be an antiquarian, to reach back towards traditions and forms and aesthetic forms that were popular 150 years ago, is also an escape from decadence.
So there we go. Kanye isn’t decadent; Roger Scruton isn’t decadent. We’re whittling away at my thesis one celebrity, or late celebrity, at a time.
COWEN: Are you decadent? You wrote a column about architecture, and in that column you say, “Making American architecture a little more traditional . . . certainly wouldn’t hurt.”
Shouldn’t American architecture be more like Kanye West?
DOUTHAT: Yes, that is decadent. Absolutely. I would say that, basically, the place that modern architecture has ended up and the traditionalist alternative are both sort of decadent, and I prefer the traditionalist forms on aesthetic grounds. But I recognize that they are not dynamic and innovative, that you’re accepting that we’ve reached some dead end in architectural style making and choosing the beauties of traditional forms over some of . . .
Frankly, the less the ugliness, the more the mediocrity that, I think, a lot of post-1960s architectural forms have ended up with. So under my definition, the golden age of brutalism is not decadent. It’s bad, right? I don’t like brutalist architecture —
COWEN: I do.
DOUTHAT: But we can find common ground, at least, in that it was trying to create a distinctive style for a disenchanted age and express something about modernity and the forms. Whereas I think that — and I say this: I’m not a professional architecture critic, so take this with a grain of salt — but the last 25 years of public architecture has been less spectacularly ugly and more just mediocre imitations of more striking modernist forms. But you probably have stronger opinions on this than I do, ultimately.
COWEN: I’m more of an optimist about architecture. The new art and interiors of homes, it seems to me, have become much better. It’s hard to see them precisely because they’re interiors. But when I was a kid, it was very rare you’d see a nice interior of any home, even of a wealthy person. Now, even an upper-middle-class person, you might think, “My goodness, that looks amazing.”
I was in someone’s house in Lubbock. It was gorgeous. That’s Lubbock, Texas, right?
DOUTHAT: Yes, HGTV — the interiors suggest a certain kind of aesthetic progress, although in other ways, HGTV is decadent, so it’s complicated.
COWEN: There’s a famous quotation, with the source actually being contested or unknown, and it goes as follows: “America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between.” True or false?
DOUTHAT: Was that not Clemenceau?
COWEN: People don’t agree.
DOUTHAT: People don’t —
COWEN: Probably it was someone before him, some version of that.
DOUTHAT: Yeah. I enjoy that quote without agreeing with it. I think that America, in many respects, really did represent a particular peak of civilizational progress in the years of its ascent from somewhere in the 19th century up until the moon landing. So I would defend the civilization of the Americans.
It’s particular. There are certain forms — high cultural forms — that America has not specialized in. But America has produced a lot of great mass art, and a certain amount of good elite art, and a lot of impressive technological progress. And I think that adds up to civilization, not barbarism.
COWEN: Was the moon landing, in some sense, a mistake? That after we did that, we patted ourselves on the back too much, and we weren’t sure what to do for an encore, however glorious it may have been?
DOUTHAT: No, it wasn’t. It wasn’t a mistake. You had to do it. It was the thing to be done. It was the furthest step we could take into space that was dramatic and a sort of embodiment of human beings going beyond the planet Earth.
COWEN: But why did we basically stop a little bit after that?
DOUTHAT: What I want to say, as a critic of decadence, is that there was some failure of will or of nerve and so on, but you know —
COWEN: But that’s endogenous, right?
DOUTHAT: Right. You have to acknowledge that the problem with space is that, under current technological conditions, the moon landing was what we could do, and there wasn’t that much else that we could do, certainly that had the presumable financial rewards or opportunities for people starting new lives.
All of the things that drove ages of discovery in earlier periods in human history just weren’t available and still aren’t available. And whatever the sort of psychological civilizational factors at work, that’s the dominant reality that people like me, who really want to go into space, have to acknowledge.
COWEN: But we did settle Nevada afterwards, right? Is that not the greater achievement? They’re both dry, distant.
DOUTHAT: [laughs] The settlement of Nevada is, in a sense, yes, maybe the last great blow against decadence struck, but the way we settled it was not universally . . . I think you can see Las Vegas is decadent under the standard definition of decadence which involves —
COWEN: But not yours.
DOUTHAT: No, but it’s decadent under mine, too, in the sense that it represents a kind of simulated sublimity where you are creating models of all of the great achievements of the human species in the modern world and practicing various forms of entertainment around them. So in that sense, it is under my definition too, not just the chocolates-and-bondage-dens definition. I think it is decadent.
I borrow this concept of the technological sublime from David Nye, and before him, Perry Miller, a couple of great American historians — this idea that American history is punctuated by these moments of some technological breakthrough that’s also a kind of wonder of the world.
And that is distinctively American in a way that is not — in spite of the Eiffel Tower and other things as European examples, does sometimes seem to the more sophisticated European mind, maybe mildly barbaric — our delight in our steam engines and transcontinental railways. But I think it’s been a distinctive part of the American experience that has run out since the moon landing.
And Las Vegas and the iPhone, in different ways, are imitations of that but are more focused on simulation and entertainment than the steamship and the railway and the space shuttle were.
COWEN: Of all the Western nations, given your notion of decadence, which is the least decadent?
DOUTHAT: Are we counting Israel as Western?
COWEN: Not for the purposes of this question.
DOUTHAT: Then probably the United States of America.
COWEN: And what would be number two?
DOUTHAT: I have an impulse to say France, which is sort of strange, right?
COWEN: France? Why France?
DOUTHAT: I would put it this way: I think France is, in certain ways, very advanced in decadence, but it’s also a place where a lot of forces of post-decadence — whatever that may be — are sort of in play in really interesting ways. It’s a place that has some of the most interesting political and intellectual debates about liberalism and post-liberalism, even though it hasn’t actually seen a far-right or far-left party take power.
It’s a place that’s a particular example of the uneasy confrontation between a decadent Europe and Islam and Islamic immigration.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the great chronicler of decadence, Michel Houellebecq, comes from France. In that sense, I think France is both further advanced in its decadence, but also, therefore, more interested in and open to whatever strange things lie beyond. But that’s speculative.
COWEN: Are you long or short France?
DOUTHAT: I am long France in the sense that I think that it is the most likely crucible for whatever forces are going to reshape Europe over the next 100 years. I am short France in the sense that that means it is the place most likely to have a civil war, maybe in the next 100 years. So, long in terms of drama, short maybe in terms of stability.
COWEN: [laughs] I think that means short.
DOUTHAT: Only if you’re an investor, not if you’re a journalist.
COWEN: [laughs] What if I were to argue Canada is, in fact, highly innovative? They seem to have completely sane governance, which is now all of a sudden a novelty, and several of their major cities have foreign-born populations of more than half the total. It works very well.
DOUTHAT: Yes.
COWEN: Also, a lot of those populations are non-Western, different religions. In world history, this is quite astonishing: sane governance and so many foreigners, and their cities are wonderful. Why isn’t that this phenomenal innovation and Canada is the least decadent country, in your sense?
DOUTHAT: I think that’s a reasonable argument, and the careful reader of my book will notice that I don’t talk a great deal about Canada, in part because it doesn’t display as fully a lot of the manifestations of decadence that I’m talking about — political gridlock and sclerosis — which I think fits much of Western Europe, fits the United States, in certain ways fits the Pacific Rim. It has some of the same issues of demographic decline as other countries, but it’s not as steep as East Asia.
And, as you say, it has managed a certain kind of immigrant assimilation in ways that other Western countries are struggling with. In that sense, Canada — if it is decadent, it has decadence without some of the more extreme difficulties associated with it.
I guess my question for you, as an observer of Canada, is, At what point does this sort of Canadian exceptionalism start to dramatically influence the world? And fundamentally, should we think of Canada as a large country, which it is, or as a small country, which it also is?
COWEN: Small country.
DOUTHAT: Right.
COWEN: In some ways, like the Nordics. I’m not sure Canadian exceptionalism will last, but I find striking the question, Why don’t more Americans actually want to move to Canada? They would take either of us, right?
DOUTHAT: That’s very flattering to us, but —
COWEN: We’re still sitting here in Northern Virginia.
DOUTHAT: My wife has descended from Canadians on one side, from Newfoundland and Ontario. And when things get particularly hot on Twitter, she will sometimes suggest that she needs to reclaim her Canadian citizenship.
But I actually think that is how certain Americans think of Canada — not as a land of opportunity, but as sort of a stable and lower-risk version of the US to which they can abscond. And to the extent that’s true, then that suggests that there is this kind of resilient dynamism in the US that comes with risks but doesn’t seem to be on offer in Canada.
But do you think that’s out of date? How dynamic do you think Canada is right now?
COWEN: I think market size matters greatly. So talented Canadians come to the US in great numbers, but not so much vice versa. So it could just be that people care about market size much more than they care about the kinds of issues you and I talk about, and that always gives me pause. Just size of the country seems to be a more important variable relative to the amount of print space it gets from public intellectuals. And that’s why we don’t want to go to Canada. Plus, it’s cold.
DOUTHAT: It is cold. And all Canadians live in a very narrow strip of Canada. The population distribution is, as you would expect, extraordinarily compressed. In effect, geographically, it functions like a very nice northern province of the US with an immense and entertaining hinterland.
COWEN: They will get mad at you for saying that. To me, it feels more like a series of independent city-states on our margins, but I think I would find it problematic to live in a city-state, even in the US. When I go to Texas, I feel comfortable. It’s like I’m in a big country. But when I go to Rhode Island, I feel claustrophobic.
DOUTHAT: But also, the city-state model historically, the most dynamic . . . If you think of, obviously, Venice as a city-state, but even quasi city-states, like you can see the Low Countries in the 17th century as quasi city-states functioning within a landscape of empire. But they have tended to be influential, in part, because of their geographic placement.
Maybe that matters less globally than it once did, but it still feels like Toronto is a terrific city, but it’s not . . . If Toronto were dropped down in a different part of the world, it might be a more influential city.
COWEN: Is decadence cyclical, or it just keeps on getting worse and worse?
DOUTHAT: I think that it can be cyclical. One way to look at it is that, under my definition, it’s a very normal thing for human societies to enter into, perhaps much more normal than the kind of dynamism that we have taken for granted in the US. And to the extent that it reflects patterns of prosperity leading to torpor and stagnation, you would expect a kind of cyclical phenomenon, right?
To take the demographic example, you have real, substantial demographic decline in the Western world. Some of that just reflects the fact that we had this huge influential generation, the baby boom generation, that didn’t have nearly as many kids as their parents did and has sort of bestridden our world for a long time.
It’s possible — it’s sort of a subtheme of the book that, as the baby boom generation passes to their reward, that decadence will ease a little bit, and there’ll be more room for young people to do creative things and attain positions of power and all these kinds of things, and the demographic landscape of Western societies will change a little bit.
So in that sense, I think you can tell a cyclical story and certainly can see cyclical stories in history. I do think, though, that if you just push existing trend lines in the Western world forward, you would say the decadence is likely to deepen, at least over the next 25 to 40 years.
Right now, just to stay with fertility, there does seem to be a kind of low fertility trap that countries get into, where you have small families. Growth and vigor slow down, and in that landscape, there’s less support for having children. So fertility rates stay low, and that drives economic growth rates lower, and those things feed on one another.
That’s why I spend a certain amount of the later parts of the book talking about scenarios that are more disjunctive, where you need something unexpected and dramatic to happen to shift things.
Maybe that’s a particular invention that we’re on the cusp of reaching, or maybe it’s a religious revival that we don’t expect. I think the decadence we have now requires some sort of disjunctive event to shift us out of it, which could very well happen. But if you just plot the course of the United States forward to 2050, I would say that we stay decadent.
COWEN: Maybe the problem with the low birth rate — it’s not that kids aren’t fun, but men are not fun. So once women have some wealth or employment opportunities at all, they don’t need men as much. Those men don’t compete as much to marry those women. You have families forming later or not at all, or there’s high rate of single motherhood of course. But you’ll just have fewer kids. What would possibly reverse the problem of men simply not being that much fun?
DOUTHAT: I think it’s a hard question.
COWEN: Your kids are a lot of fun, right?
DOUTHAT: Right, but you’re right, that’s if you track right. If you track fertility declines in not just the US but, to take a strong case, Finland, which has had, in spite of all its social supports for child-rearing that are the envy of family policy experts the world over — their fertility rate keeps falling. And it seems to be just a consequence of all the trends you said: delayed marriage, delayed family formation, and men, in particular, not seeming to have a clearly defined role.
I go back and forth on this because on the one hand, we have three kids, we’re about to have a fourth —
COWEN: Oh, congratulations.
DOUTHAT: Thank you. And it seems to me, as an observer of marriages and child-rearing, that men are very important, even in our postfeminist, postindustrial age —
COWEN: The good ones.
DOUTHAT: Right, the good ones. But that should create an incentive for cultures and societies to form good ones and to figure out, How do you form good men in this landscape? And we haven’t. It’s pretty clear that we aren’t figuring out exactly how to do that.
Instead, you have these selection effects, where you increasingly have male spaces and female spaces that aren’t single-sex spaces. They aren’t spaces where women go to be women, and men go to be men, and then they meet in the dating market. They are spaces that are heavily female but have a certain percentage of males, or heavily male but have a certain percentage of females, have their own sort of self-contained dating markets where, because of the imbalance, there ends up being hostility between the sexes.
Thus, you have the far-right incels online, complaining about how women are terrible because in their world, there aren’t very many women. So all of the incentives are for women to behave like normal human beings and take advantage of their position. And then on the other side, in left-wing academic environments, you have fewer men, so the men don’t behave as well, and the women feel like the men are terrible.
That seems like a hard cycle to break, and it does seem like you would need some sort of effectively cultural campaign around rebuilding male education and manhood. Right now, the models for that are polarized between conservative religious models that, as a conservative religious person, I’m in favor of, but they obviously have a limited purchase in the culture as a whole, and then more feminist models that are trying to remake men along the lines of female virtues that I don’t think actually work, that don’t effectively identify core ways of making men successful as men.
But I do think — to be the social conservative for a minute — I do think pornography plays a really nasty role in all of this. A society that stigmatized and limited pornography would have at least slightly better men. I think readily available, constantly available pornography pushes men away from women, pushes men away from the cultivation of masculine virtues, makes them less marriageable, makes them literally more impotent in certain ways, and is a sort of underappreciated aspect in the decline of men.
COWEN: In the theology of original sin, what percentage of men are the good ones?
DOUTHAT: Zero.
COWEN: Zero.
DOUTHAT: Well, setting aside Jesus. But the famous phrase, “the line between good and evil runs through every human heart” — we just had this horrifying thing in my own Catholic world where Jean Vanier, the founder of L’Arche — this set of communities where people care for the disabled, but really, they’re communities where people live together. It’s not hospitals for disabled people. It’s communities of people living together — who had died recently, was considered a living saint, and had done incredibly good things.
I personally know people, young men, whose lives were transformed by working in these communities or just writing about these communities. It came out that he had, not a Harvey Weinstein problem, but a milder religious version where he had pressured women, including nuns, into sexual relationships. To their credit, the community put out a report about this.
But men, Catholic men, that I know or observe on the internet were particularly devastated by this because he was this model of saintly Catholic masculinity for them, so it’s a terrible thing. But it’s also — I’m circling around back to your original question — because it doesn’t take away, it doesn’t eliminate the good things he did. He did tremendously good things. He had saintly aspects, but he wasn’t a saint. He had that line running right down the middle of his heart.
COWEN: Do the arguments of your new book lead you to admire Mormonism more?
DOUTHAT: I admired Mormonism a great deal —
COWEN: But at the margin, right?
DOUTHAT: — before I wrote the book, but yes! You asked about nondecadent spaces in the Western world. Israel is one, and you could argue reasonably, I think, that Utah is another.
There is a difficulty for Mormons in that the founding of their faith and some of the pretty obvious controversies associated with it have pushed them a little bit away from certain forms of intellectual and theological work that you would want a really successful religious community bent on evangelizing the United States to be able to do. So that is sort of my non-Mormon Christian caveat about Mormonism.
But in general, I went out to Salt Lake City when Mitt Romney was running for president. They were trying to introduce journalists to Mormondom. We didn’t get to see their Holy of Holies, but we got tours of the missionary centers and the supermarket/food banks that they run for low-income people.
Speaking as a member of a Christian church — Catholicism — that has entered into its own obvious form of decadence in the US over the last 50 years, it’s a shaming experience in certain ways to see what the Mormons can do in the most basic forms of Christianity: feed the hungry, clothe the naked, help drug addicts, help people get their lives together while also serving God. It’s a remarkable and admirable thing that, basically, every other Christian church in the US should be envious of.
And they combine this — in a way that does fit with some of my speculations in the book — with this strong interest in economic development and technological progress. There isn’t high Mormon theology and high Mormon aesthetics, but certainly, the technical side of Americanness is very much on display in Mormon culture.
COWEN: If you see Israel as relatively nondecadent, do you then infer that being under military threat all of the time is what keeps decadence away?
DOUTHAT: Certainly that is one thing, yeah, Israel — there seems to be some sort of existential issue involved in how people think about the future, and part of the book is suggesting that there is a loss of optimism in the Western world, a sense that frontiers are closed. We’re not going to go to the stars. We’re stuck here with ourselves. We’re bored. What do we do now? But there’s also a sense in which extreme pessimism or extreme concern about the future can be a spur against decadence.
And what’s so striking about Israel in demographic terms is that Israel is the one country at its level of income that has a birth rate, not just at replacement, but way above replacement. It’s dipped a little in the last couple of years. And people hear that statistic and say, “Well, it’s just the Ultra-Orthodox having big families.”
But in fact, secular Israelis have much larger than American average families as well, again, in a landscape where their children are in more geopolitical peril than children in the US, in a country that is built out of a desert on a narrow strip of land up against the Mediterranean.
Now politically — we’re recording this in the midst of the interregnum between Israeli elections, of which we’re on track to have 17 in the next year or so — I think that you can see elements of the same political decadence on display in other countries on display in Israel too. So I don’t want to suggest that they’re exempt from the trends I’m describing, but they are — like the Mormons — exceptional relative to the rich society norm.
COWEN: To get back to the theme of your own decadence — you’ve written columns skeptical of the internet. You mentioned pornography a moment ago, which is usually now consumed over the internet. Presumably when it comes to CRISPR babies and transhumanism and genetic engineering, you’re at least partly skeptical, maybe very skeptical.
But if you think those are the areas right now where we’re seeing the major advances, isn’t it the case that, to overcome decadence, you have to actually embrace the innovations that you yourself are not comfortable with? The printing press in its early days led to religious wars. The Catholic Church —
DOUTHAT: I would have certainly been against the printing press, yes. Definitely, there are places where there is a tension between my Catholic or Christian moral commitments and my desire to escape decadence, and certainly I think elements of transhumanism are one of them. And I say as much in the book — you could imagine a real transhuman revolution that would not be decadent, that would mark the end of decadence as I’m describing it, but that I would not welcome.
Decadence isn’t necessarily a moral judgment. I’m stealing my definition from Jacques Barzun, who said, “It’s not a slur, the term, it’s a technical label.” And in that sense, to the extent that it’s a technical label, you have to be able to say things could happen that ended decadence and didn’t lead to collapse or catastrophe, that led to development, change, dynamism, that from a moral perspective I might find repellent.
It’s also why I’m drawn much more to the older frontier, the idea of the space program and space as a frontier, because that’s a case that I think the idea of human beings, as they are, going exploring seems to me much more fundamentally appealing than the idea of human beings staying put and changing who we are.
I’m drawn much more to the older frontier, the idea of the space program and space as a frontier, because that’s a case that I think the idea of human beings, as they are, going exploring seems to me much more fundamentally appealing than the idea of human beings staying put and changing who we are.
I can imagine someone with a different worldview having the opposite reaction, although Silicon Valley seems to have both reactions. You have both investment in space and investment in transhumanism, so they’re playing both sides of the escape-from-decadence scenario.
COWEN: You’ve argued at times that popes should never step down. Would you feel the same way if life extension meant that popes would live to the age of 140 or 150?
DOUTHAT: In that scenario — now we’re into totally speculative terrain — I think that you would expect popes to be elected later, and I think a 50-year pontificate is generally an unwise thing for the Catholic Church in the same way that a 50-year span of governance by any really powerful figure often ends up in bad places in the end. But in the scenario you’re describing, I would imagine that you would elect popes at the ripe late middle age of 120 —
COWEN: New York Times columnists also, right?
DOUTHAT: Well, that would be —
COWEN: You’d be 117, and you’d finally get a column.
[laughter]
DOUTHAT: I think in that case, yeah, you would — maybe 93. The perfect zone for the columnist would be age 80 to 100, and then you would step down. I’ve been a columnist for 10 years, and my assumption is that I will run out of things to say at some point. I just turned 40, so maybe 50 is the point at which I want to have fully transitioned to writing fantasy novels instead.
COWEN: I’ve argued that Peter Thiel is the most influential public intellectual on the right today. Agree or disagree?
DOUTHAT: Mostly agree.
COWEN: Why?
DOUTHAT: Well, first I should say, I have to agree because anyone who reads the book will find a number of quotations from Peter Thiel throughout. And I have, with some emendations, mostly accepted his analysis of the technological and economic component of our stagnation. So I am indebted to him.
I think that he — in his own evolution — has followed, but in certain ways blazed a trail for other evolutions of younger conservative intellectuals who are, in certain ways, in search of a new fusionism — one way to put it. Modern conservatism begins with the fusionism of social conservatism and mid-century Hayekian — Hayek to Rand — that wide spectrum of libertarianism.
There’s a general sense that that kind of fusion has broken down, and you have people who imagine a new conservatism that’s just social conservatism. Then you have libertarians who imagine a libertarianism that leaves conservatism behind.
But there are a lot of people who want to put things back together again, but in a slightly different way, and to make an argument that’s maybe like the argument that I end up with in the book, that there is some interesting alchemy between a society that looks a little further back and a little further ahead. So what I was saying earlier about Scruton, right? The idea that looking back to the 19th century or the 17th century isn’t necessarily decadent because it also lets you, maybe, look a little further ahead.
I think that’s, in certain ways, there in at least some of Thiel’s stuff where he’s simultaneously sympathetic to . . . He’s an eccentric Christian of some sort, maybe. He’s, at the very least, sympathetic to religious conservatives in a way that other Silicon Valley figures are not. At the same time, he is a dynamist in a way that the most Burkean version of social conservatism isn’t.
You’ve written about the idea of state capacity libertarianism, right? I think that’s one example of ways in which people who are skeptical of wherever liberalism is right now are trying to forge something else.
So some combination of a strong state, some kind of small-c conservative social renewal, and some sort of futurism offers some kind of alchemy. Thiel — he wrote Zero to One, which has an implicit political teaching, but there isn’t a Thielian manifesto at the moment. I think his influence is in the inchoateness of his combination of ideas, sort of speaking to the inchoateness of other people’s combinations of ideas.
He wrote an essay — there was a piece very critical of him, of course, I think in New York Magazine — but that looked at this essay he wrote for First Things a little while ago that had this very particular point aimed at Christian readers where he said, “Look, the Bible begins in a garden and ends in a city.”
I’d read that essay when he wrote it, and I think it actually did have some subconscious or conscious influence on me where I think there’s a strong religious, conservative draw towards pastoralism, towards the idea — my friend Rod Dreher’s book, The Benedict Option, has this idea of the retreat into the monastery, the retreat into the Wendell Berry farming community, and so on.
And I think that has to be — for Christianity to be a plausible faith for our civilization — that has to be balanced with a certain kind of the futurist optimism that has always been part of Christian cultures. And I think that —
COWEN: Always?
DOUTHAT: Two thousand years of history probably offers a lot of counterexamples, but I think the Christian world, in general, has been hospitable to dynamism. I think that’s a fair characterization of the history of Christianity, yeah.
COWEN: Do you think there could be a Peter Thiel manifesto, whether written by him or someone else? Or does the very existence of the Bible, or possibly the church, render that impossible, and thus much of it has to exist on the Straussian plane? And if thus more powerful —
DOUTHAT: Tell me more. What do you mean by the existence of the Bible or the church?
COWEN: The Bible sets out a very definite worldview — or worldviews, of course, depending on how you read it or even what you consider to be the Bible. But if you write a manifesto, you then have to lay out, What in the Bible are you agreeing with or not? And the manifesto then becomes quite subordinate or overly rebellious, and maybe the ideas are most powerful in the Straussian realm, where notions are hinted at, and you have to put the pieces together for yourself.
There’s a certain power to all of the ideas not being fully spelled out, and they also can evolve more freely in a dynamic way, which reflects the dynamism.
DOUTHAT: That’s possible. I think it’s particularly possible for someone like Thiel, who clearly has a very heterodox relationship, whatever it may be, to Christian faith. So yeah, you’re right that any manifesto he put out would highlight more clearly his points of tension with both the religious traditions that he is in dialogue with and the different broken factions of conservatism that he’s in dialogue with.
And the Thielian ethos, to me — well, it’s a venture capitalist’s ethos in the sense that he’s invested in Christianity and invested in transhumanism, so eternal life. He’s got an investment in eternal life and an investment in physical immortality, and he’s invested in disaster preparedness but also willing to invest — which I as a pundit was not — in the candidacy of Donald Trump.
So in that sense, a specific manifesto would limit his capacity to be poking at a lot of different points of our decadence and seeing where you could push your finger through. Maybe that’s not the right metaphor.
COWEN: Other than just mentioning the pope, do you think that most young people today could answer, with any kind of specificity, what is the difference between Catholics and Protestants in the United States?
DOUTHAT: No.
COWEN: Does that concern you? Do you care?
DOUTHAT: Yes, of course.
COWEN: What’s the difference they should focus on that they’re not grasping right now?
DOUTHAT: In fairness, you don’t want to overestimate the capacities of normal human beings in times past, right? It is not the case that there was some golden age of Christian history where farmers and peasants in rural Germany could recite the anathemas of the Council of Trent. I mean, this is —
COWEN: But they would read pamphlets about the anathemas of the Council of Trent.
DOUTHAT: Or they would have an intuitive grasp. I think if you asked a lot of people prior to Vatican II, what are the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism, they wouldn’t cite the Council of Trent. They would say, if they were Protestant, that Catholics have weird superstitious rituals and spooky nuns and priests. And if they were Catholic, they would say Protestants don’t really believe in the Virgin Mary, to be crude.
A signal failure of Catholicism since the ’60s — it’s not defined necessarily in the inability of people to recite the catechism, chapter and verse, but it’s more in that cultural and liturgical distinctive area.
So if you go into a typical suburban Catholic church — and I’ve been to mass in a lot of them — it can feel like a mainline church with a tiny bit more formality and a statue of Mary. And that, I think, is a mark of Catholicism’s attempt to assimilate to what was, in the ’60s, still a Protestant mainstream.
But now that that Protestant mainstream is gone, it just leaves Catholicism as this extra mainline denomination. And that will — since we’re talking about ways out of decadence — I do expect that to change over the next 50 years because I think Catholicism, more than evangelicalism, is likely to go into steeper decline over the next generation institutionally.
What will be left behind will be a weirder and more distinctive Catholic faith that will have some clearer differences from its Protestant neighbors than exist right now. But that’s a case of shrinking in order to become distinctive and dynamic again.
COWEN: If you’re worried about some aspects of the relative decline of Catholicism, why make marriage of the priesthood such a central issue for the church? As you well know, the Orthodox Church in the East has a very different attitude toward marriage of priests, and they are, broadly, a Catholic church, historically. Why not side with them? They are still distinctive, right? No one would confuse them with modern American Protestantism.
DOUTHAT: They are still distinctive. There are some wrinkles there. A lot of the Orthodox churches don’t let married men become bishops, and it’s a little bit more complex. But in general, it’s a case of — just to analyze it in cultural terms, leaving theology out of it — it’s another case of giving up a distinctive, giving up something that separates you and distinguishes you from other churches and suggest to people that there’s something interesting and particularist going on here.
Then there are structural hurdles, too. The Catholic Church is not actually set up to provide for married pastors and their families.
COWEN: But that’d be self-financing, right? If they chose to do it?
DOUTHAT: Well, they’d have to. They could try and finance themselves. Yeah, that is what —
COWEN: But more people would become priests if they could marry.
DOUTHAT: See, I’m not completely sure. I think you would see a temporary bump in the number of people becoming priests, but in general, there’s a problem of talent recruitment for mainline Protestant denominations, too. And also — this is the more Catholic argument — there’s a dynamic relationship in a healthy Christianity between a church having strong models of celibate life and strong models of married life.
When that goes away, in fact, married life gets harder, too, because there’s this sense that everyone is supposed to get married. If you’re not married, you’re defective, and marriage is the highest form of life. So, if your marriage isn’t particularly happy, then you should get out of it and find a better marriage. In fact, I think having a commitment to celibacy at the heart of your religion is better for the diversity of human types and experiences than just making marriage the summit of all things.
And it’s also — this is more of the argument of my last book than this one, but they relate to one another, I suppose — part of what I find attractive and persuasive about Catholicism is that, not always and everywhere, but in particular ways, it has preserved commitments to the radical side of the New Testament, the nonbourgeois side. I think that’s true in the Church’s resistance to divorce, which has crumbled a bit under this pontificate, but it’s true in issues of celibacy as well.
If you read the New Testament, and especially if you read the Gospels, but Paul’s letters too, you would not come away convinced that this is a religion that’s all about Ross Douthat and his wife and four kids as the model Christian, right? The model Christian is somebody doing something much more radical. And if you drop that or downgrade it from its position in the church, then a piece of New Testament radicalism goes away.
If you read the New Testament, and especially if you read the Gospels, but Paul’s letters too, you would not come away convinced that this is a religion that’s all about Ross Douthat and his wife and four kids as the model Christian, right? The model Christian is somebody doing something much more radical.
And you know that New Testament radicalism is literally what I think God has given us in his most direct and intimate revelation. So it would be a bad idea to jettison it.
COWEN: Here’s a reader question: “I believe 95 percent of Catholic universities are Catholic in name only. Does he agree? In what direction does he hope for the future of Catholic universities? Should the Church withdraw its sanction?”
DOUTHAT: I don’t know about 95 percent, but I think, generally, Catholic universities have followed the same path of imitation and assimilation that I was describing earlier.
COWEN: But say Georgetown — that’s nominally Catholic. But if you went there, it would in no way shape your time as a student, or . . . ?
DOUTHAT: No, I don’t want to be particularly harsh on Georgetown, but I do think it’s the Catholic university that’s most assimilated to the secular model of elite education.
If you went to a school like Notre Dame, it’s possible to go through Notre Dame without having — I should say “Noter Dame,” not Notre Dame; I sound pretentious — it’s possible to go to Notre Dame and have a very mild exposure to Catholicism. But there is an intense Catholic subculture there. There’s a beautiful basilica at the heart of campus. There’s still a real Catholic culture. And that’s a very successful top-tier university.
When I talk to Catholic academics at those kinds of schools, they will often say that the thing that the university supplies — in many cases, it’s not a Catholic identity for every student, but it’s a preservation of a Catholic option and a sort of potential encounter with religion that is not available at a secular university.
This is what a professor at Boston College — which should be cited as another example of a somewhat secularized Jesuit university — said to me. He said, “Look, BC is not going to become as Catholic as it was 50 years ago overnight, but it’s a place where the administration and the president want to preserve some Catholicism within the school.”
And to the extent that schools are trying to do that, I don’t think the Church should withdraw its sanction. That said, I do think there’s a certain range of schools that are now very much quasi secularized, and it wouldn’t be a bad thing if the Church just recognized that, and they came to effective parting of the ways. But I have more hope for the Notre Dame model than maybe your correspondent does.
COWEN: Does the Vatican have too few employees? There’s a Slate article — it claimed in 2012, the Roman Curia has fewer than 3,000 employees. Walmart headquarters at the time had 12,000. If the Church is a quite significant global operation, can it be argued, in fact, that it’s not bureaucratic enough? They don’t actually have state capacity in the sense that state capacity libertarianism might approve of.
DOUTHAT: Right. State capacity libertarianism would disapprove of the Vatican model. And it reflects the reality that media coverage of the Catholic Church doesn’t always reflect, which is that in Catholic ecclesiology and the theory of the institution, bishops are really supposed to be pretty autonomous in governance. And the purpose of Rome is the promotion of missionary work and the protection of doctrine, and it’s not supposed to be micromanaging the governance of the world Church.
Now, I think what we’ve seen over the last 30 years — and it’s been thrown into sharp relief by the sex abuse crisis — is that the modern world may not allow that model to exist; that if you have this global institution that has a celebrity figure at the center of it, who is the focus of endless media attention, you can’t, in effect, get away with saying, “Well, the pope is the pope, but sex abuse is an American problem.”
And to that extent, there is a case that the Church needs more employees and a more efficient and centralized bureaucracy. But then that also coexists with the problem that the model of Catholicism is still a model that was modern in the 16th century. It’s still much more of a court model than a bureaucratic model, and pope after pope has theoretically tried to change this and has not succeeded.
Part of the reality is, as you well know, as a world traveler, the Italians are very good at running courts that exclude outsiders and prevent them from changing the way things are done. Time and again, some Anglo-Saxon or German blunderer gets put in charge of some Vatican dicastery and discovers that, in fact, the reforms he intends are just not quite possible. And you know, in certain ways, that’s a side of decadence that you can bemoan, but in certain ways, you have to respect, too.
COWEN: Abortion, presumably, is an important issue for you. Given that, why not just outright support President Trump?
DOUTHAT: That’s a good question, and the basic answer that I’ve had is twofold. One, I’ve had, throughout Trump’s ascent and well into his presidency, an expectation that the gap between his skill level and competence and the challenges of being president was large enough that over a long enough time horizon, he would lead the US into some sort of catastrophe that would have a dramatically negative effect on the political causes that I care about, even —
COWEN: But it would have to kill many millions of people to outweigh the expected value of the change in abortion policy.
DOUTHAT: But my assumption is that you don’t get a substantial and long-lasting change in abortion policy without a pro-life political coalition that’s capable of governing the country for a long period of time. Maybe I read too much into this experience, but I came of age with George W. Bush’s presidency, who was a pro-life president, who put conservative justices on the Supreme Court. Then his foreign policy mistakes and other issues led to his presidency ending in total catastrophe.
This is unprovable, but I think there is some connection between the subsequent decline of religious affiliation and the total rout of social conservatives on issues of same-sex marriage and this sense that people had in the mid-2000s that religious conservatism was associated with a totally incompetent president and a botched war and then a financial crisis.
So I’ve imagined something similar as the likely endgame for Trump, that something — to pick an example from the news this winter and likely this spring, the coronavirus — that the incapacities of his White House are more likely to lead to some catastrophic failure that dramatically discredits his party and destroys his presidency.
Now, that being said, generally the Trump era has been more stable, more sustainably decadent, if you will, than I expected. And in that sense, I can certainly see why a certain faction of Never Trump says, “Well, we overestimated the tail risks of this presidency, and things are more stable than we thought, and therefore we should welcome his judicial appointments and embrace him for a second term.”
And it could be that I do too much cultural analysis in a way. I spend too much time thinking, “Well, what do younger people in churches think of the hypocrisy involved in evangelical support for Trump? And won’t that lead to a further decline for Christianity that outweighs any gains?” Maybe that kind of analysis is too much analysis —
COWEN: Just who wins might be what matters, right?
DOUTHAT: Right, right. Maybe —
COWEN: If Bernie Sanders wins, that helps one set of ideas, and all the other complicated second-order effects will dwindle.
DOUTHAT: Exactly, and you don’t know . . . The pundit’s mistake is sometimes to try and think 14 steps ahead, and the partisan mind may have a certain advantage, where it just says, “No, we have to win this election and let the future take care of itself.” That still hasn’t brought me around to supporting Trump, but I think my arguments against supporting him are weaker than they were, again, pending the outcome of whatever happens with the coronavirus.
COWEN: We live in an America that supposedly respects religions. Yet, if you were to try to argue in public that, say, a child were possessed by demons, you would be mocked and called insane, whether or not it were true.
Where do you personally draw the line? You respect religions, but are there claims you hear that, when you hear them, you think, “That’s so implausible. It couldn’t possibly be true”? You file it in the insane category the way most people, when they would hear you talk of a child being possessed by demons, would think that’s insane and not required by their supposed respective religions. Do you see what I’m asking?
DOUTHAT: I do. I think it is quite possible for a child to become possessed by demons. And I actually mildly disagree. I think in the circles in which you and I move, that claim would be just greeted with automatic mockery. But I think in American culture writ large, there is plenty of space for at least openness to ideas of the supernatural and the demonic. Yeah, the mockery is still — even in our more secularized age — an elite phenomenon. I’ve struggled to persuade my secular friends of this view, but it’s still the old Chestertonian view that I find the improbable harder to swallow than the impossible.
We were talking about Mormonism earlier, and my objection to Mormonism is not the idea of the Angel Moroni appearing to Joseph Smith. It’s the claim that there existed these large-scale civilizations in Central America for which we have no archeological evidence. I’m much more skeptical of claims that should be amenable to real-world, scientific, archeological — what have you — testing, and don’t pan out, than I am to supernatural claims.
Again, I recognize that’s a minority view in our peer group, but I’m a pretty convinced supernaturalist. The literature on demonic possession is . . . It’s unwise to spend too much time with it because it leads to dark places, but I think it’s quite convincing that there is something going on there that is not adequately explained by existing theories of psychology and the human mind.
COWEN: What’s your point estimate of the probability that what we now call UFOs are, in fact, something interesting and mysterious and related to some kind of life from a distance? Right now.
DOUTHAT: My probability that they are something interesting and mysterious is very high. I would say 80 percent, 85 percent. That they are related to life from a distant planet is a lot lower. I would say quite, quite low, maybe 10-15 percent.
COWEN: That’s very high. [laughs]
DOUTHAT: That’s actually high. I’m going to lose all credibility, so I should go a little lower.
But I think there are two things going on with UFOs. One, there is a historical continuity that I find very persuasive between human stories of fairy encounters from the Middle Ages and the pre-modern period and stories of alien abductions, where you have similar depictions of the creatures involved, similar emphasis on trickery and people playing games with human beings, similar emphasis on sex and quasi-medical experimentation, all of these kinds of things.
What that suggests to me is, on the one hand, that you should assign some probability to the possibility that there are supernatural beings who like to mess with us, who are neither angelic nor demonic.
But leaving that aside, there is some kind of human experience that we don’t fully understand that is not just made up, that is maybe some sort of union, unconscious thing that gets interpreted as aliens in one age and as fairies in another, but it’s real and interesting even if the fairies themselves aren’t real. That’s one area.
Then you have the UFOs that we pick up on video, that we now actually have published in my own newspaper — pretty compelling videographic evidence. It could be that that’s one more example — if the fairies are real — that this is just one more way they mess with us. I think I would assign a slightly higher probability to the weird-advanced-military-technology explanation for those, that they seem a little different from the UFO abduction stories.
Put it this way: There are unidentified flying objects that we can see on videos, that pilots have seen, that are presumably not a hallucination and therefore must represent, one, the supernatural, two, advanced military technology, or three, visitors from another planet. Right?
COWEN: Yes. Three final questions —
DOUTHAT: Wait, I know it’s not my interview, but what is your assigned probability of those options?
COWEN: It’s called Conversations with Tyler, right? Not by Tyler.
[laughter]
COWEN: I said on Marginal Revolution I thought it was maybe up to a 5 percent chance it was real beings, and then I talked myself down to about 1 percent. But 1 percent is still quite high.
DOUTHOUT: One percent is still a lot.
COWEN: So, we should be thinking and talking about it more.
DOUTHAT: What probability do you assign to the supernatural when you think about these? Not for this in particular, but generally. Like if I came to you, and I said, “Tyler, I want you to read the literature on hauntings and ghosts.” Going into reading that literature, what probability do you assign that ghosts are in some sense real?
COWEN: That’s a difficult question because I am so willing to entertain the notion that the true model of physics is so weird. It could be weirder than religion —
DOUTHAT: That is fair.
COWEN: So what you’re calling supernatural, I could say parallel universes.
DOUTHAT: I’ll accept it.
COWEN: So I don’t dismiss the weirdness, but I don’t know what should make me call it supernatural for almost tautological reasons.
DOUTHAT: Yeah. One of the UFO obsessives who pivoted to this fairy interpretation had basically that view. He was arguing that it is a parallel, a bizarre parallel-dimension-being effect. So I’ll allow it. You’re good.
COWEN: Three last questions. As technology advances, won’t we need to end most lives by euthanasia? Not people who fall off cliffs, but you could always hook someone up and keep them going. So, won’t euthanasia become, say, the case for 80 percent of deaths?
DOUTHAT: I understand why people are skeptical of it, but I generally buy the distinction that my own church makes between the withdrawal of care and the injection of lethal drugs. I know that there are areas where that line gets blurry, but I think, yes, over a long enough life-expectancy horizon, human beings would need to create a culture of refusing and withdrawing care. But that is still different from, at least right now, the means we have where you’re actually actively hastening death through interventions designed to do so.
COWEN: Last two questions. First, is Connecticut good?
DOUTHAT: Yes. I just did an interview with a very nice reporter for Connecticut Magazine where I was trying to explain . . . I was saying positive things about Connecticut, but then also saying that it was an example of decadence. It’s a very wealthy American state that has a lot of old institutions. Yale University, in the city that I live in, that is getting older and has trouble attracting young people.
It’s not a dynamic state, or not as dynamic as it once was. But I grew up in Connecticut, so I have that sort of partisanship, but I like living there. I like its mix of intimacy and history and the New England landscape. And I think that if you could rescue Connecticut from decadence, maybe you could rescue the whole world. So —
COWEN: Finally, is Lyme disease good?
DOUTHAT: In the sense that God uses all things for good, yes, but not in any sense besides that. And the next book I’m actually under contract for is about Lyme disease.
COWEN: In your own experience with it.
DOUTHAT: My own experience, but I do think of it, in part, as my own very small attempt to work against decadence. If I could convince readers that there are, in fact, better treatments for Lyme disease available and help people make progress against one particular disease, then maybe that’s a more effective anti-decadence effort than writing an entire book bemoaning the state of civilization.
COWEN: Ross, thank you very much. And again, I’d like to recommend his book to you all, The Decadent Society: How We Became the Victims of Our Own Success.
Thank you.
DOUTHAT: Thank you, Tyler. | https://medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/ross-douthat-tyler-cowen-decadence-religion-d2bb7eeb397b | ['Mercatus Center'] | 2020-03-25 11:55:00.725000+00:00 | ['Books', 'Decadence', 'Podcast', 'Religion', 'Authors'] |
【職業探索】旅行社業務工作內容大揭秘！旅行社透過什麼方式賺錢？身為業務需要什麼樣的特質？在小型旅行社工作又會帶來什麼收穫？Feat. 友泰旅行社—曾帥 | 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/%E8%81%B7%E5%A0%B4jane%E5%BF%83%E8%A9%B1-%E8%81%B7%E5%A0%B4-%E9%A1%A7%E5%95%8F%E6%A5%AD-%E7%94%9F%E6%B4%BB%E9%AB%94%E9%A9%97/%E8%81%B7%E6%A5%AD%E6%8E%A2%E7%B4%A2-%E6%97%85%E8%A1%8C%E7%A4%BE%E6%A5%AD%E5%8B%99%E5%B7%A5%E4%BD%9C%E5%85%A7%E5%AE%B9%E5%A4%A7%E6%8F%AD%E7%A7%98-%E6%97%85%E8%A1%8C%E7%A4%BE%E9%80%8F%E9%81%8E%E4%BB%80%E9%BA%BC%E6%96%B9%E5%BC%8F%E8%B3%BA%E9%8C%A2-%E8%BA%AB%E7%82%BA%E6%A5%AD%E5%8B%99%E9%9C%80%E8%A6%81%E4%BB%80%E9%BA%BC%E6%A8%A3%E7%9A%84%E7%89%B9%E8%B3%AA-%E5%9C%A8%E5%B0%8F%E5%9E%8B%E6%97%85%E8%A1%8C%E7%A4%BE%E5%B7%A5%E4%BD%9C%E5%8F%88%E6%9C%83%E5%B8%B6%E4%BE%86%E4%BB%80%E9%BA%BC%E6%94%B6%E7%A9%AB-feat-%E5%8F%8B%E6%B3%B0%E6%97%85%E8%A1%8C%E7%A4%BE-%E6%9B%BE%E5%B8%A5-121464dc458 | ['Jane Hsu'] | 2020-12-25 12:19:28.547000+00:00 | ['Career Development', 'Travel Agency', 'Tourism', 'Sales'] |
Ask these 10 questions to define your Employee Value Proposition | Image Credit: Pexels.com
It’s every hiring manager’s nightmare — you have found the perfect candidate for an open position, but your dream hire has another offer on the table. At this point, the candidate is weighing every element of what each company has to offer, including salary, benefits, work culture, room to grow, and more. Here’s when your unique identity as an employer kicks in, and the importance of crafting a strong employer brand becomes clear.
Similar to the way a company’s brand communicates its offerings and differentiators to the consumer, an employer brand aims to connect with a potential hire by demonstrating specific characteristics to attract the ‘right fit’ talent.
What is an EVP?
We call those specific characteristics the Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Put simply an EVP is the set of differentiators that make you an attractive place to work. According to a study by Gartner, a strong EVP can help you attract significant talent, boost employee engagement and reduce compensation premium by 50%. An EVP answers the following questions:
Why is your company a great workplace?
Why should a candidate work for your company instead of somewhere else?
What is in it for them?
While compensation and benefits are a crucial part of a company’s EVP, culture, career growth prospects and overall work environment sum up the whole package. Defining your company’s EVP is a significant part of your recruitment marketing and employer branding strategy. In order to attract the type of candidates who will thrive in your workplace and personalise your talent acquisition strategy, you must clearly define all the values you stand for and provide as an employer.
How to define your EVP
Now that we know the importance of an EVP, we’ve created a set of questions that can help you define yours. To get started, plan a focus group or send a survey to all or a selection of your employees. It’s important to learn about your differentiators from your employees themselves, and not just the HR tear — after all, they are the ones living and breathing your company’s culture. Below is a list of starter questions, but feel free to customize and add in ones that are specific to your company or industry
Ten questions to ask your employees to define your EVP:
1. What are some of your biggest motivators at work? 2. What makes our company different from others you’ve worked for? 3. What do you think are the organisation’s most meaningful traditions? 4. What qualities do people need to have to be successful here? 5. What work are you most proud of? And why? 6. If you were considering joining another company for a similar compensation package, what are the factors that would make you want to stay with us? 7. What values are important to you in an organisation? How do you experience those values here? 8. How satisfied are you with your opportunity to learn and grow in our organisation? 9. How satisfied are you with the recognition you receive for doing a good job? 10. Does the management support your pursuits and commitments outside of work?
What’s next?
Once you have your survey results, analyze the answers to derive common themes, values and stories from the feedback to better understand and crystalize your company’s EVP. Your clearly defined EVP should shine through on every platform that a prospective candidate might see — job descriptions, career pages on your company website, marketing materials and social media.
And it’s not just online — you should also train your employees on communicating your EVP so that it can be conveyed during networking, candidate interviews and throughout recruitment more generally. In our next several blog posts in the series, we will be exploring these crucial steps in more depth, so stay tuned!
Keep it real
In the words of Michelle Hord-White, NBCUniversal’s VP of Talent Acquisition, “Your EVP has to be inspirational, not aspirational. It shouldn’t be a goal. It should be an experience that we can talk to candidates about, and 100 days after they get there, they can confirm.”
It’s important that your EVP represents where you are as an organisation today, not where you want to be tomorrow, in order to have it effectively attract talent who will thrive in your workplace.
Different strokes for different folks
In order to use your EVP effectively, customisation is key. Keep in mind the different priorities of your employee respondents based on their work experience and commitments outside of work.
If you want to attract recent graduates to fill in entry-level positions, pay attention to the answers to this exercise from people with similar profiles in order to highlight why your company is a great fit for millennials.
Similarly, if you’re looking to hire managers at more senior level who may have children, you can highlight your company’s childcare services and other parent-friendly components in the interview and job description.
Stand by for more on employer branding
As a part of our latest campaign on employer branding, we will be sharing fresh and actionable resources and tools like these over the next few months. To receive all of our top tips straight to your inbox, sign up for our weekly newsletter here!
If you’re hoping to learn any specific about EVP, let us know in the comments below. | https://medium.com/@gunjankalati/ask-these-10-questions-to-define-your-employee-value-proposition-d83571c26ec7 | ['Gunjan Kalati'] | 2019-03-28 08:43:23.172000+00:00 | ['Potential Hires', 'Employees', 'Workplace Culture', 'Employer Branding', 'Employeevalueproposition'] |
AI and Writing: What Jobs Are Staying? | Source: Unsplash
In this Industrial Revolution 4.0 era, robots, automation, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have invaded various industries, taking over our jobs — including creative and writing jobs.
Yes, automation is coming our way, not merely in the manufacturing and logistics industries. And the first creative job to go might be the news reporters who write fact-based reports.
According to Search Engine Journal, robot writers are already working on data-driven short reporting articles, like stock prices, quarterly earnings, sports games outcomes, and Olympic medal awards. The Washington Post, for instance, created 850 articles in 2017 with Heliograf bot, and Quill AI robot has the capability of collating data on thousands of games. It can produce thousands of articles instantaneously, replacing professional sportswriters.
The platform used by The Associated Press is Wordsmith by Automated Insights, which is a type of natural language generation (NLG) machine learning that can transform raw data into thousands of publishable stories. This robot can write 12 times the amount of humans.
With such an impressive output, should human writers worry about the AI invasion? Will we eventually be replaced by robot writers?
The answer to both questions is: Yes.
However, human writers can never be replaced entirely. At least, for the time being. Now, let’s discuss the drawbacks of using robot writers, the types of works that human writers will always be in demand, and how we can continue to grow professionally.
Drawbacks of Using Robot Writers
Imagine robo-dance. It’s kinda choppy and stiff. So, robo-writing is like that too. Well, if it’s what you imagine, wake up.
Natural language generation has the potential to advance to a level that robo-writing would sound human-like. A recent study by Karstad University in Sweden supported this argument with a finding that most people couldn’t distinguish between news reports written by journalists and those generated by robo-writers.
We’ll have another decade or two to reach a point where robo-writers could dominate the publishing world. However, the potential for AI writers to reach “near perfection,” in terms of their works would look “almost identical” to that of human writers, is high. If you’re curious, take this quiz created by the New York Times “Did a Human or a Computer Write This”?
Another compelling case is in Japan, where a novel was written by an AI writer, and it passed the first round of screening for the Hoshi Shinichi Literary Award in 2016. Impressive, indeed. Undoubtedly, it is a solid proof of what AI writers are capable of.
Fortunately, today, NLG is still limited to data feeding, so the algorithms can interpret and write a narrative about it. Human writers are still required to create templates and guidelines for those bots to follow.
Types of Works for Human Writers
As a professional writer, the rise of robots and AI writers is making me anxious. However, I don’t see it as a total curse, as it’s definitely also a blessing.
For instance, AI-powered grammar and plagiarism check apps like ProWritingAid are welcome additions to my work tools. This editing tool is beneficial in catching errors and stylistic issues that I might have missed due to my subjective eyes. Of course, a grammar check app isn’t a robo-writer, but it’s pretty close.
Another “blessing” of robo-writers is that they encourage human writers to continue improving our skills in areas that we’re more competitive. For instance, robots don’t have emotions, memories, and deeply philosophical perspectives. We’re also better at encapsulating nuances that only human senses can process.
Literary and philosophical works will likely remain human writers’ domain. Human beings are deep thinkers, after all.
Of course, tones and styles can be programmed into computer algorithms, but for now, this effort would take a lot of human and financial resources. In short, we aren’t there yet. Or, at least, we aren’t that keen to pay exorbitant fees to AI programmers yet.
Another area that robo-writers aren’t likely to master is intuitive and empathetic writing. Human writers are an amalgamation of life, philosophical, cultural, and intuitive ideas and experiences. We have empathy, which is a trait that’s reserved for living creatures, particularly humans and other high-level primates and mammals.
Robo-writers might be excellent in short data-driven and descriptive types of writing, but they lack the human touch. They lack the experiences of living, breathing, and feeling things. They lack compassion, joy, fear, sadness, and grief.
This being said, AI writers and editors will continue to be beneficial to human writers, as they could help us in producing highly technical and quantitative descriptions. They’re also an essential source of motivation for us to continuously upgrade our professional and humanistic skills.
Source: Unsplash
How Human Writers Can Grow
As a species, we should be proud of our collective achievement in creating remarkable robots and intelligence with computer algorithms. We should feel blessed for the various software and apps at our disposal that can be leveraged to elevate the quality of our work.
On top of that, we should remember something remarkable that’s particular to being humans: our adaptive trait. We should never forget how special we are as human beings and that we can continuously hone our skills by understanding the changes around us.
For instance, newspaper and magazine journalists were among the first ones to be hit by the Internet. As the world is getting more digitized and online content is the go-to place for information, many journalists have morphed themselves into content creators. No longer do they work for conventional publishers, but they work for media companies, including brands.
As AI and robo-writers lack emotions, we’re obliged to work hard and smart in optimizing our human traits both as individuals and writers. As Charles Dickens wrote in A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”
Conclusions
AI writers will eventually replace human writers, but not completely. In anticipation, human writers should focus on upgrading skills that are based on our innate humanity.
It wouldn’t hurt to learn computing languages and coding as well, so we’re able to work on assignments that require some computer literacy. After all, those AI and robo-writers need to be programmed by humans. Keeping up with this aspect means human writers may help “train” the AI generation. | https://writingcooperative.com/ai-and-writing-what-jobs-are-staying-4c8f98224add | [] | 2019-06-17 10:01:00.976000+00:00 | ['Artificial Intelligence', 'Writing', 'Job Market', 'Writers On Writing', 'Future Technology'] |
【Summary】Progress Made in Dialog Management Model Research | This article is the result of the collaborative efforts of the following experts and researchers in the Intelligent Robot Conversational AI Team: Yu Huihua and Jiang Yixuan from Cornell University as well as Dai Yinpei (nicknamed Yanfeng), Tang Chengguang (Enzhu), Li Yongbin (Shuide), and Sunjian (Sunjian) from Alibaba DAMO Academy.
Many efforts have been made to develop highly intelligent human-machine dialog systems since research began on artificial intelligence (AI). Alan Turing proposed the Turing test in 1950[1]. He believed that machines could be considered highly intelligent if they passed the Turing test. To pass this test, the machine had to communicate with a real person so that this person believed they were talking to another person. The first-generation dialog systems were mainly rule-based. For example, the ELIZA system[2] developed by MIT in 1966 was a psychological medical chatbot that matched methods using templates. The flowchart-based dialog system popular in the 1970s simulates state transition in the dialog flow based on the finite state automaton (FSA) model. These machines have transparent internal logic and are easy to analyze and debug. However, they are less flexible and scalable due to their high dependency on expert intervention.
Second-generation dialog systems driven by statistical data (hereinafter referred to as the statistical dialog systems) emerged with the rise of big data technology. At that time, reinforcement learning was widely studied and applied in dialog systems. A representative example is the statistical dialog system based on the Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP) proposed by Professor Steve Young of Cambridge University in 2005[3]. This system is significantly superior to rule-based dialog systems in terms of robustness. It maintains the state of each round of dialog through Bayesian inference based on speech recognition results and then selects a dialog policy based on the dialog state to generate a natural language response. With a reinforcement learning framework, the POMDP-based dialog system constantly interacts with user simulators or real users to detect errors and optimize the dialog policy accordingly. A statistical dialog system is a modular system not highly dependent on expert intervention. However, it is less scalable, and the model is difficult to maintain.
In recent years, with breakthroughs in deep learning in the image, voice, and text fields, third-generation dialog systems built around deep learning have emerged. These systems still adopt the framework of the statistical dialog systems, but apply a neural network model in each module. Neural network models have powerful representation and language classification and generation capabilities. Therefore, models based on natural language are transformed from generative models, such as Bayesian networks, into deep discriminative models, such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), Deep Neural Networks (DNNs), and Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs)[5]. The dialog state is obtained by directly calculating the maximum conditional probability instead of the Bayesian a posteriori probability. The deep reinforcement learning model is also used to optimize the dialog policy[6]. In addition, the success of end-to-end sequence-to-sequence technology in machine translation makes end-to-end dialog systems possible. Facebook researchers proposed a task-oriented dialog system based on memory networks[4], presenting a new way forward in the research of the end-to-end task-oriented dialog systems in third-generation dialog systems. In general, third-generation dialog systems are better than second-generation dialog systems, but a large amount of tagged data is required for effective training. Therefore, improving the cross-domain migration and scalability of the model has become an important area of research.
Common dialog systems are divided into the following three types:
Chat-, task-, and Q&A-oriented. In a chat-oriented dialog, the system generates interesting and informative natural responses to allow human-machine dialog to proceed[7].
In a Q&A-oriented dialog, the system analyzes each question and finds a correct answer from its libraries[8]. A task-oriented dialog (hereinafter referred to as a task dialog) is a task-driven multi-round dialog. The machine determines the user’s requirements through understanding, active inquiry, and clarification, makes queries by calling an Application Programming Interface (API), and returns the correct results. Generally, a task dialog is a sequence decision-making process. During the dialog, the machine updates and maintains the internal dialog state by understanding user statements and then selects the optimal action based on the current dialog state, such as determining the requirement, querying restrictions, and providing results.
Task-oriented dialog systems are divided by architecture into two categories. One type is a pipeline system that has a modular structure[5], as shown in Figure 1. It consists of four key modules:
Natural Language Understanding (NLU): Identifies and parses a user’s text input to obtain semantic tags that can be understood by computers, such as slot-values and intentions.
Identifies and parses a user’s text input to obtain semantic tags that can be understood by computers, such as slot-values and intentions. Dialog State Tracking (DST): Maintains the current dialog state based on the dialog history. The dialog state is the cumulative meaning of the dialog history, which is generally expressed as slot-value pairs.
Maintains the current dialog state based on the dialog history. The dialog state is the cumulative meaning of the dialog history, which is generally expressed as slot-value pairs. Dialog Policy: Outputs the next system action based on the current dialog state. The DST module and the dialog policy module are collectively referred to as the dialog manager (DM).
Outputs the next system action based on the current dialog state. The DST module and the dialog policy module are collectively referred to as the dialog manager (DM). Natural Language Generation (NLG): Converts system actions to natural language output.
This modular system structure is highly interpretable, easy to implement, and applied in most practical task-oriented dialog systems in the industry. However, this structure is not flexible enough. The modules are independent of each other and difficult to optimize together. This makes it difficult to adapt to changing application scenarios. Additionally, due to the accumulation of errors between modules, the upgrade of a single module may require the adjustment of the whole system.
Figure 1. Modular structure of a task-oriented dialog system[41]
Another implementation of a task-oriented dialog system is an end-to-end system, which has been a popular field of academic research in recent years911. This type of structure trains an overall mapping relationship from the natural language input on the user side to the natural language output on the machine side. It is highly flexible and scalable, reducing labor costs for design and removing the isolation between modules. However, the end-to-end model places high requirements on the quantity and quality of data and does not provide clear modeling for processes such as slot filling and API calling. This model is still being explored and is as yet rarely applied in the industry.
Figure 2. End-to-end structure of a task-oriented dialog system[41]
With higher requirements on product experience, actual dialog scenarios become more complex, and DM needs to be further improved. Traditional DM is usually built in a clear dialog script system (searching for matching answers, querying the user intent, and then ending the dialog) with pre-defined system action space, user intent space, and dialog body. However, due to unpredictable user behaviors, traditional dialog systems are less responsive and have a greater difficulty dealing with undefined situations. In addition, many actual scenarios require cold start without sufficient tagged dialog data, resulting in high data cleansing and tagging costs. DM based on deep reinforcement learning requires a large amount of data for model training. According to the experiments in many academic papers, hundreds of complete sessions are required to train a dialog model, which hinders the rapid development and iteration of dialog systems.
To solve the limitations of traditional DM, researchers in academic and industry circles have begun to focus on how to strengthen the usability of DM. Specifically, they are working to address the following shortcomings in DM:
Poor scalability Insufficient tagged data Low training efficiency
I will introduce the latest research results in terms of the preceding aspects.
Cutting-Edge Research on Dialog Manager
Shortcoming 1: Poor Scalability
As mentioned above, DM consists of the DST and dialog policy modules. The most representative traditional DST is the neural belief tracker (NBT) proposed by scholars from Cambridge University in 2017[12]. NBT uses neural networks to track the state of complex dialogs in a single domain. By using representation learning, NBT encodes system actions in the previous round, user statements in the current round, and candidate slot-value pairs to calculate semantic similarity in a high dimensional space and detect the slot value output by the user in the current round. Therefore, NBT can identify slot values that are not in the training set but semantically similar to those in the set by using the word vector expression of the slot-value pair. This avoids the need to create a semantic dictionary. As such, the slot values can be extended. Later, Cambridge scholars further improved NBT13 by changing the input slot-value pair to the domain-slot-value triple. The recognition results of each round are accumulated using model learning instead of manual rules. All data is trained by the same model. Knowledge is shared among different domains, leaving the total number of parameters unchanged as the number of domains increases. Among traditional dialog policy research, the most representative is the ACER-based policy optimization proposed by Cambridge scholars6.
By applying the experience replay technique, the authors tried both the trust region actor-critic model and the episodic natural actor-critic model. The results proved that the deep AC-based reinforcement learning algorithms were the best in sample utilization efficiency, algorithm convergence, and dialog success rate.
However, traditional DM still needs to be improved in terms of scalability, specifically in the following three respects:
How to deal with changing user intents. How to deal with changing slots and slot values. How to deal with changing system actions.
Changing User Intents
If a system does not take the user intent into account, it will often provide nonsensical answers. As shown in Figure 3, the user’s “confirm” intent is not considered. A new dialog script must be added to help the system deal with this problem.
Figure 3. Example of a dialog with new intent[15]
The traditional model outputs a fixed one-hot vector of the old intent category. Once a new user intent not in the training set appears, vectors need to be changed to include the new intent category, and the new model needs to be retrained. This makes the model less maintainable and scalable. One paper[15] proposes a teacher-student learning framework to solve this problem. In the teacher-student training architecture, the old model and logical rules for new user intents are used as the teacher, and the new model as a student. This architecture uses knowledge distillation technology. Specifically, for the old intent set, the probability output of the old model directly guides the training of the new model. For the new intent, the logical rules are used as new tagged data to train the new model. In this way, the new model no longer needs to interact with the environment for re-training. The paper presented the results of an experiment performed on the DSTC2 dataset. The confirm intent is deliberately removed and then added as a new intent to the dialog body to verify whether the new model is adaptable. Figure 4 shows the experiment result. The new model (Extended System), the model containing all intents (Contrast System), and the old model are compared. The result shows that the new model achieves satisfactory success rates in extended new intent identification at different noise levels.
Figure 4. Comparison of various models at different noise levels
Of course, systems with this architecture need to be further trained. CDSSM[16], a proposed semantic similarity matching model, can identify extended user intents without tagged data and model re-training. Based on the natural description of user intents in the training set, CDSSM directly learns an intent embedding encoder and embeds the description of any intent into a high dimensional semantic space. In this way, the model directly generates corresponding intent embedding based on the natural description of the new intent and then identifies the intent. Many models that improve scalability mentioned below are designed with similar ideas. Tags are moved from the output end of the model to the input end, and neural networks are used to perform semantic encoding on tags (tag names or natural descriptions of the tags) to obtain certain semantic vectors and then match their semantic similarity.
A separate paper[43] provides another idea. Through man-machine collaboration, manual customer services are used to deal with user intents not in the training set after the system is launched. This model uses an additional neural parser to determine whether manual customer service is required based on the dialog state vector extracted from the current model. If it is, the model distributes the current dialog to online customer service. If not, the model makes a prediction. The parser obtained through data learning can determine whether the current dialog contains a new intent, and responses from customer service are regarded as correct by default. This man-machine collaboration mechanism effectively deals with user intents not found in the training set during online testing and significantly improves the accuracy of the dialog.
Changing Slots and Slot Values
In dialog state tracking involving multiple or complex domains, dealing with changing slots and slot values has always been a challenge. Some slots have non-enumerative slot values, for example, the time, location, and user name. Their slot value sets, such as flights or movie theater schedules, change dynamically. In traditional DST, the slot and slot value set remain unchanged by default, which greatly reduces the system scalability.
Google researchers[17] proposed a candidate set for slots with non-enumerative slot values. A candidate set is maintained for each slot. The candidate set contains a maximum of k possible slot values in the dialog and assigns a score to each slot value to indicate the user’s preference for the slot value in the current dialog. The system uses a two-way RNN model to find the value of a slot in the current user statement and then score and re-rank it with existing slot values in the candidate set. In this way, the DST of each round only needs to make a judgment on a limited slot value set, allowing us to track non-enumerative slot values. To track slot values not in the set, we can use a sequence tagging model[18] or a semantic similarity matching model such as the neural belief tracker[12].
The preceding are solutions for non-fixed slot values, but what about changing slots in the dialog body? In one paper[19], a slot description encoder is used to encode the natural language description of existing and new slots. The obtained semantic vectors representing the slot are sent with user statements as inputs to the Bi-LSTM model, and the identified slot values are output as sequence tags, as shown in Figure 5. The paper makes an acceptable assumption that the natural language description of any slot is easy to obtain. Therefore, a concept tagger applicable to multiple domains is designed, and the slot description encoder is simply implemented by the sum of simple word vectors. Experiments show that this model can quickly adapt to new slots. Compared with the traditional method, this method greatly improves scalability.
Figure 5. Concept tagger structure
With the development of sequence-to-sequence technology in recent years, many researchers are looking at ways to use the end-to-end neural network model to generate the DST results as a sequence. Common techniques such as attention mechanisms and copy mechanisms are used to improve the generation effect. In the famous MultiWOZ dataset for multi-domain dialogs, the team led by Professor Pascale Fung from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology used the copy network to significantly improve the recognition accuracy of non-enumerative slot values[20]. Figure 6 shows the TRADE model proposed by the team. Each time the slot value is detected, the model performs semantic encoding for different combinations of domains and slots and uses the result as the initial position input of the RNN decoder. The decoder directly generates the slot value through the copy network. In this way, both non-enumerative slot values and changing slot values can be generated by the same model. Therefore, slot values can be shared between domains, allowing the model to be widely used.
Figure 6. TRADE model framework
Recent research tends to view multi-domain DST as a machine reading and understanding task and transform generative models such as TRADE into discriminative models45. Non-enumerative slot values are tracked by a machine reading and understanding task like SQuAD[46], in which the text span in the dialog history and questions is used as the slot value. Enumerative slot values are tracked by a multi-choice machine reading and understanding task, in which the correct value is selected from the candidate values as the predicted slot value. By combining deep context words such as ELMO and BERT, these new models obtain the optimal results from the MultiWOZ dataset.
Changing System Actions
The last factor affecting scalability is the difficulty of pre-defining the system action space. As shown in Figure 7, when designing an electronic product recommendation system, you may ignore questions like how to upgrade the product operating system, but you cannot stop users from asking questions the system cannot answer. If the system action space is pre-defined, irrelevant answers may be provided to questions that have not been defined, greatly compromising the user experience.
Figure 7. Example of a dialog where the dialog system encounters an undefined system action[22]
In this case, we need to design a dialog policy network that helps the system quickly expand its actions. The first attempt to do this was made by Microsoft[21], who modifies the classic DQN structure to enable reinforcement learning in an unrestricted action space. The dialog task in this paper is a text game mission task. Each round of action is a single sentence, with an uncertain number of actions. The story varies with the action. The author proposed a new model, Deep Reinforcement Relevance Network (DRRN), which matches the current dialog state with optional system actions by semantic similarity matching to obtain the Q function. Specifically, in a round of dialog, each action text of an uncertain length is encoded by a neural network to obtain a system action vector with a fixed length. The story background text is encoded by another neural network to obtain a dialog state vector with a fixed length. The two vectors are used to generate the final Q value through an interactive function, such as dot product. Figure 8 shows the structure of the model designed in the paper. Experiments show that DRRN outperforms traditional DQN (using the padding technique) in the text games “Saving John” and “Machine of Death”.
Figure 8. DRRN model, in which round t has two candidate actions, and round t+1 has three candidate actions
In another paper[22], the author wanted to solve this problem from the perspective of the entire dialogue system and proposed the Incremental Dialogue System (IDS), as shown in Figure 9. IDS first encodes the dialog history to obtain the context vector through the Dialog Embedding module and then uses a VAE-based Uncertainty Estimation module to evaluate, based on the context vector, the confidence level used to indicate whether the current system can give correct answers. Similar to active learning, if the confidence level is higher than the threshold, DM scores all available actions and then predicts the probability distribution based on the softmax function. If the confidence level is lower than the threshold, the tagger is requested to tag the response of the current round (select the correct response or create a new response). The new data obtained in this way is added to the data pool to update the model online. With this human-teaching method, IDS not only supports learning in an unrestricted action space, but also quickly collects high-quality data, which is quite suitable for actual production.
Figure 9. The Overall framework of IDS
Shortcoming 2: Insufficient Tagged Data
The extensive application of dialog systems results in diversified data requirements. To train a task-oriented dialog system, as much domain-specific data as possible is needed, but quality tagged data is costly. Scholars have tried to solve this problem in three ways: (1) using machines to tag data to reduce the tagging costs; (2) mining the dialog structure to use non-tagged data efficiently; and (3) optimizing the data collection policy to efficiently obtain high-quality data.
Automatic Tagging
To address the cost and inefficiency of manual tagging, scholars hope to use supervised learning and unsupervised learning to allow machines to assist in manual tagging. One paper[23] proposed the auto-dielabel architecture, which automatically groups intents and slots in the dialog data by using the unsupervised learning method of hierarchical clustering to automatically tag the dialog data (the specific tag of the category needs to be manually determined). This method is based on the assumption that expressions of the same intent may share similar background features. Initial features extracted by the model include word vectors, part-of-speech (POS) tags, noun word clusters, and Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA). All features are encoded by the auto-encoder into vectors of the same dimension and spliced. Then, the inter-class distance calculated by the radial bias function (RBF) is used for dynamic hierarchical clustering. Classes that are closest to each other are merged automatically until the inter-class distance between the classes is greater than the threshold. Figure 10 shows the model framework.
Figure 10. Auto-dialabel model
In another paper[24], supervised clustering is used to implement machine tagging. The author views each dialog data record as a graph node and sees the clustering process as the process of identifying the minimum spanning forest. The model uses a support vector machine (SVM) to train the distance scoring model between nodes in the Q&A dataset through supervised learning. It then uses the structured model and the minimum subtree spanning algorithm to derive the class information corresponding to the dialog data as the hidden variable. It generates the best cluster structure to represent the user intent type.
Dialog Structure Mining
Due to the lack of high-quality tagged data for training dialog systems, finding ways to fully mine implicit dialog structures or information in the untagged dialog data has become a popular area of research. Implicit dialog structures or information contribute to the design of dialog policies and the training of dialog models to some extent.
One paper[25] proposed to use unsupervised learning in a variational RNN (VRNN) to automatically learn hidden structures in dialog data. The author provides two models that can obtain the dynamic information in a dialog: Discrete-VRNN (D-VRNN) and Direct-Discrete-VRNN (DD-VRNN). As shown in Figure 11, x_t indicates the t-th round of dialog, h_t indicates the hidden variable of the dialog history, and z_t indicates the hidden variable (one-dimensional one-hot discrete variable) of the dialog structure. The difference between the two models is that for D-VRNN, the hidden variable z_t depends on h_(t-1) , while for DD-VRNN, the hidden variable z_t depends on z_(t-1) . Based on the maximum likelihood of the entire dialog, VRNN uses some common methods of VAE to estimate the distribution of a posteriori probabilities of the hidden variable z_t .
Figure 11. D-VRNN and DD-VRNN
The experiments in the paper show that VRNN is superior to the traditional HMM method. VRNN also adds the dialog structure information to the reward function, supporting faster convergence of the reinforcement learning model. Figure 12 shows the transition probability of the hidden variable z_t in restaurants mined by D-VRNN.
Figure 12. Dialog stream structure mined by D-VRNN from the dialog data related to restaurants
CMU scholars[26] also tried to use the VAE method to deduce system actions as hidden variables and directly use them for dialog policy selection. This can alleviate the problems caused by insufficient predefined system actions. As shown in Figure 13, for simplicity, an end-to-end dialog system framework is used in the paper. The baseline model is an RL model at the word level (that is, a dialog action is a word in the vocabulary). The model uses an encoder to encode the dialog history and then uses a decoder to decode it and generate a response. The reward function directly compares the generated response statement with the real response statement. Compared with the baseline model, the latent action model adds a posterior probability inference between the encoder and the decoder and uses discrete hidden variables to represent the dialog actions without any manual intervention. The experiment shows that the end-to-end RL model based on latent actions is superior to the baseline model in terms of statement generation diversity and task completion rate.
Figure 13. Baseline model and latent action model
Data Collection Policy
Recently, Google researchers proposed a method to quickly collect dialog data27: First, use two rule-based simulators to interact to generate a dialog outline, which is a dialog flow framework represented by semantic tags. Then, convert the semantic tags into natural language dialogs based on templates. Finally, rewrite the natural statements by crowdsourcing to enrich the language expressions of dialog data. This reverse data collection method features high collection efficiency and complete and highly available data tags, reducing the cost and workload of data collection and processing.
Figure 14. Examples of dialog outline, template-based dialog generation, and crowdsourcing-based dialog rewrite
This method is a machine-to-machine (M2M) data collection policy, in which a wide range of semantic tags for dialog data are generated, and then crowdsourced to generate a large number of dialog utterances. However, the generated dialogs cannot cover all the possibilities in real scenarios. In addition, the effect depends on the simulator.
In relevant academic circles, two other methods are commonly used to collect data from dialog systems: human-to-machine (H2M) and human-to-human (H2H). The H2H method requires a multi-round dialog between the user, played by a crowdsourced staff member, and the customer service personnel, played by another crowdsourced staff member. The user proposes requirements based on specified dialog targets such as buying an airplane ticket, and the customer service staff annotates the dialog tags and makes responses. This mode is called the Wizard-of-Oz framework. Many dialog datasets, such as WOZ[5] and MultiWOZ [28], are collected in this mode. The H2H method helps us get dialog data that is the most similar to that of actual service scenarios. However, it is costly to design different interactive interfaces for different tasks and to clean up incorrect annotations. The H2M data collection policy allows users and trained machines to interact with each other. This way, we can directly collect data online and continuously improve the DM model through RL. The famous DSTC2&3 dataset was collected in this way. The performance of the H2M method depends largely on the initial performance of the DM model. In addition, the data collected online has a great deal of noise, which results in high clean-up costs and affects the model optimization efficiency.
Shortcoming 3: Low Training Efficiency
With the successful application of deep RL in the Go game, this method is also widely used in the task dialog systems. For example, the ACER dialog management method in one paper[6] combines model-free deep RL with other techniques such as Experience Replay, belief domain constraints, and pre-training. This greatly improves the training efficiency and stability of RL algorithms in task dialog systems.
However, simply applying the RL algorithm cannot meet the actual requirements of dialog systems. One reason is that dialogs lack clear rules, reward functions, simple and clear action spaces, and perfect environment simulators that can generate hundreds of millions of quality interactive data records. Dialog tasks include changing slot values, actions, and intents, which significantly increases the action space of the dialog system and makes it difficult to define. When traditional flat RL methods are used, the curse of dimensionality may occur due to one-hot encoding of all system actions. Therefore, these methods are no longer suitable for handling complex dialogs with large action spaces. For this reason, scholars have tried many other methods, including model-free RL, model-based RL, and human-in-the-loop.
Model-Free RL — HRL
Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning (HRL) divides a complex task into multiple sub-tasks to avoid the curse of dimensionality in traditional flat RL methods. In one paper[29], HRL was applied to task dialog systems for the first time. The authors divided a complex dialog task into multiple sub-tasks by time. For example, a complex travel task can be divided into sub-tasks, such as booking tickets, booking hotels, and renting cars. Accordingly, they designed a dialog policy network of two layers. One layer selects and arranges all sub-tasks, and the other layer executes specific sub-tasks.
The DM model they proposed consists of two parts, as shown in Figure 15:
Top-level policy: Selects a sub-task based on the dialog state.
Selects a sub-task based on the dialog state. Low-level policy: Completes a specific dialog action in a sub-task.
Completes a specific dialog action in a sub-task. The global dialog state tracker records the overall dialog state. After the entire dialog task is completed, the top-level policy receives an external reward.
The model also has an internal critic module to estimate the possibility of completing the sub-tasks (the degree of slot filling for sub-tasks) based on the dialog state. The low-level policy receives an intrinsic reward from the internal critic module based on the degree of completion of the sub-task.
Figure 15. The HRL framework of a task-oriented dialog system
For complex dialogs, a basic system action is selected at each step of traditional RL methods, such as querying the slot value or confirming constraints. In the HRL mode, a set of basic actions is selected based on the top-level policy, and then a basic action is selected from the current set based on the low-level policy, as shown in Figure 16. This hierarchical division of action spaces covers the time sequence constraints between different sub-tasks, which facilitates the completion of composite tasks. In addition, the intrinsic reward effectively relieves the problem of sparse rewards, accelerating RL training, preventing frequent switching of the dialog between different sub-tasks, and improving the accuracy of action prediction. Of course, the hierarchical design of actions requires expert knowledge, and the types of sub-tasks need to be determined by experts. Recently, tools that can automatically discover dialog sub-tasks have appeared30. By using unsupervised learning methods, these tools automatically split the dialog state sequence of the whole dialog history, without the need to manually build a dialog sub-task structure.
Figure 16. Policy selection process of HRL
Model-free RL — FRL
Feudal Reinforcement Learning (FRL) is a suitable solution to large dimension issues. HRL divides a dialog policy into sub-policies based on different task stages in the time dimension, which reduces the complexity of policy learning. FRL divides a policy in the space dimension to restrict the action range of each sub-policy, which reduces the complexity of sub-policies. FRL does not divide a task into sub-tasks. Instead, it uses the abstract functions of the state space to extract useful features from dialog states. Such abstraction allows FRL to be applied and migrated between different domains, achieving high scalability.
Cambridge scholars applied FRL[32] to task dialog systems for the first time to divide the action space by its relevance to the slots. With this done, only the natural structure of the action space is used, and additional expert knowledge is not required. They put forward a feudal policy structure shown in Figure 17. The decision-making process for this structure is divided into two steps:
Determine whether the next action requires slots as parameters. Select the low-level policy and next action for the corresponding slot based on the decision of the first step.
Figure 17. Application of FRL in a task-oriented dialog system
In general, both HRL and FRL divide the high-dimensional complex action space in different ways to address the low training efficiency of traditional RL methods due to large action space dimensions. HRL divides tasks properly in line with human understanding. However, expert knowledge is required to divide a task into sub-tasks. FRL divides complex tasks based on the logical structure of the action and does not consider mutual constraints between sub-tasks.
Model-Based RL
The preceding RL methods are model-free. With these methods, a large amount of weakly supervised data is obtained through trial and error interactions with the environment, and then a value network or policy network is trained accordingly. The process is independent of the environment. There is also model-based RL, as shown in Figure 18. Model-based RL directly models and interacts with the environment to learn a probability transition function of state and reward, namely, an environment model. Then, the system interacts with the environment model to generate more training data. Therefore, model-based RL is more efficient than model-free RL, especially when it is costly to interact with the environment. However, the resulting performance depends on the quality of environment modeling.
Figure 18. Model-based RL process
Using model-based RL to improve training efficiency is currently an active field of research. Microsoft first applied the classic Deep Dyna-Q (DDQ) algorithm in dialogs[33], as shown by the figure © in Figure 19. Before DDQ training starts, we use a small amount of existing dialog data to pre-train the policy model and the world model. Then, we train DDQ by repeating the following steps:
Direct RL: Interact with real users online, update policy models, and store dialog data.
Interact with real users online, update policy models, and store dialog data. World model training: Update the world model based on collected real dialog data.
Update the world model based on collected real dialog data. Planning: Use the dialog data obtained from interaction with the world model to train the policy model.
The world model (as shown in Figure 20) is a neural network that models the probability of environment state transition and rewards. The inputs are the current dialog state and system action. The outputs are the next user action, environment rewards, and dialog termination variables. The world model reduces the human-machine interaction data required by DDQ for online RL (as shown in figure (a) of Figure 19) and avoids ineffective interactions with user simulators (as shown in figure (b) of Figure 19).
Figure 19. Three RL architectures
Figure 20. Structure of the world model
Similar to the user simulator in the dialog field, the world model can simulate real user actions and interact with the system’s DM. However, the user simulator is essentially an external environment and is used to simulate real users, while the world model is an internal model of the system.
Microsoft researchers have made improvements based on DDQ. To improve the authenticity of the dialog data generated by the world model, they proposed[34] to improve the quality of the generated dialog data through adversarial training. Considering when to use the data generated through interaction with the real environment and when to use data generated through interaction with the world model, they discussed feasible solutions in a paper[35]. They also discussed a unified dialog framework to include interaction with real users in another paper[36]. This human-teaching concept has attracted attention in the industry as it can help in the building of DMs. This will be further explained in the following sections.
Human-in-the-Loop
We hope to make full use of human knowledge and experience to generate high-quality data and improve the efficiency of model training. Human-in-the-loop RL[37] is a method to introduce human beings into robot training. Through designed human-machine interaction methods, humans can efficiently guide the training of RL models. To further improve the training efficiency of the task dialog systems, researchers are working to design an effective human-in-the-loop method based on the dialog features.
Figure 21. Composite learning combining supervised pre-training, imitation learning, and online RL
Google researchers proposed a composite learning method combining human teaching and RL37, which adds a human teaching stage between supervised pre-training and online RL, allowing humans to tag data to avoid the covariate shift caused by supervised pre-training[42]. Amazon researchers also proposed a similar human teaching framework[37]: In each round of dialog, the system recommends four responses to the customer service expert. The customer service expert determines whether to select one of these responses or create a new response. Finally, the customer service expert sends the selected or created response to the user. With this method, developers can quickly update the capabilities of the dialog system.
In the preceding method, the system passively receives the data tagged by humans. However, a good system should actively ask questions and seek help from humans. One paper[40] introduced the companion learning architecture (as shown in Figure 22), which adds the role of a teacher (human) to the traditional RL framework. The teacher can correct the responses of the dialog system (the student, represented by the switch on the left side of the figure) and evaluate the student’s response in the form of intrinsic reward (the switch on the right side of the figure). For the implementation of active learning, the authors put forward the concept of dialog decision certainty. The student policy network is sampled multiple times through dropout to obtain the estimated approximate maximum probability of the desired action. Then the moving average of several dialog rounds is calculated through the maximum probability and used as the decision certainty of the student policy network. If the calculated certainty is lower than the target value, the system determines whether a teacher is required to correct errors and provide reward functions based on the difference between the calculated decision certainty and the target value. If the calculated certainty is higher than the target value, the system stops learning from the teacher and makes judgments on its own.
Figure 22. The teacher corrects the student’s response (on the left) or evaluates the student’s response (on the right).
The key to active learning is to estimate the certainty of the dialog system regarding its own decisions. In addition to dropping out policy networks, other methods include using hidden variables as condition variables to calculate the Jensen-Shannon divergence of policy networks[22] and making judgments based on the dialog success rate of the current system[36].
Dialog Management Framework of the Intelligent Robot Conversational AI Team
To ensure stability and interpretability, the industry primarily uses rule-based DM models. The Intelligent Robot Conversational AI Team at Alibaba’s DAMO Academy began to explore DM models last year. When building a real dialog system, we need to solve two problems: (1) how to obtain a large amount of dialog data in a specific scenario and (2) how to use algorithms to maximize the value of data.
Currently, we plan to complete the model framework design in four steps, as shown in Figure 23.
Figure 23. Four steps of DM model design
Step 1: First, use the dialog studio independently developed by the Intelligent Robot Conversational AI team to quickly build a dialog engine called TaskFlow based on rule-based dialog flows and build a user simulator with similar dialog flows. Then, have the user simulator and TaskFlow continuously interact with each other to generate a large amount of dialog data.
First, use the dialog studio independently developed by the Intelligent Robot Conversational AI team to quickly build a dialog engine called TaskFlow based on rule-based dialog flows and build a user simulator with similar dialog flows. Then, have the user simulator and TaskFlow continuously interact with each other to generate a large amount of dialog data. Step 2: Train a neural network through supervised learning to build a preliminary DM model that has capabilities basically equivalent to a rule-based dialog engine. The model can be expanded by combining semantic similarity matching and end-to-end generation. Dialog tasks with a large action space are divided using the HRL method.
Train a neural network through supervised learning to build a preliminary DM model that has capabilities basically equivalent to a rule-based dialog engine. The model can be expanded by combining semantic similarity matching and end-to-end generation. Dialog tasks with a large action space are divided using the HRL method. Step 3: In the development phase, make the system interact with an improved user simulator or AI trainers and continuously enhance the system dialog capability based on off-policy ACER RL algorithms.
In the development phase, make the system interact with an improved user simulator or AI trainers and continuously enhance the system dialog capability based on off-policy ACER RL algorithms. Step 4: After the human-machine interaction experience is verified, launch the system and introduce human roles to collect real user interaction data. In addition, use some UI designs to easily introduce user feedback to continuously update and enhance the model. The obtained human-machine dialog data will be further analyzed and mined for customer insight.
At present, the RL-based DM model we developed can complete 80% of the dialog with the user simulator for moderately complex dialog tasks, such as booking a meeting room, as shown in Figure 24.
Figure 24. Framework and evaluation indicators of the DM model developed by the Intelligent Robot Conversational AI team
Summary
This article provides a detailed introduction of the latest research on DM models, focusing on three shortcomings of traditional DM models:
Poor scalability
Insufficient tagged data
Low training efficiency
To address scalability, common methods for processing changes in user intents, dialog bodies, and the system action space include semantic similarity matching, knowledge distillation, and sequence generation. To address insufficient tagged data, methods include automatic machine tagging, effective dialog structure mining, and efficient data collection policies. To address the low training efficiency of traditional DM models, methods such as HRL and FRL are used to divide action spaces into different layers. Model-based RL methods are also used to model the environment and improve training efficiency. Introducing human-in-the-loop into the dialog system training framework is also a current focus of research. Finally, I discussed the current progress of the DM model developed by the Intelligent Robot Conversational AI team of Alibaba’s DAMO Academy. I hope this summary can provide some new insights to support your own research on DM.
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Are you eager to know the latest tech trends in Alibaba Cloud? Hear it from our top experts in our newly launched series, Tech Show!
Original Source: | https://medium.com/datadriveninvestor/progress-in-dialog-management-model-research-444c52f4bc1a | ['Alibaba Cloud'] | 2020-06-22 10:41:51.468000+00:00 | ['Machine Learning', 'AI', 'API', 'Alibabacloud', 'Algorithms'] |
Overcoming the Fear of Death During a Psychedelic Experience | During personal, guided, or group psychedelic sessions, people will often confront a range of issues, from trauma to depression to addiction (sometimes all three together since these problems are often linked). One of the most interesting aspects of the psychedelic experiences, to me personally, is how they can feature confrontations with the key existential concerns that we have as humans: death, meaninglessness, isolation, and freedom.
Continue reading… | https://medium.com/@samwoolfe/overcoming-the-fear-of-death-during-a-psychedelic-experience-41c27ce02b02 | ['Sam Woolfe'] | 2020-12-18 16:59:44.930000+00:00 | ['Anxiety', 'Psychology', 'Mental Health', 'Death', 'Drugs'] |
ReapChain and ICTK Holdings Collaborate on “IoT Security Logistics System” | ReapChain announced on the 17th that it has signed a business agreement with ICTK Holdings to establish a mutual strategic partnership for cooperation in the field of “Things PID-based IoT security logistics system”.
In the future, through this business agreement, the two companies plan to build their own IoT security logistics system that applies object PID, that is, object authentication system and data copy prevention (PUF) technology.
By applying advanced technologies such as IoT terminal authentication and security technology, they plan to cooperate with the development and commercialization of a blockchain-based improved cold chain, that is, a low-temperature distribution system service platform.
ReapChain is a project that aims to solve the blockchain trilemma and provide a blockchain technology that can be used in real life. It aims to expand business areas such as IoT, online voting, digital asset field (DABS), and to build a blockchain ecosystem that can be experienced in real life. In October, it was listed on KuCoin, a global cryptocurrency exchange.
ICTK Holdings is a company that has commercialized a data security technology called physical copy protection (PUF). It has acquired IoT certification from Amazon Web Services (AWS) for its IoT device security solution “Trust-Fi”.
Jake Lee, CEO of ReapChain, said, “We are planning various projects and collaborations based on the technology and confidence gained through the development of ReapChain.”
★ ReapChain Official Community
Follow the ReapChain official community and have more news!
Homepage: https://reapchain.com/
Telegram (ENG): https://t.me/ReapchainOfficialEnglish
Telegram (KR): https://t.me/joinchat/MbaQ7RaZchMzjAam9yMS0Q
Blog: https://blog.naver.com/reapchain
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReapChain/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReapChain
Bitcointalk: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5260297.0
Partnership and Affiliation Inquiries: [email protected]
Investment and Sale Inquiries: [email protected]
Project Inquiries: [email protected] | https://medium.com/reapchain/reapchain-and-ictk-holdings-collaborate-on-iot-security-logistics-system-8b56b7b1162b | [] | 2020-12-17 14:05:16.896000+00:00 | ['Reapchain', 'Partnerships', 'IoT', 'Security', 'Logistics'] |
Creating a Custom Authenticator using AWS Amplify, Cognito and React.js | The man of science has learned to believe in justification, not by faith, but by verification.
Why React?
React is one of the trendiest frameworks for building single-page UI-first applications. Its popularity is increasing for the second year in a row and there are reasons for that.
Getting started with React is easy both for beginners and experienced developers thankfully to the supportive community and detailed documentation — it covers pretty much every aspect of working with React — from basics to advanced concepts.
Why AWS Amplify?
AWS Amplify includes a wide variety of open-source libraries and drag-and-drop UI components developers can use as building blocks for their apps. It also has a built-in CLI you can use to build your backend. One of the pre-built components in Amplify is Authenticator which we are gonna use for making the Authentication system.
Getting Started
Create a react app and install the dependencies needed for the system
npx create-react-app yarn add aws-amplify-react @aws-amplify/ui-components aws-amplify
aws-amplify : For using Auth component that connects frontend with AWS Amplify backend and Cognito
: For using Auth component that connects frontend with AWS Amplify backend and Cognito aws-amplify-react : For importing pre-built Authenticator and SignIn and SignUp class
: For importing pre-built Authenticator and SignIn and SignUp class aws-amplify/ui-components: For using AuthState enum that contains different auth states
Import Tachyons.io for pre-defined CSS styles (Optional)
Setup File Structure
Apart from the App and Index file in src of the project, All the components that will be used will be placed in the src/Components folder
App.js (src/App.js): Will contain all the authentication and state checks
(src/App.js): Will contain all the authentication and state checks Index.js (src/Index.js): Root of the project that will contain the routing setup and call to the App component
(src/Index.js): Root of the project that will contain the routing setup and call to the App component Login Directory (src/Components/Login) : Will contain all the files related to login system i.e CustomSignUp.js, CustomSignIn.js, ForgotPassword.js, ResetPasword.js
(src/Components/Login) : Will contain all the files related to login system i.e CustomSignUp.js, CustomSignIn.js, ForgotPassword.js, ResetPasword.js Content Directory (src/Components/Content/index.js): Will contain all the content related to the project or component to call the content
Initialize Auth
Install amplify command line and initialize amplify the environment
// For installation
yarn global add @aws-amplify/cli // For Initialization
amplify init
Note: Make sure you have a verified AWS account and AWS Credentials beforehand.
Initializing amplify environment
Add Auth in your project and initialize it, Either you can initialize it with basic settings or AWS provides an option to edit the advanced settings like Recaptcha, OTP verification, etc which can be configured in the advanced settings option.
amplify add auth
Note: You will not be able to alter the choices you make while setting up auth
Initializing Auth
Run amplify status to check if the auth has been successfully added.
Index.js
import React from 'react';
import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
import './index.css';
import App from './App';
import Amplify from 'aws-amplify'
import aws_config from './aws-exports'; Amplify.configure(aws_config) ReactDOM.render(
<React.StrictMode>
<App />
</React.StrictMode>,
document.getElementById('root'));
Auth Class
Functions that we will be using from the Auth Class are:
SignIn: Takes in the username and password as params
Takes in the username and password as params SignOut: Takes in no params and signs out the user
Takes in no params and signs out the user CurrentAuthenticatedUser: Takes in no params and returns a Cognito User object with user and client details
Takes in no params and returns a Cognito User object with user and client details ResendSignUp: Takes in the username as a param
Takes in the username as a param ConfirmSignUp: Takes in the username, and code(OTP) as a params
Takes in the username, and code(OTP) as a params SignUp: Takes an object with the username, password and attributes object that contains the user details that is asked while signing up as params
Takes an object with the username, password and attributes object that contains the user details that is asked while signing up as params ForgotPassword: Takes in the username as a param
Takes in the username as a param ForgotPasswordSubmit: Takes in the username, code(OTP), and password as params
App.js
Defining a Class component App that invokes different login system screens depending on the value of AuthState enum used. The Content component must have options to Sign In and Sign Out. For the article, we are making a system that will allow users to view certain elements of the website even if logged out but for getting access to all the elements users must be logged in.
Different Auth states and their usage are :
AuthState.SignedIn : Content with all components will be displayed
: Content with all components will be displayed AuthState.SignedOut : Content with limited components will be displayed
: Content with limited components will be displayed AuthState.SignIn : Login page will be displayed with choices to register a new user or reset password
: Login page will be displayed with choices to register a new user or reset password AuthState.SignUp: Sign Up page will be displayed
Sign Up page will be displayed AuthState.ConfirmSignUp : Mail verification page to verify user mail address using OTP
: Mail verification page to verify user mail address using OTP AuthState.ForgotPassword : Forgot password page that allows user to validates user by sending the user an OTP to the mail id of the registered and verified user
: Forgot password page that allows user to validates user by sending the user an OTP to the mail id of the registered and verified user AuthState.ResetPassword: Reset password page to enter, validate and change password
import React, { Component } from 'react'
import { Authenticator, SignIn, SignUp} from 'aws-amplify-react/lib/Auth';
import aws_config from './aws-exports'
import './App.css'
import Content from './Components/Content'
import { Auth } from 'aws-amplify';
import { AuthState } from '@aws-amplify/ui-components'; import CustomSignIn from './Components/Login/CustomSignIn'
import CustomSignUp from './Components/Login/CustomSignUp'
import ConfirmSignUp from './Components/Login/ConfirmSignUp';
import ForgotPassword from './Components/Login/ForgotPassword';
import ResetPassword from './Components/Login/ResetPassword'; export class App extends Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props)
this.state = {
AuthState: AuthState.SignedOut,
User: null,
SignUpUsername: '',
} this.SetUserName = this.SetUserName.bind(this);
this.SetAuthState = this.SetAuthState.bind(this);
} SetUserName(Val){
this.setState({
SignUpUsername: Val,
})
} SetUser(UserVals){
this.setState({
User: UserVals,
})
} async SetAuthState(Val){
if(Val === AuthState.SignedOut){
Auth.signOut();
this.SetUser(null);
}
this.setState({
AuthState: Val,
}) const User = await Auth.currentAuthenticatedUser();
this.SetUser(User);
} async componentDidMount(){
const User = await Auth.currentAuthenticatedUser();
if(User === null){
this.SetAuthState(AuthState.SignedOut)
} else{
this.SetAuthState(AuthState.SignedIn)
}
} render() {
if(this.state.AuthState === AuthState.SignedIn){
return(
<Content
AuthState = {this.state.AuthState}
User = {this.state.User}
SetAuthState = {this.SetAuthState}
/>
)
} else if(this.state.AuthState === AuthState.SignedOut){
return(
<Content
AuthState = {this.state.AuthState}
User = {null}
SetAuthState = {this.SetAuthState}
/>
)
} else if(this.state.AuthState === AuthState.ConfirmSignUp){
return(
<ConfirmSignUp
SetAuthState={this.SetAuthState}
Username={this.state.SignUpUsername}
/>
)
} else if(this.state.AuthState === AuthState.ForgotPassword){
return(
<ForgotPassword
SetAuthState={this.SetAuthState}
SetUserName={this.SetUserName}
/>
)
} else if(this.state.AuthState === AuthState.ResetPassword){
return(
<ResetPassword
SignUpUsername={this.state.SignUpUsername}
SetAuthState={this.SetAuthState}
/>
)
} else{
return(
<Authenticator hide={[SignIn, SignUp]} amplifyConfig={aws_config}>
<CustomSignIn
SetAuthState={this.SetAuthState}
/>
<CustomSignUp
AuthState = {this.state.AuthState}
SetAuthState={this.SetAuthState}
SetUserName={this.SetUserName}
/>
</Authenticator>
)
}
}
} export default (App);
CustomSignIn.js
Defining Class component CustomSignIn extending the SignIn Class so we can use the changeState function to change the state to ‘signUp’ to get redirected to the CustomSignUp page to register a new user when prompted. Auth.signIn function is called by passing username and password as params that can be taken from the user using a simple form. When extending Component class from react render function gets the statements that are supposed to be returned, In case of SignIn, a similar function called showComponent does the job.
Note: Various errors that can be caught in try-catch are logged in the console can also be used to pop on the screen as an alert.
import { SignIn } from 'aws-amplify-react/lib/Auth';
import React, { Component } from 'react'
import { AuthState } from '@aws-amplify/ui-components';
import { Auth } from 'aws-amplify'; export class CustomSignIn extends SignIn {
constructor(props) {
super(props)
this.state = {
Username : '',
Password : ''
}
this.signIn = this.signIn.bind(this);
this.handleFormSubmission = this.handleFormSubmission.bind(this);
} handleFormSubmission(evt) {
evt.preventDefault();
this.signIn();
} async signIn() {
const username = this.state.Username;
const password = this.state.Password;
try {
await Auth.signIn(username, password);
await this.props.SetAuthState(AuthState.SignedIn)
} catch (err) {
if (err.code === "UserNotConfirmedException") {
this.setState({ error: "Login failed." });
} else if (err.code === "NotAuthorizedException") {
this.setState({ error: "Login failed." });
} else if (err.code === "UserNotFoundException") {
this.setState({ error: "Login failed." });
} else {
this.setState({ error: "An error has occurred." });
console.error(err);
}
}
} showComponent(theme) {
return (
<div className="tc pt5">
<h2>Sign in to your Account</h2>
<div className="pa2">
<label for="username" className="pr3">UserName</label>
<input className="ba b--gray br2 pl2 shadow-2" type="text" placeholder="Username" onChange={(e) => this.setState({Username: e.target.value})}></input>
</div>
<div className="pa2">
<label for="password" className="pr3">Password</label>
<input className="ba b--gray br2 pl2 shadow-2" type="password" placeholder="Password" onChange={(e) => this.setState({Password: e.target.value})}></input>
</div>
<div className="pa2">
<a className="f6 link dim br-pill ba ph3 pv2 mb2 dib dark-green" onClick={this.handleFormSubmission} href="#0">Sign In</a
</div>
<div>
Not a User ? <a className="f5 fw6 dark-green link " onClick={() => super.changeState("signUp")}>Register Now !</a>
</div>
<div className="pa2">
Do not remember password ? <a className="f5 fw6 dark-green link " onClick={() => this.props.SetAuthState(AuthState.ForgotPassword)} href="#0">Forgot Password</a>
</div>
</div>
)
}
} export default CustomSignIn
CustomSignUp.js
Defining Class component CustomSignUp extending the SignUp Class. Auth.signUp function is called by passing an object containing the username, password, and attributes object containing custom and predefined attributes of the user as params that can be taken from the user using a simple form. Before calling the signUp function, It is optional to take in a password twice and later on validate its value.
Note: Various errors that can be caught in try-catch are logged in the console can also be used to pop on the screen as an alert.
import { SignUp } from 'aws-amplify-react/lib/Auth';
import React from 'react'
import { AuthState } from '@aws-amplify/ui-components';
import { Auth } from 'aws-amplify'; export class CustomSignUp extends SignUp {
constructor(props) {
super(props)
this.state = {
Username : '',
Password : '',
RePassword: '',
Mail: '',
User : null,
} this.signUp = this.signUp.bind(this);
this.handleFormSubmission = this.handleFormSubmission.bind(this);
} handleFormSubmission(evt) {
if(this.state.Password === this.state.RePassword && this.state.Password !== ''){
evt.preventDefault();
this.signUp();
} else{
console.log("Passwords did not match")
}
} async signUp() {
const username = this.state.Username;
const password = this.state.Password;
const email = this.state.Mail;
try {
const { user } = await Auth.signUp({
username, password,
attributes: {
email,
}
});
this.props.SetUserName(user['username'])
this.props.SetAuthState(AuthState.ConfirmSignUp)
} catch (err) {
if (err.code === "UsernameExistsException") { //Username already taken
//Shows signup error
}else if(err.code === ""){ //password too weak
// show the error
} else {
this.setState({ error: "An error has occurred." });
console.error(err);
this.props.SetAuthState(AuthState.ConfirmSignUp)
}
}
} showComponent(theme) {
return (
<div className="tc pt5">
<h2>Sign up with a new Account</h2>
<div className="pa2">
<label for="username" className="pr3">UserName</label>
<input className="ba b--gray br2 pl2 shadow-2" type="text" placeholder="Username" onChange={(e) => this.setState({Username: e.target.value})}></input>
</div>
<div className="pa2">
<label for="username" className="pr3">Email</label>
<input className="ba b--gray br2 pl2 shadow-2" type="email" placeholder="Email" onChange={(e) => this.setState({Mail: e.target.value})}></input>
</div>
<div className="pa2">
<label for="password" className="pr3">Password</label>
<input className="ba b--gray br2 pl2 shadow-2" type="password" placeholder="Password" onChange={(e) => this.setState({Password: e.target.value})}></input>
</div>
<div className="pa2">
<label for="password" className="pr3">Re-Type Password</label>
<input className="ba b--gray br2 pl2 shadow-2" type="password" placeholder="Re-Type Password" onChange={(e) => this.setState({RePassword: e.target.value})}></input>
</div>
<div className="pa2">
<a className="f6 link dim br-pill ba ph3 pv2 mb2 dib dark-green" onClick={this.handleFormSubmission} href="#0">Sign Up</a>
</div>
</div>
)
}
} export default CustomSignUp
ConfirmSignUp.js
Defining Class component ConfirmSignUp extending the Component Class. Upon Signing up the user will be prompted to verify the mailing address entered while signing up by validating the OTP sent on the registered address Auth.confirmSignUp function is called by passing username and valid OTP. An option to resend the OTP can also be used in case the user wants to get a new OTP.
Note: Incorrect OTP error can be caught in try-catch and is logged in the. It can also be used to pop on the screen as an alert.
import React, { Component } from 'react'
import { AuthState } from '@aws-amplify/ui-components';
import { Auth } from 'aws-amplify'; export class ConfirmSignUp extends Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props)
this.state = {
Code : ''
} this.confirmSignUp = this.confirmSignUp.bind(this);
this.handleFormSubmission = this.handleFormSubmission.bind(this);
} async resendConfirmationCode(){
try {
await Auth.resendSignUp(this.props.Username);
console.log('code resent successfully');
} catch (err) {
console.log('error resending code: ', err);
}
} handleFormSubmission(evt) {
evt.preventDefault();
this.confirmSignUp();
} async confirmSignUp() {
const username = this.props.Username;
const code = this.state.Code;
try {
await Auth.confirmSignUp(username, code);
this.props.SetAuthState(AuthState.SignIn)
} catch (error) {
console.log('error confirming sign up', error);
}
} render() {
return (
<div className="tc pt5">
<h2>Verify your Mail Address</h2>
<div className="pa2">
<label for="username" className="pr3">UserName</label>
<input className="ba b--gray br2 pl2 shadow-2" type="text" placeholder={this.props.Username} onChange={(e) => this.setState({Username: e.target.value})} disabled></input>
</div>
<div className="pa2">
<label for="code" className="pr3">Code</label>
<input className="ba b--gray br2 pl2 shadow-2" type="text" placeholder="Enter Code" onChange={(e) => this.setState({Code: e.target.value})}></input>
</div>
<div className="pa2">
<a className="f6 link dim br-pill ba ph3 pv2 mb2 dib dark-green" onClick={this.handleFormSubmission} href="#0">Verify Account</a>
</div>
<div>
Didn't get a Code ? <a className="f5 fw6 dark-green link " onClick={() => this.resendConfirmationCode} href="#0">Resend Code</a>
</div>
</div>
)
}
} export default ConfirmSignUp
Making Sure SignUp functionality is working
To make sure the sign-up functionality is working, log in to your AWS console and look for Cognito in the services section. In manage user pool, choose the user pool that is used with the Authentication system and you can view the user that you just registered.
ForgotPassword.js
Defining Class component ForgotPassword extending the Component Class. On Clicking on the forgot password option on the SignIn screen user will be redirected to this component. Auth.forgotPassword function is called by passing the username of the registered and verified user. An option to resend the OTP can also be used in case the user wants to get a new OTP.
import React, { Component } from 'react'
import { AuthState } from '@aws-amplify/ui-components';
import { Auth } from 'aws-amplify'; export class ForgotPassword extends Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props)
this.state = {
Username : '',
} this.forgotPassword = this.forgotPassword.bind(this);
this.handleFormSubmission = this.handleFormSubmission.bind(this);
} async resendConfirmationCode(){
try {
await Auth.resendSignUp(this.state.Username);
console.log('code resent successfully');
} catch (err) {
console.log('error resending code: ', err);
}
}
handleFormSubmission(evt) {
evt.preventDefault();
this.forgotPassword();
} async forgotPassword() {
const username = this.state.Username;
try{
await Auth.forgotPassword(username)
this.props.SetUserName(username)
this.props.SetAuthState(AuthState.ResetPassword)
} catch(err){
console.log(err)
}
} render() {
return (
<div className="tc pt5">
<h2>Forgot Password</h2>
<div className="pa2">
<label for="username" className="pr3">UserName</label>
<input className="ba b--gray br2 pl2 shadow-2" type="text" placeholder="Username" onChange={(e) => this.setState({Username: e.target.value})}></input>
</div>
<div className="pa2">
<a className="f6 link dim br-pill ba ph3 pv2 mb2 dib dark-green" onClick={this.handleFormSubmission} href="#0">Send OTP</a>.
</div>
</div>
)
}
} export default ForgotPassword
ResetPassword.js
Defining Class component ResetPassword extending the Component Class. On entering the correct username, the user will be redirected to this section. On Clicking on the forgot password option on the SignIn screen user will be redirected to this component. Auth.forgotPasswordSubmit function is called by passing the username, OTP, and a new password of the registered.
Note: Various errors that can be caught in try-catch are logged in the console can also be used to pop on the screen as an alert.
import React, { Component } from 'react'
import { AuthState } from '@aws-amplify/ui-components';
import { Auth } from 'aws-amplify'; export class ResetPassword extends Component {
constructor(props) {
super(props)
this.state = {
Username : '',
Password : '',
Code : '',
RePassword : '',
} this.resetPassword = this.resetPassword.bind(this);
this.handleFormSubmission = this.handleFormSubmission.bind(this);
} handleFormSubmission(evt) {
if(this.state.Password === this.state.RePassword && this.state.Password != ''){
evt.preventDefault();
this.resetPassword();
} else{
console.log("Passwords did not match")
}
} async resetPassword() {
const username = this.props.SignUpUsername;
const code = this.state.Code
const password = this.state.Password
try{
await Auth.forgotPasswordSubmit(username, code, password)
this.props.SetAuthState(AuthState.SignIn)
} catch(err){
console.log(err)
}
} render() {
return (
<div className="tc pt5">
<h2>Reset Password</h2>
<div className="pa2">
<label for="username" className="pr3">UserName</label>
<input className="ba b--gray br2 pl2 shadow-2" type="text" placeholder={this.props.SignUpUsername} onChange={(e) => this.setState({Username: e.target.value})} disabled></input>
</div>
<div className="pa2">
<label for="mail" className="pr3">Code</label>
<input className="ba b--gray br2 pl2 shadow-2" type="text" placeholder="Enter Code" onChange={(e) => this.setState({Code: e.target.value})}></input>
</div>
<div className="pa2">
<label for="password" className="pr3">Password</label>
<input className="ba b--gray br2 pl2 shadow-2" type="password" placeholder="Password" onChange={(e) => this.setState({Password: e.target.value})}></input>
</div>
<div className="pa2">
<label for="password" className="pr3">Re-Type Password</label>
<input className="ba b--gray br2 pl2 shadow-2" type="password" placeholder="Re-Type Password" onChange={(e) => this.setState({RePassword: e.target.value})}></input>
</div>
<div className="pa2">
<a className="f6 link dim br-pill ba ph3 pv2 mb2 dib dark-green" onClick={this.handleFormSubmission} href="#0">Reset Password</a>
</div>
</div>
)
}
} export default ResetPassword
Content/Index.js
Defining Class component Content extending the Component Class. It will contain all the content that will be displayed to the user and will have the check for the state passed and the user depending upon which it will return the component or call the components to be displayed.
Note: This component must have a call to Login and to Sign Out of the system
import React, { Component } from 'react'
import { AuthState } from '@aws-amplify/ui-components' export class index extends Component {
render() {
console.log(this.props.User)
if(this.props.AuthState === AuthState.SignedIn){
return(
<div className="tc">
<h2> AWS Authenticator Tutorial</h2>
{this.props.User === null ? <div> Loading User </div> :
<div className="tc w-100">
<p className=""> Name : {this.props.User['username']}</p>
<p className=""> Mail : {this.props.User['attributes']['email']}</p>
</div>
}
<a className="f6 link dim br-pill ba ph3 pv2 mb2 dib dark-pink" onClick={(e)=>this.props.SetAuthState(AuthState.SignedOut)} href="#0">Sign Out</a>
</div>
)
} else{
return(
<div className="tc w-100">
<h2> AWS Authenticator Tutorial</h2>
<p> No user Logged in !</p>
<a className="f6 link dim br-pill ba ph3 pv2 mb2 dib dark-green" onClick={(e)=>this.props.SetAuthState(AuthState.SignIn)} href="#0">Login</a>
</div>
)
}
}
} export default index
Content when Signed Out
Content when Signed In
Conclusion
This is the simplest and most efficient way to use AWS Authenticator and Cognito for a fully customizable authentication system. For the sake of keeping the code clean and the article small, a simple CSS has been used although it can be integrated with any UI or CSS framework. The only things that need to be taken care of are the AuthStates, function calls, and their order.
Project Github URL: https://github.com/vaibhavsethia/AWS-Authenticator
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vaibhav-sethia-4711b8145/ | https://medium.com/@vaibhavsethia1998/creating-a-custom-authenticator-using-aws-amplify-cognito-and-react-js-60f24d1c84aa | ['Vaibhav Sethia'] | 2020-12-03 15:38:09.410000+00:00 | ['Login System', 'AWS', 'Authentication', 'Aws Amplify', 'React'] |
Fetch Beta is Live! | Since releasing the Alpha, we’ve been busy rounding the corners on all the buttons and making sure the math is just right. Today, we’re happy to share that we’ve released the Fetch Beta!
Fetch allows anybody to manage their tokens and transact across 20+ exchanges easily, with one-click.
We built Fetch because we believe in a future of decentralized services and know that for everybody to participate there needs to be a simple way to manage assets and transact easily. So, Fetch doesn’t ask you to figure out blockchain jargon, hex addresses or paste JSON blobs. Just point, click and relax.
We have so many great features planned for Fetch that will roll out in the coming weeks and months. Stay tuned for more platform support, integrated protocols and ways that Fetch makes your experience on the Blockchain so much simpler and more delightful.
Today, the first wave of invites went out to people on our wait list. If you didn’t receive yours, watch your inbox. We’ll be inviting more people every week. And if you’re not on the wait list yet, there’s still time to sign up! | https://medium.com/hello-fetch/fetch-beta-is-live-691320b94ac1 | ['Hansmeet Sethi'] | 2018-09-24 19:05:39.794000+00:00 | ['Ethereum', 'Fetchproduct', 'Blockchain', 'Bitcoin', 'Cryptocurrency'] |
Tracy Chapman was Ahead of Her Time | Somewhat accidentally I came across Tracy Chapman’s album released in the 1990’s. Her song lyrics were nothing but genius.
In her song ‘Talkin about a revolution’, Tracey reflects on the rising tide of socialism and the impacts of capitalism.
‘While they’re standing in the welfare lines
Crying at the doorsteps of those armies of salvation
Wasting time in the unemployment lines
Sitting around waiting for a promotion’
It is clear that society has created a three-tier system. Low income class, middle and higher earners. It is portrayed to us that it is apparently easy to climb the ladder; to move from one to the other, but in reality this is often not the case. It is faulty, easy for some, difficult for others. Many factors play their role in being able to climb socio-economic paradigms (of which I won’t delve into here).
It is, therefore, almost inevitable that those at the bottom, who pay the highest price in terms of day to day burden, who find it difficult to climb this ladder will eventually at least think about revolting back against the system and ‘get their share’.
The rise of socialist labour with Corbyn at the helm is an example. He argued that it is those at the bottom who, in their greatest numbers, have a substantial portion of the decision power in a free democracy. They are, therefore, the prime targets for those higher up the social-economic ladder who do not want a ‘revolution’ or ‘change’ in current circumstances. They will be told how and when they should use their ‘voting’ power. It seems as if those at the bottom of the social-economic paradigm are the easiest to persuade with a few add campaigns and empty promises. There could be many reasons for this such as higher education, data, lack of information and so on (not elaborated here).
This is what I think Tracey was reflecting on with ‘talkin bout revolution’, ‘standing in the welfare lines’ and ‘crying at the doors of those armies of salvation’. Those at the bottom are indeed thinking of revolting, but they cannot fully commit as they are tied down by the elite to do as and what they say. It is cyclical. The tide of revolution happens, followed by the quash from the elite of society with endless campaigns to make those leading the revolution (often at the bottom) to blame each other of their faults and, alas, give their voting power back to the top.
The cyclical nature of our society. Although the politically aware song failed to replicate the success of its predecessor ‘Fast car’, I extend my thanks to Tracey. It has opened my minds eye a bit more. | https://medium.com/change-your-mind/tracey-chapman-was-ahead-of-her-time-a8e94054bdaa | ['Sharaf Sheik-Ali'] | 2020-04-08 12:03:49.645000+00:00 | ['Awareness', 'Music', 'Politics', 'Revolution', 'Mindfulness'] |
How to Build a Lasting Emotional Connection | Having a strong emotional connection with your partner is perhaps the most essential component of a relationship that is deep and lasting. It is also what many find lacking. Though men and women experience and create that special emotional bond somewhat differently, you can’t go wrong if you follow the suggestions below.
Have each other’s backs
Come to his or her defense. This is especially important if they said something you know is dead wrong, or if they are struggling or making a fool out of themselves. Come to their aid. Don’t challenge them in public. Save them from themselves. That’s what love looks like.
Keep each other’s secrets
You can’t be close if you don’t share tender things like fears, vulnerabilities, insecurities or huge challenges. We all have moments when our confidence tanks. Your spouse won’t tell you if you send the message that you are not on their side.
Never tell another living soul, ever, about the secrets he or she shares with you. It’s privileged information and I never want you to be on the outside.
Listen to establish an emotional connection
Most people suck at listening. It’s just the truth. Sorry, but it’s because many of us feel that responding is the same thing as listening. It’s not. True listening is when you do the following:
1. Put down your devices.
2. Summarize what you think you heard.
3. Ask great questions about what they just said.
4. Don’t offer fixes or solutions.
5. Be empathetic.
6. Don’t interrupt them.
Make love often
Men feel that special bond by making love, much more than women do. Men and women are different. And I think that’s a good thing! Just understand that women are more likely to think that foreplay starts in the kitchen — and some men are at a loss to understand why.
Be each other’s best friend
Just ask yourself why your best friend is your best friend. I’m thinking lack of judgment, enormous compassion, availability, and that feeling you have in your bones that they truly care. That is exactly what your significant other needs. So be each other’s best friends.
Initiate love making
For some reason, men are far more likely to initiate lovemaking that women are. Maybe it’s a libido differentia, a differing level of energy left over a long day, or simply not feeling that emotional connection.
Whatever the reason, I just know that because men initiate far more than women, they also get rejected a lot more. So it’s really important to often send the message to each other that they are desirable.
Know each other’s challenges and fears
I hope for you that you’re the first person he or she calls or texts about anything important. If you’re not, then you have somehow sent the message that you’re emotionally unavailable. If this feels like a fit for you, acknowledge and apologize to him or her what you just figured out, that you’re going to work on it immediately, and change.
Know and respond to each other’s signals
Try to be so tuned into each other that you notice when your partner is tired or is ready to leave. If he or she is ready to leave a great party, then respect your best friend and lover is in a different place, and go. They’ll be so thankful that you saved them from their own guilt trip.
Ask questions
Good question-asking is how you will get to know each other more deeply. Questions let a person know you care about them. Learn the details of their lives, what they love, what they loathe, what their favorite color is, or who irritates them most at work and why.
Learn their hopes and dreams — and share yours with them. Details matter like coffee-light-no-sugar, or medium rare. And of course important and remembered dates like anniversaries and birthdays.
Support each other’s right to see things differently
Lack of judgment or a need to persuade your special person to see things your way are the hallmark of respect and a 50/50 partnership. What he or she feels and thinks should be every bit as important as what you feel or think.
****
If you work toward understanding the person you love most in life, rather than always focusing on being understood all the time, then you will enjoy and will have earned a lasting emotional connection that will last a lifetime.
Counseling for Busy People is a membership site for individuals looking to help save their relationships. For more information on emotionally connecting with one another, check out our blog or some of our recent videos. | https://medium.com/@lisaryanlpc/how-to-build-a-lasting-emotional-connection-3f0bda685747 | ['Lisa Ryan'] | 2020-12-15 21:21:14.635000+00:00 | ['Emotions', 'Couples Therapy', 'Dating', 'Connection', 'Love'] |
How to Start a General Trading Business in Dubai? | If you’re a young Indian investor or entrepreneur looking to start a general trading business in Dubai, you’re spot-on with your decision. Tax-free legislation, a friendly government, and easy access to resources are just a few of the many advantages that business owners in the UAE enjoy.
Import-export of various commodities, furniture, electronics, jewelry, and other items are among the activities covered by a general trading license in Dubai. Therefore, you can choose them based on your business needs. In addition, to learn more about the many authorized business activities in the UAE, refer to the Dubai Economic Department’s trade license activity list.
What are the Steps to Launch a General Trading Company in Dubai?
All you need to do is follow the steps mentioned below to start a general trading business in Dubai:
1. Decide Your Trading Company’s Structure and Business Operations
2. Reserve a Business Name
3. Obtain the Initial Approval
4. Procure Office Space
5. Apply for a General Trading License
6. Make Sure you get Customs Clearance
7. Open a Business Bank Account
Here, we discuss each step in detail:
1. Decide Your Trading Company’s Structure and Business Operations
When it comes to deciding on the structure of your company in the UAE, you have a lot of alternatives. In the mainland region, you can register an LLC (limited liability company) or start a private company in any free trading region.
Furthermore, you must approach the Department of Economic Development (DED) or the relevant economic department and analyze their list of allowed business operations. You don’t have to be concerned if an activity you want to undertake isn’t on the list because you can get external approval for it.
2. Reserve a Business Name
All firms must get a legal trading name in the United Arab Emirates. The name should be distinctive, reflect your business’s operations, and not be a rip-off of another well-known brand. Furthermore, when choosing a name for your general trading business in Dubai, make sure to follow all naming conventions.
Moreover, avoid mentioning any references to Gods, as well as refrain from using problematic words, insulting slurs, or names that offend the sensitivities of any faith or society. In addition, when adopting a person’s name as your company’s official name in the Emirates, always use the complete name.
3. Obtain the Initial Approval
You’ll need the initial permission certificate from the economic department or any other relevant entity to get the license. Moreover, Indian business aspirants can get the initial approval as and when the authority is content with their submissions.
All you’ll need is the transaction receipt for trade name registration and a few obligatory documents (for identification and business authentication). You must resubmit any information that the authority finds insufficient.
4. Procure Office Space
After you’ve completed the preceding steps, it’s time to choose office space in Dubai for your general trading company. All legal entities in the UAE must have a professional address since official documents and letters are only sent to this address.
In addition, it’s preferable to rent office space rather than buy real estate. Why? Because it saves you money upfront and eliminates the trouble of selling the property if you decide to relocate. You can secure a virtual office for your general trading business in Dubai by signing a contract with the Shuraa India branch.
5. Apply for a General Trading License
You’ll need a legitimate business license if you want to trade in Dubai. Therefore, obtaining a general trading license for your trading firm in Dubai is critical to ensuring there are no compliance concerns or legal issues with your trading business.
To start a general trading business in Dubai, applicants must submit all the legal documents alongside the initial approval. You can apply to the relevant regulating bodies for additional permissions for business operations that aren’t covered by your general trade license.
6. Make Sure you get Customs Clearance
To maintain a stable and secure trade mechanism, the local general customs clearing authority assigns each trading company in Dubai a unique import code. Therefore, once you have the general trading license, you should seek the same from the customs department.
You’re entitled to trade in Dubai once you’ve paid the required fee for your trading company’s appropriate import code.
7. Open a Business Bank Account
To administer your trading company’s monetary activities in Dubai, you’ll require a corporate bank account. Therefore, ensure that you open a bank account with a reputable banking institution that offers long-term benefits. The legal advisors at the Shuraa India branch can help you shortlist the ideal banks for your general trading business.
What is the General Trading License Cost in Dubai?
All businesses in the UAE require a valid trading license to carry out their business activities. The general trading license cost in Dubai ranges from AED 20,000 to AED 50,000 based on your business requirements. Factors like size of warehouse, office space, external approvals, business zone, visa applications — all play a critical role in determining the overall cost of a general trading license.
However, you don’t have to worry about the legitimacy of these payments when you work with the consultants at the Shuraa India branch. We supervise all the transactions to ensure you don’t pay anything extra for incorporating your general trading venture.
What are the Benefits of Starting a General Trading Company in the UAE?
1. Starting a general trade firm is a low-risk endeavor because the field is booming and offers a wide range of business opportunities. Furthermore, the tourism business in Dubai continues to grow at a quick pace, boosting the revenue of general trading companies in the UAE.
2. Obtaining a general trading license is simple and becomes an easy feat with the help of Shuraa’s business specialists. New-age investors and entrepreneurs are always on the lookout for lucrative business opportunities. Therefore, a general trading company is a top pick for such a venture.
3. Trading companies in the UAE generate substantial revenue, thanks to the various tax perks and exemptions. They solely have to pay a 5% VAT, and there are no customs duties, corporation taxes, or other fees in Dubai. Furthermore, trading companies in Dubai enjoy complete capital and profit repatriation.
Documents Required to Obtain a General Trading License in Dubai
Choose a trade name for the company. Plan your business activities. Apply for initial approval from DED. Getting external approvals if required. Prepare Memorandum of Association (MOA)and get it signed by your partners. Choose a business location and get a tenancy contract properly attested by Ejari.
Start a General Trading Business in Dubai!
A general trading license allows for a variety of operations. Hence, you must choose wisely, and you’ll be able to cover all of your intended activities under your license and experience hassle-free commercial operations in the UAE.
The company formation experts at the Shuraa India branch make company registration and setup easier for you. Therefore, if you’re willing to start a general trading business in Dubai, all you have to do is connect with us. | https://medium.com/@businessdubai/how-to-start-a-general-trading-business-in-dubai-a23ab923b023 | ['Kishan Sharma'] | 2021-12-10 10:21:47.953000+00:00 | ['Business', 'General Trading', 'Dubai', 'General Trading Business', 'General Trading License'] |
Creating Characters — The Gin-Swilling Miss Laverty | The year is 1963, and Lisa Grant is four-years-old. Her mother, the self-centred Elizabeth, has hatched a plan with two families living down the road from to employ a governess to teach Lisa and the neighbours’ young daughters.
The governess’s name was Miss Laverty, and the children thought re-christening her Miss Lavatory was hilarious, but they soon stopped laughing after meeting her for the first time. They knew it was rude to stare, but it was almost impossible not to. Her eyes, although invariably bloodshot, had a hypnotic effect on the children, like Kaa in The Jungle Book. A network of spider veins ran across her face, but, it was impossible to ignore the wart on her left cheek because it twitched when she spoke.
From a four-year-old’s perspective, she must have looked like Methuselah, although she was only in her early sixties. Her dress sensed smacked of a stereotypical Victorian governess, without the crinoline and wearing shorter frocks, which were all made from a fabric that rustled when she moved. They were all black-the colour of her dismal personality.
As a preschool teacher, she was entirely ill-suited, charmless and emotionally lacking. Unfortunately for the children, she wasn’t against using corporal punishment on four-year-olds. The tool Miss Laverty chose to inflict punishment, as well as pain, was a ruler, aggressively slapped on the backs of their tiny hands or thighs. The children were frightened of her, but they were equally terrified to tell an adult that Miss Laverty was making their lives a misery.
Eileen had suspicions about Miss Laverty’s credibility as a governess after noticing little welts on Lisa’s thighs and hands. When she asked Lisa how she got them, her response was she didn’t know, or couldn’t remember. All the children were subdued after a morning spent with Miss Laverty, and Eileen often suspected that one or more of them had been crying. On one of Elizabeth’s rare visits to the family home, Eileen voiced her concerns about Miss Laverty, which Elizabeth dismissed.
‘Don’t be so ridiculous, Eileen! Miss Laverty came to us with excellent references. Anyway, I hardly think smacking a child is such cause for concern. What better way is there to discipline a naughty child?’
‘But, Mrs Grant, they’re only four! They wouldn’t do anything terrible enough to deserve a smacking.’
‘Enough, Eileen, I’m late for an appointment, and I don’t want to hear any more on the subject.’ Who provided Miss Laverty with glowing references? Only Elizabeth knew.
One hot summer morning, the windows of Lisa’s nursery, which doubled up as a classroom, were flung wide open. The smell of the dusty heat flooded through the window, along with a whiff of karma. Lisa had drifted off, visualising what she and Eileen would be doing after the boring Miss Lavatory had gone. A walk by the river, perhaps?
Miss Laverty’s characteristic drone was reaching acute boredom level. The subject was arithmetic, and she asked the girls which coin they would rather take shopping with them, a penny, or a sixpence. Lisa had been fantasising about playing Pooh Sticks, looked up at Miss Laverty as the words ‘a penny,’ popped out, along with a subconscious yawn.
‘And why exactly would you choose a penny, Lisa?’
Lisa thought about it for a second before absentmindedly responding, ‘Because it’s bigger!’
Julia and Charlotte sucked in air through their teeth; they both knew Lisa was wrong. It was an unfortunate response as, in the pre-decimalization era, one copper penny, although much bigger than a silver sixpence, was worth five times less.
Looking into Miss Laverty’s pulsating bloodshot eyes, the proverbial penny in Lisa’s head dropped. Scowling, Miss Laverty stood up, her gnarled face screwed into a tight grimace, making her wart twitch.
Bunching their fingers into podgy little fists, Charlotte and Julia watched in horror as the harridan picked up a ruler in her shaking hand and slapped it down onto the back of Lisa’s hand. They felt her pain. Lisa was trying very hard not to cry as she watched the red mark streak across the back of her hand. She narrowed her eyes, the pièce de résistance of her very best cross look and fixed the witch with her stare. Taking a deep breath, she put both hands palm down on the table and braced herself. Miss Laverty lifted the ruler again, a glazed, unhinged look in her eyes, and slapped it down onto Lisa’s other hand. This time Lisa let rip a blood-curdling scream, which reverberated around the house. Enough was enough.
‘Eileeeeeeeeeen!’
All three children jumped up, instinctively reaching out to hold each other’s hands in solidarity as they raced towards the door, screaming Eileen’s name. Still holding hands with Julia and Charlotte, Lisa turned around. Drawing herself up to her full three-foot seven inches, she bawled at the red-faced, lavender-smelling, twitching gargoyle.
‘I hate you, Miss Lavatory! And my Daddy says he hates you too!’ she said just as Eileen burst through the door. | https://medium.com/@tessabarrie/creating-characters-the-gin-swilling-miss-laverty-f7995454e251 | ['Tessa Barrie'] | 2020-12-22 15:39:49.236000+00:00 | ['Creative Writing', 'Character Development', 'Character Building', 'Fiction', 'Humour'] |
Together apart — how creativity connected Australians in 2020 | Ema Yuasa, Benjamin Hancock, Nobuyoshi Asai, Mui Cheuk-yin and Nalina Wait in Sue Healey’s ON VIEW: PANORAMA, Yokohama 2020. Credit: Naoshi Hatori.
By Adrian Collette AM
We are currently facing an historic opportunity. As 2020 comes to a close, we can rethink, reset and reimagine as we rebuild. We can draw on what we have learnt from 2020’s global disruptions, personal challenges and ongoing crises, and on what has sustained us through them.
As we continue to count the cost of stopping in an economy designed around activity and growth, a different form of value has been highlighted: that of connection. And with it, different measures of the health of our economy and our communities.
Without connection, as the social isolation of a pandemic has shown us, we face pervasive crises of mental health, of loneliness, pressures on families, communities and the economy.
One of the key ways we foster connection is through creative expression and participation. Our National Arts Participation study, conducted just prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, found that the majority of Australians saw engagement with the arts as having a strong positive impact on their mental health and in facilitating their connections with others.
When this powerful source of connection is denied to us, we feel its loss.
We crave it. And we find wonderfully imaginative ways to foster it. We sing from balconies and couches for each other. We reinterpret great artworks in our loungerooms, we read and share and commentate and recommend — posting images of our bookshelves and bedside tables laden with our next great reads. We find ways of performing mass socially distanced dance pieces. We watch together and apart — ballerinas in bathtubs, pared-down performances and bingeable screen stories.
Creativity and its consumption have often been thought of as solitary acts: the artist in the garret; the lone reader or audience member in the dark. The truth is creative work starts with the self, inevitably involves collaboration and connection to audiences, and has ripple effects into our communities, our collective behaviours, our culture and our economy. It builds confidence, it deepens engagement and it offers the opportunity for growth.
That is why it is so powerful.
It is my great hope that we can use what we have learnt this year to think differently about the drivers of our productivity and the engine of our optimism. It is not just bullish markets and jobs in traditional industries that enrich and sustain us. It is the power of our creativity, our capacity to innovate and an investment in ensuring the participation of our entire community that will take us to prosperity.
The cultural and creative industries employ far more Australians than mining, and have overtaken manufacturing as a proportion of GDP. They contribute $115bn to GDP each year and — prior to lockdown — made up one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy.
This is a story that needs to be taken seriously well beyond the cultural sector.
Partnerships with cultural and creative industries should be actively brought into sectors including health, education, tourism, community development and digital transformation. Creativity has the capacity to bring human expression, connection and engagement into the heart of all of these areas and to achieve better outcomes.
Cultural engagement drives domestic tourism, global connections and mobility — and will be a key part of getting us moving, participating and spending as we emerge from the 2020 lockdowns and limitations.
Prior to COVID-19, live attendance at arts events was thriving. Australians’ live attendance had increased nearly ten percentage points since 2016.
The Audience Outlook Monitor has shown tremendous appetite to get back into forms of cultural participation.
Of course, the norms of these experiences have shifted dramatically this year. The ‘new normal’ for live arts and culture will — for the foreseeable future — involve face masks, temperature checks and physical distancing.
Australian audiences are, however, feeling more comfortable than other global audiences about attending most venue types and 42% say they’ll go out ‘as soon as it’s legally allowed’. This is not just about a ticket holder in a seat in a theatre. It’s about the restaurant meal prior, the hotel room after and the inspiration, confidence and consumption that this kind of participation engenders.
It’s also about the many ways creativity, cultural production and engagement permeate our lives beyond these obviously cultural experiences.
We recently launched a fantastic research piece that exemplified this for me. It was a collaboration between the Sydney Opera House and the Australia Council on a program that took place in schools in Western Sydney called Creative Leadership in Learning. It empowered young people who wouldn’t necessarily have access to the arts with creative practice, culminating in a showcase at the Opera House. Everyone involved, from the kids, teachers, principals to the resident artists said it was transformative: increasing confidence, engagement and academic performance, as well as wellbeing.
Australians recognise this power. In our participation survey, 73% of respondents said that the arts should be an important part of education and 74% ranked as a high priority investment in arts and creativity in the lives of children and young people to support their learning and development.
We know our young people will need creativity, collaboration skills and adaptive problem solving to help them navigate this uncertain world.
We all need it.
It’s not elitist. It’s not a luxury. It’s fundamental to our human experience and we all mourn its loss when we can’t access it.
Fortunately, creative forces are generative and they are resilient. People find ways to keep creating and connecting, even in extremis — as has been abundantly evident through the digital outpourings throughout this year’s lockdowns.
For the whole country, our economy and our children’s futures to experience the many benefits that creative activity can offer, we must foster this energy. We must ensure that we cultivate and elevate our creative practice and support its ecosystems of collaborations and partnerships, and we must ensure the creative and cultural sector has a seat at the policy table.
Creativity connects us, and 2020 has shown us just how vital that is. | https://medium.com/@AusCouncilArts_/together-apart-how-creativity-connected-australians-in-2020-1d50c8f57ec5 | ['Australia Council For The Arts'] | 2020-12-18 04:50:32.186000+00:00 | ['Arts And Culture', 'Australia', 'Creativity', 'Policy'] |
Why I Always Order Chiles Rellenos in a Mexican Restaurant | Home made Chile Relleno a la Casa Carlotta
Because they’re a pain in the butt to make at home. But, and here’s the zinger; the chile relleno in the photo was without question, the best-tasting I have ever eaten.
Was it worth it?
A qualified “yes”. If you can check the boxes, you should try this recipe:
You have plenty of time. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither were chiles rellenos. (In answer to this question, Angelica, my darling keep-my-apartment-from-being-declared-uninhabitable assistant, told me she had once made 100 handmade chiles rellenos to raise money for her mother’s heart surgery!) You are smart enough to prepare the dish in stages — skin the poblano peppers the day before frying. Dry well on paper towels, cover and refrigerate until ready to stuff and fry. You have access to fresh poblanos. This is not the time for substitutes. Poblanos are generally less “hot” than other peppers. Note I say “generally” . . . they come in different levels of heat. Choose one good quality melting Mexican cheese. Add Mozzerella cheese for added flavor (Angelica-tip). You are prepared to eat them immediately after frying. This is not a microwave dish; not if you want to recreate the restaurant relleno. Angelica-tip: In restaurants, chiles are dipped into hot oil to loosen skin for peeling and stuffing. This technique is not recommended for home kitchens. I wouldn’t do it and I’m not afraid to deep fry, but I do it outdoors. Odor and safety factor.
Now, to the nitty-gritty . . . how did I acquire this recipe? Years and years ago, I lived in Honolulu with my daughter, Nicole during my husband’s 12 month tour of duty in Vietnam. This was an unaccompanied hazardous duty assignment, so we waited out the year in Hawaii.
A significant amount of our time was spent on the Waikiki beach at Fort deRussy, an Army retreat center created primarily for military members and their families. My friend, Gaye Chronister, also a waiting wife, and I could be found there just about every day with our daughters. Gaye and I were a natural fit; in addition to our children and the shared loneliness of being in this idyllic spot without our husbands and fathers, we spoke the same language about our lives as military wives. Don’t let me forget to mention that Gaye and I both enjoyed the occasional beer. Put all those factors together and a natural Sunday routine developed during our year in Oahu. It evolved into one of those not-to-be-messed-with traditions: beach in the morning, margaritas and chiles rellenos in the afternoon and evening.
It was a good plan.
I was in charge of the pre-supper margaritas and chips and salsa.
Gaye made the rellenos.
We used beer to wash down the main course.
After the clean up and appropriate rest and return to sobriety period, Gaye and I were happy to check off another calendar day before our husbands were able to return.
Gaye’s recipe for chiles rellenos. Note the Hawaiian-themed paper.
This recipe is a variation of the original. I use fresh poblano peppers and a traditional melting cheese from Mexico. This can be Asadero cheese, Cotija Cheese, Oaxaca or Quesillo cheese, or Queso Panela. | https://charlottenarboni.medium.com/why-i-always-order-chile-rellenos-in-a-mexican-restaurant-dd73b8d961b9 | ['Charlotte Narboni'] | 2020-07-13 13:49:48.184000+00:00 | ['Chili Rellenos', 'Recipe', 'Cheese', 'Mexican Food'] |
Daily income — Over $10.00USD (Masternode Hosting) Price Varies. | The BlockNode network allows users to set-up Masternodes and earn rewards on a daily basis, rewards are paid out every 12 hours, and you’re able to sell your coins directly for Bitcoin on an exchange after they have been deposited into your wallet.
You can then sell your Bitcoin for USD or your chosen currency, and earn income daily.
To learn more, visit the BlockNode Telegram Channel: https://t.me/BlocknodeChatGroup | https://medium.com/blocknode-tech/daily-income-over-10-00usd-masternode-hosting-price-varies-38375a3d8b53 | ['Anonymous Duck'] | 2018-09-01 00:15:55.148000+00:00 | ['Investing', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Blockchain', 'Bitcoin', 'Business'] |
My Current Favorite Power BI Feature | My Current Favorite Power BI Feature
Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash
If you are a data analyst, then you have likely had a project where everyone wants to look at the same data in different ways. You can, of course, create new pages with new views, but at the end of the day someone may come back with a slightly different use case that requires another chart or graph. Will the report development ever end?
Introducing… the “Analyze in Excel” feature in Power BI. What makes this feature so great for end users and developers? Glad you asked.
Ad hoc pivot table creation
Using the data behind the Power BI report, end users can create their own pivot tables in Excel. This eliminates the need for requests like “can you add these two columns to the chart?” In addition to including all of the data columns, the file also includes all of the calculated measures, which puts the power of analytics at the fingertips of a business analyst or anyone who is less experienced in DAX code.
If a user of a dashboard needs data for a one-time report, then having them use the generated Excel file is especially handy because saves the developer from having to create a new page that will only be used once.
Real-time data
The Excel file created from this feature can be refreshed to get the latest data from the Power BI report. All it takes is a simple right click → Refresh. So, a business manager could create his or her ideal view of the data, and when the next data refresh cycle comes, he or she can refresh the report so it contains the latest and greatest data.
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
Familiarity for Excel pros
Excel is probably the data analysis tool that business professionals feel most comfortable using— for small datasets at least. And some people may not be as quick to jump over to using Power BI, or they may have put a lot of time into creating great analysis in Excel files. Either way, demonstrating the Analyze in Excel feature can help with the adoption of your dashboard by people who may be resistant to learning new tools.
Additionally, users may want to incorporate their own data in with yours, and their data is likely in… you guessed it — Excel. This feature can allow for users to keep all of their reporting in one file or use formulas like VLOOKUP to combine their dataset with the data behind the Power BI dashboard.
You can make pivot charts as well
In the screenshot below, you can see that once you click on insert pivot chart, you can select “use an external data source” and when you choose the connection, the Power BI connection is already there for you to select.
Image by Author
Tips & Tricks
Are you ready to try this feature out? Here are a few things I have learned as I played around:
If you want someone to be able to use the Analyze in Excel button in Power BI online, you need to check the second setting below, to allow them to build content with the data.
Image by Author
If you are in the process of designing your pivot table in the generated Excel file, you can check “Defer Layout Update” in the bottom right corner (see screenshot below). If you do not, the file will run a query after each change you make to the table, and this could take a minute or so if you add a column/row with a ton of unique values.
Image by Author | https://towardsdatascience.com/my-current-favorite-power-bi-feature-d2dce14d007b | ['Megan Dibble'] | 2021-07-16 14:26:55.227000+00:00 | ['Power Bi', 'Data Analyst', 'Data Analytics', 'Business Intelligence', 'Excel'] |
GAME OF THRONES Kind of Forgot It Was a Good Show… | GAME OF THRONES Kind of Forgot It Was a Good Show…
How the final season disappointed its loyal fanbase…
Starbucks coffee cups aside, Game of Thrones has, for the past eight seasons, been a visually and narratively groundbreaking piece of television. From the beginning, leading characters were shockingly killed off and unfortunate prophecies went fulfilled. As one of the show’s worst (or best?) villains, Ramsay Bolton, said: “if you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention.” He was right. At Game of Thrones’ worst, it was a campy fantasy adventure. At its best, it was a compelling political thriller. Now after the last episodes have aired, the most intense fans are unsatisfied with the final season…
Reactions on Twitter and Reddit are largely negative and vitriol is mostly aimed at the writers (Bryan Cogman excluded). We were warned that the last season would be “bittersweet”, but clearly the only thing many fans taste is bitterness. It’s not because the audience generally envisioned a different ending. Many fans online actually think the ending is valid. The problem is how the show reached its ending. It lost its dimension. Game of Thrones became so successful because it told intelligent multi-faceted stories that had meaning beneath the surface. It never dumbed anything down. Important themes and underlying character turmoils were never spelt out directly. The storytelling the show does was subtle. The show acknowledged viewers are smart for the majority of every season… leading up to its last.
Season 8 isn’t a complete washout. A few characters got the ending they deserved. Sansa Stark’s arc was perfect; beginning, middle, and end. Her slow-burning growth is one of the most significant changes a character on the show underwent. She fought tooth and nail to get where she lands and the audience was present every step of the way. Even more importantly, we’re shown exactly how her history affected the way she thought and made decisions, even down to her hairstyle. Sansa’s hair has long been a subtle nod to who is influencing her. Only when she’s finally Queen of the North does she let it completely down without any braids or embellishments, aside from a crown that signals she’s achieved her long-desired goal of independence from the control of other men.
Theon Greyjoy also got a satisfying ending. His arc was mostly fuelled by his internal identity crisis. He flipped between Stark and Greyjoy and did horrible things along the way. He literally lost his identity when he became “Reek” after Ramsay Snow’s psychological torture, but the audience read that as a metaphor for losing his Stark identity and his Greyjoy identity and being utterly lost in between. After he saved his sister and returned to Winterfell to fight alongside the Starks, he found himself. He was both a Stark and a Greyjoy. The audience knew this is where his story needed to go because they could read between the lines. It was therefore very satisfying to see him welcomed back to his childhood home as a prodigal son.
Where things started to go sideways is with fan-favorite Jaime Lannister. He starts the series as terribly as any Game of Thrones character can: throwing a defenceless child from a tower window for seeing him in an incestuous relationship with his sister Cersei, a married woman and the Queen. Jaime continues to do bad things. He even killed his own cousin to escape being a prisoner of war. But his original sin was killing the Mad King, someone he’d sworn to protect. It’s not until he meets Brienne, a woman loyal and noble to her core, that Jaime becomes vulnerable enough to reveal he only killed the king to save the innocent people of King’s Landing. He tired of maintaining his bad boy facade. Seeing someone unbroken by the petty politics and harshness of Westeros helps Jaime imagine that he can be honourable too. His reveal to Brienne is the crux of his character and his redemption arc.
Once Jaime had his realization, his actions followed suit. He saves Brienne from being raped and loses his hand as a direct result, and never resents her. Instead, he arms her with his own sword and armour and sends her off to protect the children of his enemy because he wants to keep his word. He returns to Winterfell for the first time since nearly killing Bran Stark, despite knowing there may be consequences, all so he can keep his promise to fight against the army of the dead. The story the show tells the audience is a bad man becoming a good one, leaving his vices behind. It’s cheap for the show to have him return to those old vices, and to poisonous Cersei, without exploring his emotional journey to return to that state. By all means, he’s supposed to be a changed man. A good portion of the audience assumes he is going to kill Cersei and says hurtful things to Brienne only so she won’t follow, as he will likely die doing it. Instead, he meant what he said, even though it doesn’t track with his character. This wasn’t a clever twist. It tricked the audience, which is the worst betrayal the show can make against its invested fans.
And then there’s the biggest offence of this kind: Daenerys Targaryen. Her transformation from idealistic conqueror to genocidal tyrant confounded viewers. It even confounded the fans who held on until the end, defending the Battle of Winterfell episode, because it was still mid-season and there was time to answer crucial questions. But what happened with Dany is indefensible. The story the show actually tells, and the one the audience ingests, is of Dany growing from a timid young girl (married off by her abusive brother) to a determined queen-in-training… always willing to make sacrifices and compromise to do what is best for her people and achieve her aim. She may not always make the best decisions (like when she fed possibly innocent men to her dragons and left one behind to tell the tale), but the audience could still understand the rationale behind her decision-making. In this season, that was no longer the case…
Up until the burning of King’s Landing, the show had played out for the audience exactly how Dany came to her conclusions, and the internal struggle she experienced getting there. This is where the show has always excelled, in laying out the internal struggles of its characters. In seasons 1–6, we saw all of Dany’s struggles and learned the same lessons she did. She struggles with her awful brother because he’s family but also a monster… and when he’s murdered she doesn’t stop it. She struggles to lock up her dragons when they kill an innocent child… but does it anyway. She struggles to forgive Jorah for betraying her… but shows him mercy.
This season, none of her emotional conflicts played out on screen. She and Jon Snow had no discussion about his Targaryen parentage, nor do they ever have a meaningful conversation in which the audience feels their romantic connection. She never got to finish her conversation with Sansa. She never spoke directly to the people of the north about her goals and intentions as their ruler. She never spoke directly to royal rival Cersei, even though they both have an incredible amount of hate for one another. The show left the audience to do the heavy lifting and to imagine what she thinks or what she says when the cameras weren’t rolling. Even the previous episode recaps work harder to sell “Mad Queen” Dany than the episodes actually did!
And when Jon killed her, the emotional gravitas of the scene was absent… partially because the character who got a dagger in her heart isn’t the Dany the audience knows, and partially because not enough was done to solidify the romance and tension between her and Jon. The only narratively satisfying moment for her this season is when she finally touched the Iron Throne. She reached what she’d been moving towards throughout the entire series, but the moment was tainted by the hollowness of everything else around it.
Another character completely retconned was Bran. And to make the offence more egregious, in the final episode of the series, an entire meta-monologue is devoted to explaining how Bran supposedly has the “best story” of everyone else on the show. Tyrion almost addressed us directly, which felt so out of place in a show previously built on reading the subtext of scenes. It was a slap in the face to an intelligent audience trained by the show to read the entire frame for meaning.
To be told directly that Bran’s is the best story on the show was incredibly insulting. Apparently, his was such a good story that he was missing from the entire fifth season? The show ran out of source material for him and let him sit one out while they used their limited effort to invent interesting paths for other characters to take. Bran’s transformation from a child with personality and emotional stakes to the utterly boring Three-Eyed Raven happened largely off-screen during a “missing season” for him. Since then, every scene with Bran in it has been uncomfortable. He repeated the same lines constantly and contributed little to the story’s overall resolution. It’s for those reasons the audience divested their emotions from him as a character.
Throughout the final season Game of Thrones, audiences searched for layers beneath the surface that inspired so many fan theories and predictions… but there was nothing there. We were promised complexity and instead given a shallow broad-strokes ending. The show forgot what made it so incredible in the first place: its trust in the audience to see more than the face value of its stories. | https://medium.com/framerated/game-of-thrones-kind-of-forgot-it-was-a-good-show-3f84e531d57a | [] | 2019-07-30 17:50:30.435000+00:00 | ['Television', 'TV', 'Features', 'Culture', 'Game of Thrones'] |
Smart Contracts for Distributed Publishing Authority | Image via BlockGeeks
Well documented in our previous posts, and across the internet, is the question of trust and transparency in a centralized, mandated media source.
Decentralizing authority is democratic, that’s why blockchain technology has become a model for the new trust economy; blockchain allows for autonomous distribution of information.
Smart contacts hold further promise.
“The best way to think about smart contracts, is to think of them as a set of instructions carried out by a network of trustless computers that all agree on the completion and state of these instructions,” said Chief Technology Officer Dondrey Taylor.
“Think of smart contracts as a set of instructions carried out by a network of trustless computers that all agree on the completion and state of these instructions.”
“For DNN, network smart contracts carry out the review process and issuance and management of token balances to all involved parties.”
“Our publishers communicate with smart contracts to carry out the various actions like submission of articles, facilitating the review process, issuance of tokens, and storage of articles,” said Taylor. “The publishers act as access points to the application, or smart contract. They are the interface to the Ethereum network.”
Decentralizing news
The concept of decentralized news is not itself new. There were startups, like the now defunct Reported.ly, that have dabbled in community-driven, Internet-based news reporting and dissemination.
The idea is that if news distribution were to function without any central authority, less importance would reside on media titans and there would exist a higher degree of autonomy and independence from the bottom-up, starting with journalists and ending at readers.
If news distribution were to function without any central authority, less importance would reside on media titans and there would exist a higher degree of autonomy and independence from the bottom-up, starting with journalists and ending at readers.
Distributors of news can act as nimble vessels for disseminating accurate information without any overseers but the community they serve, leading to greater integrity and a fearlessness to report.
At the end of the cycle, readers can focus on the content — the news — free of corporate influence and more transparent because of the power and function of blockchain technology.
How does the distributed publishing system work?
The system works in collaboration with three key stakeholders: writers, reviewers, and readers.
“The entire set of instructions associated with how an article is submitted, reviewed, and published, is carried out by the smart contracts,” said Chief Executive Officer Samit Singh.
“With DNN, we have three contracts. The most important and noteworthy one is the review process contract, which entails everything from writer submission, to article reviewal, to publishing, to managing payouts.”
“The entire set of instructions associated with how a DNN article is submitted, reviewed, and published, is carried out by smart contracts.”
Taylor added, “the reviewer contract computes whether an article should be published based on reviewer votes and selecting which set of reviewers are assigned to which article.”
To begin, an article is submitted by a writer, and stored in a distributed filestore and referenced on-chain.
The article then moves to the pending review stage, where reviewers place bids using DNN tokens to be selected to review the article. Bidding is completed when seven reviewers, the seven top bidders, are selected.
In review, assigned reviewers cast their vote to determine if the article should be published. This stage ends when all seven individual votes are cast.
From there, the article is either accepted or rejected. If accepted, the article is published by being uploaded on-chain. Articles in this stage are fully accessible to publisher nodes. If rejected, the article is not published and any feedback associated with it is returned to the writer.
Article stages, as detailed in our white paper
Writers
Writers, or reporters, are individuals who submit political content in the form of articles. Whether the individual is a freelance journalist, casual blogger, or an average consumer of global news, he or she can contribute to the DNN.
However, since anyone can submit articles to DNN, getting published is not guaranteed.
To increase the chance of getting published writers should ensure that they closely comply with the DNN content guidelines to mitigate the chance of reviewers rejecting their piece due to infractions.
To increase the chance of getting published writers should ensure that they closely comply with the DNN content guidelines to mitigate the chance of reviewers rejecting their piece due to infractions.
The DNN content guidelines are a set of agreed-upon best practices for constructing political pieces that are both comprehensive in scope and that convey the facts clearly and concisely. Articles that are submitted to DNN go through a series of stages before being submitted.
Reviewers
Reviewers, or editors, read and vote upon submitted articles before an article is available for public consumption on the DNN’s article feed. A reviewer’s main task is to ensure articles adhere to the DNN content guidelines.
Reviewers do not have the ability to modify articles, but rather can accept (i.e. vote to have content published) or reject (i.e. vote to prevent content from being published) any written piece. To ensure that no single reviewer has the final say on whether or not an article should be publicly incorporated into the network, the network will assign seven random reviewers to validate the article.
To ensure that no single reviewer has the final say on whether or not an article should be published, the network will assign seven random reviewers to validate the article.
All seven reviewers are completely unaware of one another’s identities; they vote and leave feedback in complete isolation to avoid groupthink or any form of collusion.
Readers
Readers are news consumers; they can comment, add notes, share, upvote, bookmark articles of interest, and denote articles they deem questionable. Unlike readers on traditional news platforms, readers on DNN play an active role in helping to shape the news they read, which includes participating in Reader Suggestions whereby article topics are put forward by you, the news consumer.
Publishers, part of the network
Unlike readers, reviewers, and writers who are human actors of the network, publishers are server nodes which act as a proxy between human users and the DNN network residing on the Ethereum blockchain.
Unlike readers, reviewers, and writers who are human actors of the network, publishers are server nodes which act as a proxy between human users and the DNN network residing on the Ethereum blockchain.
Specialized open source software consisting of the complete DNN user-interface and network interface, is bundled and installed on each publisher. Notably, publishers do not possess any article or user data, but instead, read from and execute commands to the DNN network.
Apart from communicating with DNN’s network, publishers communicate with one another through a peer-to-peer protocol that makes use of the same cryptography behind Bitcoin and Ethereum. Using this peer-to-peer protocol, publishers are able to relay details about their state to nearby node hosts.
The main purpose for publishers is to provide an attack resistant transport for the DNN software, rather than host the DNN software on a centralized server, which introduces a significant point of failure.
Storing DNN’s software on a decentralized network also allows the community to run and manage it without the need for an external facilitator or trusted intermediary.
DNN’s blockchain-based publishing system removes human bias generally incorporated in each stage of publishing, from the idea to dissemination. The Ethereum-powered platform will make it possible for news media to join, and even lead, the trust economy.
For more, read our white paper here, and join our growing Slack and BitcoinTalk communities. | https://medium.com/dnnmedia/smart-contracts-for-distributed-publishing-authority-ce50e1038d9 | ['Dnn Media'] | 2017-05-19 00:48:18.733000+00:00 | ['Blockchain', 'Ethereum', 'News', 'Smart Contracts', 'Decentralized'] |
InfoTimes Offers Financial Support to Arab Data Journalists | InfoTimes is intended to support data journalism in the Arab world by offering fund to produce data driven stories. Funding including financial and technical needs.
Journalists from North Africa, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen and Palestine can apply for fund during 2016 by filling the below form. http://goo.gl/forms/s0sj1F8H8U
InfoTimes team will review the submitted pitches, contact the successful applicants to discuss and develop the pitch and agree on the details of implementation.
Every pitch should be based on rich collected and documented data and attached with organized data spreadsheets to be considered. | https://medium.com/info-times/infotimes-offers-financial-support-to-arab-data-journalists-741b09cb791f | [] | 2016-12-19 15:56:25.579000+00:00 | ['Journalism', 'Data Visualization', 'Infotimes News'] |
Keras Model Sequential API VS Functional API | Sequential API
Sequential API allows you to create models layer-by-layer by stacking them. It is limited in that it does not allow you to create models that share layers or have multiple inputs or outputs.
Example Code:
Result
And now lets plot your model using keras utils.
Keras Plot Model
As you can see, Sequential API create model and stacking them together layer by layer. Sequential API is very easy to create deep learning model in most of case. | https://medium.com/analytics-vidhya/keras-model-sequential-api-vs-functional-api-fc1439a6fb10 | ['Rahmat Faisal'] | 2020-11-04 18:13:47.811000+00:00 | ['Neural Networks', 'TensorFlow', 'Keras', 'Machine Learning', 'Deep Learning'] |
Nothing new can be invented in this Universe — everything already exists. We can only discover its different aspects. | Nothing new can be invented in this Universe — everything already exists. We can only discover its different aspects. | https://medium.com/@app.homocosmos/nothing-new-can-be-invented-in-this-universe-everything-already-exists-6a41eb554e36 | ['Human Cosmos'] | 2020-12-22 20:02:50.606000+00:00 | ['Universe', 'Mindfulness', 'Cosmos', 'Application', 'Practice'] |
CXL’s Digital Psychology and Persuasion Minidegree review [part-7] | Biases & Marketing
Section 1: Too Much Information
Availability Heuristic
This bias is based on the fact that for us what is easier to remember is more important. It is human tendency that when we think about something, the examples that strike us first are more relevant for us even if the truth is far from it.
For example, when we see several news related to car theft, we perceive it as vehicle theft is very common even in our own area, but the chances are very slim that something like this ever happens with you.
Another example, airlines see a significant drop in booking if any flight faces a crash or other unwanted issues. This is because survival mechanism of brain keeps record of it current and this makes people perceive air travel unsafe, even if the chances of something like happening with them is negligible.
Availability Heuristic Marketing?
Content marketing is an easier way to keep information related to you or your brand anew.
Try using vivid stories and images
Make your message available or easier to recall.
Mere Exposure Effect
The mere exposure effect is the tendency of people to prefer things that they are most familiar with. It is also know as familiarity principle as it is based on the familiarity of things.
Mere Exposure Effect: Familiar = Good
This effect works on the principle that, if something is exposed to someone often, it makes that thing more desirable.
Mere Exposure Marketing
Repetition: Use logo, brand name, etc in multiple places including your content strategy and in your ads
Use familiar names, imagery etc to make it related and memorable.
Bizarreness Effect
This effect works on the findings (from a study) that people tend to remember bizarre or unexpected things they face. We can use this effect by surprising the readers with the words, visuals or other such things that they weren’t expecting.
The End, thanks for reading. Good Bye :)
Bizarre Marketing
Use unexpected words in your copy.
Use unexpected visuals.
Use unexpected elements like a totally different color button in your theme to add sudden contrast.
Section 2: What should we Remember?
Peak-end Rule
The peak end rule cognitive bias impacts how people remember past events. Because of this bias our mind makes us remember past events in way that gives more importance to extreme positive or negative moments and the final moments of a experience.
for example, when you try to remember any past event, you most probably remember the most remarkable moments and the last moments of the event.
Peak-End Rule Marketing
Attract attention (for example by using colors, highlighting an element, using funny or catchy phrases to make things lighter or humorous etc)
Try delivering as many peaks as possible (for example — surprise gifts, personalized notes, happy birthday wishes, secret sales etc)
End with a strong memory (for example — give the customized good bye, give them surprise departure gift, offer some incentive to visit again etc)
Recency Effect
The recency effect is our tendency to remember the most recent information or fact that is presented to us.
for example: if we try to remember a list of items, we can more likely recall the last item in the list without any cognitive load because of the recency effect cognitive bias.
Recency Effect Marketing
Intentionally organize your content or information for positive ending
Conclude your campaigns, ads and articles on a good note
Have a conclusion and a Call to Action in your material, copy and other marketing material
Section 3: Not Enough Meaning
Bandwagon Effect
The bandwagon effect is our tendency to pick up a style, behavior, belief, ideas or even attitude just because everyone else is doing it.
for example: when people starts adopting some certain style of clothes, other people more easily pick that style and this trend put that style in fashion. Same happens with music and other trending things.
Bandwagon Effect Marketing
Feature customer testimonials with their pics
Highlight your numbers if you have big numbers (for example long list of previous clients, experience etc)
Try adding customer review along with products
Leverage association with a celebrity or a industry expert
Showcase real-time customer activity (really popular these days)
Cheerleader effect
The cheerleader effect is a cognitive bias that make us perceive individuals as more attractive when they are in a group. It is also know as the attractiveness effect.
Cheerleader Effect Marketing
Use this for your staff, testimonials, etc
Use group photos or photos in groups (photo montages)
Even a group of 4 helps in initiating this effect
Section 4: Need To Act Fast
Endowment Effect
This effect explains the increase amount of attachment people feel to items they’ve experienced or had some investment in. People perceive higher value of owed objects, often irrationally, than its market value because of the emotional bond.
Endowment Effect Marketing
Use free trials to employ this effect
Simply picking up an item also invoke this effect
Even imagining touching an object invoke this effect
Let your customers try or atleast touch your product
Use vivid images and sensory descriptions
Decoy Effect
It is a phenomena that makes people chance their preference between two choices when a third choice is introduced. This effect works on the principle that people always make comparisons.
Decoy Effect Marketing
You can add this effect by introducing a less attractive offer to boost sales of similar offer.
When offering two or more identical products, try keeping the price varied marginally. This helps customers in deciding a purchase easily.
IKEA Effect
It is a cognitive bias in which users perceive higher value of an item they partially created. But it is not like endowment effect, it expands on the process of developing an attachment or bond between the user and the product by promoting ownership and co-creation.
It is named after the Swedish manufacturer and furniture retailer IKEA, which sells many items of furniture that require assembly.
IKEA Effect Marketing | https://medium.com/@sahilsoma/cxls-digital-psychology-and-persuasion-minidegree-review-part-7-ee50d24704bd | [] | 2020-11-22 14:42:02.023000+00:00 | ['Marketing', 'Bias', 'Cxl Institute', 'Neuroscience', 'Psychology'] |
Is Pluto still a planet? | Written by Christian H. Oslapas | 31 July 2020
The Solar System including the Kuiper Belt Objects. Image credit: NASA’s The Space Place, via http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/ice-dwarf/ 0
Discovered in the 1930’s, Pluto is considered to be America’s favorite planet. As the search continues in the Solar System, many celestial bodies are found to be comparable to Pluto. So the decision needs to be made: to accept other large bodies in the Solar System as planets or to reclassify Pluto as a dwarf planet. People love Pluto, so it can’t be demoted right?
The discovery of Pluto was announced with excitement on the 13th of March, 1930. Pluto was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory. This observatory is still in operation and is located in Flagstaff, AZ. Pluto’s name comes from the Roman god of the underworld and was initially suggested by an 11-year-old named Venetia Burney from Oxford, England. The team at the Lowell Observatory wanted to honor the founder of the observatory Percival Lowell by naming the planet after him. They agreed to naming it Pluto because the first two letters of Pluto are the initials of Percival Lowell.1 In his book The Pluto Files, Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson explains why Pluto is America’s favorite planet. He shares that since its discovery occurred in America, many Americans have admired Pluto and felt a special connection to the planet. He also explains that since Pluto is the planet that is farthest from Earth in the Solar System, it has always held a certain foreign mystique and curiosity.2
In 1951, astronomer Gerard Kuiper predicted that a belt of icy objects exists beyond the orbit of Neptune. It wasn’t until 41 years later in 1992 that a large icy belt was discovered. Like the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter, this newly discovered icy belt is composed of many sub-planet sized objects. The Kuiper Belt, named after the astronomer who predicted its existence, contains over 35,000 objects. Among many of the large objects in this belt is Pluto. One of the big differences between the Kuiper Belt and Asteroid Belt is its size. In comparison, the Kuiper Belt is about 20 times wider and about 100 times more massive. An Astronomical Unit or AU is the average distance between the Earth and the Sun. This distance is about 93 million miles and astronomical units are commonly used in astronomical distances within the Solar System because of its simplicity in comparison to using millions/billions of miles. Mars for example is quite close to Earth and is only about 1.5 AU from the Sun. The beginning of the Kuiper Belt starts at about 30 AU and extends to about 50 AU. 3
Since discovering the Kuiper Belt in 1992, many astronomers have searched the Kuiper Belt region looking for new objects within the belt to discover. On December 28, 2004, Haumea was discovered in the Kuiper Belt. This object is roughly the size of Pluto but is greatly distorted and oblong because of its fast spin. Haumea has two moons and has several similarities to known planets. On the 5th of January 2005, a planetary body about the same size as Pluto was discovered and named Eris. While Pluto is about 40 AU from the Sun, Eris is about 68 AU from the Sun. Eris has its own moon and has a lot of similarities to Pluto. On March 31st of 2005, Makemake was discovered to be about 46 AU from the Sun and has its own Moon. 4
Haumea, Eris, and Makemake are three examples of objects found in the Solar System that are roughly the same size as Pluto and have their own Moons. If Pluto is a planet, then shouldn’t these three objects be upgraded to planetary status? In 2006 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) decided to upgrade the definition of a planet. This new definition required a planet to orbit the Sun, have enough gravitational forces to become nearly spherical, cannot be a moon/satellite and cleared its neighborhood around its orbit. Pluto, Haumea, Eris, and Makemake meet all of these planetary requirements except being able to clear its neighborhood. A planet clears its neighborhood by gravitationally interacting with objects nearby. Objects in the neighborhood of a planet will eventually accrete with the planet or become its moons. Since Pluto does not meet the 2006 IAU definition of a planet, it has been demoted to dwarf planet status. Additionally, Haumea, Eris, and Makemake and many other Solar System bodies have been promoted to dwarf planet status. 5 The image below shows some of the largest to smallest bodies in the Solar System. 6
Solar System Year Book (NASA) 6
The demotion of Pluto to dwarf planet status does not mean that Pluto has changed. Pluto has not gotten smaller or significantly reduced its mass. What happened is that five dwarf planets in the Solar System were discovered including Ceres, Pluto, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake. The decision had to be made to either title these celestial bodies planets or dwarf planets. There has been great backlash from people about the demotion of Pluto’s planetary status. It should be remembered though, that Pluto is actually smaller than Earth’s Moon. The Moon has a diameter of 2159 miles while Pluto only has a diameter of only 1476 miles. While five dwarf planets have been located in the Solar System, it is possible that many more could be discovered. Although many astronomers agree that Pluto is no longer a planet, Pluto can still be your favorite dwarf planet. 6
References
0 NASA. (2020, July 30). Solar System [Photograph found in Space Place NASA]. Retrieved August 2, 2020, from http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/ice-dwarf/
1 Choi, C. (2017, November 14). Dwarf Planet Pluto: Facts About the Icy Former Planet. Retrieved August 02, 2020, from https://www.space.com/43-pluto-the-ninth-planet-that-was-a-dwarf.html
2 Tyson, N. D. (2014). The Pluto files: The rise and fall of America’s favorite planet. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
3 Theplanets.org. (2020). Kuiper Belt Facts: Interesting Facts about the Kuiper Belt. Retrieved August 02, 2020, from https://theplanets.org/kuiper-belt/
4 Davis, P. (2017, November 30). Kuiper Belt: In Depth. Retrieved August 02, 2020, from https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/399/kuiper-belt-in-depth/
5 Howell, E. (2018, April 07). What Is a Planet? Retrieved August 02, 2020, from https://www.space.com/25986-planet-definition.html
6 NASA. (2015, July). Solar System Yearbook. Retrieved August 2, 2020, from https://i.redd.it/8ra30hjcf4kx.png
7 Bartusiak, M. (2018). Dispatches From Planet 3 : Thirty-Two (Brief) Tales on the Solar System, the Milky Way, and Beyond. Yale University Press. | https://medium.com/@coslapas/is-pluto-still-a-planet-5e845316da7b | ['Christian H. Oslapas'] | 2020-10-10 19:58:01.458000+00:00 | ['NASA', 'Pluto', 'Space', 'Planets', 'Dwarf Planet'] |
A Year of Minimalism: The Good, The Bad, and The Relief | Yesterday I read an article about how the more ads we see, the less happy we are. A team of scientists found the higher a country’s ad spend, the lower the satisfaction of its people. There were other factors, but that was the summary of the findings. One major cause of this is that advertisements are meant to make us feel like we never have enough.
Reading this article, I started reflecting on my journey over the past year. Not on the literal shitstorm that is 2020, but my journey into minimalism. A life with fewer distractions, advertisements, clutter, and stress.
Back in January, I did something different. I chose to take a break from social media. At first, this was a way to take a step back from it for a weekend. In the 327 days since then, that short break has expanded into a full exploration of digital and physical minimalism.
After getting rid of five social media accounts, three email addresses, two piles of clothes, boxes full of clutter, and plenty of bad habits, I am lighter than I ever have before. The journey, however, was not without its setbacks.
That is what I want to talk about today. The highs and lows of my journey into the minimalism lifestyle. My successes, my failures, and the things it has taught me.
The Better Parts of the Journey
Am I happier now than I was a year ago?
I can say, with a fair amount of confidence, that I am. It’s less a feeling of overwhelming joy, and more a consistent feeling of relief. Not that I am living a stress-free life by any means. Instead, I’ve eliminated multiple sources of stress in my life. What stress I have left, I can find healthy ways to manage it.
I’ve stopped scrolling through Facebook with its angry posts and invasive advertisements for a distraction. I’ve stopped buying cheaply produced junk off Wish.com because shit, it was 99 cents. In place of my bad habits, I’ve taken to spending more time outdoors. I’ve started reading some of the books I bought 2 years ago. I sometimes do nothing, simply laying by the window or sitting on the porch and enjoying the peace of the moment. I use to never have time to do nothing. There was always a post to make, a timeline to scroll through, or an email to check.
Around me is the least amount of clutter I’ve ever known. I have never had so little in my life and have been so happy about it. In my home, I never feel cluttered. I rarely wonder where I am going to find room to place something. If I do, I typically end up tossing or donating it. Everything has a place, just not always in your home.
The Harder Parts of my Journey
Minimalism is the easiest thing to start and at times, the hardest to maintain.
At first, it’s easy to get caught up in tossing clutter and deleting apps. In a way, it feels like you’ve cracked the code. Somewhere in minimalism, you found the answer to living a happy, fulfilling life. After a while though, old habits can start to settle back in. Without thinking, you can find yourself scrolling through Instagram for half an hour at a time.
I’m guilty of it. I created new social media accounts and found myself browsing through them. I ended up deleting all of them a second time and have yet to return a third time. Still, while moving forward, there are always setbacks. I have, however, learned to deal with them as they come.
At times, the hardest part is the lifestyles around you. Sitting there while those around scroll on their phone can leave you feeling disconnected from them. Part of you wants to toss their phone out the window. The other part wants to pull out your phone and join them. I don’t own a TV, and I don’t subscribe to any streaming services. Still, sometimes spending time with people means sitting and watching hours of television. Currently working in marketing means that instead of avoiding ads, there are times I have to seek them out. Find a good ad that I can learn from or emerging trends.
The Peace of Minimalism
“You’re dedicated, you’re creative, you’re innovative. You have a sincere desire for mankind — the very people who the wolves of Wall Street fear. And to me, you’re removing yourself from the war”. — Clyde Dinkins, Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things.
I’ve always thought about that quote from the Minimalism documentary.
“You’re removing yourself from the war”. I’m not sure what war he meant, but I’m happy to be removed from it. My life before minimalism was chaotic. I was always searching for ways to get more money and more followers. Those were the only statistics that mattered. If I could get enough of both, I could be someone. They were so important that I spent money I didn’t have to get them. More important than money, I gave up time. I traded a lot of time trying to get them, and all I got for it was growing a little older.
I know now, money wouldn’t buy the happiness I wanted. The more followers I had didn’t mean I was worth more to anyone. It meant people I’d never meet liked what I posted.
Now, I’m “removed from the war”, and I’ve learned a lot in the past year.
I’m happier than I’ve ever been, and I know where I want to be in life. I’m not there yet. I have quite the journey left, and I’m okay with that. I’ve learned that you can rest on your journey, that “the hustle” isn’t everything. That there is happiness to be found every step of the way if you don’t travel alone, and you stay away from ads. As the scientists say, they can make you unhappy.
Thanks for reading. | https://medium.com/@beardedminimalist/a-year-of-minimalism-the-good-the-bad-and-the-relief-adf70be92a6c | ['Daniel Pohl'] | 2020-12-06 23:31:07.381000+00:00 | ['Minimalism', 'Minimalist', 'Life Lessons', 'Life', 'Mental Health'] |
A Note for the New Year. The image of a little girl waiting by… | A Note for the New Year
Predictable and Unpredictable
The image of a little girl waiting by the door, looking at the far end of the horizon, with her starry eyes hoping for her father to return with a candy, is what I see while thinking about expectations. Though 2020 has disappointed me in more ways than I could have ever imagined, I still picture expectations about 2021. Life has taken unexpected twists and turns for most of us, not just this year but throughout our life and indisputably proved to us an umpteen number of times that our expectations are not always the reality. Yet, it is only human to hope for a happily ever after or a downer ending. No matter how many setoffs or surprises we receive, we tend to assign endings to things that are not within our reach.
Expectations are the aftermath of the human mind’s ability to draw possible conclusions to happenings around us or to the deeds of others and at times ourselves. Be it good or bad, these expectations once formed are often difficult to change and require great external forces to rotate its direction. Well now that I have defined expectations in the most possible scientific manner making it seem extremely dull, let us see what leads to expectations.
Desires
They are the true root cause of expectations. They have always been disguised with positivity, but they penetrate deep into human minds urging it to create illusions whose possibility of being a reality is as small as an Indian household accepting their lesbian daughter. At the same time considering that small percent of open-minded parents who did accept their lesbian daughters, we cannot completely deny that all our expectations lead to disappointments. Maybe the one playing with our puppet life did find our expectations amusing too. Even then our desires neither take our abilities nor our limitations into consideration. They run deep and wide, cluelessly jumping at every possible opportunity, and strike to realization when we hit the rock bottom. Sadly, after that no amount of kicking will prevent the sink. Yet sometimes that teeny tiny possibility that we hoped, ignites the spirit and we are not just back in the ring but also the Lord of Rings. Hence, giving the benefit of doubt to 2021 is not such a bad idea.
But I did hear someone saying that expectations are premeditated resentments and I couldn’t agree more. Well now I assume expectations do nurture the judging capability in humans and being a judgmental pest is the last thing that we want mankind to be after all that we went through in 2020.
Some do segregate the expectations into realistic and unrealistic ones with their sharp blade of thoughts but no offense, I find no purpose in this psychoanalysis and firmly believe that expectations, whether divided into categories or not, are extremely injurious to all types of health. Nature has weird ways of meddling into our lives. Not all unrealistic dreams get doomed, some do turn into successful roads and not all those well-planned realistic dreams get accomplished, some do crumble down for no reason.
As we all know when you aspire to achieve something and work relentlessly towards it the whole universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. But does it always? Well I have seen the universe go malfunctional and produce exceptions to this theory. There is yet another theory stated as an advice to many of us that one should not have expectations but should simply do the karma (duty). That piece of advice certainly did not lighten my frustration when the flight got cancelled despite me being early to the airport carrying all the necessary documents.
Taking all the theories stated and their exceptions into consideration, and after further contemplation I come to the conclusion that life is a complex molecule with a high percentage of surprise elements. Though happy to have given that most boring definition to life, I suppress my urge to sound boring and simply end saying enjoy life as it comes, have expectations, embrace the ups and downs, build up the resilience and enjoy the predictable and unpredictable because the universe is itself a speculated mystery.
Hence, let me wish you all a New Year with lots of expectations and may each on of you have the strength to have expectations, proving them wrong or right is just another piece of cake! | https://medium.com/paperkin/predictable-and-unpredictable-bab698f74778 | ['Esther Maria Therese Chirayath'] | 2021-01-01 04:17:49.687000+00:00 | ['Expectations', 'New Year', 'Desire', '2021', 'Life'] |
The Biggest Losers. | I didn’t want to waste all this newly inherited free-time on this stupid ass topic, but I see no one saying what I feel needs to be said so as usual, I have to disturb my peace to write this piece and share my piece of mind. I’m no stranger to the big gals. If I’m not loving them offline I’m writing about them periodically because I’m no fetishizer, just a man who with many developed palates. BB-dubs (BBW’s) is just one of them. Sue me. Beautiful people in general, no matter their size, but this isn’t about me, this is about Lizzo and many other women who are of similar body type.
Why They Mad.
If you’ve been living under a rock or donut box you probably missed the backlash Lizzo got for endorsing a flat tummy tea brand and working out. Blasphemous, right? How dare someone endorse an alleged weight loss product and worse, how dare someone have weight loss goals and even worse than that how dare someone put in work to meet those weight loss goals instead of just wishing on a star? Instead of forcing men to find her attractive, Lizzo is deciding to not rely on a man’s gaze to make her feel pretty. She’s deciding to lose weight for her own personal reasons and even if it were for a man, she’s still pissing the wrong people off. When I say “the wrong people” I don’t mean people she shouldn’t piss off, I mean people who she shouldn’t give a damn about anyways because they never gave a damn about her.
What They Saying.
What these losers are saying when they’re expressing their disappointment with Lizzo is “you’re supposed to stay undesirable like me and the rest of us “undesirables” out there.” Wow. Just wow. Of course I have more to say, but still, wow. Now that I’m all wow’d out let me take on this mindset. For starters, Lizzo is indeed desirable. How do I figure, I believe so. She’s not just attractive because she is black or because she’s a BBW, but also because she’s just an overall sweet woman with a banging personality and a sense of human that is actually funny. Yes ladies, men like to laugh, too. Have any of y’all ever thought about why people actually liked Lizzo instead of just assuming people liked her because she was fat like you or fat and black like you? She’s one hell of a singer, she’s one hell of a performer, she’s pretty and she’s funny. Sounds like a lot of traits that’d anyone would like or love in a person. If your fandom for her goes away with her weight then it wasn’t Lizzo you were a fan of it was her weight. So if a guy were to fetishize her for her weight he’d be wrong, but you only like her for the same reason that fetishizer fetishize her for. Make it make sense, please. White people we know why you’re mad. Lizzo was/is your mammy. Your menstrual show. Now that she’s deciding to do something for herself for once, it doesn’t sit right with you. You want her to be big, loud, dance for you and twerk to encourage folks to vote (Democrat) but the moment she deicides to dance and do for herself she’s falling in line with European beauty standards. The same standards y’all have no problem with when calling dark-skinned black men predators with no proof or provocation.
P.s. weight loss programs/fitness is not fatphobic. Assuming someone is undesirable because they are fat is fatphobic. You may have been disregarded because of your weight, but your attitude and mentality is trash and that’s the bigger issue here. Not your weight, not undeserving people judging you because of your weight. Lizzo owes you nothing. I wish I can say she owes me a lap-dance, but that’s not the case therefore that comment is null and void. | https://medium.com/@ernestsandefer/the-biggest-losers-52271cdb89c3 | ['Ernest Sandefer'] | 2020-12-16 18:49:39.915000+00:00 | ['Beauty Standards', 'Thinkpiece', 'Lizzo', 'Black Women', 'Fatphobia'] |
Technology in Interior Design | How has technology impacted interior design? There are many ways that it does, but we ( Pasesi Interiors) have come up with some of the most impactful implementations of technology in the field of interior design. In this blog, you will find out about things like 3D printing, sustainable design, smart homes, and more. Make sure to read on and find out more about these amazing technologies and technological advancements in interior design.
Furniture for the Technological Era
Furniture is a major factor in setting the tone, functionality, and aesthetic of a room’s design. So, it is something very important for interior designers to think about and implement. In this day and age, technology has become a huge part of our everyday lives. So, the furniture around your home, office, and other spaces should be designed in a way that they take that fact into account. That simply means that the functionality of the furniture should be adapted to this era where technology is so prevalent. An example of this would be a chair or sofa for a home that has some kind of an in-built foldable holder table for laptops to make it a lot easier to use your laptop while sitting down.
Another example would be a table in your office or working space that either has an electric socket or plug implemented into it or some kind of passage or hole in the table to allow for easy access to the socket or plug nearby. Another example might be that cabinets for documents and files are a lot less likely to be needed as we go into the future because of the increase in popularity of e-documents and decrease in popularity of paper usage. Those are a few examples of many potential examples. The key is to figure out the innovative and creative implementations of furniture design as it relates to technological advancement.
Homes of the future
Smart homes, without a doubt, are the future of homes. A smart home is essentially a home with all kinds of technology integrated into it such as high-tech lighting, modern appliances, and other advanced electronics, and all those are connected in functionality in such a way that they all can be easily controlled by the owner of the home or an occupant of the home from a single device or app. Taking this into account, it becomes the duty of the interior designer to design a space that implements the latest techniques, information, technology, and more to keep up with this advancement, especially because this is something that is going to become more and more common as time goes.
An example of such an implementation is with lighting. Smart lighting uses some of the most advanced technology and techniques to allow you to control the lighting while on the premises or while away from the location. You can alter the lighting for visibility and function reasons. But you can also alter it to set a certain aesthetic or mood for the room. Another example is temperature regulation. There are devices and systems such as smart thermostats that make it incredibly easy to control the feel of your internal spaces exactly how you want it to be. These are just a couple of examples, but there are many more out there that can add great value to the interior design of a home, office, store, and more.
Environmentally-friendly spaces
In the current world we live in, it is known to most people that sustainability and environmental consideration are a big deal. With climate change posing such a huge threat to our existence, it is important that we all contribute in some way to help improve the state of the environment for a better future. Believe it or not, interior design can play a massive role in that.
Probably one of the biggest elements that interior design can affect the environmental-friendliness campaign for any kind of space is the lighting. By designing a better lighting setup that is lee harmful to the environment, a huge push has been made towards having a better environment. Lighting technology has improved by a great amount in the past few years. We now have highly energy-efficient lighting for interiors (and exteriors as well). Not only do these require far less electrical input (and therefore save on power consumption), they also provide much higher-quality lighting. In addition to all that, they are also a lot more durable than older forms of lighting. Overall, this is a much more efficient choice for all lighting needs.
Another example of sustainable design is the installation of solar panels and efficient energy storage systems. These are fantastic ways to help the global transition to the utilisation of renewable energy. There are many other ways that interior design can be used for the improvement of the environmental conditions we are facing today.
3-Dimensional Printing
3D printing is a fascinating technology that is becoming increasingly popular as the technology improves and as people find more applications for it. In a nutshell, 3D printing, as the name suggests, is the “printing” of a 3-dimensional model. It takes regular printing to another level by producing a physical, tangible and realistic model of whatever you design. As you can imagine, this would be a phenomenal tool to have for interior design. One of the many interior design implementations of this technology is for furniture. Imagine being able to design any furnishing piece on a computer exactly how you want it and then be able to produce that exact model. With 3D printing, that is possible. This is great for interior designers because sourcing of furniture to perfectly fit the design theme is made as easy as “printing” what you need.
The other potential use is, of course, making interior design models or prototypes. At the moment, artistic renders are the norm for visualising interior design models. However, with 3D printing, you can take this a step further by producing a realistic, physical model that is to scale. This would help on so many levels with the whole design process. For example, as an interior designer, you would not have to spend as much time and money trying to figure out details of a design by working on a real life-size space. Instead, you can work on smaller-scale 3D models, which is faster to do and cheaper as well. Another benefit of having 3D models is it’s easier for designers to give their clients a very concrete and realistic presentation of what the design is going to look like. As mentioned before, this technology is constantly improving, so be on the lookout for these developments and how they can benefit you.
Advanced and New Design Tools
The tools that interior designers use are of a wide variety and are essential to getting the job done well and quickly. As with almost everything else in our lives, technology has played a massive role in this regard as well. Many of the tools used by designers have been improved, which then leads to much better final products. There are many examples of such improvements. One of these examples would be moving away from papers to screens. Designers of the past used papers a lot more than designers of today. Instead, today, there are many options such as computers and tablets which make the work a lot easier to do. Three great examples of these are Microsoft’s Surface Pro, Apple’s iPad Pro, and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab. These tablets are perfectly designed for the work architects and interior designers need to do.
Another technological advancement has already been covered in this blog post: 3D printing. The benefit of being able to easily, quickly, and cheaply recreate your design as a physical model is massive for interior designers, and 3D printing makes this possible. One other great technology that makes life easier for interior designers is the improved communication and collaboration tools that are available out there. This makes it easy to work with different people working on different aspects of the design, which makes the entire process faster and smoother. And, of course, the internet itself is a major tool that makes the world a much smaller place. This is great because it makes it a lot easier to reach out to potential partners, suppliers, employees, clients, and more. These are all just a few examples of the many, many tools and technologies out there that improve the entire interior design process.
So, as you might have expected before reading this blog post, technology plays a major role in interior design. The beauty of it is that the technology is always improving, so there is still more to come. Whether you are an interior designer or not, it is interesting to know about these technologies and how they are implemented. Thanks for reading this blog post. Let us know in the comments below what you think and which technology or implementation you find the most intriguing. Is it the exciting 3D printing or maybe the futuristic smart homes? Come back next week for the next blog post! | https://medium.com/@pasesinteriors/technology-in-interior-design-766e92ac4457 | ['Pasesi Interiors'] | 2019-05-09 07:10:34.162000+00:00 | ['Design', 'Smart Home', 'Furniture', 'Technology', 'Interior Design'] |
Promote competitors! | Imagine you’re selling e-bikes to businesses
You truly believe e-bikes are better than cars — sorry Lightning McQueen!
Your life depends on selling this product.
You bet everything on this business.
How do you sell it? What will you write on your website?
Do you talk only about your benefits? Features? Your story?
Reasonable! By the way, everyone does that. So, it’s the best way.
Isn’t it?
You sell, but you don’t sell enough.
You talk with a few customers. They’re over and over again asking you,
“Is it actually better than cars?”
You picking your thumb skin.
“Aha!”
Next day,
You create a whole new page,
“E-bikes vs Cars”
You promote the most powerful competitor and then,
You’II tears them apart in front of your customers with your superior solution.
Your sales call starts increasing.
You open the champagne!
POP!
Strong positioning is about addressing the elephant in the room!
The “awkward” questions you don’t want to even think about them.
But, you have to. Because it’s customer concern.
You’ve to promote competitors and then say literally why they suck and you’re the new way.
It increases credibility dramatically.
It’s a sign of your confidence.
It builds trust. | https://medium.com/the-new-digital-marketing/promote-competitors-4787a729bf5b | ['Ali Eskandari'] | 2021-01-18 16:02:27.874000+00:00 | ['Copywriting', 'Marketing', 'Competition', 'Marketing Strategies', 'Digital Marketing'] |
How to highlight your strengths in a resume. Hint: use evidence. | Have you ever googled how to write a resume, and found beautifully written phrases that sound so impactful…it’s just using them verbatim, feels…kind of…unauthentic…you wonder if everyone’s resume looks like this and if yours will even stand out.
Photo by Zoltan Tasi on Unsplash
I’ll be honest with you, having a resume filled with well-crafted sentences that you didn’t write and have no substance behind them, will NOT catch the attention of your future employer. Using only a combination of buzzwords is not an effective way to get shortlisted for an interview.
It is not the use of buzzwords per se that is the problem, it is using them without supporting evidence (your experiences). The following task will guide you in re-creating an impactful skill statement that is personalized by you, for you and about you. Cool?
But I don’t have any good experiences…
First get a pen and paper, keyboard, typewriter, whichever you feel most comfortable using (I often start by writing, and once my ideas start to take shape, I transition to typing).
Start by answering the below questions. This exercise will take some time and dedicated thought. However, it is well worth it. I continue to use this process to update my resumes. The aim is to dissect your experiences to uncover your capabilities. Employers want insights into your behaviours, and behaviours are just buzzwords without the work experience evidence.
The more specific you are with the below, the more unique and personalized your skill statements will be. | https://medium.com/@careercalling/develop-your-own-skill-statements-for-a-resume-with-impact-622e4e4888de | ['All About Success'] | 2022-01-26 01:02:30.497000+00:00 | ['Cover Letter', 'Careers', 'Professional', 'Hiring', 'Resume'] |
What is an ICO? | An ICO (Initial Coin Offering) is a financing method that some companies (usually startups) use. Through an ICO, companies offer individuals a number of units of their cryptocurrency or token that represent products or services and, in some cases, even equity.
More than R$70 billion raised through ICOs
As you can see in the above graph, ICOs are quite new and, between the last quarter of 2017 and the start of 2018 there was a boom, which resulted in more than $19 billion being raised through the sale of new cryptocurrencies and tokens.
This material is merely informative, aimed at clarifying what an ICO is and how it works, and having no direct relation with our business model. If you would like to know Bancryp better and participate in our token pre-sale, you can find a summary and our official channels below.
Bancryp’s ICO
Our public ICO will be launched in the beginning of October, 2018 and, between July and September, we will be offering a pre-sale of the XBANC token with additional bonuses that won’t be available during the ICO.
All issued tokens will be exclusively owned by their holders and do not have a time or validity limit. Additionally, after the ICO, the value of each XBANC token will be determined by the holders themselves.
To learn more about the use of the XBANC token CLICK HERE | https://medium.com/bancryp/what-is-an-ico-e2f4393d06ff | ['Ramon Oliveira'] | 2018-07-30 18:13:57.969000+00:00 | ['Blockchain', 'Bitcoin', 'ICO', 'Bancryp', 'Cryptocurrency'] |
What Difference Does It Make? | What Difference Does It Make?
Why do U.S. elections matter to the rest of the world?
(Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash)
Will the U.S. election results affect me personally? Many have told me it will make no difference to my life. So why did I drink and watch the news for three days straight? Here in Australia, I am one of the few obsessed with American politics, while most seem largely indifferent.
Apart from the excitement of the first Black president, and the novelty factor of the first orange one, Australians generally have little interest in who’s in charge over there.
Fair enough, I suppose. It’s probably a positive trend in modern Australia that we’re far more concerned about our own politicians than either the British royal family or U.S. presidents. Maybe it shows we’ve finally become a sovereign state in control of our own destiny.
Except that we haven’t, really. Like life in all ecosystems, nations are interconnected. Even countries which attempt to isolate themselves economically and culturally are existentially dependent on the choices of others in at least one very important area.
Every decision about our environment, and particularly about climate change, affects the entire world. Even more so when it comes from the world’s two biggest greenhouse gas polluters.
A few weeks ago, the biggest emitter — China — committed to become carbon neutral by 2060. The United States currently emits 15% of the world’s greenhouse gases, meaning their climate policy has major implications for the future of everyone.
Of course, some have said that these election results mean little even in their own country. Democrats and Republicans are part of the same militarist, capitalist system that is ultimately designed to exploit and destroy all the world’s resources for the short-term gain of a very few.
Any hope for sustaining life on Earth relies on building entirely new economies based on cooperation instead of competition, and valuing living systems above all else.
This hope seems extremely slim right now.
It’s certainly true, but until we overthrow the current system, we can at least opt for leaders who might slow down the journey to oblivion.
At this point it seems almost trivial, but the Paris Agreement is still our best chance at preventing uncontrolled climate breakdown. It’s the only indication we have that it may be possible for nations to work together in the interests of protecting life on our planet.
Joe Biden promises to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement, to make U.S. energy production carbon-free by 2035 and to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. This may not be enough to preserve a livable future, but consider the alternative.
Trump would have ensured four more years of rampant fossil fuel expansion and vastly decreased humanity’s odds of surviving through this century.
And whether we like it or not, American policy influences world leaders. Even Australia’s gas-loving, weasel Prime Minister was forced to state publicly that he looked forward to working with Biden to:
Hmm. Not exactly what we need, but I’m sure the climate emergency wouldn’t have even rated a mention if Trump were the recipient of this congratulatory message.
Biden’s election will certainly affect those outside the U.S. in various ways, some bigger than others, but none as important as changing the composition of the actual atmosphere.
In the best case scenario, he will lead the United States to make rapid, sweeping changes to all industries and infrastructure, inspire other countries to follow suit, slash greenhouse emissions to prevent us reaching tipping points, and stabilise the Earth’s climate.
At worst, we may get a couple more years before our descent into utter chaos. | https://medium.com/bigger-picture/what-difference-does-it-make-f99494f6690e | ['Emma Briggs'] | 2020-11-13 00:27:13.544000+00:00 | ['World', 'Global Warming', 'Biden', 'Climate Change', 'Election 2020'] |
The start of something | I’m overwhelmed. Always. It could be an invitation to a birthday from a friend or just a spontaneous trip with my family, but as soon as I hear about it my heart rate goes up. It’s like I have been drinking coffee all day long.
In my childhood I was the annoying little girl that always had to be the center of attraction. Did not matter if a discussion concerned me or not, I had the last word. Now that I am officially an adult, I would be way too anxious to interrupt a conversation, or even start talking with a stranger.
Then, two years ago everything started. I felt the urge to vomit. Always and everywhere. Just so that you understand me the right way. I do not really vomit but I feel like I have to. Sitting in a classroom, during a family-dinner or while trying to sleep. And it never stops. As for me, a naturally anxious person who has not the most powerful confidence vomiting in front of others is something I never wanted to experience. I had some minor panic attacks. Sometimes the urge is weaker and then it will become stronger again. But it never leaves.
No doctor has found a solution yet, where the nausea is coming from. Believe me, I visited many. Because of my panic attacks I am going to a psychologist now. But till now they have not gotten any better but we will see.
In one and a half year I will be finished with school and must have decided what I wanna do with my life. Do I really wanna be a doctor? Or a landscaper? Or an architect? I have the feeling that I’m running out of time and will never know who I truly am and what my purpose is.
I am still really young so you probably say that these feelings are normal and somewhat dramatized. And that is okay because maybe in a few years I will have the same opinion. But right now? No, I am not going to let anxiety rule this period of my life. I want to fight back. | https://medium.com/@hopedias/the-start-of-something-7d7c1691adfd | [] | 2020-12-23 11:40:54.187000+00:00 | ['Growing Up', 'Health', 'Finding Yourself', 'Life', 'Young Adulthood'] |
How to Grow Grit when You Feel You Don’t Have It | When I found out that John would be working at the school doing odd jobs, I internally rolled my eyes. I am usually rather perceptive when it comes to analyzing the work ethic of my students. I just knew that I would spend the summer walking past his work assignments to see jobs half finished. I would have to constantly remind John to “get back on task.”
After all, that had been my previous experience. I used to be in charge of students who worked to pay for their education. They would “clean the school,” which really meant that I would clean up behind them. Many would complain the entire time and leave the job with more than something to be desired. You could almost hear the sound of their feet dragging as they trudged from assignment to assignment. They would have excuses about not having clear instructions or not knowing where the supplies were located.
Then came the surprise.
John would disappear for an hour. The only time I would see him was when he would come to report that the job was done. The first time this happened, I muttered to myself “Yeah, right.” I smirked as I went to check his work.
But to my surprise, John did it. There was no complaining and no excuses. The job was done perfectly.
He continued that summer with the same attitude. If he had a problem he would solve it, and when given another task, he would smile. In fact, he smiled the entire time he was working.
All the kids I have worked with have been respectful students with decent grades. However, John stood out in his work. He has a gift, a crafted character trait, that not many people have. This character trait will not only make him successful, it will also make him happy. That character trait is GRIT.
Discovering Grit
Recently a teacher friend of mine tagged me in a Facebook post with this video:
https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance
It is a TED Talk given in 2013 by Angela Lee Duckworth who is a teacher turned psychologist. Angela studies how grit, self-control, and perseverance can predict the success of individuals. In her talk, she discusses how grit was more a predictor of student success than any other factor. Test scores, IQ, and even a sense of safety in the classroom were not the best predictors of success.
As an educator and life-long learner, I was interested in her theory. I thought that safety, emotional connection, and fun were the main influences on learning. I never thought to consider something like grit.
What is grit?
When you type “define grit” into Google, one of the first definitions to come up is this:
Google’s definition of grit: “courage and resolve; strength of character.”
Mariam-Webster defines grit as, “firmness of mind or spirit”.
Dictionary.com’s definition seems a little more abrasive: “firmness of character; indomitable spirit; pluck:”
According to those definitions, people who have grit have made up their minds and will not be easily changed. It is part of who they are, part of their character. They are firm in their decision, almost unmovable.
Maybe that is why grit also describes the texture of objects. When these people rub up against you, their determination might sting.
Contrast those images with someone who does not have grit.
They cave under pressure.
They give up prematurely.
They make excuses as to why they will not succeed.
They change their minds “when the going gets tough.”
I think Duckworth summarizes grit well in her TED talk:
“Grit is sticking with your future, day in and day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality.”
Why is grit so powerful?
Grit is a powerful force because our brains will adapt to our decision. When we make up our minds to do something, and then picture our success, the brain automatically starts to look for the opportunities to make that outcome a reality.
Defining grit is one thing. The application of grit is another. Some people seem to be born with grit in their blood. It seems to be a trait that only the chosen possess. For the rest of us, grit has to be cultivated in the garden of our mind. The good news is, thanks to the adaptability of our brains, grit will not only grow in any mind, but can also flourish.
6 Ways to grow grit.
1. Deliberate practice:
According to Anders Ericsson (author of the book Peak). Deliberate practice is one way that people become experts. Experts have grit. Duckworth alludes to this in her TED talk. Deliberate practice is more than just doing the same action over and over again. It involves actions like trying activities just outside of your comfort zone or working with a coach to receive feedback. You can read more about deliberate practice here:
http://www.businessinsider.com/anders-ericsson-how-to-become-an-expert-at-anything-2016-6
2. Accountability through community:
Community is one of the most powerful tools for instilling grit into yourself or inspiring it in others. Here is a practical example: At the school where I teach, there is an extremely talented girls volleyball team.
Something that I have noticed about the team is their ability to overcome challenges. Many of them start on the team knowing nothing, but by the time they are in high school, they are the best in our conference.
The volleyball team does this through community. The team keeps each other accountable to practice. On the court, they take responsibility for their mistakes and hold each other accountable to those mistakes. The older girls mentor the younger girls. The whole team has bought into the idea that they are the best, and through their practices, traditions, language and culture they make it possible.
You may have heard the phrase: “Tell me who you spend time with and I’ll tell you who you are.” It’s true. If you want more grit in your life, spend time with people who have it.
3. Listen to your feelings:
If you are going to find grit, you have to be authentically you. Even when obstacles arise, it is not enough to simply “Be positive.” Let yourself feel the full extent of the challenges in front of you. Fear and worry are there for a reason and have something important to say, but they do not have to determine your final course of action. Again, find a trusted community who will listen to you and empathize with you. After you have processed what you feel, decide to continue your journey in authenticity.
4. Baby step to long-term goals:
It is no secret that we live in an instant gratification culture. We are no longer in the age where we have to wait months for our crops to be harvested. Anything we desire we can get on Amazon at our doorstep in a matter of 2 days or even hours. If we don’t have the money, we can apply for a credit card right there on the site. Our food is fast, our work is fast, our entertainment is fast. If you don’t believe me, count how many times a commercial switches camera angles in one minute. It will hurt your head.
To overcome this culture, it is going to take time and practice. Start by taking baby steps to long-term goals. Set a goal that will take a week or even a month, and then divide that goal up into small bite-size pieces that will satisfy your desire for quick gratification. Work your way into longer goals. You will eventually want goals that will take even 5 to 10 years. It may seem impossible at first, but practice and time will work their wonders.
5. Value your fails:
A large part of grit is learning how to interpret failure. If you have already decided that you will achieve an outcome through grit, the failures required to get there become learning experiences as opposed to obstacles or stop signs.
You are going to fail as you move through life. It is part of growing. No Olympian ever made it to the stand without a single failed attempt. Take your fails and learn from them. Use them as fuel to do better next time.
6. Find a coach
Apart from a community, it also helps to have an expert on your side. Get someone who will stand with you and will be an extra set of eyes as you move to your goal. They will push you when your tired and will encourage you to move forward.
Remember that you get what you pay for. If you are not willing to pay someone for their time, in the end, they will not be committed.
Pay someone for their expertise. Your success is worth the investment.
Conclusion:
Grit is not passed out freely at birth. Not everyone is born with this gift. However, it can be built into your character. Use the above tips to practice grit and use it to fuel your success.
Want to take your life to the next level?
Money holds a lot of us back. Check out this opportunity to grow your own business and live life at your own pace:
Click Here for the Next Level! | https://medium.com/the-mission/how-to-grow-grit-when-you-feel-you-dont-have-it-99c51c1a8f44 | ['Paul Ellsworth'] | 2019-05-28 19:16:18.540000+00:00 | ['Personal Growth', 'Education', 'Productivity', 'Success', 'Work Smarter'] |
9 Years as a Gym Rat — Why Motivation Should Go Hand in Hand With Hard Work | 9 Years as a Gym Rat — Why Motivation Should Go Hand in Hand With Hard Work LM Dec 30, 2021·3 min read
Photo by Victor Freitas on Unsplash
The 2nd of January is coming. It’s marking the 9th anniversary of my first significant training effort.
My New Year’s resolve in December 2012 was to start going to the gym. I was a frail young man who was not into sports.
It’s remarked that training alone is difficult; you need a partner to keep you motivated. But I trained alone for those nine years. How did I make it through those nine years? To be honest, it isn’t that difficult. It’s become a habit that I can’t break. Sport is good for you and gives you strength, which is why I began training in the first place.
Motivation played a small role in my life. I knew that going to the gym 3 or 4 times a week would not be easy, but I did it. I stuck to the principle — think less, do more. I knew I wanted to be strong and the only way to do that was by training.
The more you think, the more likely you are not to go to the gym. You have to promise yourself — I’m going to do it — and stick to your promise. Because your body will thank you.
Motivation alone won’t make you successful
We all know that feeling when your head is full of ideas and hopes for the future. You’re ready to experiment and do your best to reach your goal.
Yet, these feelings fade with time. Other interests and other goals emerge. You no longer have the time to train or you have to force yourself to do it. If this is the case, then training is not for you at all. To achieve your goals, you need to go to the gym. It must become an integral part of your life.
Hard work is the key to success
When motivation is low, you need to keep going. Sometimes I was too lazy to go to the gym, but I went because I had to. You have to do something not because you want to, but because you have to.
That’s life. We go to work not because we want to, but because we need the money. If you want to be healthy and strong, you have to exercise. You get tired of doing a lot of things, but the key is to stick with it no matter what.
If I didn’t like fitness, I wouldn’t have been able to do it all these years.
Set small goals and go for it step by step
From the start, set yourself days when you will go to the gym. You don’t have to think about anything else. Go and do it.
You have to have some motivation to stick with it. You have to set small goals. Like how many kilos do I want to bench press in 2 months or how many squats do I want to be able to do in two weeks. If there is no goal, then the activity itself is pointless.
When you’re in the gym, make the most of your time. Don’t leave until you’ve completed the workout in your programme. Keep your promise.
Conclusion
To make fitness a habit that is part of your daily routine, you have to teach yourself to stick to a routine. You have to get to the gym no matter what.
I can’t teach you to motivate yourself. You have to realise the benefits of fitness for yourself and decide whether it is worth the time. I do 5 to 8 hours of training a week. Depending on how much free time I have. You can do it too and the longer you do it, the harder it will be to stop. | https://medium.com/@LM111/9-years-as-a-gym-rat-why-motivation-should-go-hand-in-hand-with-hard-work-1e5649e4b422 | [] | 2021-12-30 13:04:29.571000+00:00 | ['Motivation', 'Workout', 'Training', 'Gym', 'Fitness'] |
It’s like a TED Talk for Mentoring | Dr Chris Stout
This post is a companion to my podcast’s special in-between-a-sode that we do periodically, and generally specific to humanitarian work.
Drs. Param Singh (Carnegie Bosch Professor of Business Technologies and Marketing at the David A. Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University) and Rohit Aggarwal (Associate Professor and Ph.D. Coordinator of Information Systems at the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah) have built a site they call Mentor Students, at MentorStudents.org.
The idea is to have a multidisciplinary site where mentors are invited to respond to interview questions to help students and new grads with their career-readiness, provide insights on various job roles (as for me in the humanitarian space) and, how to prepare. I also discuss how to get published and a few other areas.
The goal is to be like a TED talk for mentoring and I’m honored to have been invited.
A couple of technical notes: First off, this podcast version includes hearing the interviewer’s questions. He did not have the best connectivity, so that may sound a bit hinky at first, but you’ll get the gist. As an alternative way to listen, or watch, is to see the YouTube version which omits hearing the interviewer’s cuing question and is edited just for my answers. The YouTube version includes not just the video but also a transcript. YouTube’s transcript is a digital conversion, so it’s not perfect, but a help if need be. And you can also go to MentorStudent.org for their version of my transcript, and view many other interviews as well. I highly recommend it.
For all the tools and links I discuss of, please go to http://www.alifeinfull.org/courseworks.
Listen on iTunes or download here. You can also listen on Overcast, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Spotify, and iHeartRADIO as well. Please subscribe on your favorite platform and never miss an episode or to get our monthly newsletter. Here are the show notes.
The “Living a Life in Full” podcast is the conversation you always wanted to have with that person who gave an amazing TED talk, or the author of one your favorite books, or that inspirational Olympian you always wanted to know more about.
This show is for the intellectually curious. You want to not just know more about the interesting and the innovative, but also what makes them tick, and maybe even what makes them laugh. It’s graduate-level conversations with those making a difference in the world and the lives of others.
This show brings you new ideas and approaches so you can live a life in full.
The show is equal parts information and inspiration, but without the aphorisms and Pablum. We cover a wide range of topics in an engaging way — from Burning Man to The Renaissance Weekend, from the United Nations to top universities, Nobel Laureates to astronauts — we have an amazing Rolodex.
Interviewees are a who’s who of high-performance athletes, bestselling authors, high-caliber leaders, world changing humanitarians, innovative researchers, amazing start-up founders, clever life-hackers, paradigm busting thought-leaders and global innovators. | https://medium.com/@drchrisestout/its-like-a-ted-talk-for-mentoring-b3b56aca51ea | ['Dr. Chris E. Stout'] | 2020-12-14 15:21:02.217000+00:00 | ['Humanitarian', 'Nonprofit', 'Leadership', 'Publishing', 'Mentorship'] |
Dear Mayor Pete, I want my “Pocket Change” Back! | The Democratic Party primary can largely be seen as a contest between two wings of the party: the progressives and the neoliberals. Up until very recently, Mayor Pete Buttigieg has been attempting to keep a foot in each camp — his rhetoric was often quite progressive, but his policies mostly fell into the centrist/neoliberal camp. In recent days he seems to have abandoned this strategy, deciding rather to totally embrace the centrist position.
This can be seen in his recent comments on Medicare for All and his aggressive attacks on Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren at the last Democratic debate. However, the clearest, and most repugnant, example o this was a comment he made two days ago during an interview. He was asked about his fundraising in the race. Buttigieg has had some impressive numbers during this campaign. In the first quarter of 2019, he raised over $7 million, despite being a fairly unknown figure. By Q2, he was the top fundraiser in the field, bring in $25 million. His numbers in Q3 were pretty strong as we, raising $18 million. However, his numbers did drop and he dropped to third place, behind Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who brought in around $25 million each. These numbers were even more impressive because Sanders and Warren did so almost entirely with small grassroots donations.
Over the last few months, Buttigieg’s polling numbers have been falling as well. He was able to point to his strong fundraising as a defense for staying in the race. That argument is harder to make as he dropped to third in fundraising. Buttigieg, who has donations from 24 Billionaires (the most in the field), when questioned about the fact that he was outraised by two candidates who mainly took small donations, railed that “we are not going to beat [Trump] with pocket change.” Without a doubt, this is the most insulting thing any of the Democratic candidates has said this election cycle. The progressives, especially Sanders, have been raising money from ordinary working-class Americans, averaging $18 at a time. The profession that has donated the most of Sanders are teachers. Among the top employers of his doners are hourly wage-workers from Amazon, Starbucks, and Walmart. What Mayor Pete calls “pocket change” is the hard-earned money of folks that can scarcely afford to spare even a few dollars. While Buttigieg attends fancy fundraisers in the Hamptons and collects checks from billionaires, Walmart workers that are struggling to pay their rent and feed their families are giving what they can because they have found a candidate that truly fights for them.
When Mayor Pete first jumped into the race, I found him interesting and, despite being a dedicated Sanders supporters, I wanted to help him make the debate stage. I donated $1 to Mayor Pete to help him hit the 70,000 grassroots donations he needed to qualify. I gave some “pocket change” to him because, quite frankly, he fooled me. I thought he would be a progressive ally in the civil war that was being waged in the Democratic Party. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I am a teacher; when I give money to a candidate, it means something to me. Now, as I see the true Mayor Pete, I am ashamed that I donated to his campaign. And so, I am formally requesting my “pocket change” back. I would like to donate it, instead, to a candidate that does not display complete and utter disdain for the working people of America!
UPDATE: On October 29th, the Buttigieg campaign refunded by “pocket change.” Additionally, on December 12th, others began to copy the action described in this post and the hashtag #RefundPete was born. It has now gone viral as thousands of people are demanding their pocket change back from Wall Street Pete! | https://medium.com/the-long-island-left/dear-mayor-pete-i-want-my-pocket-change-back-117e6c2a8d2f | ['Ron Widelec'] | 2019-12-12 17:40:07.003000+00:00 | ['Elizabeth Warren', 'Bernie Sanders', 'Politics', 'Democratic Party', 'Pete Buttigieg'] |
Restaurants & Food–Serving Bars Across the Country are Now Allowed to Sell Cocktails for Takeout & Delivery, including Beer & Wine Locations | Restaurants & Food–Serving Bars Across the Country are Now Allowed to Sell Cocktails for Takeout & Delivery, including Beer & Wine Locations Somabar Mar 25, 2020·3 min read
Many states across the country, including California, New York, and Texas, are now allowing all liquor licensed restaurants and food–serving bars to sell cocktails with takeout and delivery orders. These loosened restrictions are intended to help embattled food service providers during the COVID-19 shut down of dine-in operations, as dine-in customers accounted for the lion’s‒share of their revenues.
With takeout/delivery becoming the new normal, many operators are taking a fresh look at their alcoholic beverage programs, with many being entirely unaware of how powerful a professional cocktail program can be for their business. And every liquor–serving location, whether general (full alcohol) licensed or beer & wine licensed, can now serve cocktails with their takeout and delivery food orders.
Yes, you read that right. Even beer & wine–licensed restaurants can now serve the world’s most popular cocktails such as margaritas, cosmopolitans, and espresso martinis. But as you often get with cocktails, there is a twist.
The best source of information for beer & wine licensees to launch a cocktail program is Somabar, the creator of the leading (and only commercially affordable) automated countertop bartending machine. Somabar perfected automated mixology, and has now applied their expertise and technology to the world of wine-safe alcohols ‒ powering the cocktail programs of a multitude of full liquor and beer & wine restaurants across the country.
California takeout & delivery cocktails must have a secure lid or cap without a straw hole.
According to Somabar, and as confirmed with California’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) and other states’ authorities, by using fermented spirits and other wine-license safe liquors, beer & wine licensees can legally craft cocktails that taste near-identical, and in some opinions far better than, traditional distilled liquor cocktails. And in California, for example, Vermouth (fortified wine flavored with various botanicals), Soju (a Korean neutral distilled spirit), and Sake (rice wine) may also be used legally by beer & wine licensees in cocktails.
And what exactly are fermented spirits?
“Fermented spirits are amazing, delicious and versatile alcohols,” offered Chris Hameetman, President of Somabar, “although the name may be unfamiliar, ‘fermented spirits’ are born from the same liquors we all know and love, yet the producers of fermented spirits simply bottle their product at the fermentation stage.”
As an example to illustrate the above, Mr. Hameetman shared that Tequila is made by mashing and fermenting the agave plant and then distilling the resulting liquid to increase its alcohol by volume content (ABV) to around 40%. When making the fermented variant, the same process to make Tequila can be used, but the product is instead bottled at the fermentation stage, resulting in a lower ABV. Somabar recommends using 24% ABV fermented alcohols, as that is the maximum ABV California allows for beer & wine‒licensed cocktail ingredients.
Other states have different laws with respect to the maximum ABV allowed for fermented‒spirit cocktails, so it is important that each beer & wine licensee understands the specifics of their state law before starting cocktail service.
Somabar professional cocktail system
In this time of great uncertainty and challenges, all businesses, and in particular those directly impacted by COVID-19 shut-downs such as restaurants and bars, must think of new and creative ways to help make ends meet. Thankfully, many states including California, New York, and Texas have offered a powerful tool by allowing cocktails for take-out and delivery, which, together with innovative, cost-reducing professional cocktail solutions like Somabar, may keep restaurants and its employees afloat in the unpredictable days and weeks to come. | https://medium.com/@somabar/restaurants-food-serving-bars-across-the-country-are-now-allowed-to-sell-cocktails-for-takeout-b24f842a950b | [] | 2020-03-25 00:47:38.933000+00:00 | ['Cocktails', 'Delivery', 'Alcohol', 'Restaurant', 'Restaurant Business'] |
What I Learned Working at a Startup Outside of Silicon Valley | A few years back, I was hired as an early employee at a tech startup.
The company had already raised some venture capital, it had an unconventional office, it was tackling a large problem, and most of the employees were young and tech-savvy.
In other words, it lived up to the media’s portrayal of a startup.
There was one major difference though — it was located in Richmond, Virginia, not Silicon Valley.
Living in the DC Metro Area, this actually worked out well as I was able to drive down a few times per week to be there for weekly meetings and key events, while also working at a satellite office in DC.
Medium is full of articles from people who have worked at startups and tech companies. And while I have enjoyed reading many of these stories, there are some major differences between working at a startup in a well-established tech hub filled with startup veterans, and working at a startup in any other city elsewhere in the U.S. (even if that city is fairly large, as Richmond is).
These are some of the key differences and lessons I learned while working at a startup outside of Silicon Valley.
Funding
Funding comes from the local community so you need to engage with other local businesses and entrepreneurs. There are not (many) established VC firms or private equity investors.
Larger coastal funds will use regional funds as filters when deciding whether to invest in a company or not, so having local support gives your company an edge and helps you be seen as a leader in the community.
Many startups in smaller cities experience a kind of informal, peer-to-peer exchanges that provide founders advice and the initial financial backing that is necessary to build your company.
Salaries
Salaries are lower for employees based outside of Silicon Valley. But typically, so is the general cost of living. Making low six figures in Richmond? You can live quite nicely. Silicon Valley? Not so much.
The other interesting thing about having lower salaries (and generally cheaper labour) is that you can sometimes afford to use people for processes that might otherwise be outsourced.
For example, we had a call centre that was staffed by local employees. This type of work would be cost-prohibitive at your typical Silicon Valley startup, which would normally outsource this type of work.
This is great because you can actually have all your employees in house, at your office, making certain function easier to oversee. Additionally, you have a chance to stimulate the local economy.
Not only is creating jobs a source of pride, but it also functions as a way to further establish ties to the local community, likely resulting in goodwill.
Explanation of Company Structure/Compensation
When you are in a smaller region, where startups are less common, it’s important that employees (both current and prospective) understand the company structure and the payment structure.
How you structure compensation with early employees can have serious financial impacts down the road. So it’s important to create a startup compensation package that reflects the company culture and financial outcomes you actually want.
It’s easy to start giving equity away on a first-come, first-served basis without thinking about reserving equity for key hires and being mindful that you’ll want to hire some senior employees down the line.
A good lawyer goes a long way and is well worth the cost in documenting the allocation of equity, setting a vesting schedule, and establishing “cliffs” to ensure company equity is not diluted by early employees who quickly leave.
Public-Private Partnerships
When you are a startup in Silicon Valley, you are looking primarily for private funding. For startups in other cities, partnering with cities and municipalities may be a better way to look for financial support.
For example, our startup partnered with the City of Richmond and The Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC). These partnerships not only provide financial support but lend your startup a sense of legitimacy.
Exit Opportunities
Just because you are in a smaller city doesn’t mean you need to stay there forever. Even if you have ambitions to end up in Silicon Valley, working at a startup in a smaller city can be a great stepping stone.
Much of the experience you develop will be transferable, and if you go through the process of pitching nationally, you may meet a lot of interesting people. Some of these may be impressed by your skills, and offer you a job. Others can act as a powerful referral.
Role of Technology in Day to Day Work
Take advantage of technology. It’s never been easier to host meetings, talk with prospective investors, or collaborate with other companies remotely.
Once you figure out how to optimize your communication, it is also much easier to scale your startup.
You can now find remote employees who otherwise would not have been able to work for you due to various logistical and geographic constraints.
Even if your team is all local, utilizing technology efficiently for communication allows employees increased flexibility and allows for lower fixed costs that many traditional businesses face (such as needing a large physical footprint of office space).
Operating at a Loss
Businesses that operate at a loss for extended periods of time are not viewed favourably. If you want to create a company that does not have a clear path to profitability, Silicon Valley is probably a better choice. Investors in most cities are accustomed to investing in more traditional investments, with clear returns, such as commercial real estate, retail stores, or refinancing debt.
Hours
Your pay will likely be lower than your Bay Area equivalent but you will still be required to work long hours. This is the one major negative that I experienced working at a startup outside of Silicon Valley.
If you are going to work long hours, it is better to be a well funded Silicon Valley startup, that understands that employees need to work long hours, so it is often in their best interest to make their working environment as pleasant as possible, to boost productivity.
Treatment of Employees
Be aggressive toward your competitors, not your employees. This is probably sound advice at most businesses, but when you have a relatively modest skilled labour pool, high employee turnover can be devastating financially and for company morale.
We had dozens of early employees fired as part of a management-driven purge, including one of the founders, which contributed to a very negative work environment.
Not only is finding external hires tougher in a smaller city but the negative reputation you will create by firing many employees or treating them poorly will make recruitment much more difficult.
— Casey Botticello | https://medium.com/swlh/what-i-learned-working-at-a-startup-outside-of-silicon-valley-b2b1e56902bd | ['Casey Botticello'] | 2020-02-16 13:01:01.306000+00:00 | ['Work', 'Entrepreneurship', 'Startup', 'Business', 'Technology'] |
A Writing Tip That Always Works | Title graphic by Binati Sheth
I am one of those annoying writers who’ll tell you that writer’s block doesn’t exist. I truly believe that it doesn’t exist and I’ll tell you why in this article.
I don’t have the habit of beating around the bush so here I go — A writing tip that always works is to have something to say.
It’s really that simple. So, get your blank canvas and start painting with me.
The difficult bit is having something to say. That’s where data steps in as the proverbial knight in shining armor.
How does data give you a voice?
Data runs the world. It always has. In my young, immature opinion, it always will run the world. The Templar Knights and the Merovingians had medieval data about trade routes and ports and that’s how they ended up inventing banking systems and becoming as powerful as they were. These days, data is not a rare commodity. It’s easily available. If it isn’t, you can post a question on any Q&A platform and you’ll receive helpful suggestions about where you could start looking.
Raw data is available everywhere you look. You take any random titbit you heard, read, or came across and process it in your own style. Once you’ve processed that data using your flair, extract every ounce of information out of it. Try visiting discussion platforms or mediums and see how the unrefined data is being processed by others.
You’ll have blobs of information, perspectives, and opinions about your initial data, which will look like the image below.
Graphic by Binati Sheth
That’s it. Start with data. Get some lovely shapes, designs or patterns on that canvas and fill them up using information.
How does information play a part?
In my experience, just data doesn’t do much. You need to assign some value to it. To do that, you must assign context to your data using information you already possess or have access to. Your random shapes on the canvas will need to have some color in them. Your color palette includes defining your data, assigning meaning to the data, and making the pointers that make up your data relate to each other.
In essence, you refine your dots and give them a new look. That change is what we could alternatively term as extracting value from data.
We all exist in the era of the World Wide Web. Information overload is bound to happen. To ensure that something like that doesn’t happen to you, you need knowledge.
Graphic by Binati Sheth
Knowledge is actionable, data and information aren’t. That’s where experienced writers win over the amateurs. Just like how we refine data using information, we sort the available information using knowledge.
Linking those lovely colorful shapes is difficult but not impossible to learn.
How does one use knowledge?
Most writers have fields of specialization. They are called niches in the content writing field. A writer that writes in a particular niche has a lot of specific knowledge about their field of expertize. This cache of information and knowledge lets them make sense of things. As they make sense of things, they easily draw connections between different bits of information.
Knowledge essentially filters the noise out. Once the noise is gone, we can smoothen the flow of information, making our draft clear and manageable. We can link all the facts we stumble across in the information stage via knowledge.
Depending on the topics you like and are curious about, your knowledge will grow profoundly. Knowledge is more about the acquisition process. So, it lets you sort information into relevant and irrelevant bits.
Graphic by Binati Sheth
Your canvas now has a plethora of colorful dots that have some connection to each other.
What are insights then?
Those connections you made as part of your knowledge acquisition process will now need synthesis. This is where our data and knowledge become useful. Based on how you synthesize this knowledge, you develop some understanding of a problem. The insights you develop will rely on the unique characteristic traits you possess and the beliefs you possess.
Graphic by Binati Sheth
Insights make some shapes and connections on the canvas stand out. Insights make your painting uniquely yours.
Why is wisdom necessary?
Wisdom enables us to make informed decisions as it teaches us to sort the relevant insights from the irrelevant. Relevant and irrelevant here depends on the main theme of your article.
Graphic by Binati Sheth
Essentially, wisdom transforms data into action. Wisdom lets you connect your insights.
Create an impact with your words
You’ve taken data, supplemented it with information, used knowledge to sort the relevant from the irrelevant, developed insights for the relevant knowledge and used wisdom to know what works with your piece and what doesn’t. Once you do that, once you’ve taken a motivated idea and processed it appropriately, you’ll have your impactful article or a series.
Graphic by Binati Sheth
While this article might seem boring to most, this is how most detailed articles are framed. If you want to write a piece that informs someone, educates someone, enlightens someone, do the things that not many in the writing industry are doing these days.
Follow this writing guide. Just try it once. I have been writing professionally for over five years now, and I am yet to struggle with the elusive writer’s block. If you keep collecting data and educating yourself, you’ll never run out of things to say.
Let me know if there’s anything I can help you with in the comments.
This is Binati Sheth signing off. | https://medium.com/@binati-sheth/a-writing-tip-that-always-works-297952d45604 | ['Binati Sheth'] | 2019-12-27 18:03:30.567000+00:00 | ['Writing Tips', 'Niche Blog', 'Writing', 'Impact', 'Writers Block'] |
Creating flexible skewed buttons in Figma | Earlier today I’ve seen a rant from my friend Kadir about the complexity of building a fully flexible outlined skewed button in Figma.
Building an auto-layout powered skewed button in Figma is easy as long as the button has a solid background. You just need 3 elements: left side, center (with the text) and right side.
But what if you want to use a stroke instead of a fill? That’s when things get crazy:
In order to hide the unnecessary borders between the elements, my friend came up with the perfect solution (considering Figma’s limitations)…
…but obviously way too many layers needed.
After seeing this, I immediately remembered installing the SkewDat plugin a very long time ago and decided to use that and it worked perfectly!
So how did I achieve this?
First I created a text layer, and added auto layout to it. After, I just applied a stroke to the frame.
After this, I’ve used the SkewDat plugin to skew the whole frame to a desired horizontal degree (-15º).
Secondly, I used SkewDat again, but this time on the text layer inside the frame, using the negative matching skew value of the frame (in this case +15º).
And that was it! | https://medium.com/@csmnng/creating-flexible-skewed-buttons-in-figma-a943aabcca9e | ['Cosmin Negoita'] | 2020-06-15 13:51:41.342000+00:00 | ['Skewed', 'Figma', 'Outline', 'Hack', 'Buttons'] |
Rapper Travis Scott breaks silence on Astroworld tragedy: ‘I have a responsibility’ | Hip Hop News | Rapper Travis Scott says he is “1000 percent” sure he did everything he could to help dying audience members during the Astroworld tragedy.
In Scott’s first interview since the Nov. 5 hip-hop festival that ended in the deaths of 10 people — including the youngest victim, 9-year-old Ezra Blount — the rapper claims he didn’t hear his Houston audience’s screams for help as the victims fell into peril.
“I just didn’t hear that,” 30-year-old Scott said Thursday during a tête-à-tête with Charlamagne tha God on “The Breakfast Club.”
When Charlamagne, 43, asked him if he did everything he could, an emotional Scott struggled to find words, saying, “Everything I physically [could], sure, yes. And, if knowing what was going on … you just wish you could have done something better. But, standing there, 1,000 percent.”
Travis Scott also insisted that “I’m that type of artist” who would have stopped his show if he were aware that concertgoers were in impending danger.
“Anytime you can hear something like that, you want to stop the show,” the “Sicko Mode” emcee continued, adding that he did stop the music a few times during the fateful event. “You want to make sure fans get the proper attention they need. I just go off the fans’ energy. But I just didn’t hear [screams].”
The Astroworld disaster — noted as one of the deadliest live-music crowd events in American history — has resulted in more than 140 lawsuits and a mass litigation suit by 1,500 show attendees against Travis Scott, Live Nation, Apple Music, Drake and others.
According to most of the lawsuits, per court documents, victims claim the “Antidote” rapper and his cohorts were “negligent” during the show, which attracted more than 50,000 crowd members, and stood to make huge sums of money from the concert.
Meantime, Scott recently denied responsibility for the deaths in legal documents — but now says his mission is to try to identify what factors contributed to the loss of so many lives during his live performance.
“Fans come to the show to have a good experience,” Scott explained to Charlamagne.
“I have a responsibility to figure out what happened here. I have a responsibility to find a solution,” he said. “Hopefully this takes a first step into us as artists having more insight as to what’s going on.”
“And the professionals to figure out what’s going on … in the future move forward in concert safety,” he added, referring to Live Nation and other defendants named in the suits.
Travis Scott blamed the media for fingering him as culpable for the tragedy.
“I’m the face of the festival,” the musician said. “I’m the artist. So yeah, the media wants to put it on me.”
But, his plea of innocence notwithstanding, Scott expressed remorse for the victims, identifying them as his “family.”
“I’m always here. I’m in this with you guys. I love you, and I always be there to help you guys heal through this,” he said.
“I understand that you guys are grieving right now. Finding understanding right now. And it’s not just a right now thing, it’s a forever thing,” the hip hop star continued.
“And these people that came to the show, they are my family. And I’ve always had a connection to the people that listen to the music or came to my shows. And it’s really hard on me. They lost their love ones. So it’s tough,” he went on to say before doubling down on his vow to “fix” the problems that led to the disaster.
“I’m going to fix this for the future people,” he added. “I’m going to fix this problem and find a solution to make sure that this doesn’t happen in the future and definitely be a number-one voice for this.” | https://medium.com/@MediaMusicNews_/rapper-travis-scott-breaks-silence-on-astroworld-tragedy-i-have-a-responsibility-hip-hop-news-6c6d6132f9b1 | ['Media Music News'] | 2021-12-10 02:28:28.492000+00:00 | ['Festivals', 'Houston', 'Music', 'Hip Hop', 'News'] |
SwiftUI or UIKit in 2021? | Photo by UX Store on Unsplash
On June 3 at WWDC19 Apple introduced SwiftUI. A new UI framework for swiftly developing applications across all of Apple’s platforms.
And now that SwiftUI is a year and a half old, the question you might be asking yourself is should I learn SwiftUI or UIKit? And I would say if you are jumping into the Apple development world is learn SwiftUI. I know that a lot of jobs are still developing their apps in UIKit or AppKit on the Mac, but I have been using SwiftUI for client work since December 2019, and I have barely touched UIKit in the last year.
I did worry a few times later in 2020 that I had been spending too much time in SwiftUI land, and my UIKit skills were getting rusty. The main reason for my concern was I was ending one contract and looking for another one, but thankfully my latest contract should go well into 2021, and it will be more SwiftUI.
I still have a lot to learn, and now that I’m using it in more contract work, I’m hoping to get even better with it so that I can develop apps more swiftly.
And though SwiftUI does not have all the things that UIKit has, I have not found this to be a problem as I find building your own UI components in SwiftUI is much easier than UIKit.
Sure not every company is using SwiftUI yet but, if you spend the next three months learning the Swift programming language and SwiftUI, perhaps with Paul’s 100 Days of SwiftUI, I think you would have a great start in developing your own apps and getting a job or picking up some freelance work. | https://medium.com/@aswiftlytiltingplanet/swiftui-or-uikit-in-2021-ef138e64ed60 | ['Caleb Wells'] | 2020-12-12 23:21:34.690000+00:00 | ['Swift', 'Swiftui', 'App Development', 'Freelancing', 'Uikit'] |
Continuous Deployment for Node.js on the Google Cloud Platform | Photo by Axel Ahoi on Unsplash
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) provides a host of options for Node developers to easily deploy our apps. Want a managed hosting solution like Heroku? App Engine, check! Want to host a containerized app? Kubernetes Engine, check! Want to deploy serverless app? Cloud Functions, check!
Recently at work, I’ve been enjoying using our in-house continuous deployment service that quickly builds, tests, and deploys new commits pushed to GitHub. So when I read about Google’s new Cloud Build service, I wanted to take it for a spin and see if I could recreate a similar seamless deployment experience for myself. Further, in a conversation with Fransizka from the Google Cloud team, she identified this as an area where a tutorial would be helpful. So here we go…
But wait, what is Cloud Build?
Cloud Build is a managed build service in GCP that can pull code from a variety of sources, run a series of build steps to create a build image for the application, and then deploy this image to a fleet of servers.
Cloud Build works well with Google’s own source code repository, Bit Bucket or GitHub. It can create a build image using a Docker configuration file ( Dockerfile ) or Cloud Build’s own configuration file ( cloudconfig.yaml ). It can deploy applications (and APIs) to App Engine, Kubernetes Engine, and Cloud Functions. A really cool feature is Build Triggers. These can be setup to watch for a new commit in the code repository and trigger a new build and deploy.
Before we jump into the deep end…
This post shares the detailed steps and code to setup the continuous deployment for Node apps on GCP. It assumes that you’re familiar with developing simple Node applications, working with the command line, and have some high level understanding of deploying apps to cloud services like Heroku, AWS, Azure or GCP.
For each of the sections, a companion GitHub code repository is provided for you to follow along. Don’t sweat it though — feel free to skim over the article to learn about the high level ideas, and you can bookmark it and come to it later if you plan to set this up. The real fun of having a setup like this is that you get to deploy applications quickly.
Continuous Deployment for App Engine Standard
Deploying a Node app to App Engine is quite simple. Create a new project in Google Cloud Console, add an app.yaml configuration file in our code directory (which describes the node runtime we want to use — I’ve used Node 8), and run gcloud app deploy on our terminal — and done!
If you want to try this out for yourself, here are a couple of resources:
So, what we’ve done so far by following the quickstart guide above:
Created a new project in Google Cloud Console Deployed our Node app to App Engine using gcloud app deploy
….now how can we automate setup such that code changes get deployed automatically on push to GitHub?
Here is what we need to do:
Put our code on GitHub
Head over to GitHub to create a new repository
Then follow the instructions to push code from your machine to GitHub
2. Enable Cloud Build
Enable the Cloud Build API for our project
Enable the App Engine API for for our project.
Grant App Engine IAM to Cloud Build Service account by going to the IAM page, find this service account <project-id>@cloudbuild.gserviceaccount.com , edit it and give it the App Engine Admin role.
3. Create a Cloud Build configuration file
Create a new file cloudbuild.yaml that looks like this:
steps:
- name: 'gcr.io/cloud-builders/npm'
args: ['install']
- name: 'gcr.io/cloud-builders/npm'
args: ['test']
- name: "gcr.io/cloud-builders/gcloud"
args: ["app", "deploy"]
timeout: "1600s"
This configuration has three build steps (each line starting with a hyphen is a build step) that will run npm install , then npm test and if all looks good then deploy our code to App Engine.
Each build step is just like a command we run on our machine. But in this case, since this file is in yaml and each step is split over 2 lines of name and args, it can look like a bit of a mind-bender.
Let’s try this: for the line starting with “name”, read its last word and then read the values in the “args” line. I hope this file makes more sense now!
4. Run a Build manually (optional, just for verification)
We can now deploy our application from our machine using Cloud Build
Run the cloud build command on your terminal: gcloud builds submit — config cloudbuild.yaml . This command starts a build on Cloud Build using the configuration file we created above.
This command starts a build on Cloud Build using the configuration file we created above. Head over to the Cloud Builds page to see the build being kicked off.
Wait for the build to end, and then test out your Node application using the App Engine URL for this app.
You can make changes to your Node app and call this command again and to start more builds if you would like.
5. Create a Build Trigger
Head over to the Cloud Build Triggers page and select Create Trigger
On the Build Trigger setup page, choose GitHub as the Source Code Repository. This will require you to authorize GCP to access your GitHub repositories, which you will need to approve. Once done, select the GitHub repository for your Node app that you had pushed to GitHub earlier.
Create a trigger named continuous deployment , and for the trigger type choose Branch with regex for branch name as master . This will ensure that the builds, test, and deploy will only run for push to the master branch and not any branch.
, and for the trigger type choose Branch with regex for branch name as . This will ensure that the builds, test, and deploy will only run for push to the master branch and not any branch. For the build configuration file, select cloudbuild.yaml
Now click the Build Trigger button
6. Run a Build automatically by pushing a commit to GitHub
With our build trigger created, make a simple commit to your node application, like change “Hello, World!” to “Hello, GCP!” and commit and push this code to GitHub
Head back the the Cloud Builds page and you will notice that a build was automatically triggered (if it isn’t, give it a few more seconds or click the refresh button on the page)
Once the build is complete and you see a green check, you can visit your application using its App Engine URL and see that your changes are now live!
Here is a screenshot for builds being triggered through a GitHub push for our app:
Too good to be true?? Run this last step a few times times to test it out a few more times. Our first application now gets deployed to App Engine on every commit to master 👏
Continuous Deployment for Kubernetes Engine
Great, so we’ve setup our application to deploy to App Engine on GitHub push, but what if we wanted the same setup for our containerized applications? Let’s give it a spin!
At a high level, deploying a Node app to Kubernetes engine has two main tasks. First, get our app ready: Containerize the application with Docker, build it, and push the Docker image to Google Container Registry. Then, setup things on the GCP end: create a Kubernetes Cluster, create a Deployment with your application image, and then create a Service to allow access to your running application.
If you want to try this out for yourself, here are a few resources:
So, what we’ve done so far by using the guides above:
Created another new project in Google Cloud Console Created a Kubernetes Cluster, Deployment, and Service Deployed our Containerized Node app to Kubernetes Engine using kubectl
…but what we want is an continuous deployment setup such that a new commit kicks off a build and deployment.
Here is what we need to do:
Put our code on GitHub
We will follow the same steps as we did in the section earlier on App Engine. Create a new repository and push code from our machine to GitHub.
2. Enable Cloud Build
Enable the Cloud Build API for our project
Enable the Kubernetes Engine API for our project
Grant Kubernetes Engine IAM to Cloud Service account by going to the IAM page for this service account <project-id>@cloudbuild.gserviceaccount.com , edit it, and give it the Kubernetes Engine Admin role
3. Create a Cloud Build Configuration file
Create a new file cloudbuild.yaml that looks like this:
steps:
- name: 'gcr.io/cloud-builders/npm'
args: ['install']
- name: 'gcr.io/cloud-builders/npm'
args: ['test']
- name: 'gcr.io/cloud-builders/docker'
args: ["build", "-t", "gcr.io/$PROJECT_ID/my-image:$REVISION_ID", "."]
- name: 'gcr.io/cloud-builders/docker'
args: ["push", "gcr.io/$PROJECT_ID/image:$REVISION_ID"]
- name: 'gcr.io/cloud-builders/kubectl'
args:
- 'set'
- 'image'
- 'deployment/my-deployment'
- 'my-container=gcr.io/$PROJECT_ID/image:$REVISION_ID'
env:
- 'CLOUDSDK_COMPUTE_ZONE=us-east1-b'
- 'CLOUDSDK_CONTAINER_CLUSTER=my-cluster'
This configuration has five build steps that will run npm install and then npm test to make sure our application works, then it will create a Docker image and push to GCR and then deploy our application to our Kubernetes cluster. The values my-cluster, my-deployment and my-container in this file refer to resources in the Kubernetes cluster we have created (as per the guide we followed above). $REVISION_ID is a variable value that Cloud Build injects into the configuration based on GitHub commit that triggers this build.
4. Run a Build manually (optional, for verification)
We can now deploy our application from our machine using Cloud Build
Run the cloud build command on your terminal: gcloud builds submit — config cloudbuild.yaml --substitutions=REVISION_ID=1 .
We’re also passing the revision id in this command, since we are manually running this build vs it being triggered by GitHub.
Head over to the Cloud Builds page to see the build in action.
At the end of the build, you can test out your Node application using the Kubernetes Service URL
You can make changes to your Node app and call this command again to kickoff more builds if you would like
5. Create a Build Trigger
The steps for setting this up are the same as that from the section above for App Engine. Go to Cloud Build Triggers page for this project, select the right GitHub repository, create a trigger called continuous deployment just for the master branch and you’re done.
just for the branch and you’re done. Run a Build automatically by pushing to GitHub
This is also the same as the section above for App Engine — make a change, add, commit and push to GitHub which will kickoff a build that you can see on your Cloud Builds page. Once the builds completes, you will be able to see the updated app using the Kubernetes Service URL.
Here is a screenshot for a build being triggered through a GitHub push for our app:
The steps in this section were pretty much the same as the App Engine section. The main differences were that we had to containerize our application with Docker, spin up our Kubernetes cluster, and then have a Cloud Build configuration with just a few more steps.
But at its core, Cloud Build and its Build Triggers work pretty much the same and give us a seamless deployment experience. Our second application now gets deployed to Kubernetes Engine on every commit to master 👏👏
Photo by Maximilian Weisbecker on Unsplash
Continuous Deployment for Cloud Functions
Sure, App Engine and Kubernetes Engine are great, but how about automated deployments for our Serverless app? I mean, having no servers to manage at all is really the best, right? Let’s do this!
Deploying a Node app to Cloud functions will require us to create a new project. No configuration files are needed, and once GCloud functions deploy on our terminal, our functions are deployed!
If you want to try this out for yourself, here are the resources you will need:
If you’ve been following along, you can probably already picture what steps we need to do:
Put our code on GitHub
We already know how to do this
2. Enable Cloud Build
Enable the Cloud Build API for our project
Enable the Cloud Functions API for our project.
Grant Cloud Functions IAM to Cloud Build Service account by going to the IAM page, find this service account <project-id>@cloudbuild.gserviceaccount.com , edit it and give it the Project Editor role.
3. Create a Cloud Build Configuration file
Create a new file cloudbuild.yaml that looks like this:
steps:
- name: 'gcr.io/cloud-builders/npm'
args: ['install']
- name: 'gcr.io/cloud-builders/npm'
args: ['test']
- name: 'gcr.io/cloud-builders/gcloud'
args:
- beta
- functions
- deploy
- helloWorld
- -- source=.
- -- runtime=nodejs8
- -- trigger-http
Similar to the App Engine configuration, this configuration has 3 steps to install. Then test the build, and if all is good, then deploy it to Cloud Functions.
4. Run the Build manually (optional, for verification)
We can now deploy our function from our machine using Cloud Build
Run this in your terminal: gcloud builds submit — config cloudbuild.yaml .
Head over to the Cloud Builds page to see the build in action.
At the end of the build, you can test out your serverless app using the Cloud Function URL
5. Create a Build Trigger
The steps for setting this up are the same as that from the section above for App Engine and Kubernetes Engine. Go to Cloud Build Triggers page for this project, select the right GitHub repository, create a trigger called continuous deployment just for the master branch, and you’re done.
6. Run a Build automatically by pushing to GitHub
This is also the same as the section above for App Engine & Kubernetes Engine: make a change, add, commit and push to GitHub, which will kickoff a build that you can see on your Cloud Builds page. Once the build completes, you will be able to see the updated app using the Cloud Functions URL
Here is a screenshot for build being triggered through a GitHub push for our sample app:
Cloud Functions were super easy to setup with automated builds and makes the “code → build → test → push → deploy” workflow really really fast! Our third application now gets deployed to Cloud functions on every commit to master 👏👏👏
Photo by Jassim Vailoces on Unsplash
Wrapping Up
Phew! We covered a lot of ground in this post. If this was your first time trying out GCP for Node, hopefully you got to see how easy and straightforward it is to try out the various options. If you were most eager to understand how to setup continuous deployment for apps on GCP, I hope you weren’t disappointed either!
Before you go, I just wanted to make sure that you didn’t miss the fact that all the sections had a sample app: Hello World for App Engine, Hello World for Kubernetes Engine and Hello World for Cloud Functions.
That’s it for now! Let’s go ship some code! 🚢 | https://medium.com/free-code-camp/continuous-deployment-for-node-js-on-google-cloud-platform-751a035a28d5 | ['Gautam Arora'] | 2018-08-20 18:57:27.166000+00:00 | ['Nodejs', 'JavaScript', 'Continuous Integration', 'Google Cloud Platform', 'Tech'] |
Should the Nationals Trade Juan Soto? | Update 2/22/21: The Nationals broadly followed this formula, adding Kyle Schwarber and Josh Bell to bolster the middle of the lineup, both moves I like. Jon Lester was added to the rotation and Brad Hand is here to close. The team remains broadly excellent in its top half and mediocre in its bottom half.
Didn’t the Nationals win the last legit World Series? Isn’t our team still in the middle of a franchise-altering mini-dynasty that began when Stephen Strasburg first blessed our mound?
Kind-of, to number one. Maybe not, to number two.
Our stars still shine brightly, starting with young Juan Soto. He is a superstar. He is still impossibly young and, at 22, could have another gear. If he repeats this year’s performance he will squarely be regarded as the game’s second-best hitter, and — even though he will never add much in the field or on the base — the likeliest candidate to eclipse its premier batsman as he ages.
We’re talking, of course, about Mike Trout, who like Soto excelled on the field from at an incredibly young age. Soto won a championship in his second full season, but Trout — despite charting a Hall of Fame has still spent scarce time in the postseason as the Angels have struggled to field a competent team around him.
Perhaps the foremost challenge to the Angels’ front office these past few years is the gargantuan contract given to Albert Pujols, a first-ballot Hall of Famer who turned into a pumpkin as soon as he arrived in Anaheim. The overwhelming narrative is that the Angels, who have been to the postseason once in the past ten years, have wasted Mike Trout.
Juan Soto will never have that kind of legacy with the Nationals because of what they’ve already accomplished together. The specter of a championship-less career has already been vanquished.
If you look closely, though, the next few years look much more precarious than they did two years ago, when the team appeared to be rounding into a peak-level dynasty with surprising sustainability.
This starts with the front office’s decision to pay Stephen Strasburg instead of Anthony Rendon last winter. (Assuming you accept their premise that they couldn’t afford both.) Strasburg missed basically the whole season with a mysterious carpal tunnel injury, while Rendon mashed as the new third baseman for Trout’s Angels, ironically. Hindsight is 20/20, but the rule of thumb is that pitchers are riskier than hitters. The Nationals may have been sentimental about Strasburg, or dazzled by his 2019 World Series mastery, or drunk with the possibility of running out an elusive three-ace staff — and the decision may yet pay off. But there is a significant chance — not even a majority chance, just a significant one — Strasburg becomes the Nationals’ Pujols, a $35M deadweight that hampers contention every year.
The Nationals have other championship-caliber players, but each brings concerns:
Max Scherzer is 36 years old, with over 2300 innings on his arm. He was still great but no longer elite last year, and you can assume that trend line will continue. He is a free agent after next year.
is 36 years old, with over 2300 innings on his arm. He was still great but no longer elite last year, and you can assume that trend line will continue. He is a free agent after next year. Patrick Corbin ’s strikeouts took a step back, and overall was good rather than great (4.17 FIP). He gets $23M annually through 2024.
’s strikeouts took a step back, and overall was good rather than great (4.17 FIP). He gets $23M annually through 2024. Trea Turner had an incredible season last year, but it wasn’t nearly enough to drag the team to the playoffs. He hit for greater power than ever, looking like a 30/30 threat for the first time; is that real? He is in his arbitration years and is a free agent in 2023.
Even if they have question marks, these guys are — again — championship-caliber. They’re potential All-Stars year-in and year-out.
The problem is the rest of the team. The rest of the Nationals are either young players who haven’t proven they belong on a championship roster, or veterans whose best days are surely behind them. The veterans are mostly on short-term contracts and are relatively fungible, as is the entire bullpen.
After Strasburg, Scherzer, and Corbin, Erick Fedde and Joe Ross are not scaring anyone. It’s the beginning of the offseason, but RosterResource currently lists Starlin Castro as the team’s cleanup hitter. Even if Starlin is on his way to 3,000 hits, he’s not that good; his on-base percentage was .306 last year. Andrew Stevenson is listed as leading off; despite a great 2020 season, he’s probably a fourth outfielder. Jake Noll (who?) plays first base.
It’s the ex-prospects who present the biggest challenge, mainly Carter Kieboom and Victor Robles.
Kieboom has flopped every time he’s reached the majors, but he was a top-25 prospect who brought high expectations — some thought Turner should be preemptively moved to center to clear the way for him. That hasn’t been necessary, because even Kieboom’s carrying hit/power tool has not proven major-league ready. The Nats have possibly made things worse by trying him out all around the infield, and it’s anyone’s guess now whether he is a long-term second-baseman, shortstop or third-baseman.
Robles, on the other hand, can clearly cut it on a championship roster; he was there in 2019. But he did that as a speed-and-defense center fielder, a bit in the mold of Kevin Kiermaier or Jackie Bradley, Jr. What we were promised (or at least dreamed on when he was a top-5 prospect) was something more like a peak Grady Sizemore — someone who could hit in addition to running and fielding. That has never materialized, and while he is still young — at 23, some of his peers are in single-A — he was 35% worse than league average at the dish last year.
Elsewhere on the roster, Luis Garcia impressed in a 2020 debut but is probably ticketed back to AAA; he’s still just 20 years old. His permanent arrival could solve one of second/third base, but Kieboom is the more pressing issue. Their only other prospect of note close to the majors, Will Crowe, is a 26-year-old who carried an ERA over 6 in AAA in 2019.
I’ll address my provocative headline now and say no, the Nationals shouldn’t trade Juan Soto. It’s at least a year too early to consider it. But if they aren’t careful, if they wait too long to decide what they have in Kieboom, especially, or to jettison hopes that their three aces return to 2020 peak form, they could find themselves quite stuck, with $50M+ tied up in just two starting pitchers and no hitters of note beyond Soto remaining after Turner becomes a free agent in 2023.
That leaves just two years for the Nationals’ most obvious window. If Strasburg returns to something like full health, it will be open, hellish as the NL East will be. Soto will never stop hitting.
But the Nationals face headwinds. The NL East is not as hospitable as it once was. The Atlanta Braves just made it to the NLCS on the backs of superstar performances from Max Fried, Freddie Freeman, Ronald Acuna, and Ozzie Albies. The Miami Marlins rode surprisingly good starting pitching to a wild card performance. And the Philadelphia Phillies are fronted by ex-Nat Bryce Harper and Cy Young candidate Aaron Nola; they may at least may lose JT Realmuto, the best catcher in baseball, but that’s little solace to the Nationals if, as expected, he is pursued by the Mets and their new, deep-pocked owner Steve Cohen, who’s reportedly eager to flex his financial muscle by adding one or more of this offseason’s premier free agents to a team already featuring the game’s best pitcher and a ferocious lineup that could receive a boost if, as expected, the NL institutes a permanent DH.
The task, then, is ascertaining how to work this offseason. Here are a few suggestions:
Get a middle-of-the-order bat to protect Juan Soto — looking in the outfield first. George Springer is the best hitter available. However, someone else is going to pay him more to play center field — hello, Mets —whereas the Nats aren’t going to push Robles out of center. Marcell Ozuna finally hit to a level that matched his underlying Statcast numbers last year, and could be a monster addition. But I might actually prefer a more understated option: Michael Brantley is available for much less money, possibly on a two-year pact that matches the Nats’ presumed window. His profile might match Soto’s too closely — definitely a corner outfielder, and left-handed. Other outfield options may include Joc Pederson (lefty platoon masher; probably mismatched for the Nats, who don’t have an obvious righty platoon partner), Shin-Soo Choo (would hurt the outfield defense, but remains a solid bat), and Ryan Braun.
is the best hitter available. However, someone else is going to pay him more to play center field — hello, Mets —whereas the Nats aren’t going to push Robles out of center. finally hit to a level that matched his underlying Statcast numbers last year, and could be a monster addition. But I might actually prefer a more understated option: is available for much less money, possibly on a two-year pact that matches the Nats’ presumed window. His profile might match Soto’s too closely — definitely a corner outfielder, and left-handed. Other outfield options may include (lefty platoon masher; probably mismatched for the Nats, who don’t have an obvious righty platoon partner), (would hurt the outfield defense, but remains a solid bat), and Veteran upgrades on the dirt. In the infield, the Nats have two priorities. First, if they can’t land one of those premier outfield bats, they should make good-faith efforts to pull either DJ LeMahieu or Justin Turner away from the Yankees and Dodgers, respectively. Both of these players are favored to return to their previous teams, but could be plugged in at third base, taking some pressure off Kieboom, while also hitting at the top of the lineup. (LeMahieu could be better at second, but Kieboom/Castro could handle third.) Other 2B/3B types worth a look include Tommy La Stella, Cesar Hernandez, Jonathan Schoop and Brad Miller, all of whom hit well over the last two years, and bounce-back bets like Jake Lamb . If the team is worried about infield defense — and there’s a chance they should be —call Kolten Wong. Second, Jake Noll probably shouldn’t be the team’s only option at first base. Most of the infielders mentioned so far could play first, but you could also see adding Carlos Santana , a decline-phase first baseman who nonetheless figures to get on base at a high clip. CJ Cron (or, in a trade, his brother Kevin Cron ) could also work. I’m not betting on the Jurickson Profar breakout finally arriving, but he can play anywhere — though the Nats already snagged Josh Harrison as a utility player.
In the infield, the Nats have two priorities. First, if they can’t land one of those premier outfield bats, they should make good-faith efforts to pull either or away from the Yankees and Dodgers, respectively. Both of these players are favored to return to their previous teams, but could be plugged in at third base, taking some pressure off Kieboom, while also hitting at the top of the lineup. (LeMahieu could be better at second, but Kieboom/Castro could handle third.) Other 2B/3B types worth a look include and all of whom hit well over the last two years, and bounce-back bets like . If the team is worried about infield defense — and there’s a chance they should be —call Second, Jake Noll probably shouldn’t be the team’s only option at first base. Most of the infielders mentioned so far could play first, but you could also see adding , a decline-phase first baseman who nonetheless figures to get on base at a high clip. (or, in a trade, his brother ) could also work. I’m not betting on the breakout finally arriving, but he can play anywhere — though the Nats already snagged as a utility player. Add one starting pitcher with some middle-of-rotation potential… MLB Trade Rumors recently suggested Charlie Morton could go to the Mets for 1 year/$8M. The Nationals would do well to beat that; Morton could represent a two-win upgrade by pushing Fedde or Ross out of the rotation. I wouldn’t even mind giving him two years if he were interested. Garrett Richards is another. Corey Kluber , who missed 2020 after being hit by a comebacker, is a riskier play with a similar profile — he’ll most likely take a short, expensive deal, with top-of-rotation upside. Rich Hill is another older pitcher who will be available on a one-year deal who brings a recent track record of excellence, but also injury. Masahiro Tanaka probably costs too much, but if the team feels like it has money to spend over a longer period, Jake Odorizzi, Jose Quintana, and Taijuan Walker make sense as possible starters , though I wouldn’t bet my shorts on any of them delivering value over more than two years. Mike Minor and Alex Wood are lefties who could provide value if 2020 was a short-sample aberration and they return to 2019 form. Anthony DeSclafani and Rick Porcello could also be fits.
MLB Trade Rumors recently suggested could go to the Mets for 1 year/$8M. The Nationals would do well to beat that; Morton could represent a two-win upgrade by pushing Fedde or Ross out of the rotation. I wouldn’t even mind giving him two years if he were interested. is another. , who missed 2020 after being hit by a comebacker, is a riskier play with a similar profile — he’ll most likely take a short, expensive deal, with top-of-rotation upside. is another older pitcher who will be available on a one-year deal who brings a recent track record of excellence, but also injury. probably costs too much, but if the team feels like it has money to spend over a longer period, and make sense as possible starters though I wouldn’t bet my shorts on any of them delivering value over more than two years. and are lefties who could provide value if 2020 was a short-sample aberration and they return to 2019 form. and could also be fits. …and a swingman or two for depth and long relief. Let’s think about ex-starters: Drew Smyly added tons of velocity and pitched very well last year. Brad Peacock, Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill continue to be really good for like 60 innings a year. Does anyone know how to fix Tyler Chatwood? Is Collin McHugh on his way back?
The biggest problem with all this dreaming: the Nats may not have all that much to spend. At FanGraphs, Craig Edwards suggested that the Nationals will carry about a $170 million payroll in 2021, leaving the team with about $25 million to spend this offseason.
That’s not a lot; the average annual value for any of the top-tier free agents could come in above $20M. Just as a practice run, consider what the following would do for this team:
Sign Michael Brantley, 2 years/$28M
Sign Garrett Richards, 2 years/$15M
Sign Carlos Santana, 1 year/$6M
Sign Trevor Cahill, 1 year/$1M
Sign Jonathan Schoop, 2 years/$4M
That would cost $24M, and leave the team looking something like this:
Lineup
SS Trea Turner (R)
RF Juan Soto (L)
1B Carlos Santana (S)
LF Michael Brantley (L)
C Yan Gomes (R)
2B Jonathan Schoop/Starlin Castro (R)
3B Carter Kieboom (R)
CF Victor Robles (R)
SP: Strasburg, Scherzer, Corbin, Richards, Ross (Fedde, Voth)
That lineup is still not especially good; it falls off a cliff after the first 4 batters, and that’s betting on a return to form from the aging Santana. Moreover, the bullpen is still fairly bad. This is why some pundits have suggested the Nationals should refrain from bigger-ticket deals and try to plug their holes with vets on short contracts around the diamond.
You can play with this approach any number of ways. You could pencil in Justin Turner instead of Michael Brantley here. Maybe you splurge for Ozuna at something like 4 years/$72M, only $4M higher in 2021 outlay than Brantley, and pull back from Richards to someone like Chris Archer. Or maybe you go the total other direction and try to spread the money around even more, making a nominal OF move like re-signing Adam Eaton and then using that Brantley money towards another SP and RP.
Could they free up payroll to make more additions? The most obvious candidates are in the bullpen — Harris ($8M) and Hudson ($6M) are not especially good, but they probably the Nats first and third-best relievers in a thin, untested bullpen.
What about the trade market? Though the Nats don’t have that many chips to move, it might be the only way to further improve without spending more money. What if we could pry CJ Cron from the Tigers, Joey Gallo from the Rangers, Trey Mancini from the Orioles, Hunter Renfroe, Yandy Diaz, Ji-Man Choi or Nate Lowe from the Rays, Austin Slater, Brandon Belt or Wilmer Flores from the Giants, Eddie Rosario from the Twins, Josh Rojas from the Diamondbacks…
We’ll talk about that again when the Winter Meetings arrive. For now, it’s enough to say that Nats fans shouldn’t rest easy. We’re not just no longer reigning World Series champs; we’re under the gun to keep our dynasty alive. | https://medium.com/seventhirty-dc/should-the-nationals-trade-juan-soto-d7bd43ca95d | ['Hayden Higgins'] | 2021-02-23 01:30:08.606000+00:00 | ['Sports', 'Baseball', 'Washington Nationals', 'Washington DC', 'MLB'] |
Fun with Akka Actor System | Akka is a kick as technology. Today I want to share a video I made about how we can model an actor system using Akka, Scala, SBT, and IntelliJ Idea. We will model a vending machine using Akka and Scala. We will take advantage of the Scala Type system and Akka typed actors. Type Systems are great because they make programming more secure and prevent bugs and require less testing since the compiler does more for you. For this video, we also will be using SBT 1.4.0, Scala 2.13, and Akka 2.6. So I hope you guys like it. So let’s get started!
The video
The Code
Cheers,
Diego Pacheco | https://medium.com/@diego-pacheco/fun-with-akka-actor-system-3ec05c16e9c2 | ['Diego Pacheco'] | 2020-11-20 00:59:21.870000+00:00 | ['Typesystem', 'Sbt', 'Scala', 'Fp', 'Akka'] |
Generation COVID: Virus has in the changed young people’s lives | Patricia and Mathilde wanted to work abroad, while Christian had planned to take part in international music competitions. The coronavirus pandemic has forced them to change their plans. How are they coping?
Patricia was traveling when the pandemic scuppered her plans
Nineteen-year-old classical piano student Christian Gassenmeier had big plans for 2020: He wanted to take part in three international competitions in May and June, then travel to Lithuania in July to take part in a master class there — followed by two more master classes in Italy later in the year. But none of that happened; even the regular concerts planned by his college in the western German city of Detmold were all canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That’s what I missed the most,” he told DW in a video chat.
Hardly anything was “normal” for Christian this year. He used to go to the conservatory every day for intensive practice sessions, but this year he had to stay home and practice alone on his own piano.
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For Christian, hardly anything was ‘normal’ this year
“I was not very effective,” he admitted. An aspiring professional musician should practice more than four hours per day. But with all the competitions canceled, Christian found himself without any goals to work toward — and his motivation suffered. “Sometimes I was very lazy.”
He has managed to pull himself together and rekindle his motivation by discovering new pieces of music and improving his basic techniques. Now he’s dreaming of the new challenges that lie ahead.
https://www.packcity.co.jp/sites/packcity.co.jp/files/webform/fukuoka-marathon05.pdf
https://www.packcity.co.jp/sites/packcity.co.jp/files/webform/fukuoka-marathon04.pdf
https://www.packcity.co.jp/sites/packcity.co.jp/files/webform/fukuoka-marathon03.pdf
https://www.packcity.co.jp/sites/packcity.co.jp/files/webform/fukuoka-marathon02.pdf
https://www.packcity.co.jp/sites/packcity.co.jp/files/webform/fukuoka-marathon.pdf
https://www.packcity.co.jp/sites/packcity.co.jp/files/webform/ako-yos.pdf
https://www.packcity.co.jp/sites/packcity.co.jp/files/webform/ako-yos02.pdf
https://www.packcity.co.jp/sites/packcity.co.jp/files/webform/ako-yos03.pdf
https://idfg.idaho.gov/species/sites/default/files/observations/files/2020/12/fukuoka-marathon05.pdf
https://idfg.idaho.gov/species/sites/default/files/observations/files/2020/12/fukuoka-marathon04.pdf
https://idfg.idaho.gov/species/sites/default/files/observations/files/2020/12/fukuoka-marathon03.pdf
https://idfg.idaho.gov/species/sites/default/files/observations/files/2020/12/fukuoka-marathon02.pdf
https://idfg.idaho.gov/species/sites/default/files/observations/files/2020/12/fukuoka-marathon.pdf
https://idfg.idaho.gov/species/sites/default/files/observations/files/2020/12/ako-yos.pdf
https://idfg.idaho.gov/species/sites/default/files/observations/files/2020/12/ako-yos02.pdf
https://idfg.idaho.gov/species/sites/default/files/observations/files/2020/12/ako-yos03.pdf
https://www.packcity.co.jp/sites/packcity.co.jp/files/webform/jp-fukuoka-marathon-tv.pdf
https://www.packcity.co.jp/sites/packcity.co.jp/files/webform/marathon-jp-tv.pdf
https://idfg.idaho.gov/species/sites/default/files/observations/files/2020/12/jp-Fukuoka-Marathon-tv1.pdf
https://idfg.idaho.gov/species/sites/default/files/observations/files/2020/12/marathon-jp-tv1.pdf
https://idfg.idaho.gov/species/sites/default/files/observations/files/2020/12/jp-Fukuoka-Marathon-tv3.pdf
https://education.louisiana.edu/sites/music/files/webform/jp-Fukuoka-Marathon-tv2.pdf
https://education.louisiana.edu/sites/music/files/webform/marathon-jp-tv3.pdf
https://education.louisiana.edu/sites/music/files/webform/marathon-jp-tv2.pdf
https://education.louisiana.edu/sites/music/files/webform/marathon-ako-tv.pdf
https://education.louisiana.edu/sites/music/files/webform/jp-Ako-Yoshishi-tv.pdf
https://education.louisiana.edu/sites/music/files/webform/jp-Ako-Yoshishi-tv1.pdf
https://idfg.idaho.gov/species/sites/default/files/observations/files/2020/12/marathon-ako-tv.pdf
https://idfg.idaho.gov/species/sites/default/files/observations/files/2020/12/jp-Ako-Yoshishi-tv.pdf
https://idfg.idaho.gov/species/sites/default/files/observations/files/2020/12/jp-Ako-Yoshishi-tv1.pdf
https://www.packcity.co.jp/sites/packcity.co.jp/files/webform/marathon-ako-tv.pdf
https://www.packcity.co.jp/sites/packcity.co.jp/files/webform/jp-ako-yoshishi-tv1.pdf
https://www.packcity.co.jp/sites/packcity.co.jp/files/webform/jp-ako-yoshishi-tv.pdf
https://yonapev255.medium.com/now-speech-on-technologies-are-becoming-as-famous-as-written-text-technologies-5b70567f427e
Pandemic forces a rethink
Like Christian, Mathilde de Maiziere is 19 years old. After graduating from school in August 2019 she went to Peru and began what was supposed to be a yearlong volunteer program. It had always been her dream to do some aid work abroad, rather than traveling as a tourist or taking up odd jobs. “I wanted to learn the language, immerse myself in a different culture,” she said.
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Mathilde had to cut short her stay in Peru
Mathilde found a volunteer position working with young children in a primary school and kindergarten in the Peruvian capital, Lima. She organized extracurricular activities and guided the children as they explored nature in the big city, helping them to grow vegetables in the school garden. She recalled the amazement on a little boy’s face when he found out how lettuce grows: “‘What? We can eat this?’ he exclaimed. He had only ever experienced food as ‘something you buy in a market!’” she said.
But after seven months abroad, the pandemic forced Mathilde to quit her job and return to Germany. The journey was long and arduous, and when she arrived back home she was forced to adjust to a new situation. “There I was, suddenly having to make new plans. I had to figure out what to do in the changed coronavirus times,” she said.
‘Zoom acquaintances’
Back in Germany, Mathilde started a physical fitness program and took up creative activities like sewing. She also reached out to people — mainly via chat, but also in person. In retrospect, she said, she benefited from this forced break and used her time well. Being in Germany made it easy to get the paperwork done to enroll at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin. The classes are held remotely, but Mathilde said she finds them quite easy to follow.
“I have not even once been to the actual university building yet,” she said, laughing. And she finds it “odd” to meet fellow students only as names on a screen or hear their voices in Zoom conferences. “I have never seen most of their faces,” she said. But she feels she has settled into her new way of life, dominated by the pandemic, and can imagine carrying on with it in this way for a couple more years.
Final push into adulthood
Patricia Paule, 28, had finished her studies at Munich University and had several years of work experience and various internships under her belt. She told DW she had invested a lot of time and energy into building a perfect career, and had reached a point where she was running out of energy.
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Patricia decided to set up her own business
In 2020, she was planning to emigrate to Ireland “to work there for a few years,” combining a job and travel.
Before the big move she took some time out to visit relatives in Spain, and had planned to start a pilgrimage there like the one she had done in 2019 when she had hiked from Portugal to Spain.
But then Spain went into lockdown: “It all got very serious very quickly,” she remembered. Traveling back to Germany was not easy, as most flights were booked out. Back home she hit rock bottom: “All my plans had evaporated — I didn’t know what to do.”
Patricia had toyed with the idea of quitting her job and starting a career as an independent coach and consultant in innovation management. She decided to take the risk and embrace change. “The coronavirus situation gave me the final push that I needed,” she said.
Life’s ‘rush hour’
Christian, Mathilde and Paula are looking back at 2020 in a conciliatory mood. None of them feel it has been a “lost year” — “definitely not!” was the response.
While there may have been a happy end to the year for these three individuals, sociologists warn that the situation for the young generation remains fragile. “This has marked a turning point in young people’s careers. It hit them especially hard as they were just setting out,” said Michael Corsten, a sociologist at Hildesheim University who coined the German term “generation corona.”
“Young people aged 18 to 30 are setting the course of their lives: They have graduated from school, they’re deciding on a profession, finding a partner, making their own home,” said Corsten. “Some call it the ‘rush hour of life,’ because it is a time when a lot of important life decisions are made in quick succession.”
Corsten is conducting a survey of the impact COVID-19 has had on young people’s lives. He believes the pandemic has led them to question their decisions and their core values, just as when they started out in life. This, he suspects, could lead them to radically rethink the way they live their lives, and ask “how could we live differently?”
New opportunities
“The coronavirus pandemic forces us to pause and rethink,” said Heike Solga, a sociology professor at Berlin’s Free University. “Many young people now say to themselves ‘Well, that may have been my dream job, but now I can see how it doesn’t hold up in times of crisis, so maybe I should change course and choose a different profession.’”
Analyzing the job market, Solga has observed that many young people who had planned to begin vocational training this year decided to change tack and stay in school instead. “They are opting to stay in a familiar environment, rather than embark on something new at a time of insecurity,” she told DW.
“The pandemic poses a real challenge to young people,” she said. “But it could also offer new opportunities.”
This article has been translated from German. | https://medium.com/@bovhjvhlslrposhwbj/generation-covid-virus-has-in-the-changed-young-peoples-lives-7a8639bedb9b | [] | 2020-12-05 23:48:47.131000+00:00 | ['Coronavirus', 'Covid 19', 'Health', 'Life', 'Germany'] |
Hey there I need a responsive Website Similar Like This : http://bit.ly/2JcCUH4 Can you help me by making this? I need this site for some personal reason. If any one interested then try to help me… | Hey there I need a responsive Website Similar Like This : http://bit.ly/2JcCUH4
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Federated Learning — a Broader View | And how to protect the privacy of data.
Federated Learning has gained a lot of attraction for Neural Networks. Yet, how can these concepts be applied to other kinds of machine learning algorithms? And is data privacy guaranteed?
We will discuss Federated Learning for Neural Networks, tree-based algorithms, and K-means Clustering and show how data privacy for the different models can be guaranteed.
A general overview of Federated Learning
The motivation of Federated Learning is to jointly train a machine learning model while preserving the participants’ data privacy. Thus, the data remains with the participants and only the result of a local training step gets published. These results are received by a central orchestrator and are aggregated by him.
High level outline Federated Learning:
1. Initialization: The participants and the orchestrator start with the same initial model.
2. Training step: The participants execute a training step, using their local data and sending the training result to the orchestrator.
3. Aggregation step: The orchestrator receives the training results. He aggregates the individual training results into one single result. Based on that, he updates the model and broadcasts that model update to the participants.
4. Update step: The participants update their local model with the received update and continue with step 2.
What exactly the training step consists of and how the aggregation step is done depends on the machine learning algorithm. In the following, we will have a closer look at these steps for Neural Networks, two different tree-based algorithms and k-means Clustering.
We assume that the participants’ data have the same features, i.e. horizontal data partitioning. Federated Learning is also possible in case the participants have different features (vertical data partitioning) but this scenario is not covered in this article.
Privacy in Federated Learning
From a privacy perspective, the orchestrator is the most critical actor: He receives the individual training results of a participant. A malicious orchestrator can use that information to gain insights into the participant’s data.
A participant only receives the model update from the orchestrator and therefore has got less access to information with regards to training data. | https://medium.com/@HartmutKeil/federated-learning-a-broader-view-d63ac9f4646e | ['Hartmut Keil'] | 2020-08-03 17:26:29.643000+00:00 | ['Federated Learning', 'Gradient Descent', 'Gradient Boosting', 'Machine Learning', 'Neural Networks'] |
Sweden: the country where all your personal data are online — and what you can do about it | Sweden: the country where all your personal data are online — and what you can do about it
In Sweden, data such as your home address, telephone number, birthday and even your bank card references are often available to anyone through a simple Google search. The initial reaction of new residents is, usually, to panic. But don’t despair: I am here to help! Alessandra May 4·10 min read
“When I found out about it, several months after I moved here, I almost had a panic attack” — Andrea told me — “I frantically started to try to remove my info from the internet, but nothing really worked. In my panic, I thought about calling the police or something like that but then I realized that this is just the way it is here. Even if I am not comfortable at all with this”.
Andrea is an Italian who moved to Sweden a couple of years before me. Of course, when I found out about all my data being available online, I ran to him.
[Disclaimer: if you are panicking because you just Googled yourself and found out that any creep in the kingdom has access to your apartment number, scroll towards the end of this article. I finally managed to have my address removed (oddly enough, now it looks like I reside in my office…) and I do want to share how I did it with you. But also, I also have so many thoughts on this topic. So many.]
Public information (?)
When a person is a full resident of Sweden, meaning they are granted a social security number (personnummer), their data are made available to all as Public Information through the Tax Agency of Sweden (Skatteverket). Skatteverket then passes the information they have including the population register to a database for distribution.
Most Swedish people seem to be— naively, in my opinion — perfectly ok with this system. Look at this Reddit thread, in which an American user says
It’s a little unnerving to me that with a quick Google of my name you could find not only the address of my apartment, but turn-by-turn directions to my front door; e.g. “third floor, second door from the right.” It’s even more unnerving to know that this information is made public from the government by default, meaning I never opted into it.
To which, a presumably Swedish user replies
It’s not about convenience, it’s about transparency. You are missing the point if you think it’s just about finding directions to someone’s house. The address/phone number is just a small part of it. It’s about having transparency of government records. I can check how much my boss pays in taxes, I can look up what education a politician has, I can request that information about criminal cases be sent to me. This is about democracy and being accountable to the people.
Uhm.
I think most Swedes are completely missing the point. Think about it: the information that you can find on Google is provided by private companies, which make a profit out of our data that is given away for free by the State! It’s not even reasoning on the lines of “if you don’t pay for a product, you are the product”. In this case, we never opted in the first place — and they make it really, really hard to opt out.
I always say how much I love Sweden. However, I can say that my relationship with this country will probably be forever compromised after the pandemic. Well, I believe that the fact that all resident’s data is “Public information” can successfully be used as a metaphor for everything that I find problematic in this country (disclaimer: if your instinct tells you you should tell me to go back where I come from, you just proved my point).
First, people will try to gaslight you. If you don’t feel safe, you are paranoid — do you really think you are so important that someone will take spend some time checking where you live? Well, yes. 2020 was the year that, finally, I started to see the light at the end of the tunnel regarding a nasty stalking case that I hope to be able to write about soon. Trust me, the fact that my address and telephone number was up for everybody to see was a massive source of anxiety. I mean, what are we even talking about? This is not normal anywhere else in the world. But hey, this is Sweden: if something does not make you feel comfortable, the problem lies with you, surely not with our (perfect) system.
The second thing that really disturbs me is that, as mentioned earlier, our data are not even sold: they are given away for free! All the websites where you can find your address indeed do profit from it, either by advertisement or by offering services such as ‘send flowers’. Some websites even offer additional info regarding residents’ data to paying subscribers…
The third thing that I will never, ever, get over is the lack of intersectional thinking behind this system. This is not only being naive, this is being completely blind in the face of the need for a sense of security of women, and especially those with a foreign name. I mean, I did not research this but I am pretty sure women were not on the board that decided how to implement the system. Because no woman would have thought this was a good idea! Especially in a country like Sweden, where most people live alone.
A foreign friend of mine exchanged contacts with a fellow countryman she met during a trip. It happens to everyone, right? Especially in the past, when Facebook was extremely popular and exchanging friendship with random people met on a long haul was the norm. I know that I still occasionally have a peek into these people’s lives in my feed and I often have mixed feelings. Like, I am happy you had your second child, but will I ever see you again? Anyways, this friend of mine lives on the ground floor. She literally had a man showing up outside her window with a loaf of bread from their country. Of course, he asked her once what she would have liked him to bring back. But surely she did not expect to see him outside her window on a random date and time, unannounced!
Another thing worth considering: unless you have a very common Swedish name, chances are that every time someone looks you up on the internet, at least the first page of results will regard your personal data. This could potentially put you in front of ethical dilemmas. For example, I have a colleague that is researching a potentially violent fringe group — and she knows for a fact that she is on their radar. Of course, our employer proceeded to request for her address to be hidden. However, she noticed that she has a namesake living in the same town, with an age that could be compatible with her job. What would be the right thing to do? Alert her homonym, potentially leading to her feeling unsafe, knowing that she is unlikely to be able to remove her data?
In my case, I still see my old registered addresses, including my father-in-law’s. But what if another woman was living there alone?
Lastly, it should be mentioned this very weird (read: disturbing) habit of Swedish media to publish all sorts of lists of people in article form, for example, “the richest households in your county” or “the richest women in your municipality”. As a matter of fact, they make money out of this kind of articles: this data, of course, is harvest free of charge from their side, and then put behind a paywall. Honestly, how can this be ethical in a country in which the name or photos of convicted criminals is not shown in order to protect their privacy? Imagine that a Swedish newspaper had to write an article defending their choice of publishing the new name of the infamous Örebro rapist (who, by the way, chose a very common Swedish surname such as Eriksson, so it’s not like it would ring a bell to most Swedish people). In the article, it is stated that “some critics compare NA’s publication of Niklas Eliasson’s new name with the medieval pole of shame”.
Swedish media outlet Expressen offers to paying subscriber the possibility to search in a list comprehensive of all Swedish municipalities “the women who have the highest salary where you live”. Source: https://www.expressen.se/dinapengar/kvinnorna-som-har--hogst-lon-dar-du-bor/
How to remove your data (kind of)
I will now tell you what I did in order to more or less successfully hide my personal data, without having it marked as secret (sekretessmarkering) at Skatteverket level. In fact, the security department at my job has been very nice and they offered to help me apply for sekretess, mainly because of the aforementioned stalking I have been the victim of (before the pandemic, I was sitting in my office which is a public building). However, even with the tribunal documents stating that I was the victim in a stalking case, the only way to be granted a hidden address would have been for me to change my residence. Something that, in my opinion, does not make much sense and, on the contrary, penalizes the victim that is likely to be already vulnerable. I cannot say much regarding the procedure: I sent in my documents and received a call from a Skatteverket employee the day after, telling me that unfortunately, the only way to hide my address at the outpost would be to move. Therefore, while I find grotesque this rule, the system should work. If you are already considered moving, you can find most information at Skatteverket (look for sekretessmarkering).
Google yourself and, if you have one, your live-in partner.
In fact, even after I successfully hid my address from most websites, it would still appear through my boyfriend’s name. Theoretically, it should appear also through your flatmates, but of course, asking a partner to hide your address is easier than convincing your flatmates…
2. Make a list of all the websites where your data is displayed.
3. Go through all these website: there should be either an email to reach them at or a form to print in order to request for them to delete your data. You do not need to offer an explanation on why you want your data to be removed!
4. These are the websites I contacted:
Birthday.se : I sent an email to [email protected] stating that I wanted to remove my information from their public searches. Don’t forget to clearly write your full name and personal number.
: I sent an email to [email protected] stating that I wanted to remove my information from their public searches. Don’t forget to clearly write your full name and personal number. Same procedure for Ratsit.se : write an email to [email protected] — however, keep in mind that Ratsit still provides the service to paying subscribers (!).
: write an email to [email protected] — however, keep in mind that Ratsit still provides the service to paying subscribers (!). Same procedure for Eniro: you can contact them at [email protected]
OBS: some of these websites might send you back a form that you must print and send to them through regular post.
Hitta.se and Mr.Koll have an online procedure, and you have to authenticate yourself through your BankID here and here.
5. You need a little bit of patience. Google will take some time before it processes all this information: for example, it is possible that for a week or more, you still see your info in the previews of Google searches but, once you click on the link, it does not actually show your info.
6. Request Google’s GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) using this form. I am not 100% sure if this was granted to me due to my stalking case, however, feeling unsafe because your address is public should be enough of a reason for them to hide these searches. I am still appalled that this system is allowed under EU law, to be honest. I did a quick search, and it seems to me that the situation before was even worse!
7. If your telephone number is displayed as well, you need to contact your provider and be very clear that you do not want it to be displayed online. | https://medium.com/@alessandra-paiusco/sweden-the-country-where-all-your-personal-data-are-online-and-what-you-can-do-about-it-8e8cf39ed3c7 | [] | 2021-05-28 15:24:49.272000+00:00 | ['Transparency', 'Privacy Protection', 'Personal Data', 'Sweden', 'Privacy'] |
How It Felt To Kiss A Girl For The First Time | How It Felt To Kiss A Girl For The First Time Thought Catalog Follow Nov 30 · 6 min read
The first time I had a conscious crush on a girl, I was 21. We can go back in time and trace fascinations and very close temporary friendships and debate whether or not they were actually crushes, but right now that’s not what we are focusing on. This was the first time I saw a girl that I was like, “I want to kiss her in real life.”
It was the best friend of my roommate’s boyfriend. I had only seen her in pictures, so I knew who she was, and I needed to know everything about her. To put it in the dorkiest way possible, I thought she was so cool. She was finishing her senior year of college and getting ready to play basketball professionally, and she just had, like, swag? Please don’t laugh at me; there’s no other way to explain it.
I started “joking” with my roommate that when I met her, we were going to hook up. Like I had any game or experience or that she even knew who I was. This went on for the whole school year. Two weeks after graduation, my roommate and her boyfriend were visiting his family’s beach house which was near where I grew up. My roommate texted me something to the effect of “she’s coming and she wants to meet you.”
The mother of all pits formed in my stomach. SHIT. I sure was talking a big game for someone who has never romantically kissed a girl on purpose!! My roommate told me to meet them at a bar, and I got ready on autopilot. I had never been to this bar before and neither had anyone I had known, so that’s its own brand of New Place Anxiety. Then, on top of that, someone I really wanted to impress would be there. And on top of THAT, I had not yet processed my sexuality or anything in that regard. A hundred thousand things were running through my mind at once. Suddenly, I’m standing in the doorway of the bar.
This wasn’t just like any bar; the whole “shtick” of this bar was that it had a bunch of different rooms with different music in each one. Which meant it was loud and it was PACKED. Oh, and there was no service. I could not contact anyone I knew. I started shoving my way through each room, looking for a familiar face. Then I saw one. One I had only seen in pictures but I had definitely seen in my imagination. My feet walked me right up to her and I hugged her like an old friend and complimented her funky short-sleeved button-up because I liked it and also because I was trying to fill the space between us with words.
She lit up and hugged me back and thanked me for the compliment and I’m not sure what else she said because, at the same time, my roommate and her boyfriend found us. My roommate screamed “THERE YOU ARE!! I’M SO SORRY. I LOST HIM IN THE LINE FOR THE BATHROOM AND THEN I DIDN’T KNOW WHERE I WAS.” Drinks were suggested and I obviously obliged.
We were shoving our way to the bar, and she kept checking to see if I was keeping up. I thought about reaching out and grabbing her hand but I didn’t. I felt like people were looking at our foursome and making a very obvious observation about our double date/set up. I didn’t know how I felt about it. I wanted people to know, but I didn’t want them to make assumptions about me that I didn’t even know about myself. Desperately searching for some space for us all to talk, I scanned the room. I made eye contact with another familiar face. A high school acquaintance. His head stuck out over the crowd and he raised his hand to wave at me. I didn’t want to go over to talk to him, but I felt obligated. I left my little group, said hi, he invited me to his place after the bar, I said “I’ll see,” and I went back to meet up with everyone again.
Seeing him, seeing someone I knew, threw me through a loop. I felt like being somewhere that I didn’t know anyone would give me some freedom to explore, if you will, but he took that away. He was right over my shoulder, looming. My past with him. If he saw me kiss her, he would be just as confused about me as I am, and I just didn’t have the answer for him or anyone else. I kept my back turned so what I was doing was concealed, and he was fully out of sight and, hopefully, out of mind. My phone buzzed.
“You should really come over tn.”
There was no shot in hell that I was going to hang out with him. But for some reason, I answered, “Maybe! I gotta see what my friends are doing.” I had been doing that for years; doing everything I could to make sure guys still liked me. But for what? I was outside of my body watching myself fall into the same miserable pattern that I had been in for years. Behind me was a past of placating men to maintain a patriarchal status of “attractive,” and quite literally standing in front of me was a part of my life where none of that mattered and I lived as myself.
I checked back into reality upon the brink of an emotional and mental breakthrough and shoved my phone in my pocket with the full intention of ignoring it for the rest of the night. I saw her whisper to my roommate’s boyfriend, and he replied “just do this” and kissed my roommate. Wait, was she nervous too? I hoped it was a normal kind of nervous and not like a “this girl doesn’t know who she is, what if she freaks out?” kind of nervous. I mustered up what little courage I had to show my interest, but I was learning how to talk to girls in real-time. So I acted exactly the same but threw a couple of Bambi Eye Looks in there.
After we got tired of screaming over the 7 different sound systems blasting at full volume, we went back to my roommate’s boyfriend’s house to unwind. We got some snacks from Wawa on the way home, and we giggled and whispered while his parents slept until it was time for me to go home.
“Can I walk you to your car?” she asked. I either replied “of course” or “sure but I mean it’s right outside so I think I could make it,” and I really hope it was the first one. I nervously looked around and kicked the dirt, and she inched closer and closer. I looked up to say goodbye and then we were kissing. I felt butterflies, but they weren’t like the ones I felt before. It was less of a am-i-excited-or-uncomfortable churning and more of a lifting-off-the-ground-and-the-world-melting-away bubbliness. This feeling was new and fun and exciting and one I wanted to feel a million more times.
A hole busted through the Wall Of Internalized Homophobia in my brain. This rendezvous ended up being a revolution. This moment, a movement. This weekend fling, an awakening. I was alive for the first time while I was killing off a part of me that was no longer serving me. It still needed a lot of work, but I was ready to keep chipping away as I saw the light peering through the cracks.
I guess we could make the light a rainbow, but I think we’ve all had enough of the metaphors. | https://medium.com/an-injustice/how-it-felt-to-kiss-a-girl-for-the-first-time-995ebdffa004 | ['Thought Catalog'] | 2020-12-08 23:36:18.762000+00:00 | ['LGBTQ', 'Love', 'Romance', 'Sexuality', 'Queer'] |
[BLOG] TEMCO’s journey in 2018! | Dear TEMCO community,
Today, we would love to share the journey in all around the world of TEMCO last year.
The first stop of NEW YORK and it was the Consensus 2018!
New York Consensus 2018
TEMCO x RSK the first meeting @ New York Consensus!
Consensus 2018 was held for the fourth time by the CoinDesk, the most influential crypto currency media, and received more attention than ever before.
It was one of the largest conferences held in 2018.
From New York Consensus, TEMCO team met with RSK, ICON and more, most importantly, TEMCO team met RSK for the first time!
Also, it was a place where our TEMCO New York based members could participate together with members from Korea.
It seemed that most of the influential projects, investors and blockchain related companies have gathered together, shared business insight.
Next up is the conference from Korea which was also one of the biggest in 2018!
Korean Blockchain Week (Beyond Blocks)
Korean Blockchain Week hosted by Beyond Blocks
Block Chain Week is a global blockchain conference usually held in the financial hub cities of New York, Bangkok, Tokyo and more. And this time, Korea hosted the Block Chain Week where blockchainers were able to share business insights with experts!
It was a such big conference about the size of the New York Consensus. TEMCO team also participated in the overall event and met the TLDR team for the first time! During the week, there were so many blockchain related events, parties and so on!
It was a place where TEMCO team could see the influence of Korea’s blockchain market, and TEMCO’s popularity started grow.
And at the event, TLDR team had more than 30 meetings with different projects, but decided to work with TEMCO since TEMCO’s solution was the most impressive and with this opportunity, TEMCO has started to work with the most influential and passionate advisory group in the blockchain industry!
Now, let’s see what happened in India!
International Blockchain Conference in India
IBC (International Blockchain Conference)
As a major conference held in India,the center of tech, TEMCO team headed for Hyderabad in India.
There are so many tech related projects and the Indian blockchain fever was hotter than the hot weather in India.
Big investment institution of Russia, Crypto Bazar was also collaborated with TEMCO and as well as many interesting companies had interacted with TEMCO. And the blockchain conference in India was enough to feel the heat of India’s blockchain and sought to collaborate with successful projects such as Nucleus Vision!
Now, let’s check what happened at Marina Bay in Singapore!
Singapore consensus
TEMCO x TLDR meeting
TEMCO has also been to the Singapore consensus, the second consensus conference of 2018, by CoinDesk. the most influential crypto channel in the blockchain space! TEMCO has been able to hear industry advice from various companies by individual meetings.
First, TEMCO had a meeting with QCP Capital, a Singapore-based investment company, to advise on industry-wide issues. Secondly, TEMCO was able to get so much advice on the business from innovated supply chain protocol company, VeChain, which already has a similar business like TEMCO.
Finally, TEMCO also had a meeting with a global investment and advisory firm who has partnered with TEMCO, the TLDR.
Also, TEMCO created a GSLA (Global Supply and Logistics Alliance) and welcomed the Logistics X, the Singaporean blockchain based logistic project into the first alliance member and working toward solving the localization problem for supply chain space.
The next stop is Bangkok.
Bangkok Beyond Blocks
GSLA’s (Global Supply Chain and Logistics Alliance) first private party in Bangkok
As you all know, TEMCO’s parner D’Cent demonstrated their first RRC-20 supportive cold wallet with TEMCO at Beyond Blocks in Bangkok, Thailand.
TEMCO was official sponsor of Beyond Blocks in Bangkok, held private parties with TLDR and GSLA members and met influential blockchainers throughout.
Especially, the GSLA private party was very successful, Home Platform company from Thailand joined the GSLA as the fifth member.
The next time is Las Vegas!
Las Vegas Block show
The Block Show in Las Vegas
The Block Show Las Vegas exchanged the latest updates on the impact of the blockchain on key industries and the latest technical and legal aspects.
TEMCO participated the Block Show with Blockchain I who has been working with TEMCO from the beginning of the project and discussed the direction of the project with global advisors like Jaron Lukasiewicz, TLDR, and more.
TEMCO received a lot of attention and hospitality from industry in U.S.A. and people around the world who attended the Block Show.
Now, let’s go to Dubai!
World Blockchain Summit in Dubai
World Blockchain Summit in Dubai, TEMCO sponsored.
Dubai is just around the corner from the beginning of blockchain era, so TEMCO team visited to spread the technology. Dubai has announced that they will build a blockchain based government by 2020.
TEMCO team joined the conference as an official sponsor and felt the TEMCO’s reputation was gone higher since the beginning of the project.
Finally, let’s go to Chile where TEMCO team spent 30 hours on flight!
Chile Labitconf
LaBitConf, hosted by RSK. TEMCO joined as an official sponsor.
LaBitConf is the TOP conference when you look at the scale of the world’s best blockchain conferences. TEMCO participated with RSK and D’Cent as a official sponsor of LaBitConf, and everyone from Latin America was interested in TEMCO’s technology.
TEMCO team showcased about the supply chain blockchain solution to each and every single person who stopped by the booth.
Moreover, TEMCO had met with such influential blockchain companies like KoiBanx, BitMain, Slush Pool, and more and discussed for future collaborations.
The heat of the conference was as hot as the passion of South Americans! | https://medium.com/temcolabs/temcos-journey-in-2018-514b688db500 | [] | 2019-06-14 06:30:11.856000+00:00 | ['Bitcoin', 'Blockchain', 'Temco', 'Blog', 'Conference'] |
You’re Coding Wrong | Ok, maybe that’s a little harsh, but it’s ok, I’m here to help. The technique I am going to discuss was influenced by Test Driven Development (TDD), but it can help you no matter what ideology you follow (even if that ideology happens to be “code fast, fix later”).
I will be using Python for my examples, due to its readability and widespread use, so feel free to click away now if this choice of language offends you.
Ok, so imagine you want to write a simple encryptor and decryptor. If you were following TDD, you would start by writing a whole suite of tests. They would initially fail, but would increasingly pass as you continued to add functionality. Although there are many benefits to this approach, including clear acceptance criteria, let’s assume for now that we aren’t going to go down the TDD road. In fact, it’s the step after the creation of tests that I’m more interested in.
So what comes next? Where do you start? Well, like with any coding project, the first step is to think about the problem. For the sake of simplicity, let’s assume you aren’t too concerned with perfect security, and doing a couple simple manipulations of the input will suffice. Soon you might form a plan for a simple encryption function that looks something like this:
Read the input String Reverse the order of the input String Insert random alphabetical characters in between every other letter in the reversed String Return the encrypted String (I told you it wouldn’t be that advanced)
Many programmers will have already started typing away at this point (perhaps even before reading the full list). When they finish, they may have code that looks something like this:
If they were to build a matching decryptor using this method, it might look something like this:
For a small, simple problem like this one, this code might even be fine. Since the variable and function names are descriptive, the code is still readable. However, the real problem is that these samples reflect the wrong way of THINKING about the code. Let’s try it again.
This time, we’ll start writing our code as if we already have a function written to perform every non-trivial task that comes up, even if the function doesn’t exist yet. It helps to use descriptive function names during this step in order to maximize readability. Next, we’ll simply create the functions to match the names we called in the parent function. Finally, we’ll fill out each new function we created by following the previous steps. If we follow this method, we end up with code that looks more like this:
The descriptive names make it clear that we are taking in the input, reversing it, interspersing extra characters into the reversed input, and then returning the result. Plus, it’s easier to stay on track without getting bogged down in the details of implementation, and now we have an action plan for what functions we need to add next. Let’s start with the reverseWord() function:
Notice, we call upon Python’s existing reversed() function, but we could just as easily have written our own function to fill this need. Next, let’s implement the intersperse() function:
As you can see, we named another function that doesn’t exist yet. Finally, let’s write the getRandomLetter() function:
Perhaps the logic here was too short to justify its own function, but it still illustrates my point. That is, if you keep following this method, chasing each branch of nested functions out to their leaves, you will eventually end up with a function for everything you need, whether you wrote the function yourself, or used existing library functions. Using this method results in very clean, modular, and readable code. In addition, it keeps your code DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself), since you can always reuse the functions you already wrote whenever you need them again! For example, if you were to write a decryptor function, it might use some similar functions:
Rather than writing a new reverseWord() function, we could simply migrate any common functions to somewhere else in the code, where they can be imported and used as needed. For the sake of this example, I created a CommonFunctions class, but in practice you may want to use another solution that better fits your situation.
Here is the final code I came up with when using this technique:
I hope this technique helps you write better code, and please let me know what you think!
If you are interested in more computer science content, check out my YouTube channel! https://youtube.com/channel/UC3QAtE9qAys9385wFzs8hNA
I also offer private lessons over Zoom and Skype! Feel free to contact me at [email protected] or visit my website at http://devonhubertcoding.weebly.com | https://devonhubertcoding.medium.com/youre-coding-wrong-32ba1181059d | ['Devon Hubert - Coding Simplified'] | 2020-12-16 00:16:13.339000+00:00 | ['Python Programming', 'Test Driven Development', 'Clean Code', 'Modular Code', 'Good Coding Practice'] |
The Writing’s on the Wall — Crypto is Here | Recent announcements by PayPal and Asian bank DBS signals that the institutional players are making big forays into crypto. But there is still a big caveat about the PayPal offering.
American rock band Ok Go masters the optical illusions
My stylist, Cinta, was sitting next to me at the front of the conference. She couldn’t resist the endless foo foo re-touching of my hair. She was just nervous as she is the next scheduled speaker — the owner of San Francisco’s renowned Cinta Salon.
It’s April 2000 and the Viral Marketing Conference is a SF Bay Area who’s who of movers and shakers in the dotcom space. Besides Cinta, other notable speakers included Steve Jurvetson of VC firm, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and Craig Newmark of Craigslist. Even Apple’s ex-CEO couldn’t make the cut. All the star-powered people want to speak at my conference, said Jennifer Kaplan, the VP of Biz Dev at Gazooba, as she shuffled his index card into the trash pile.
My then girlfriend and future ex-wife picks up a card from the maybe pile and looks at it. She asks, “Peter Thiel, CEO of PayPal. Have you heard of PayPal? What do you think, you fat fuck?” You’ll have to pardon Jennifer’s French after she watches an episode of The Sopranos.
Peter, as it turns out, had the most interesting presentation. He challenged the very notion of money and its means of transmission and creation. After the conference, we had a reception at Circadia. Peter had an even bigger vision of what money could be. A form that is easier to store and to transfer.
A form of money that did not entail the government, or fiat. In other words, there is no reason why money has to be tied or issued by a government. The governments are not the value producers. Quite the contrary, in fact. Peter confessed it was too much to disclose in public.
He explained that [most] people can’t handle that [money]. You can get hauled into the asylum. Or you’ll be exposed to laughter, humiliation, and ridicule by friends and colleagues. Guess who is the billionaire now.
I asked Peter if this money could be considered gold 2.0?
Peter said, yes, but even better. I had to let that one sink in for a minute, maybe 20. I was quiet the rest of the evening.
Nine years later Bitcoin is born in 2009. And ten years after that, a big step for cryptos as PayPal announces that it will accept crypto for all online payments.
Peter is no longer with PayPal, but the company along with Venmo, its payment service, PayPal is effectively the 30th largest US bank. This signifies that the big players are starting to enter into the crypto business and will certainly accelerate crypto adoption and usage.
PayPal was originally part of the Facebook-proposed Libra consortium, along with other institutions like Visa, Mastercard, and eBay, but pulled out a year ago, as the plan was not going to get off the ground. Sounds like PayPal snookered the grandiose-minded Libra as I had predicted that even its watered-down 2.0 version was not going to get off the ground.
The PayPal offering has its own issues. Cryptos in the PayPal platform cannot be transferred out. A “fine” print matter that for some reason few are calling foul!
“You currently are NOT able to send Crypto Assets to family or friends, use Crypto Assets to pay for goods or services, or withdraw Crypto Assets from your Cryptocurrencies Hub to an external cryptocurrency wallet. If you want to withdraw the value from your Cryptocurrencies Hub you will need to sell your Crypto Assets and withdraw the cash proceeds from their sale.”
Then do you really own the crypto? Yes, you do but with obviously some severe restrictions. One can buy cryptos and use it for payment within PayPal, but you can’t withdraw or transfer it to an external wallet.
It leads to many questions under the hood on why PayPal would impose such restrictions. Is it going to really acquire the cryptos for the users, or is this some sort of fractional reserve? Can the internal wallets be transparent or audited by the crypto asset holders? Not that we don’t trust PayPal, but we would still like to verify.
Or is this restriction a holdover from the crypto license granted by the State of New York and is thus a regulatory issue? Is PayPal planning on lifting this restriction later in a 2.0? Or is this PayPal’s scheme to monopolize payments? And if so, wouldn’t it make more sense to issue its own stablecoin for that matter as the volatility of bitcoin is still not ideal. Which means it goes back to the PayPal edition of the Libra. What a web we weave.
Summary
Asian bank DBS also announced that it would enter into the crypto exchange business and use its existing banking infrastructure to provide custodial services. There was also an announcement of a new central bank digital currency (CBDC) similar to a Euro for SE Asia. It would be digital of course.
There is a lot of crypto activity going on in terms of regulatory, institutions, startups, DeFi pools, etc. One thing that is safe is to say is that cryptos are progressing ahead, and we are barely out its infancy. With the big players starting to make their moves be on the lookout for future announcements and developments.
And thanks for David Watson of Future Travel in HCMC for pointing out the PayPal restriction to me. I thought I had misheard.
References
OK Go — The Writing’s On the Wall — Official Video | https://medium.com/the-capital/the-writings-on-the-wall-crypto-is-here-9de790dcc82f | ['Edward Wong'] | 2020-11-02 05:31:49.720000+00:00 | ['Bitcoin', 'Ethereum', 'Blockchain', 'Cryptocurrency', 'Finance'] |
How to Manage According to an Aspiring Manager | Photo by Mimi Thian on Unsplash
Talk less. Listen more.
If I had to describe the best managers I’ve ever worked for, I could sum them up in two words — great listeners. Perhaps the most important quality of a manager is their ability to listen. Let’s face it. With distractions abound these days, human beings have incredibly short attention spans. Most people listen while staring at their smartphone, or watching TV or being distracted by something else.
The best managers I’ve had left their phones at their desk while we walked to the conference room. They turned Slack notifications off for the entirety of our meeting. They faithfully kept our 1:1 time during the busiest of weeks. Simply put, eliminating distractions makes it easier to listen.
1:1 meetings between a manager and direct reports are vital to the success and growth of a team. Private meetings with a manager can be stressful and make a direct report feel vulnerable, but if a manager does less talking and more listening, this can foster an environment of acceptance and understanding.
A team member should leave a 1:1 feeling like they’ve been heard. A simple “I hear you” or “I’m listening” is a great way to let people know you’re there for them regardless of the issue. I’ve done this exact same thing when having crucial conversations with co-workers. People don’t need problem solvers. They need another human to listen to them. | https://medium.com/swlh/how-to-manage-according-to-an-aspiring-manager-a6e296629fbc | ['David Weiss'] | 2020-07-27 23:59:38.302000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Management', 'Diversity And Inclusion', 'Engineering', 'Leadership'] |
Barn Find 1969 Road Runner Could Be Your Next Project Car | For many reasons people really get excited about barn find cars. It’s like finding pirate treasure buried on the beach, only it’s a car someone lovingly shoved into a barn or other structure for years on end without properly covering it. Sometimes they do absolutely nothing to preserve the car in any meaningful way and that can cause all kinds of problems. Then other people shell out big bucks for the opportunity to own the low-mileage, rough-condition vehicle. That brings us to this 1969 Plymouth Road Runner being sold on Motorious.
Check out a Road Runner with a Hellcat heart here.
photo credit: Speed Digital
As you can see from the photos, this classic Mopar muscle car hasn’t been touched up in the least, so it’s still in barn find condition. For many that adds value, although others will automatically want to wash it, do paint correction, detail the interior, etc. The beautiful thing is if you buy it, the car is yours to do with as you please.
photo credit: Speed Digital
This Road Runner is still wearing the factory-applied Bronze Fire Metallic paint and the vinyl roof. It rolls on 15-inch factory wheels but isn’t currently running. That’s right, the 426ci Hemi V8 under the hood needs some work, but it and the 3-speed automatic seem to be the original installed by Plymouth.
photo credit: Speed Digital
Even better, the interior is far cleaner and doesn’t show its age nearly as much. Plus, it’s loaded with the OE controls for a presentation that’s sadly becoming harder and harder to find these days.
Everyone will have an opinion about this classic muscle car, its condition, and the asking price. And while people can make up their mind, what really matters is what someone who has the ability to buy it thinks. We suspect someone will see a diamond in the rough, an original beauty that tells a story worth keeping around. Check out the listing on Motorious for yourself here.
View the Web Story
Barn Find 1969 Road Runner, Your Next Project Car? | https://medium.com/motorious/barn-find-1969-road-runner-could-be-your-next-project-car-9bd9a80eae71 | ['Sam Maven'] | 2021-04-25 17:00:04.275000+00:00 | ['American', 'Muscle', 'Newsletter', '60s', 'Handpicked'] |
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