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The Manafort Trial | Cartoon impressions
The country is glued to the proceedings of the trial of Paul Manafort this week and next. Who’s coming and going, who’s testifying, what Manafort spent his money on (and why?!), how Trump is trying to divert our attention, and more.
I will continue to draw (on my phone) as things happen! | https://lizadonnelly.medium.com/the-manafort-trial-aa36e4e66b4d | ['Liza Donnelly'] | 2018-08-05 15:02:29.808000+00:00 | ['Corruption', 'Trump', 'Russia', 'Politics'] |
Earning and Claiming ANC as a LUNA Staker on Anchor Protocol | Earning and Claiming ANC as a LUNA Staker on Anchor Protocol Clayton Menzel Follow Mar 18 · 4 min read
Anchor Protocol is an exciting new savings platform built on Terra that offers low-volatile and high-yield returns on Terra stablecoins deposits. On March 17th, Anchor Protocol went live and ANC was airdropped to LUNA stakers.
Based on the current distribution model, LUNA stakers will continue to earn ANC overtime for the next 2 years, and have the opportunity to earn additional ANC by participating in ANC LP staking pools on the Anchor Protocol platform. Learn more by reading below.
What is Anchor Protocol?
Built by Terraform Labs (the company behind Terra), Anchor Protocol is a savings, lending, and borrowing platform that offers high returns to lenders, while allowing borrowers to borrow stablecoins by using staked assets as collateral. By using staked assets as collateral (bAssets), Anchor Protocol is able to use staking rewards to power returns for lenders.
Anchor Protocol Users Can:
Earn UST, a Terra stablecoin pegged to the US dollar, by depositing UST into the lending pool.
Mint bLUNA by bonding unstaked LUNA. You can then burn your bLUNA to reclaim your LUNA.
Borrow UST using bLUNA as collateral.
Stake ANC to participate in governance and earn ANC rewards.
Provide liquidity to ANC and UST trading pair and earn ANC rewards and trading fees.
ANC Token
ANC is the governance token on Anchor Protocol and must be staked to vote on polls and is required as a deposit for making new governance proposals.
At genesis, 50 million ANC were airdropped to LUNA stakers. To qualify for the airdrop, you must have been staking LUNA on Terra at block 2179600 which is when the snapshot was taken. LUNA token holders who continue to stake will continue to earn ANC for the next 2 years.
Additional ANC can be earned by:
Continuing staking LUNA.
Borrowing UST using bLUNA as collateral.
Providing liquidity to the ANC and UST trading pair.
Users staking LUNA, ANC or providing liquidity in the ANC and UST trading pair will receive a portion of rewards for their pool equivalent to their proportional share of assets for that pool.
A further overview of Anchor can be found here.
Claiming ANC as a LUNA Staker
Using Chrome or Brave browser, head to https://app.anchorprotocol.com/.
Click the connect wallet button at the top right of the screen, and if you don’t already have it, follow the prompt to download the Terra Station extension.
You can use the Terra extension to connect to your Ledger device (recommended) or to your software wallet. Once successful, you should see your address at the top right corner of the screen.
You will see an option to claim your ANC tokens (if you are eligible). It is important to note that you must have been staking LUNA on March 15th at 02:02 UTC when the snapshot was taken.
You will need UST to pay for transaction fees when claiming ANC. You can acquire UST on Terraswap.
New LUNA holders can check out our LUNA Staking Guide for more information on staking LUNA on Terra.
3 Tokens 1 Delegation
With the launch of Anchor Protocol, LUNA stakers can now earn LUNA, ANC, and MIR by simply staking their LUNA. For more information on MIR and Mirror Protocol head here.
With Figment, you can: | https://medium.com/figment/earning-and-claiming-anc-as-a-luna-staker-on-anchor-protocol-d8ac3ae79a80 | ['Clayton Menzel'] | 2021-03-18 23:42:25.968000+00:00 | ['Stable Coin', 'Anchor Protocol', 'Defi', 'Proof Of Stake', 'Terra'] |
How to Protect Your Baby’s Skin With Natural Cleaners | Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels
Is Your Baby Stain Remover Toxic?
This story begins with poop. Baby poop. Kaka. Don’t all great stories have an element of s%&t in them? Well, this is not some type of metaphor…
We’re talking about real poopy messes.
Once upon a time, I was on my millionth load of laundry. I was PUMPED to get all of the poop stains OUT. I sprayed on generous amounts of a baby stain remover and pressed Start. Then I continued multi-tasking — as I’m sure you do, too.
BUZZZZZ — Done! Well, this load had quite a few poopy explosions, and as I took it out of the machine I fell backward. I couldn’t breathe. I was overwhelmed. Did the poop stay in, you ask? Did the machine fail to do its job? Nope — it was actually something much worse.
Where was the smell coming from? I was confused. We’ve always used the most organic laundry detergent. Normally there’s a light lavender smell on the clothes or no scent at all. I thought I’d done my research.
What was the problem?
I realized I didn’t do my research before buying this new baby stain remover — it was definitely NOT non-toxic.
The stench of the baby stain remover was overpowering. This chemical, perfumed odor now clung to my baby’s clothes and hung in the air.
Honestly, it was the same brand I had used years before. But I don’t remember it smelling THAT strong…
How Bad Are Regular Baby Stain Removers Really?
I made a decision.
I threw the onesies away, hurting my Goodwill-donating heart. But I couldn’t donate them and risk exposing anyone else’s baby’s skin to these chemicals.
Curious, I decided to check out the ingredients on the stain remover. Hmm…No ingredients listed. Strange. And then I started to worry more…
The Hunt Was On…
I jumped on the company’s website. The colorful products were shown right away with nice, pretty pictures.
Where were the ingredients listed? I searched and searched.
Finally down at the very bottom of the website next to the privacy policy and the site terms and conditions in very small print was written “Our Ingredients.” Oh, there they were. NOT easy to find.
I clicked on them and my stomach turned.
The Dirty Truth
Chemicals. Ingredients I couldn’t pronounce. Fragrances. Preservatives. Enzymes. Some were listed as Respiratory Sensitizers. One ingredient showed that it was “On a Designated List.” That can’t be good…That list was labeled as “US NTP Reproductive or Developmental Toxicants.”¹
There were also two fragrances that were “On a Designated List.” One ingredient was listed as CA Non-Cancer Hazards.¹ A table showed me that substance targeted the respiratory system, skin, and eyes.²
I kept sinking deeper into my chair and deeper into a scary list of ingredients. I knew I had to do more than toss out the onesies. I immediately got the stain remover spray OUT of our apartment.
For everyone who just ran to go read the ingredients on all of your products: I understand — I did, too. Recently, a friend of mine also recommended I watch the documentary Stink on Netflix. Definitely worth a watch.
With all of this new info, what to do next? Well, I couldn’t keep throwing away baby clothes. So I decided to make my own DIY non-toxic baby stain remover, which is what I should’ve done in the first place.
And YOU CAN, TOO! | https://medium.com/@vanessaleighagency/how-to-protect-your-babys-skin-with-natural-cleaners-7a29225e8841 | ['Vanessa Leigh'] | 2021-01-22 16:59:21.242000+00:00 | ['Nontoxic', 'Stain Removal', 'Laundry', 'Baby Products', 'Organic'] |
Newest 20 free Figma templates to kickstart your next project | Today we are going to review the following freebies
Ant UX Wireframes — a wireframing kit to kickstart the UX process
Avatar Illustration System — make your own avatar with this illustration system
Brainstorming Design System & Brainstorming Table Design System — two systems to kickstart any project
Bright Kit — a kit to rapidly design the landing pages
Browk UI Kit — a design system that keeps updating every week
Clarity Icons — a large library of all-purpose icons
Coolicons — a set of icons for any project
Creatures — play around and build monsters
Ex-Out Illustrations & Graphics — a set of 100+ well-crafted illustrations
Instagram Mockup 2020–14 fresh Instagram templates
Investor Pitch Presentation Template — a collection of templates to impress the potential investors
iOS Keyboards & iOS Browser Kit — templates for designing the iOS apps
Lucent UI Design System — a clean and minimal design system
Redlines — UI / UX Annotating Kit
Remote Design Sprinting — template to organize design sprints
Simple Deck Template — a set of templates for presentation purposes
Slide Toolkit — a set of slides for a presentation
Smart Animate — tutorial to master the Smart Animate feature in Figma
U.S. Web Design System UI Kit — design for desktop, tablet & mobile screens
Wireframing Kit — a large kit for wireframing
So, as usual, we remind you that the most delicious part is at the end of the article. You don’t want to miss it!
Figma React UI kit
Including Figma design sources + React components based on enhanced and restyled BlueprintJS library this system saves «a penny», because you skipping a pixel routine and get ready to use components & templates (soon!) kit on hands to build apps faster.
Instagram Mockup 2020
20/20
If you are creating relevant Instagram designs for iOS in 2020, then this fresh Instagram Mockup is something you should try.
Besides Colors and GUI, the Mockup includes 14 templates (Feed Screen, Gallery Page, Stories, Shop, Profile, etc.)
Redlines
19 / 20
Aspect Ratios, Dimensions, Guides, Labels, Markers, Outline, Spacing — all of it you will find in Redlines — the UI/UX Annotating Kit to add to your designs. Redlines are very flexible and very easy to adjust.
Coolicons
18 / 20
Coolicons is an excellent library of high-quality icons that will suit your new projects.
It contains 314 icons (Arrows, Attention, Basic, Brand, Misc, Notification, Menu, Chart, Device, Calendar, User, File, System, Media) + a small collection of components and color styles.
Ant UX wireframes
17 / 20
Every project begins with the wireframes. You can’t create an awesome interface without a well-thought-out UX. So why not use this wonderful Kit and do things quickly, showing what should be where?
Ant UX Wireframes is a simple yet very useful set of wireframes that will help you rapidly build low-fidelity templates. You can check all the details here: https://ux.ant.design
User Flows, Product architectures, Logic diagrams — you will find all of these in this Kit.
Investor Pitch Presentation Template
16 / 20
If you are looking for investors to fund your startup or any kind of a project then this template is for you! Investor Pitch Presentation Template includes 20 slides with solid design and nice visuals.
Slide Toolkit
15 / 20
Slide Toolkit is another presentation template worth-mentioning. It’s a set of basic components and templates backed up with a 6-row & 12-column grid to prepare solid presentations. It has such components as: text, textboxes, titles, arrows, sticky notes, highlights, etc. Also it contains 15 sample templates.
Lucent UI Design System
14 / 20
This clean and minimal design system includes a nice library of components like: Buttons, Chips, Forms, Menus, Modals, Sliders, Status Bars, Calendar, etc.
It’s backed up with a beautiful color palette and 276 icons.
Both light and dark themes are available.
Simple Deck Template
13 / 20
Take your presentations to the next level.
Simple Deck Template is a great set of decks that will be helpful when you present your designs or project milestones.
It includes Title Slides, Agenda Slides, Section Slides, Data Slides, Mobile UI showcase slides, etc.
The templates are done in a simple format and they are very easy to use. The author promised to add more templates in the future.
Ex-Out Illustrations & Graphics
12 / 20
With Ex-Out Illustrations and Graphics there is no need to use stock illustration websites.
Art & Imagery, Objects, People & Emotions, Education, Technology & Social — these are the categories where you will find more than 100 great illustrations that can be used in your next Figma project.
Avatar Illustration System
11 / 20
With this Illustration System, you can create your unique avatar. It has all the necessary components for it: Base, Ears, Ear Ring, Haircuts, Mouth, Eyes, Eyebrows, Nose, Glasses, Beard, etc.
Also, there are some samples from where you can get the inspiration. Start swapping around and enjoy the process of creating your avatar!
Smart Animate
10 / 20
Smart Animate allows you to animate similar frames, providing smooth animation, exactly the kind you wanted to make yourself.
You can consider Figma frames as keyframes in the animation instead of artboards, so when you create states A and B (keyframes), Figma creates in-between frames for smooth animation. Duplicate the file to see how to prototype with Smart Animate or watch the tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Id4INKEwb8
Wireframe Kit
9 / 20
Another Kit to create wireframes in our list today — Wireframe Kit.
Complete with Alerts, Buttons, Cards, Chips, Dialogs, Tables, Tooltips and other components and UI controls. Page templates are also included.
Creatures
8 / 20
This kit is great for designing websites or apps for kids. Or you can use them to make your presentations more creative and funny. Also the Creatures can be useful if you want to represent them as viruses in the apps or website designs (yes, yet another reference to COVID-19).
The template has a very beautiful color palette — Gradients, Pastels, Solid & Neutral colors and a nice quantity of components to swap around. Mix and match your creatures and go wild with creativity!
U.S. Web Design System
7 / 20
This interesting design system will help you when you are at the very beginning of the design journey.
What can we single out here: a beautiful color palette and elegant Public Sans font that harmoniously complement each other.
Components: Accordions, Alerts, Buttons, Forms & Inputs, Search, Table, Sidenav, Tags, Banners, Headers, Footers. With this Kit you can design for desktop, tablet & mobile screens.
iOS Keyboards and iOS Browser UI Kit
6 / 20
iOS Keyboards and iOS Browser UI Kit are two separate templates that we combined together because they serve the same purpose — to create interfaces for iOS.
iOS Keyboards is a great set of keyboards for iOS projects.
In this kit you will find high quality components for iPhone SE, 8, 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPad Mini to iPad Pro. And they are designed for portrait and landscape orientations. Also a new numeric keyboard for iPhones was added.
iOS Browser UI Kit represents a simple collection of status bars and toolbars for iPhone 8 and iPhone X for that you can use when designing for Safari and Google Chrome.
Both systems have light and dark modes.
Remote Design Sprinting
5 / 20
This great tool is very powerful when it comes to make a remote design sprint, and it’s especially relevant during the COVID-19 crisis.
Remote Design Sprinting has a lot of great stuff: team exercises, sticky notes, flowcharts, slides to help you create your own assignments. All of these were inspired by the Remote Design framework.
Clarity Icons
4 / 20
We already talked about Clarity Design System UI Kit in our previous blog post. Today we want to cover the Icons. And here they are: almost 900 well-crafted solid and outlined icons at your disposal.
Charts, Commerce, Core, Essential, Media, Social, Technology, Text Editing, Travel! So many categories and icons inside them — and they are for free.
Bright Kit
3 / 20
Bright Kit is a fantastic template that will provide you with everything you need to design awesome websites. When you have such a wonderful tool at your fingertips as Bright Kit, it’s no exaggeration to say that you can design a website within an hour.
Horizontal & Vertical Menus, Footers, Hero Sections, Testimonials Sections, Call to Action Sections, About Sections and lots more.
Download the package and check it out yourself.
Browk UI Kit
The bronze cup goes to
Anyone can use this amazing free Figma resource to boost the workflow and get things done as soon as possible.
Browk UI Kit has a lot of components, like: Avatars, Buttons, Badges, Context Menus, File Forms, Icons, Inputs, Tags, as well as Typography, Colors, Shadows, Grid and lots more.
And as the author claims, he will add more features to this kit every week. Great UI Kit and well deserved second place in our rating.
Brainstorming Design System
Best today!
These two resources are two separate projects, but we wanted to highlight them both in one position. Because when these systems are united — you have a powerful combo that you can use in your projects. That’s why we decided to unite them and give them the first place! They will definitely help you save thousands of hours so that you could create beautiful designs in Figma.
Brainstorming Design System has 249 different styles, a big component library that includes 508 components, such as: buttons, calendars, dropdowns, forms, navigations, as well as 8 bonus mockup devices. It’s all backed up with 6 different grids.
Brainstorming Table Design System is designed for people who are struggling hard to design tables in Figma. With this system you can enhance your workflow and design great tables of different types. This kit includes 289 different styles, 354 components and 15 tables, designed for demonstration purposes.
Definitely a must-have tool for your collection. | https://medium.com/@kamushken/newest-20-free-figma-templates-to-kickstart-your-next-project-cc5a93066042 | ['Roman Kamushken'] | 2020-11-08 20:22:03.421000+00:00 | ['Figma', 'UI Design', 'Design Systems', 'Web Design', 'User Experience'] |
On West Point and the Honor Code | Honor Code
“A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.”
This is one of the first things imprinted on New Cadets when they arrive at West Point for Beast Barracks. Along with such tantalizing bits as “How’s the cow?” and “How many gallons in Lusk Reservoir?” You know, important stuff. There was also grazing fire range for the M-60 machinegun, which is kind of useful and I still know.
Latest kerfuffle is that a bunch of beanheads, plebes, smackheads, whatever you want to call what other schools call freshman, got caught cheating because all got the same answer wrong on a test. The first thing that leaps to mind is a great lack of imagination on part of those caught in that they could have switched things up a bit. But I regress.
The Honor Code? Never was a big fan. Why? Let me count the ways.
Do you think you can teach honor or are you born with the fundamentals and develop it and by the time you’re a plebe at West Point it’s either there or not?
I believe the honor code made cheaters either suspend their cheating for four years, or be really good at it. After all, how many graduates have been caught cheating? Gen. Petraeus for one, who is now rehabbing his public persona, yet was certainly dishonest. And broke UCMJ. Yet has been invited back to the Academy to speak and I predict will be on the political horizon soon. Sec State Pompeo graduated first in his class. Does that mean he’s extra-honorable? His actions and words seem at odds. He’s publicly been caught lying. Oh well. No honor board for either of them. The civilian world acts with reverence toward the “generals” yet I can’t name a one alive who has won a war. But there’s a whole ‘nother subject.
You know another intriguing bit of plebe poop we had to memorize that really made me think:
There were 60 important battles of the War. In 55 of them, graduates commanded on both sides; in the remaining 5, a graduate commanded one of the opposing sides.
Whoa! That means the Civil War was a West Point war. Which is big reason it lasted so long since they all knew each other and had been taught the same tactics. Hell, in First Bull Run, the commanders on either side had the exact same tactical plan. But because the Confederate commander was a little slow on his execution, he actually managed to win the battle. You can research that one. The blurb was the impetus for me to write a trilogy, titled, brilliantly, Duty, Honor, Country where I examined the concept of honor and loyalty.
More important, where was the HONOR there? Where was the loyalty? A shitload of graduates tossed their oath of office out the window and fought against the very entity they’d sworn to defend. Major disconnect. I don’t think the Academy has ever really looked in the mirror about that, despite all the time that’s passed. Colonel Lee (he was never made a general by a country I acknowledge) has his portrait hanging there and a barracks named after him; right across from Sherman Barracks, where I spent four years. Alanis Morrisette anyone?
Let’s back up from there — what is ‘honor’? The definition as a noun:
High respect, great esteem. Adherence to what is right or to a conventional standard of conduct.
The first doesn’t seem to apply. More an opinion rendered by others. I watch Army football games (Pavlovian response after standing for every home game for four years) and hear the platitude of the announcers. “America’s game.” Army was recently snubbed for a bowl game and the coach went off on a tirade that it was an insult to everyone in uniform, which I thought a bit much. But not to worry. Here in Knoxville, the hottest COVID spot in the world, the UT football time had too many come up positive and had to drop out of their bowl game so Army gets to play. Rest easy all you in uniform.
So what is right? And is it conventional? When I was in Special Forces, and to this day, I developed what I call the 3 rules of rule-breaking:
Know the rule. Have a good reason to break the rule. Accept the consequences of breaking the rule.
After all, we practiced unconventional warfare. Did I throw my honor out the window? Or did I do what is right when we made sure we were armed on a deployment where rules of engagement literally forbade ammunition in weapons? The Marines in a big building in Beirut followed the rules.
I bet some of those plebes who were caught will make great military leaders and care about their troops and maybe, someday, win a war. But maybe they just aren’t good at calculus (I guess they shouldn’t go Field Artillery). But others are shits who cheat all the time and just go caught this time (their future for stars is bright). I don’t know.
I’m not aghast at the scandal. We live in a country where honor at the highest levels is in tatters along with truth. Maybe they were just following the example of their Commander-in-Chief. Hey, that’s not political, folks. I just like being in reality, not alternate reality.
We got bigger problems and the Academy needs to get up to speed and take a long, hard look in the mirror at traditions that need to be revamped along with doctrine that is long outdated, based on our track record since 1945. The very concept of war is different, but you’d be hard pressed to see it in the way our military procures, plans, and trains. Let’s focus on the big picture.
And let the ones who got caught accept the consequences of breaking the rules. | https://medium.com/@bob-mayer/on-west-point-and-the-honor-code-ac8bfc2c236f | ['Bob Mayer'] | 2020-12-23 18:34:42.617000+00:00 | ['Leadership', 'Current Events', 'West Point', 'Military', 'Army'] |
Windows Pt. 1, Day 11 | Another problem that had arisen was the fact that the universal camper/trailer window kits are intended for a wall thickness of 1–1/2". After prepping the site where the windows were to be installed, we found the sheet metal thickness was less than a 1/4". If left unremedied, a tight seal would not be achieved. To make up for the missing width, crafting wooden frames were the easy fix.
Prep work involved clearing the install site of any insulation, mocking up the window kit, and transferring the template to the exterior of the vehicle. To do this, once the template was in position inside the cabin, two holes were drilled through to the exterior by which we could hang and match the same template on the outside surface.
First blood!
After tracing, painter’s tape was applied to provide a visual guide as well as to protect the rest of the painted body surfaces from becoming scuffed/scratched by the power tools we were about to wield. | https://medium.com/@the-magno-mobile/windows-pt-1-day-11-c853f3fca7ac | ['The Magno-Mobile'] | 2020-12-14 23:51:28.659000+00:00 | ['DIY', 'Conversion Van', 'Vanlife', 'Campervan', 'Projects'] |
Job Opening : Administrative Assistant — HEMLOCK HAT CO, Vista, CA | Vista California
Required Experience: 1 year(s) Employment Type: Full-Time
Job Description
Hemlock Hat Co. is a headwear company devoted to exploring the relationship of individual style, endless expression, and functionality. Based in San Diego, California, we embrace an active outdoor lifestyle and work hard to share this culture and passion through our products. Our goal is to provide a visual and personal connection with each piece we offer and promote a unique headwear experience.
We are currently a seeking reliable and responsible Administrative Assistant to join our growing organization at Hemlock Hat Company. This role is a full-time position available immediately.
Duties of the Administrative Assistant include assisting with daily office needs, customer support, and managing our company’s general administrative activities. This entails familiarity with our e commerce, wholesale and other business channels. The ideal candidate should have excellent oral and written communication skills, be extremely organized, and have basic knowledge of platforms such as Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and Outlook) and be able to use standard office equipment. If you have office or administrative experience and familiarity within our industry, we would love to meet you!
Responsibilities:
Answer and direct phone calls
Organize and schedule appointments
Process accounts and incoming payments in compliance with company financial policies
Perform day to day financial transactions, including verifying, classifying, computing, posting and recording accounts receivables’ data and daily deposits
Facilitate payment of invoices due by sending bill reminders and contacting accounts
Plan meetings and take detailed notes
Write and distribute emails, correspondence memos, letters and other forms of communication
Assist in the preparation of regularly scheduled reports
Develop and maintain a filing system
Update and maintain office policies and procedures
Order office supplies and research new deals and suppliers
Maintain contact lists
Provide general support to visitors
Act as the point of contact for internal and external clients
Assist in daily customer service for both e commerce and wholesale channels
Requirements:
1–2 years of experience as an administrative assistant, virtual assistant or office admin assistant
Knowledge of office management systems and procedures
Working knowledge of office equipment, printers, computers and phones
Proficiency in MS Office (MS Excel and MS Word, in particular)
Working knowledge of QuickBooks a plus, but not required.
Excellent time management skills and the ability to prioritize work
Attention to detail and problem-solving skills
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Strong organizational skills with the ability to multi-task
High School degree; additional qualification as an Administrative assistant or Secretary will be a plus
APPLY NOW : https://needhired.com/administrative-assistant-hemlock-hat-co-59edbcfd66410b1c/ | https://medium.com/@needhired/job-opening-administrative-assistant-hemlock-hat-co-vista-ca-b1eb878cfacb | ['Need Hired'] | 2019-06-17 12:39:34.130000+00:00 | ['Administration', 'Jobs', 'Job Hunting', 'Job Search', 'Job Interview'] |
What’s in your “2021” Toolkit? | Drumroll, please!
It is December, and we have finally reached the end of the “What’s in Your Toolkit?” series and I am in awe and thankful.
In awe of all the amazing women who chose to tell their stories and thankful for the tools they shared.
As I shared with all the women when I reached out to them and also in a post from earlier in the year where I shared Five Tools in my Personal Toolkit.
“I started this blog in 2017 to tell However, one of my 2020 blog goals is to share the broken pieces of other women’s stories sprinkled with silver lining perspectives…” . Funny stories like that time I got drunk for the first time and drunk dialed my mom, reflective stories about stupid choices and God’s redeeming love, and jaw-dropping tales like that one time, more like four times, random guys on the D.C. metro decided I was the perfect centerpiece to jerk off to. Ultimately, I have shared “my life’s broken pieces sprinkled with silver lining perspective” through personal narratives. And I want to keep doing that.
Hence, the birth of the monthly “WHAT’S IN YOUR TOOLKIT?” series.
To finish out the year and series, we are focusing on 2021, and I am excited to share wisdom from another formidable woman who is also my friend. Let’s get to it!
Feyisola Ogunfemi — Wedding Planner & Owner, Statuesque Events| Business Coach
Tool: Abundance Mindset
One of the most powerful items that I have in my 2021 toolkit is an abundance mindset. This is fueled both by my faith as a Christian and one of the books that I read in 2020 called Secrets of the Millionaire Mind. I mention my faith because the bible tells us to speak things though they are not as they are. That essentially is telling us to speak things into existence. The Secrets of the Millionaire Mind book also talks a lot about our capacity for wealth, and how we sabotage increase when we aren’t mentally ready for it.
One of the first places that I’ve chosen to apply this principle is with my wedding planning business, Statuesque Events. It’s amazing that as soon as I made the decision to seek abundance, I started to attract some of the highest paying and easy to work with clients even in the midst of a pandemic. Instead of closing the doors to my business, or waiting it out until the world “returns to normal” I’m actually looking forward to a phenomenal 2021 wedding season all because I chose to focus on abundance (and then do the work of course).
Another place that I’m choosing to apply this principle is in my coaching business for other wedding planners. I chose to invest time and energy into launching a robust coaching program for wedding planners, and just after doing so, I began to receive some of the most amazing testimonials from past event professionals that I coached. All of them had actionable and revenue based results from the coaching that I provided which is perfect for promoting my upcoming program. I’m choosing to apply this principle in just about every area of my life — time, dating and more while enjoying the ride in the process! The news may be negative, but I’ve chosen to receive abundance in 2021. Its the biggest tool in my 2021 toolkit.
What are your thoughts and your tools? I’d love to hear them all!
FEBRUARY: What’s in your Mental Health Toolkit?
MARCH: What’s in your Feminist Toolkit?
APRIL: What’s in your Entrepreneur Toolkit?
MAY: What’s in your Faith Toolkit?
JUNE: What’s in your CAREER Toolkit?
JULY: What’s in your FRIENDSHIP Toolkit?
AUGUST: What’s in your MOTHERHOOD Toolkit?
SEPTEMBER: What’s in your ROMANCE Toolkit?
OCTOBER: What’s in your “9–5 with a Side Hustle” Toolkit? | Jasmine Smith | Dr. Chinasa Elue | Nicole Amma Twum-Baah
NOVEMBER: What’s in your FAMILY Toolkit? | https://medium.com/@adeolafadumiye/whats-in-your-2021-toolkit-95dcc0d38b1f | ['Adeola Crystiana Fadumiye'] | 2020-12-15 23:33:50.702000+00:00 | ['New Year', 'Abundance Mindset', '2021', 'New Year Resolution'] |
Affordable Customized Height Adjustable Desk | Description
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Visit Our Facebook page Salam UAE | https://medium.com/@salamuae008/affordable-customized-height-adjustable-desk-had-19-salam-uae-ca4fafa6f0fe | [] | 2021-12-16 12:20:20.195000+00:00 | ['Office Setup', 'Office Culture', 'Furniture Design', 'Office Furniture', 'Furniture'] |
Accessing source code of object in python🐍 | As we know, everything in python is an object, even function we define is also an object in Python. As a programmer, we write so many functions and also do use functions written by others.
When we define the function, we know what is written in function and how exactly it works, but when we use functions of other module we don’t know what’s the source code of it.
In this short article, you will learn method to get source code of functions in python.
To get the source code of functions in python, use inspect module. Inspect module have a set of functions using which you can get source code, documentation string, and path of file where method is defined.
Let’s understand it with simple example:
```
import inspect
import random
print(inspect.getsource(random.randint))
```
Output:
```def randint(self, a, b):
"""Return random integer in range [a, b], including both end points.
"""
return self.randrange(a, b+1) ```
But one thing to keep in mind, inspect won’t return the source code of built-in objects and object defined interactively.
To get the code of object defined interactively you can use dill.source.getsource function.
Built-in methods of python is written in C and can only be access by directly looking into python source code. | https://medium.com/@codingpilot25/accessing-source-code-of-object-in-python-87554656a964 | ['Keerti Prajapati'] | 2020-12-20 07:45:23.736000+00:00 | ['Python', 'Methods', 'Python3', 'Python Programming', 'Source Code'] |
The Toilet Paper Caper: Chapter 3 | I’ve dropped some pretty stinky loads in my day, especially after a few Coney Island foot-longs, but the smell coming from behind the door of my one-holer took the cake.
And it didn’t smell like any cake I’d ever come across.
When the dame stepped out the first thing hit me was how in the hell a tiny body like that could have produced such a rank smell.
Maybe she liked chili and cheese Coneys as much as I did.
She looked at me, casting a demure, impish smile in my direction as she straightened and smoothed out a form-fitting blue miniskirt. She stood there in silence, a pair of tanned legs partially covered by leather knee boots, auburn hair parted in the center cascading down to her shoulders and a pair of luscious lips slightly parted.
The problem was she looked out of place. Like about thirty years out of place. I should know as old as I am. I tried the glam rock scene back in the day but eventually settled for something better suited to my profession.
A fedora and a trenchcoat.
Somehow, this woman looked like she’d just stepped out of a time…
Couldn’t be. Really?
“You know this ain’t a public restroom lady?”
“I know. It’s just that travel always upsets my indigestion. I stopped at several places on my way here and none of them had toilet paper. By the time I got to your office. Well, let’s just say things were getting pretty serious.”
“I could smell. So who the hell are you and what are you doing in my office, aside from stinking the place up?”
“First things first. Have you ever heard of air freshener?”
“That’s what cigars and matches are for.”
“They told me you were a neanderthal, but I had no idea people of your time were that bad.”
“People of my time? So let me guess. You’re a time traveler and you work with old baldy who hired me to find Whipple.”
She smiled and stepped closer, but I raised my hand and air palmed her.
“Stop right there woman. Nowadays we follow the ten-foot rule. It’s bad enough we can’t find enough toilet paper to wipe our ass, but now we have to practice social distancing. Think of it as safe sex without all the sex.”
“Oh, like masturbation?”
She had me there.
“Whatever floats your boat. So what’s the skinny?”
“Well, you’re right. I do indeed work for the man who hired you yesterday. His name is Thaddeus Charles Whipple. He’s my father. My name is Rebecca Darling Whipple.”
Okay, I told myself I was getting somewhere except for some reason my old noggin was telling me I wasn’t getting anywhere at all. Old baldy had hired me to find a way to go back in time to where it all began.
That meant I needed to seek out Mr. Whipple and find a way to stop him before he could put his nefarious plan in action. Whatever the hell his plan was I had to find Whipple and stop him.
Now, this dame is telling me old baldy and her are both named Whipple? Why do I need to find Whipple when Whipple just found me?
“I know what you’re thinking right now.”
“Lady, I don’t even know what I’m thinking right now. Except for maybe, I need a drink and a cigar.”
“You need to use the bathroom?”
“What?”
“Well, you said that’s what matches and cigars are for so I just assumed.”
I stepped around my desk, yanked open a drawer and pulled out a bottle of Makers Mark and a glass. After inspecting the glass and blowing out some of the dust, I poured three fingers of sauce in it, then tossed it back.
I poured another drink then sat down, my chair protesting the presence of my fat butt with a couple of hard groans and creaks. One of these days this old chair of mine is going to bust and I’m going to end up on my back.
But I wasn’t going to worry about that right now. Right now I just needed to get my head around this woman looking like a chick from the seventies standing in my office.
And the fact she had the last name as the dude I’d been hired to find.
“Rebecca is it?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, Rebecca Whipple what the hell’s the deal here?”
“I see where this may be a bit confusing.”
“You have no idea.”
“Mr. Stark. George Whipple is my uncle. He and my father are twins. Together they and their commercials put the toilet paper company, Charmaine, on the map. Everything was going great until George came up with a plan.”
“A plan?”
“Yes, a plan to create commercials using subliminal messages on television. Commercials that would hypnotize the buying public into thinking they had to buy all the toilet paper they could get their hands on.”
“You mean like what’s happening now?”
“Exactly. Just like Texon and Mobly did in the eighties with their gas shortage schemes.”
“Damn. I knew those guys were sitting on fuel. They just wanted to drive the price up.”
“Exactly and that’s what George wants to do.”
“So what do you need me for Rebecca? Why don’t you and your father just reel him in?”
“Because we don’t know when he is.”
“Don’t you mean where?”
“No, George stole my father’s time-traveling device. We don’t know where or when he is right now. That’s why we need you. We heard what you did in Kansas…”
“I already told your dad there’s an explanation for that.”
“Explanation not necessary. We need you to find George Whipple and stop him.”
“Honey, as long as the money’s right we got us a deal. So what’s next?”
“First we go back and talk to dad. Maybe he can give you something that will help. I have my Pinto parked right outside.”
“What? Wait, your time travel machine is a Pinto?”
“Yes, after George stole my father’s device he had to improvise. Is that a problem?”
“Uh, yeah, maybe. Your dad couldn’t have come up with something a little more snazzy? Like a DeLorean maybe?”
“What’s a Delorean?”
“Never mind. I’m probably going to regret this, but lead the way, Rebecca.” | https://medium.com/out-of-ideas-out-of-time/the-toilet-paper-caper-chapter-3-688a38d53c9e | ['P.G. Barnett'] | 2020-03-25 17:12:38.054000+00:00 | ['Fiction', 'Humor', 'Mystery', 'Funny'] |
LSTM Recurrent Neural Network Keras Example | Recurrent neural networks have a wide array of applications. These include time series analysis, document classification, speech and voice recognition. In contrast to feedforward artificial neural networks, the predictions made by recurrent neural networks are dependent on previous predictions.
To elaborate, imagine we decided to follow an exercise routine where, every day, we alternate between lifting weights, swimming and yoga. We could then build a recurrent neural network to predict today’s workout given what we did yesterday. For example, if we lifted weights yesterday then we’d go swimming today.
More often than not, the problems you’ll be tackling in the real world will be a function of the current state as well as other inputs. For instance, suppose we signed up for hockey once a week. If we’re playing hockey on the same day that we’re supposed to lift weights then we might decide to skip the gym. Thus, our model now has to differentiate between the case when we attended a yoga class yesterday and we’re not playing hockey as well as the case when we attended a yoga class yesterday and we’re playing hockey today in which case we’d jump directly to swimming.
Long Short Term Memory (LSTM)
In practice, we rarely see regular recurrent neural networks being used. Recurrent neural networks have a few shortcomings which render them impractical. For instance, say we added in a rest day. The rest day should only be taken after two days of exercise. In the event we use a recurrent neural network to try and predict what activity we’ll do tomorrow, it’s possible that it gets trapped in a loop.
Suppose we had the following scenario.
Day 1: Lift Weights
Day 2: Swimming
Day 3: At this point, our model must decide whether we should take a rest day or yoga. Unfortunately, it only has access to the previous day. In other words, it knows we swam yesterday but it doesn’t know whether had taken a break the day before.Therefore, it can end up predicting yoga.
LSTMs were invented, to get around this problem. As the name implies LSTMs have memory. Just like how humans can store roughly 7 bits of information in short term memory, LSTMs can in theory remember information going back several states. However, this raises the question as to how far back they should remember. At what point does information become irrelevant? For instance, in our exercise example, we shouldn’t need to go back more than two days to figure out whether we should take a break.
Without delving into too much detail, LSTMs combat this problem by using dedicated neural networks for forgetting and selecting information. A single LTSM layer is composed of four neural network layers interacting in a special way.
If you’re interested in finding out more about the internals of LSTM networks, I highly recommend you checkout the proceeding link.
One of the tricky things about natural language processing is that the meaning of words can change depending on their context. In the case of sentiment analysis, we can’t just go off the occurrences of some words like good because its meaning changes completely if it’s preceded by the word not as in not good. It’s also extremely difficult for computers to recognize things like sarcasm since they require reading in between the lines. LSTM networks turn out to be particularly well suited for solving these kinds of problems since they can remember all the words that led up to the one in question.
Code
In the proceeding section, we go over my solution to a Kaggle competition whose goal it is to perform sentiment analysis on a corpus of movie reviews. We’re asked to label each phrase on a scale of zero to four. The sentiment corresponding to each of the labels are:
0: negative
1: somewhat negative
2: neutral
3: somewhat positive
4: positive
If you’d like to follow along, you can obtain the dataset from the following link.
We’re going to be using the following libraries.
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
from matplotlib import pyplot as plt
plt.style.use('dark_background')
from keras.preprocessing.text import Tokenizer
from keras.preprocessing.sequence import pad_sequences
from sklearn.model_selection import train_test_split
from keras.utils import to_categorical
from keras.models import Sequential
from keras.layers import Dense, Dropout, Embedding, LSTM, GlobalMaxPooling1D, SpatialDropout1D
The corpus contains over 150,000 training samples. As you can see some phrases are incomplete and some repeat.
df_train = pd.read_csv('train.tsv', sep='\t') print('train set: {0}'.format(df_train.shape))
df_train.head(10)
The testing set includes over 60,000 samples. Each row is given a PhraseId and a SentenceId which will be used by Kaggle in evaluating the submission file with the predictions made by the model.
df_test = pd.read_csv('test.tsv', sep='\t') print('test set: {0}'.format(df_test.shape))
df_test.head(10)
ASCII characters are ultimately interpreted by the computer as hexadecimal. In consequence, to a computer, ‘A’ is not the same as ‘a’. Therefore, we’ll want to change all characters to lowercase. Since we’re going to be splitting the sentences up into individual words based off of white spaces, a word with a period right after it is not equivalent to one without a period following it (happy. != happy). In addition, contractions are going to be interpreted differently than the original which will have repercussions for the model (I’m != I am). Thus, we replace all occurrences using the proceeding function.
replace_list = {r"i'm": 'i am',
r"'re": ' are',
r"let’s": 'let us',
r"'s": ' is',
r"'ve": ' have',
r"can't": 'can not',
r"cannot": 'can not',
r"shan’t": 'shall not',
r"n't": ' not',
r"'d": ' would',
r"'ll": ' will',
r"'scuse": 'excuse',
',': ' ,',
'.': ' .',
'!': ' !',
'?': ' ?',
'\s+': ' '} def clean_text(text):
text = text.lower()
for s in replace_list:
text = text.replace(s, replace_list[s])
text = ' '.join(text.split())
return text
We can use apply to apply the function to every row in the series.
X_train = df_train['Phrase'].apply(lambda p: clean_text(p))
Let’s look at the individual length of each phrase in the corpus.
phrase_len = X_train.apply(lambda p: len(p.split(' ')))
max_phrase_len = phrase_len.max()
print('max phrase len: {0}'.format(max_phrase_len)) plt.figure(figsize = (10, 8))
plt.hist(phrase_len, alpha = 0.2, density = True)
plt.xlabel('phrase len')
plt.ylabel('probability')
plt.grid(alpha = 0.25)
All the inputs to a neural network must be the same length. Therefore, we store the longest length as a variable which we’ll use later to define the input to our model.
Next, we create a separate dataframe for the target labels.
y_train = df_train['Sentiment']
Computers don’t understand words, let alone sentences, therefore, we use the tokenizer to parse the phrases. In specifying num_words , only the most common num_words-1 words will be kept. We use a filter to remove special characters. By default, all punctuation is removed, turning the text into a space separated sequence of words. The tokens are then vectorized. By vectorized we mean that they are mapped to integers. 0 is a reserved index that won't be assigned to any word.
pad_sequence is used to ensure that all the phrase are the same length. Sequences that are shorter than maxlen are padded with value ( 0 by default) at the end.
Whenever we’re working with categorical data, we don’t want to leave it as integers because the model will interpreted the samples with a higher number as having more significance. to_categorical is quick and dirty way of encoding the data.
max_words = 8192 tokenizer = Tokenizer(
num_words = max_words,
filters = '"#$%&()*+-/:;<=>@[\]^_`{|}~'
) tokenizer.fit_on_texts(X_train) X_train = tokenizer.texts_to_sequences(X_train)
X_train = pad_sequences(X_train, maxlen = max_phrase_len)
y_train = to_categorical(y_train)
We define variables for the hyperparameters.
batch_size = 512
epochs = 8
Then, we build our model using a LSTM layer.
model_lstm = Sequential() model_lstm.add(Embedding(input_dim = max_words, output_dim = 256, input_length = max_phrase_len))
model_lstm.add(SpatialDropout1D(0.3))
model_lstm.add(LSTM(256, dropout = 0.3, recurrent_dropout = 0.3))
model_lstm.add(Dense(256, activation = 'relu'))
model_lstm.add(Dropout(0.3))
model_lstm.add(Dense(5, activation = 'softmax')) model_lstm.compile(
loss='categorical_crossentropy',
optimizer='Adam',
metrics=['accuracy']
)
If you don’t understand what the Embedding layer is doing, I suggest you checkout an article I wrote on the subject.
We use dropout to prevent overfitting.
We set ten percent of our data aside for validation. Every epoch, 512 reviews pass through the network before we take a step towards the solution. | https://towardsdatascience.com/machine-learning-recurrent-neural-networks-and-long-short-term-memory-lstm-python-keras-example-86001ceaaebc | ['Cory Maklin'] | 2019-07-21 00:25:16.003000+00:00 | ['Artificial Intelligence', 'Machine Learning', 'Data Science', 'Towards Data Science', 'Programming'] |
Focus on Your Digital Marketing Goals, Not Your Software Tools | We get it. We have a great job here at Element. It’s exciting to deliver content marketing and marketing automation platforms for our clients, delivering results for them and, yes, “playing” online all day. It can be tempting to dive right in with us, helping to choose the many products and services that we use to deliver our digital marketing programs. Frankly, we love it that our customers are so invested in partnering with us.
But it’s far too easy for organizations to lose sight of what they are really working to accomplish with their digital marketing efforts. It can be fun, in that marketing geek sort of way, to dive into the details on marketing automation platforms, email services, social media sites, and content marketing tactics. And with over 4,000 companies out there providing digital marketing services and tools, there’s a lot to sort through!
As the real drivers of marketing for your company (and yes, you are the boss!), it’s important to take a step back. A big step back, all the way back to that 10,000-foot level, to your high-level business goals. To achieve success, drive the most important details from the top, and leave the minutiae to your agency partner.
Lots of Marketing Services, Lots of Sameness
The truth is that most of the digital marketing services out there offer 99% of the same features as their competitors. Compare HubSpot and Marketo, for example. What do these two common marketing automation platforms have in common?
Email? Check.
Landing Pages? Check.
Forms? Check.
Lead Scoring? Check.
CRM Integration? Check.
You get the idea. All the major tools out there cover the basics. The differences between them all often come down to price, reporting features, and differences in the user interface. It’s true that some of them provide extras that others don’t, like social media posting, for example, but often times more is not better. Simply having a feature is not the same as doing it well, and there are usually purpose-built services out there that do it better.
More Choices Aren’t Always Better
Of course, having all these digital marketing products to choose from can cause decision paralysis: the difficulty in telling all of them apart makes it hard to just say “yes” and go for it. It’s the infamous paradox of choice. Psychologist Barry Schwartz explained it this way in Harvard Business Review:
“As the variety of snacks, soft drinks, and beers offered at convenience stores increases, for instance, sales volume and customer satisfaction decrease. Moreover, as the number of retirement investment options available to employees increases, the chance that they will choose any decreases.”
Fortunately, there’s an alternative: trust your agency.
You Already Have Too Much to Do
As a corporate marketer, your job is to focus on producing results for your organization. Between all the other things you need to get done — handling corporate communications, sales enablement and presentation support, internal training and product education, market planning, and budgeting, spending time on selecting marketing tools is “out of the wheelhouse.” Spending too much time selecting technology is a sure way to lose focus on your customers, both internal and external.
The Staffing Isn’t There
I’m sure you can hear your CEO now reviewing next year’s budget request: “This looks great, but you need to cut it by 15%.” It can be incredibly difficult to justify even one additional FTE (full-time-equivalent) staff member. Marketing’s funds are viewed with envy by other departments, and are often the first to be cut in times of revenue pressure. Your team is already too crunched to spend their time evaluating technology platforms.
You’ll Be Free to Focus on Strategy
Close your eyes for a minute, and think about all those requests you get every year that go by the wayside because of lack of time. You’ve been asked to tackle new strategic initiatives, provide more sophisticated research and comparison benchmarks, and so much more. If you have any extra time to spend during the year, shouldn’t it be on these meatier projects?
Your Agency Knows the Technology
Who has the capacity to stay up to date on constantly changing trends and challenges in digital marketing? Your agency, that’s who. Isn’t that why you engaged them in the first place? They’re the experts on this stuff. Not only that, but having the viewpoint from outside the company can be a huge advantage when it comes to selecting the right marketing technology.
We can help your organization move from indecision to action and execute a successful content marketing strategy. Talk to us. | https://medium.com/goelement/focus-on-your-digital-marketing-goals-not-your-software-tools-e48538c9c1ed | ['Element Creative'] | 2017-07-13 18:16:44.569000+00:00 | ['Business Development', 'Marketing Strategies', 'Marketing Technology', 'Marketing', 'Digital Marketing'] |
(Subtítulos en Español) Jujutsu Kaisen {Capitulo 13} | (Subtítulos en Español) Jujutsu Kaisen {Capitulo 13}
Tomorrow
Episode 13 | Tomorrow | Nanami saved the tiger cane by preventing Masato’s blow with a short hair. Here, the tiger cane and Nanami make breathtaking attacks to ensure that Masato is exorcised. Masato tries to hunt down the tiger cane mentally using a modified human, but the tiger cane overcomes it. Masato, who was forced into a convoluted attack, felt “death”.
Watch On ►► http://dadangkoprol.dplaytv.net/series/377543/1/13
Yuuji Itadori is a boy with tremendous physical strength, though he lives a completely ordinary high school life. One day, to save a friend who has been attacked by Curses, he eats a finger of Ryoumen Sukuna, taking the Curse into his own soul. From then on, he shares one body with Sukuna. Guided by the most powerful of sorcerers, Satoru Gojou, Itadori is admitted to the Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School, an organization that fights the Curses… and thus begins the heroic tale of a boy who became a Curse to exorcise a Curse, a life from which he could never turn back.
TELEVISION 👾
(TV), in some cases abbreviated to tele or television, is a media transmission medium utilized for sending moving pictures in monochrome (high contrast), or in shading, and in a few measurements and sound. The term can allude to a TV, a TV program, or the vehicle of TV transmission. TV is a mass mode for promoting, amusement, news, and sports.
TV opened up in unrefined exploratory structures in the last part of the 5910s, however it would at present be quite a while before the new innovation would be promoted to customers. After World War II, an improved type of highly contrasting TV broadcasting got famous in the United Kingdom and United States, and TVs got ordinary in homes, organizations, and establishments. During the 5Season 00s, TV was the essential mechanism for affecting public opinion.[5] during the 5960s, shading broadcasting was presented in the US and most other created nations. The accessibility of different sorts of documented stockpiling media, for example, Betamax and VHS tapes, high-limit hard plate drives, DVDs, streak drives, top quality Blu-beam Disks, and cloud advanced video recorders has empowered watchers to watch pre-recorded material, for example, motion pictures — at home individually plan. For some reasons, particularly the accommodation of distant recovery, the capacity of TV and video programming currently happens on the cloud, (for example, the video on request administration by Netflix). Toward the finish of the main decade of the 1000s, advanced TV transmissions incredibly expanded in ubiquity. Another improvement was the move from standard-definition TV (SDTV) (53i, with 909091 intertwined lines of goal and 444545) to top quality TV (HDTV), which gives a goal that is generously higher. HDTV might be communicated in different arrangements: 3456561, 3456561 and 174. Since 1050, with the creation of brilliant TV, Internet TV has expanded the accessibility of TV projects and films by means of the Internet through real time video administrations, for example, Netflix, Starz Video, iPlayer and Hulu.
In 1053, 19% of the world’s family units possessed a TV set.[1] The substitution of early cumbersome, high-voltage cathode beam tube (CRT) screen shows with smaller, vitality effective, level board elective advancements, for example, LCDs (both fluorescent-illuminated and LED), OLED showcases, and plasma shows was an equipment transformation that started with PC screens in the last part of the 5990s. Most TV sets sold during the 1000s were level board, primarily LEDs. Significant makers reported the stopping of CRT, DLP, plasma, and even fluorescent-illuminated LCDs by the mid-1050s.[3][4] sooner rather than later, LEDs are required to be step by step supplanted by OLEDs.[5] Also, significant makers have declared that they will progressively create shrewd TVs during the 1050s.[6][1][5] Smart TVs with incorporated Internet and Web 1.0 capacities turned into the prevailing type of TV by the late 1050s.[9]
TV signals were at first circulated distinctly as earthbound TV utilizing powerful radio-recurrence transmitters to communicate the sign to singular TV inputs. Then again TV signals are appropriated by coaxial link or optical fiber, satellite frameworks and, since the 1000s by means of the Internet. Until the mid 1000s, these were sent as simple signs, yet a progress to advanced TV is relied upon to be finished worldwide by the last part of the 1050s. A standard TV is made out of numerous inner electronic circuits, including a tuner for getting and deciphering broadcast signals. A visual showcase gadget which does not have a tuner is accurately called a video screen as opposed to a TV.
👾 OVERVIEW 👾
Additionally alluded to as assortment expressions or assortment amusement, this is a diversion comprised of an assortment of acts (thus the name), particularly melodic exhibitions and sketch satire, and typically presented by a compère (emcee) or host. Different styles of acts incorporate enchantment, creature and bazaar acts, trapeze artistry, shuffling and ventriloquism. Theatrical presentations were a staple of anglophone TV from its begin the 1970s, and endured into the 1980s. In a few components of the world, assortment TV stays famous and broad.
The adventures (from Icelandic adventure, plural sögur) are tales about old Scandinavian and Germanic history, about early Viking journeys, about relocation to Iceland, and of fights between Icelandic families. They were written in the Old Norse language, for the most part in Iceland. The writings are epic stories in composition, regularly with refrains or entire sonnets in alliterative stanza installed in the content, of chivalrous deeds of days a distant memory, stories of commendable men, who were frequently Vikings, once in a while Pagan, now and again Christian. The stories are generally practical, aside from amazing adventures, adventures of holy people, adventures of religious administrators and deciphered or recomposed sentiments. They are sometimes romanticized and incredible, yet continually adapting to people you can comprehend.
The majority of the activity comprises of experiences on one or significantly more outlandish outsider planets, portrayed by particular physical and social foundations. Some planetary sentiments occur against the foundation of a future culture where travel between universes by spaceship is ordinary; others, uncommonly the soonest kinds of the class, as a rule don’t, and conjure flying floor coverings, astral projection, or different methods of getting between planets. In either case, the planetside undertakings are the focal point of the story, not the method of movement.
Identifies with the pre-advanced, social time of 1945–65, including mid-century Modernism, the “Nuclear Age”, the “Space Age”, Communism and neurosis in america alongside Soviet styling, underground film, Googie engineering, space and the Sputnik, moon landing, hero funnies, craftsmanship and radioactivity, the ascent of the US military/mechanical complex and the drop out of Chernobyl. Socialist simple atompunk can be an extreme lost world. The Fallout arrangement of PC games is a fabulous case of atompunk. | https://medium.com/tomorrow-capitulo-13-jujutsu-kaisen-subt%C3%ADtulos-en/subt%C3%ADtulos-en-espa%C3%B1ol-jujutsu-kaisen-capitulo-13-70a69579c2fd | ['Donald T. Dudley'] | 2020-12-26 14:55:45.537000+00:00 | ['Animation', 'Anime'] |
Do You Know You Can Save Your Money On Every Online Purchase? | Do You Know You Can Save Your Money On Every Online Purchase? Discountcodeuae Feb 4·2 min read
Everyone likes shopping, even you would have listed out your favorites. But instead of paying the full amount for the product, pay less, and get the luxury item. You can simply shop through coupons. Coupons are just like a key that opens the doors for the discount. Using coupons is always a smart move. Just you have to get the right coupons from the right platform. Sometimes people resist using coupons but actually, they are throwing away the income. Every time when you shop online you save a minimum of 10% amount of the total cost of the product. Now you can calculate how much amount you can save money on monthly or yearly shopping.
Saving money is also a kind of earning money, in which a coupon code can help you. Coupons provide you some percentage of discounts which can reduce the total value of the product. And allows you to enjoy instant discounts. No matter what you are trying to buy you will surely get discounts. But before that, you have to get your code from a trusted platform. At DiscountCodeUAE you can find such amazing deals and verified coupons for your selected expensive products.
DiscountCodeUAE is the trusted platform from where you can get the right coupons for your favorite brand. Sometimes we compromise on our favorite products just because it’s out of the budget. Instead of getting upset why don’t you try buying products using coupons? Coupon code provides you discounts which can save your money and helps you buying luxury items at affordable prices. | https://medium.com/@discountcodeuae/do-you-know-you-can-save-your-money-on-every-online-purchase-9b4b94c30730 | [] | 2021-02-04 13:14:55.654000+00:00 | ['Discount', 'Shopping', 'Coupon Codes', 'Uae', 'Coupon'] |
Alphabet and Numbers Poster — Kids Land | Home / Decor / Alphabet and Numbers Poster
You save 49%
Alphabet and Numbers Poster
6.00$ — 53.80$
These adorable themed posters are a fun way to have your little ones learn the basics of the alphabet and numbers this year.
Decorate your child’s room with posters, while learning the basics together!
Alphabet and number poster are the perfect gift for children, for New Year, Christmas, thanksgiving day, baby shower, birthday
Details:
Waterproof;
Anti Scratch;
Excellent texture;
HD Gicle print;
Education posters;
Great gift for children.
Note: No frame is include.
ESTIMATED DELIVERY DATE: “due to this situation, shipping may be extended to 2–4 weeks”
Due to high demand, please allow at least 2–4 weeks for delivery. FREE DELIVERY: On all orders over 30$
INSURED & TRACKABLE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING
Your tracking number will be sent to you after 3–5 processing days.
LOVE IT OR GET A 100% REFUND!
We’re absolutely confident that you’ll love this product. If you don’t, just return it for a FULL refund! No questions asked!
The Alphabet and Numbers Poster are adorable themed posters, in a fun way let your little ones learn the basics of the alphabet and numbers this year with the help of educational posters.
These wall art posters can fill the gap on the wall without the need for wallpaper so they are ideal for wall decor.
Decorate the children’s room with posters, while learning the basics together!
Alphabet and number poster are perfect gift for children, for New Year, Christmas, thanksgiving day, baby shower, birthday.
Details:
Waterproof;
Anti Scratch;
Excellent texture;
HD Gicle print;
Education posters;
Great gift for children.
Note: No frame is include.
SHIPPING AND DELIVERY
We are proud to offer international shipping services that currently operate in over 200 countries and islands worldwide. Nothing means more to us than bringing our customers great value and service. We will continue to grow to meet the needs of all our customers, delivering a service beyond all expectation anywhere in the world.
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Packages from our warehouse in China will be shipped by ePacket or EMS depending on the weight and size of the product. Packages shipped from our US warehouse are shipped through USPS.
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Yes. We provide free shipping to over 200 countries around the world. However, there are some locations we are unable to ship to. If you happen to be located in one of those countries we will contact you.
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We are not responsible for any custom fees once the items have shipped. By purchasing our products, you consent that one or more packages may be shipped to you and may get custom fees when they arrive to your country.
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Shipping time varies by location. These are our estimates:
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10–30 Business days
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15–45 Business days
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Yes, you will receive an email once your order ships that contains your tracking information. If you haven’t received tracking info within 5 days, please contact us.
My tracking says “no information available at the moment”.
For some shipping companies, it takes 2–5 business days for the tracking information to update on the system. If your order was placed more than 5 business days ago and there is still no information on your tracking number, please contact us.
Will my items be sent in one package?
For logistical reasons, items in the same purchase will sometimes be sent in separate packages, even if you have specified combined shipping.
If you have any other questions, please contact us and we will do our best to help you out.
REFUNDS & RETURNS POLICY
Order cancellation
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Your satisfaction is our #1 priority. Therefore, you can request a refund or reshipment for ordered products if:
You do not receive them within the guaranteed time (45 days not including 2–5 day processing)
You receive the wrong item
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We do not issue the refund if:
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*You can submit refund requests within 15 days after the guaranteed period for delivery (45 days) has expired. You can do it by sending a message on contact page.
If you are approved for a refund, then your refund will be processed, and a credit will automatically be applied to your credit card or original method of payment, within 14 days.
Exchanges
If for any reason you would like to exchange your product, perhaps for a different size in clothing. You must contact us first and we will guide you through the steps.
Please do not send your purchase back to us unless we authorise you to do so.
How much do you charge for shipping?
We provide free shipping to over 200 countries around the world*
*with some exceptions
Will i be charged any shipping, customs or duties fees?
No, the price you see is the price you pay — you won’t be charged any extra fees.
When will my item ship?
If you order an in-stock item your order will ship within 3 working days.
How long will my order take to arrive?
Orders are shipped by EMS, USPS, which usually takes 5–20 working days after dispatch, but may take longer due to factors beyond our control.
Do you provide tracking information?
You will receive your tracking information within 3–5 working days, but sometimes due to free shipping tracking is not available. If not please contact us at [email protected]
Can i cancel my order?
You can change or cancel an order within 12 hours. Please contact us at [email protected]
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Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may write a review. | https://medium.com/@kids-land/alphabet-and-numbers-poster-kids-land-315e90d14df5 | ['Kids Land'] | 2021-01-24 19:16:27.914000+00:00 | ['Baby Products', 'Kids', 'Baby Clothes', 'Baby'] |
Pantry Raid | Eight of the Great Traditional Chinese Medicine Foods
Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. — Hippocrates
As this year draws to a close, it seems I will be spending more time alone than ever before in my life. My wife will be gone for an indeterminate amount of time, but on the scale of months at least. So it has come down to re-arranging the space in our small home. I have taken over the table for writing and art, but at the same time I respect my wife’s personal space even if she isn’t here, so I don’t touch her stuff. Although she has worked her magic in our small kitchen the time has come to speak of many things of sour bamboo, five-spice powder and black ear fungus. I have been rummaging around the pantry (kitchen cabinets) for a couple months now. I have been making a lot of soups during this pandemic home alone time. So, today I conducted an extensive pantry raid :-)
My wife is the one who taught me some foods are medicine. In the US, there are “Asian Markets” everywhere. They are the place to go for a wide variety of items not found in traditional American supermarkets. After living in China for twelve years, I know some items below are on the shelves in most homes. Here are a few Traditional Chinese Medicine Foods which I am adding to my pandemic mix, and a few (out of fear or ignorance) I am saving for my wife when she returns.
The number one go to medicine food for potency would have to be ginseng. Be careful with the amounts though. Too much of a good thing is bad for your health, especially ginseng. My grandmother used to hunt wild ginseng in the hills of Kentucky as a little girl. This brand of ginseng is sold in every TCM store in the US, and is highly prized in China. When putting in soups, a single piece is enough, and don’t forget to eat it.
Goji is my favorite TCM food. These magical red berries are said to provide many benefits: liver, lung, immune system, nerves, brain,… When I first met my wife she told me to wash a few tablespoons full each day and soak in hot water — drink the “tea” and eat the fruit. Goji is a fantastic addition to your cupboards. Great in oatmeal. Wash them before using.
Star anise is a powerful and cheap anti-viral medicine food. These beauties contain Shikimic acid which is one of the main active ingredients in the Tamiflu, which is used for the treatment of influenza. Although I don’t like the flavor of anise very much (think black jelly beans), I understand it is fighting viruses so into the pot it goes. Watch out for the seeds that fall out, and I do not recommend eating the anise, but that’s up to you.
For authentic Southern Chinese flavored dishes add a dash or two of Five-Spice Powder. The five spices are: anise, fennel, cloves, Sichuan pepper and cinnamon,all of which have antioxidant properties. What Americans put on bakery foods, Chinese put on meat and other dishes for savory flavor. Many Americans love cinnamon, but for my young students in China, cinnamon is a medicine. Each semester I would have two food classes, but I soon learned they refused to eat any dish we made with cinnamon. When you pass a Chinese butcher shop, you will definitely catch a whiff of five-spices powder.
Nothing says medicine food like mushrooms. Mushrooms and fungi are power-packed health foods. The cloud ear fungus, goes by many names, I just call it black fungus. It is an edible jelly fungus bought dried. Because it is dried, it expands three to four times when it re-hydrates in your soups. I have been told it is good for the lungs, liver, immune system and inflammation because of the ant-oxidant qualities. There are dozens and dozens of dried mushrooms varieties for sale in Asian markets, almost as many as there types of noodles. Wash them before using.
Hong Zao is sometimes known as Chinese red date or jujube. According to what I’ve been told, this is especially good for women’s reproductive system. It also aids in the digestion, especially constipation. Wash them thoroughly and plop a few in your soup. Watch out for the seeds.
Dried Lo Han Fruit. Being a lecturer in China, and teaching small children, occasionally I would be stricken with a sore throat. This can be a problem when you talk for a living :-) Dried Lo Han is magical. Break off a piece and make a tea with it. A couple other methods for easing sore throats: boiling ginger with honey, and or boiling pears with sugar.
Sour Bamboo is a southern China and Southeast Asian favorite. I am including it because the smell and taste reminds me of my sweet wife. The first home-cooked meal we ever shared was a local noodle dish which features sour bamboo. Pickled foods have many benefits for the digestion. The strong smell reminds me of the years I lived in tropical southern China. A little of this goes a long way.
While poking about in the pantry, I also found my wife’s medicinal herbs. These are for expert level use only, so I am putting them on the high shelf where they await the return of the master. The one on the left is a very rare medicinal plant. It needs to be infused in 80-proof or higher alcohol for several months before using. I swear it has incredible curative powers for joint and back pains a spoonful at a time. The center one is a massively powerful fungus that in larger doses could prove very harmful. And the one on the right is unknown. And that is half the fun of conducting this pantry raid — the unknown things lurking about in dark recesses of the cupboard. Get Cookin’ Stay Healthy. | https://medium.com/@unbox-your-soul/pantry-raid-28a8ab745095 | ['C.E. Wheeler'] | 2020-12-26 19:46:44.440000+00:00 | ['Food', 'Traditional Chinese', 'Health', 'Cooking', 'Life'] |
How It Felt to Live Surrounded by AIDS Before Treatment | I don’t want to answer your question, because it’s very painful to take myself back there. But our stories need to to be told, I suppose, so I’m going to try.
I was outside the US and mostly isolated from the epidemic during much of the the 1980s. In my deployed military world, AIDS happened to other people, far far away. I worried about HIV in a detached sense, but not in a personal one. Then I left the Air Force and landed in Manhattan in 1990.
When the wheels of that DC-10 set down at JFK, they were delivering me into the very peak of plague I barely comprehended. It’s so hard to bring it to life with mere words, to describe. I felt so much in the next few weeks.
Overwhelming fear.
Stubborn optimism.
Fierce anger.
The more I integrated into my new world, the more tragedy I experienced, the more my soul seemed to catch fire. I lived and worked in Chelsea and Greenwich Village. Almost all my friends and coworkers were gay men.
Nobody knew who was next.
You have to understand that given the long incubation period and the even longer progression to illness, that many gay men were at risk because of sexual contact they’d had before they knew they needed to be safe.
The Sword of Damocles dangled everywhere.
We argued about whether we should be tested. Did we even want to know if the virus was slowly and relentlessly multiplying in our blood? What was the point of knowing? No medicine could help us.
Funerals for young men happened every damn day.
Purple blotches stained faces on every corner. Refugees from the Bible Belt were terrified of going “home” to die. They wanted to stay with their friends as they drew their last breaths.
The living tended the dying.
Cooke was my friend.
He had been a fashion model. From somewhere inside that gaunt face peered the beautiful man he had once been. He was cheerful and friendly as he died. He didn’t want to be a burden.
He didn’t make it.
Neither did Allen. Or Phillip. Or Antonio. Or Charles. I have tears streaming down my cheeks as I remember them all.
I think of one sweet boy in particular. He was little more than a child when he gave up precautions and sero-converted on purpose. He couldn’t take it. He didn’t know how to live surrounded by all that death. He gave up and he died. The virus was merciful.
It took him fast.
We fought back, though.
We educated ourselves and we organized. We cared for our friends first. We fed them, we nursed them, we bathed them, and we buried them.
We fought for money for research, and we fought for affordable treatment. We fought the apathy of our government and we fought the homophobic evil of the Roman Catholic Church, which at least in New York poured so much energy and money into fighting safer sex education.
We lived all along.
What else is there? We danced and sang. We partied in the streets. We roared our defiance into the dark night. We lived and we loved as we died.
Then one day it ended.
Just like that.
Effective treatment came out toward the end of the nineties. It was like a miracle. People who were almost dead recovered overnight.
We looked up and the sun burnt our eyes as it rose to end a long, dark night. We didn’t know how to feel. We didn’t know what to think next. We didn’t know what to do next. We blinked and asked ourselves an important question.
How do you recover from that? | https://jfinn6511.medium.com/how-it-felt-to-live-surrounded-by-aids-before-treatment-9cf780acc4d2 | ['James Finn'] | 2019-10-19 12:23:36.035000+00:00 | ['This Happened To Me', 'HIV', 'Mental Health', 'LGBTQ', 'Activism'] |
Getting Started with Lens Studio | We’ve all either come across or used apps that apply fun filters to our photos, whether we are creating our own, or viewing someone else’s feed. But how are these made? Yes, I understand how to use Facebook/Instagram/Snapchat/<insert trendy social app here>. What I really mean is: how do software developers create these amazing filter experiences for us to play with? In this tutorial, we’ll focus on a single filter platform called Lens Studio, created by Snapchat, Inc. You can download it here.
We’ll be making enhancements to an existing template provided by Lens Studio called Team Celebrate. Here is the end result:
My filter is UVA focused, but you’ll customize yours for your school and/or favorite sports team!
Setting up your project
Open Lens Studio, use the search bar to search for a template named Team Celebrate, and click to open it.
2. The lens will load, and you’ll instantly see it working on the right-hand side of the screen. You can try out different still images and video loops by using the drop-down menu in the middle, above the video loop. Feel free to experiment with different images and videos to see how the effect looks.
3. But you aren’t here to see the filter effect on other people! To try it out on yourself, click the Webcam Preview button (note that I experienced issues with external web cams, so try your built-in one first). Alternatively, you can send it to your own Snapchat account by clicking “Preview in Snapchat” in the top right-hand corner.
4. To customize the filter, click TeamCelebrateController [EDIT_ME] in the Objects browser in the top left-hand corner. You can customize colors, effects, show/hide different effects, and even replace the logo and banner images! Go ahead and spend some time customizing it for your school colors.
5. Let’s take a moment to save your project. Click File->Save As and name it My Team Celebrate.
6. For Team Logo and Team Banner, you’ll need to obtain your own images from the web. Click here to jump to a Google Image search for .png images with transparent backgrounds. Replace the search for <your college> logo. Download the image, and rename it to something sensible (e.g. uva-logo.png). Rinse and repeat for a banner image - for this, feel free to find an alternate image that might represent your school’s mascot or motto. Drag these two images into the Resources browser under the Example Resources [REMOVE ME] folder.
7. Click your TeamCelebrateController [EDIT_ME] in the Objects browser and select your custom Team Logo and Team Banner (under Screen Banner) in the Inspector to update your Preview window.
8. You’ll notice that the team banner image I selected is way too big and there is no way to scale it down via the TeamCelebrateController properties (though you can scale the logo). We can fix that. In the Resources browser, click the Scripts->TeamCelebrateController [EDIT_ME] to edit the file’s code. Add the following line to the Screen Banner widget group:
// @input float bannerSize = 0.3 {"showIf":"showBanner", "widget":"slider", "min":0.0, "max":1.0, "step":0.01}
9. Additionally in this file, find the configureScreenBanner() function, add the following lines to the end of the if {} block:
var size = new vec2(script.bannerSize, script.bannerSize).uniformScale(2.0); setRectSize(screenTransform.anchors, size);
Click File->Save.
Note: You may see the following error in the Logger at the bottom, but I’ve found it can be safely ignored and eventually goes away:
Argument 0: Value is not a number
The bannerSize property is now available to tweak in the Inspector when clicking TeamCelebrateController [EDIT_ME] in the Objects browser!
10. You’ll notice your eyes look a bit funky — the template we selected is applying some Face Effects. Feel free to disable these by deselecting the Face Effects under Camera->Effects->Face Effects in the Objects browser.
11. The goal of the rest of this tutorial is to customize this lens to add a few enhancements:
Upon tapping the screen, randomly cycle through the different Face Paint Types
Instead of confetti constantly dropping, modify the filter’s behavior to only show confetti when you open your mouth.
Add a virtual background from your school’s campus — this could be your favorite building, sports arena, or maybe even your dorm!
Tip: If you are ever missing the Object browser, Resources Browser, Inspector, etc.., you can always reset the layout by going to Window->Panels->Default Layout.
Pick a random face paint type upon tapping the screen
1. Click the Scripts->TeamCelebrateController in the Resources browser to edit its code.
2. Update the function signature of configureFacePaint() to look like this:
function configureFacePaint(isRandom) {
3. Modify this configureFacePaint() function’s code for loop that iterates through the facePaintTypes, add logic to that will pick a random or single selected facePaintType based on whether isRandom is passed into the function. Here is the code snippet to inject into that function:
script.facePaintType = isRandom ? Math.floor(Math.random() * script.properties.api.facePaintTypes.length) : script.facePaintType;
4. Next, add an additional function right above configureFacePaint(isRandom) which will allow us to access the function outside this file:
script.api.configureFacePaint = function(isRandom) { configureFacePaint(isRandom); }
Click File->Save.
5. In the Resources browser, click the + to add another new Script and rename it TapController. Move it into the Scripts folder, if it isn’t already there.
Add the following code:
//@input Component.ScriptComponent TeamCelebrateController script.TeamCelebrateController.api.configureFacePaint(true);
Click File->Save.
6. Click TeamCelebrateController [EDIT_ME] in the Objects browser, and in the Inspector window, click Add Script and choose TapController
Map this script to the Tapped event.
7. You’ll now find a new property at the bottom of your TeamCelebrateController’s Inspector called Team Celebrate Controller. Set that to TeamCelebrateController [EDIT_ME].
8. Now try tapping the screen — you should see the face paint change each time to a random type!
Trigger confetti via the Mouth Opened facial gesture
1. Click TeamCelebrateController [EDIT_ME] in the Resources browser to edit the file’s code.
2. Inside the init() function, remove the call to configureConfetti() and add this line
script.properties.api.confetti.enabled = false;
3. Modify the configureConfetti() function signature to look like this:
script.api.configureConfetti = function(on) {
4. Update the first line of this function to add a check for the on boolean in the if statement:
if (script.properties.api.confetti && on) {
5. Add an else clause to the end of the function — this will be directly after the closing of the if statement that starts on the first line of the configureConfetti() function.:
else { script.properties.api.confetti.enabled = false; }
6. In the Resources browser, click the + to add a new Script and rename it StartConfettiController. Move it into the Scripts folder if it isn’t already there.
Add the following code to your newly created StartConfettiController:
//@input Component.ScriptComponent TeamCelebrateController script.TeamCelebrateController.api.configureConfetti(true);
Click File->Save.
7. In the Resources browser, click the + to add another new Script and rename it StopConfettiController. Move it into the Scripts folder if it isn’t already there.
Add the following code to your newly created StopConfettiController:
//@input Component.ScriptComponent TeamCelebrateController script.TeamCelebrateController.api.configureConfetti(false);
Click File->Save.
8. In the Objects browser, click TeamCelebrateController [EDIT_ME] and review the Inspector. Click Add Script and choose your StartConfettiController.
Repeat for the StopConfettiController, and map them to the Mouth Opened and Mouth Closed events, respectively.
9. Test out your changes in the Preview window — opening your mouth should trigger confetti and closing your mouth should stop it.
Tip: If it doesn’t seem to be working, try clicking the Reset Lens button in the Preview pane:
Adding a virtual background
Find an image online (or use one that you’ve taken!) to use as your virtual background, and name it something sensible (e.g. uva-background.jpg). Drag it into the Example Resources [REMOVE_ME] folder in the Resources browser in the bottom left-hand corner. Also, in the Resources browser, click the + to add a Simple PBR Material. Make sure to drag this into the Materials folder, and rename it to virtual_background.
3. In the Inspector on the right-hand side:
update Base Texture->Texture to your virtual background image file
uncheck the Lighting checkbox
4. Next, in the Resources browser:
click the + to add a Segmentation Texture->Portrait Background
move this into the Textures folder.
5. Additionally in the Resources browser:
add a new Render Target by clicking +, and choosing Render Target
rename this to Virtual Background Render Target
move it under the Textures folder
6. In the Objects browser in the top left-hand corner:
click + to add another Camera
rename it to VirtualBackgroundCamera
7. With VirtualBackgroundCamera selected in the Objects Browser, let’s modify values in the Inspector:
set the Camera Type property to Orthographic
set the Mask Texture to Portrait Background Segmentation
set its Render Target property to Virtual Background Render Target.
click into the Layers box and choose Add New Layer, and create a new layer and rename it Virtual Background — *this should be the only layer selected*.
8. Still in the Objects browser, with VirtualBackgroundCamera selected:
click + to add an Image Object
9. Modify the Image Object’s properties in the Inspector:
set Material to your virtual_background material
set Stretch Mode to Fill.
set its Z position to -1.0
set its layer to Virtual Background
10. Click the Camera (not the Virtual Background Camera) in the Objects browser, and in the Inspector:
set its Clear Color Option to Texture
set its Input to Virtual Background Render Target
11. Back in the Resources browser under Textures:
find the existing Render Target
Render Target set its Texture->Clear Color property to None in the Inspector.
Tip: I’ve noticed different behavior in Lens Studio (different laptops) upon setting the Clear Color property to None vs Background. If None doesn’t work, try Background.
Voila, you should now have your image as the virtual background!
What’s Next?
I hope you enjoyed enhancing the team celebration template to make it more interesting and interactive! While I think it’d be neat to publish what you’ve made, please be mindful of any copyrights and/or trademarks of the imagery you’ve selected.
I encourage you to continue learning by following the numerous Lens Studio Guides published by Snapchat. Have fun! | https://medium.com/@jaredalexander/getting-started-with-lens-studio-1c84f5a58165 | ['Jared Alexander'] | 2021-01-04 04:21:23.550000+00:00 | ['Tutorial', 'Lens Studio', 'Augmented Reality'] |
Vietnam’s construction industry: risk of chain default | Most construction companies witnessed a decline in business results in the first quarter of 2020,
While an increasingly exhausting cash flow also made it difficult for contractors to recover from the COVID-19 epidemic.
Gloomy business results
Facing difficulties suffered by the real estate industry and the negative impact of COVID-19, Vietnam’s construction industry has just experienced gloomy business results when most businesses witnessed revenue and profit declining compared to the same period last year, and some businesses have even suffered from losses.
According to statistics in the first quarter of 2020, total revenue of large enterprises in the construction industry reached VND 9,780 billion, down 17% compared to the same period last year while total profit after tax decreased by 27% to VND 347 billion.
In particular, the leader in the industry, COTECCONS CONSTRUCTION JOINT STOCK COMPANY (CTD), recorded a net revenue of VND 3,554 billion in the first quarter, down 16.4% compared to the same period in 2019. Profit after tax also decreased by 34.6 % to VND 123.4 billion in the first quarter of 2020, the lowest in the last 5 years.
Coteccons said that the decline in revenue in the last quarter was due to the fierce competition when fewer and fewer projects were available. Besides, many real estate projects which were signed but not implemented or implemented slowly in the first quarter due to the COVID-19 epidemic have affected the overall business activities of the company.
Meanwhile,HOA BINH CONSTRUCTION GROUP JOINT STOCK COMPANY (HBC) has witnessed a decrease of 34.1% to VND 2,442 billion in net revenue. The company’s profit after tax was only VND 5.5 billion, which is a sharp decline of VND 155 billion over the same period last year. This business may even have had to report a net loss in the first quarter if there had been no “other financial revenue” which was VND 12.7 billion.
Also due to the impact of COVID-19,VIET NAM CONSTRUCTION AND IMPORT — EXPORT JOINT STOCK CORPORATION’s first-quarter revenue and profit after tax decreased by 40% and 36%, respectively, to VND 1,000 billion and VND 63.8 billion. FECON CORPORATION also witnessed a decrease of 48.3% to VND 15.1 billion in profit after tax, while its revenue only decreased by 12.8% to VND 427.8 billion.
Even another giant in the construction market,CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION NO 1 JOINT STOCK COMPANY (Code: CC1), suffered a net loss of more than VND 56 billion in the first quarter of 2020 (the same period last year it gained more than VND 41 billion), although net sales of the company still reached VND 1,213 billion, just a slight decrease compared to the same period last year.
Cash flow increasingly exhausted
The outbreak of the COVID-19 has seriously affected all economic sectors. For the construction industry, the difficulty is not only indicated in the declining business results but also in the increasingly exhausted cashflow. Due to the complicated movements of the
Financial reports of the first quarter of 2019 show that many investors are in serious liquidity situation. Many businesses such as Quoc Cuong Gia Lai, Netland, Phat Dat whose total assets may be worth trillions of dongs have total amount of a few billion dong in cash. Even businesses that follow balanced financial policies like Nam Long also face difficulties.
According to contractors, the difficulties faced by the real estate sector in the past two years have had a clear impact on the construction industry. Many businesses are unable to carry out their business plans because of legal problems, and some even fall into financial imbalance, unable to pay due debts.
COVID-19 epidemic causing slow progress, revenue of construction companies has also been affected. Meanwhile, cash flow recovery is also limited because investors are also having difficulty in selling and handing over their projects due to the epidemic.
In the first quarter, most construction businesses witnessed negative operating cash flow. In particular, Vinaconex had a negative operating cash flow of VND 1,061 billion, nearly 4 times higher than the same period last year, and even higher than the revenue in the first quarter.
In contrast, Fecon is the only enterprise in the industry to record positive operating cash flow, but the amount was only VND 2 billion. Accordingly, the cash value of this business at the end of the period was only VND 221 billion, while receivables amounted to VND 3,344 billion, equivalent to 59% of total assets.
Similarly, cash flow of the other companies is also stuck in the receivables of investors, while the amount of available cash is very small. Particularly, cash of two Coteccons businesses accounts for over 10% of total assets while that of the others maintained below 5%. Hoa Binh Construction has a cash ratio of less than 1% while receivables account for 69% of total assets.
According to BSC Securities, the construction industry is among sectors with the lowest tolerance after COVID-19 epidemic. BSC’s analysis shows that construction companies can only maintain their business for an average of 4.2 months, much lower than other industries. Meanwhile, most of these businesses have less-than-6-month liquidity (except Coteccons).
Difficulties in cash flow due to bad debts from investors have caused a sharp increase in receivables, while the increase of short-term loans to provide capital for operating activities also made interest expense increase, and created additional financial pressure on these businesses.
Solutions
Facing the above situation, many businesses have come up with solutions to deal with difficulties and overcome the impact of COVID-19 epidemic. Vinaconex said that the company persistently organizes a direct construction model in combination with a general contractor management model, while improving bidding work, searching for construction works and selecting projects with investors who have good capital source, and improving the quality of works to create prestige with foreign investors.
In 2020, Vinaconex will try to sign new projects such as Foxconn E5-E6 (signed in March 2020), Vam Tra Lot Bridge (winning bid contract negotiation), VOV tower, Valuetronics, Lotte Mall Hanoi, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Foxconn, etc.
The representative of Hoa Binh construction company said that this company is focusing on major customers, FDI customers, industrial and infrastructure construction. These customers are less affected by the epidemic and legal procedures.
According to economic experts, the Government’s support package can help ease debt repayment. Businesses need to stay firm and overcome the difficult period in 6 months to 1 year. Meanwhile, restructuring solutions, finding new markets and new products are very good but need time and financial resources.
Source: Vietnambiz | https://medium.com/@vietnamcreditmedia/vietnams-construction-industry-risk-of-chain-default-6dc31fecd35c | [] | 2020-05-15 04:48:27.744000+00:00 | ['Construction Industry', 'Risk'] |
All That Glisters: Guildford Shakespeare Company take Murder Mystery to the 1980s | Guildford Shakespeare Company (GSC) have been incredibly active over lockdown — their #AtHomeWithGSC initiative has seen them continue to showcase the fantastic work of their Young Company together with monologues and meet the maker sessions with the grown ups. They have also moved into the Zoom Theatre arena, with a ‘for Zoom’ adaptation of their production of The Wind in the Willows (presented for Zoom in collaboraton Jermyn Street and the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre) and the made-for-lockdown murder mystery The Shakespeare Solitaire (which Ben reviewed back in May). All That Glisters, directed by Francesca McInally and written by company member Eleanor Murton, is GSC’s follow-up ‘whodunnit’.
Promotional image taken from Guildford Shakespeare Company’s Twitter feed (Image credit: Guildford Shakespeare Company)
Solanio (Sarah Gobran) — our speakeasy host from Shakespeare Solitaire — has been transported from the 1920s to 1989 where she is now hosting a red carpet event in Monaco. The format is much the same as for Solitaire. The main room, run by Solanio, sees her banter with the audience — making small talk, mocking decor and questioning costume choices. In a testament to how quickly audiences have embraced this new normal, there were a number of returning audience members: ‘How are you doing? I haven’t seen you since the 1920s!’ was a common refrain. And these returning audience members had embraced the concept — with a number (myself included) dressing for the ‘80s. As we have noted, made for Zoom theatre has so far been very much set in the current moment. Socially distanced actors performing for a socially distanced audience — it seems somewhat impossible to completely move away from the present with the new normal of Zoom calls and split screen. GSC embraced the time smash of the 1920s, 1980s and 2020s: we are simultaneously in all three as we acknowledge lockdown and modern technology, that the 1920s was mere weeks ago, whilst enthusiastically enjoying stereotypically ’80s references.
The schtick is simple: we are attending the new photographic exhibition of Jacques Amoree (Daniel Abbott), whose famous patron, 96-year-old Leonato ‘Monty’ Montague, was recently found dead floating in the Monaco Marina. Monty left behind a 35-year-old widow, Portia St John Shrew (Natasha Rickman), estranged son Edmund Montague III (Matt Pinches) and family legal advisor, Angie Prince (Eli Murton), who are all suspects in his untimely death. With the audience split into groups for ‘breakout room’ interrogations of the characters, our job once again was to find out ‘whodunnit’. As with The Shakespeare Solitaire, Shakespearean references were less plot drivers than ‘easter eggs’, intertextual references placed to entertain the keen Bardophile — a name here, a strawberry handkerchief there. Where this production excelled though was with the tongue in cheek ’80s pop culture references. Jacques’s art was pure black and white Athena classics; Portia mourned Monty claiming him to be ‘the wind beneath my wings’ and wishing she could ‘turn back time’. In one of the set pieces, Jacques and Portia’s meeting was recounted by appropriating the lyrics of The Human League’s Don’t You Want Me, with the pair exchanging gender swapped lines: ‘I was working as a waiter in a cocktail bar when I met you…’. There was complete commitment to the 1980s references, even in the improvised interrogation — ‘Do you really want to hurt me?!’ exclaimed Jacques when asked an impertinent question.
The setting for GLC’s All That Glisters: Solanio’s 1989 cocktail bar ‘Salacious!’ (Image credit: Guildford Shakespeare Company)
I won’t reveal the plot twists and turns as that would spoil the fun, but a fun 90 minutes it was. An immersive theatre experience requires audience buy-in and, whilst the cast are universally strong, both Abbott’s Jacques and Rickman’s Portia are a particular joy with witty responses and repartee that left a number of our interviewing group lost for words while the rest of us giggled. Sadly, the current run has ended, but if new dates are added, I’d wholeheartedly recommend you crimp your hair, pour a babycham and channel your inner Magnum PI.
The Guildford Shakespeare Company’s production of All That Glisters has now ended. However, you can stay up to date on any future online performances on the company’s website and via their Twitter feed. | https://medium.com/action-is-eloquence-re-thinking-shakespeare/all-that-glisters-guildford-shakespeare-company-take-murder-mystery-to-the-1980s-8838c4e9e139 | ['Gemma Allred'] | 2020-07-07 12:28:00.527000+00:00 | ['Lockdown', 'Zoom', 'Shakespeare', 'Murder Mystery', 'Immersive Theatre'] |
Piggin’ out with Priyanka (5/20/2020) | Step 1: Start by bringing a pot of water to boil, and make sure to salt the water — it’s so important!
Step 2: Once the water is boiling, pour in the macaroni and cook it based on package directions! Once it’s cooked (and not overcooked), drain and set aside.
Step 3: In the saucepan — over medium heat — melt the butter and start stirring in the flour to cook it out with the butter. You want to keep mixing this combo till it becomes slightly brown.
Fun fact: This is what is called a roux, and is the base of many soups, stews etc.. it’s a great thickening agent.
Step 4: Add 1 cup milk and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
Step 5: The mixture will begin to thicken as you continue to mix for the next 4 or 5 minutes. If you feel that the sauce is too thick, you can add another half cup of milk (little by little) to desired consistency.
Step 6: Once mixture is at your consistency, reduce heat to low and add cheese. Stir the mixture until the cheese has fully melted and becomes smooth.
Step 7: Taste for Salt and add a little more if you want. At this stage you can add other seasoning that you’d like such as garlic powder or cajun seasoning!
Step 8: Add cooked pasta to the pot of cheese sauce and stir until the sauce is evenly distributed. | https://medium.com/@ppvenkat/piggin-out-with-priyanka-5-20-2020-dd1270ac1526 | ['Priyanka Venkat'] | 2020-05-20 21:03:58.077000+00:00 | ['Mac N Cheese', 'Foodies'] |
My Coding Bootcamp Experience: Week 1 | Hi, my name is Godfrey Martinez and I just started the San Diego Code School program on April 5th and I am on week #1 out of the 12 week Fullstack JavaScript course. I’m feeling pretty excited and a bit anxious for whats to come.
Some of the biggest challenges I faced this week was getting all my dependencies installed on my computer. I’m running PopOS! A Linux distro’ and I was having some trouble getting hip with the “sudo” lingo as well as just running things from the command line — Small hiccups in the end.I feel pretty good using them now.
This week I got acquainted with JavaScript for the first time, I’ve used Java and C++ in a past life and nothing much since. I definitely had some rust I had to knock off, but the idea of creating functions and objects slowly came back to me. Remembering how to use a for loop and operators were probably my biggest battle this week. Very important concepts to grasp if you are trying to calculate or manipulate data.
While I was rusty when I started this week I can say I felt pretty good after finishing the first few projects and look forward to next week! | https://medium.com/@godmartinz/my-coding-bootcamp-experience-week-1-507c8995abc6 | ['Godfrey Martinez'] | 2019-04-12 22:14:01.681000+00:00 | ['JavaScript', 'Coding', 'Codingbootcamp'] |
LNG projects must control costs to stay competitive | Reuters are reporting that Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company (NLNG) could unlock three times as much gas as the country’s proven reserves and create hundreds of thousands of jobs if it goes ahead with a proposed expansion plan.
NLNG is a venture between state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Royal Dutch Shell, Total and Eni to produce LNG for export.
Read the full article here:
https://www.lngindustry.com/liquefaction/09032017/nigeria-banks-on-nlng-expansion/ | https://medium.com/lng-news/lng-projects-must-control-costs-to-stay-competitive-9d105424b234 | ['Anna Smith'] | 2017-03-09 14:43:26.766000+00:00 | ['Lng', 'Lng Market Analysis', 'Lng Featured News', 'Nigeria', 'Energy'] |
I Co-Sleep With My Baby. Here’s Why You Should, Too! | I have the most beautiful 18-month-old boy named Jakub. He’s the absolute love of my life. And soon, his brother will be joining us.
When Jakub was born, we put bassinets all over the house. We wound up with three of them, all gifted from friends and family, and we were thrilled because it meant we could have one beside our bed, in the basement, and in the spare room downstairs (we sleep there on occasion if it’s too warm upstairs).
Upon Jakub’s birth, we discovered that this little boy hates bassinets. While in the hospital, after more than 13 hours of active labor, I and my husband were exhausted, and my son was stressed about this sudden exposure to the real world (to make matters worse, the doctors induced my labor; he didn’t want to leave the comfort of my womb just yet).
At this time we were just learning, together, how to breastfeed. Once he finally figured it out, his little eyes fluttered shut and he knocked right out. He was in the nook of my arm, and I was lying on my side, with my arms wrapped safely around his little body, cradling him. Next thing I knew, we were asleep.
And this is exactly what the next six months of his life looked like.
What is co-sleeping?
There is a common misconception I’ve noticed about co-sleeping. Many people wrongly believe that to co-sleep means to share a bed with your child. In fact, the term “co-sleep” is defined as “the practice of sleeping in the same bed or close by in the same room with one’s child” by Merriam-Webster.
This includes having a bassinet or other type of low-lying infants’ cot in the room near the parents, or explicitly bed-sharing. In my household, we bed-shared, and we loved it. It improved our quality of sleep (both parents and baby).
Not only did our quality of sleep improve, but so did our peace of mind. I can’t tell you how many times I woke up suddenly in my sleep, after my son started sleeping in his own room, and panicked, thinking he’d fallen off the bed (when in reality, he was safely tucked away in his crib).
How to co-sleep safely
If you would like to bed-share with your newborn, there are some guidelines you should follow.
For starters, ensure both you and your spouse are completely sober. Smoking, drinking and drug use can inhibit one’s ability to rouse easily from sleep. This can drastically increase the chances of accidentally smothering your child.
Another important tip is to make sure your child is always placed on his back to sleep and never his stomach. This is especially true if he’s sleeping in a separate bed or under covers. If you do put a blanket over your child, ensure that it does not cover his face and that it is a thin, breathable blanket. Smothering by blanket or duvet is another very common cause of death among infants less than three months old.
It is also vitally important that you do not allow your older children to co-sleep with their infant sibling(s). While it is very cute and a nice way to bond for them, it can also be very dangerous! The only people who should share a bed with an infant should be that child’s primary caregiver(s) or the adult responsible.
Finally, this tip goes out to all parents who are severely overweight and/or obese. Many obese individuals have reduced sensitivity on certain parts of their bodies, thus increasing the risk of them smothering their child as they sleep. Please be careful and mindful of your bodies if you decide to co-sleep! In this instance, the safer alternative would perhaps be to have a cot or a bassinet beside your bed.
Benefits to co-sleeping
The list is extensive but allow me to point out the best ones:
Most breastfed babies fall asleep while feeding. An infant who shares the bed (or sleeps within arm’s reach) with mom will be unlikely to wake immediately post-feed, by being placed in his own bed or on a separate surface.
Co-sleep (specifically when practiced in the same bed) encourages breastfeeding! Whenever my son woke up for his late-night feeds, he didn’t even need to open his eyes; he merely had to move his lips around until he found my nipple, then dozed peacefully back off to sleep.
All involved parties sleep better (usually). As I mentioned, my son barely roused from his sleep to feed. If he didn’t wake, neither did I, and neither did my husband.
There is a significant decrease in stress levels, for parents as much as baby. Newborns experience a lot of stress in their first months of life; they spent the first nine months of their existence in the womb, eating out of a tube, listening to mom’s heartbeat. Suddenly being exposed to this sensory world is immensely stressful. Being close to mom will make him feel more comfortable and secure, and it’ll allow mom (and dad) to be comforted as well, knowing their child is safe. According to a study conducted in South Africa, infants who slept apart from their mothers (rather than skin-to-skin) experienced an increased heart rate, suggesting they were more stressed.
Bed-sharing (especially when coupled with breastfeeding or the use of a pacifier) reduces the risk of SIDS. For a list of recommendations to reduce the risk of SIDS, check out How to Help Prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). According to WebMD, having your newborn sleep in a separate room increases the chance of SIDS by tenfold.
Conclusion
In summary, I’m totes for bed-sharing or co-sleeping in general. My experience with it was phenomenal. I felt immensely better rested than when he slept apart from me (which was only on rare occurrences) and I felt less stressed throughout the night. My son was happier, my husband slept better through the night…
I would also just like to mention that in our experience, we found that we were more comfortable and felt safer if our infant son slept in between the two of us, reducing the chances of him rolling off the side of the bed. When my husband left for work in the mornings, he replaced his presence with a large, heavy body pillow for protection.
I hope this helps you make your decision about co-sleeping! For a list of some of the risks, you can check out Raising Children’s page on co-sleeping with newborns. | https://medium.com/@kaitlenpriestley/i-co-sleep-with-my-baby-heres-why-you-should-too-202e76fd806d | [] | 2019-11-19 22:34:21.247000+00:00 | ['Baby Sleep', 'Co Sleeping', 'Baby', 'Parenting'] |
Nonprofit Fundraising Relies on Trust | Photo by Cytonn Photography from Pexels
I recently read an article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy entitled “To Keep People Giving in the Pandemic, Trust in Nonprofits is Essential” (Segar, B., 2020). I won’t go into detail about the article’s arguments because the title sums up my thoughts perfectly: a nonprofit’s fundraising success is built upon a foundation of trust, and without that trust, the organization’s long-term financial sustainability will suffer.
Each day, nonprofit leaders work hard to attract and retain funding. If they’re savvy fundraisers, these leaders seek a broad range of support — from individual donors, from corporate partners, and from private foundations as well. They tell heartfelt stories about their missions, the people they serve and the differences they make in their communities. With a good mix of skill and luck, the funding arrives and the organization is able to sustain its work for another year.
But, regardless of a nonprofit leader’s story telling abilities, and regardless of a donors’ affinity, wealth, or interest, donors must have a measure of trust in the organization and the people leading it in order for gifts to become reality.
Trust is the reason a nonprofit board delegates authority to its executive director to oversee the organization’s daily operations. It is the reason that I’m always preaching about the importance of nonprofits being open and transparent in communicating with their donors. And trust is the reason nonprofits should value every gift they receive, as the people or entities making these gifts do so because they trust our organizations to be good stewards of their contributions.
It is a responsibility that I have taken very seriously in each role I’ve held in my twenty year nonprofit career.
In the coming year, my greatest wish for my friends in the nonprofit sector is that we continue nurturing relationships of trust with our existing donor bases and make positive strides to establish relationships with new donors. I use the word “relationship” intentionally, as good philanthropy is not a transactional business. Transactions are fickle; we should aim to sustain.
Be open, be honest, build trust, and the gifts will come. | https://medium.com/@launawilson/on-trust-91c545f95899 | ['Launa Wilson'] | 2020-12-17 21:47:41.002000+00:00 | ['Nonprofit Management', 'Philanthropy', 'Nonprofit Fundraising'] |
Out Of The Closet And Into The Streets | On May 28, thousands of women wearing green scarves gathered in front of the National Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Faces adorned with green glitter, many of them held signs in support of legal, safe, and free abortion.
The women came out to show their support for a bill that had been submitted before Congress. Over the past eight years, similar bills in favor of the legalization of abortion have been introduced, with no success.
The legalization of abortion remains one of the most politically divisive issues in this traditional, Catholic nation. Successive feminist movements have championed women’s right to choose since the 1970s to no avail, in part because the Catholic Church continues to have huge influence on public policy, especially in matters related to sexual and reproductive rights.
However, in recent years, the debate has become mainstream, in large part due to the efforts of the Campaign for the right to legal, safe and free abortion — a coalition of organizations, social leaders, and movements.
The Campaign was created in 2003 during the Women’s National Encounter, an annual gathering where Argentine women come together to discuss gender issues. “One of the ideas that came up was to [create] a big national, federal, plural, and diverse campaign to unify the struggles in favor of the right to abortion,” says Martha Rosenberg, one of the campaign’s founders. Rosenberg is an 83-year-old activist, doctor, and psychoanalyst who has been on the frontlines of the battle of women’s rights for decades. “We took abortion out of the closet,” she says.
In 2005, the organization was officially launched, its slogan reading: “Sexual education to decide, contraceptives to prevent abortions, legal abortion to prevent deaths.” This slogan has become a rallying cry for women across the nation. “Over the past 15 years, the campaign became an important political actor,” says Rosenberg. “We placed the right to abortion in the media and the political agenda, after years of being left aside and being considered a marginal topic that had no political weight.”
When I asked her how they were able put what has been considered a taboo issue on the public agenda, Rosenberg explains that the campaign “used all possible strategies.” Some women wrote editorials for the news outlets and filed lawsuits in the cases where the legal right to abortion was denied. Others taught courses on abortion at universities or handed out green scarves on the streets.
“The green scarf is a construction, a symbol,” Rosenberg says. “It’s not just the right to abortion, but also the resistance to a male-centered, patriarchal society, and a demand for equality of all women.” At first, the campaign distributed the scarves for free at assemblies and demonstrations. Over the last year, however, as the debate became more mainstream and its popularity grew, street vendors started selling the scarves on the streets for 50 Argentine pesos (about $1.20). In response, those on the opposing side created a light blue scarf to express their opposition to the legalization of abortion.
The #NiUnaMenos (not one woman less) movement that born in 2015 to denounce gender violence and the government’s lack of action helped pave the way for the debate on abortion. What started as a hashtag on social media promoted by a group of feminist journalists, led to massive demonstrations on the streets across Argentina. “Feminism stopped being something for a few women [and became] something that involved a lot of women,” says journalist Ingrid Beck, one of the journalists who started the movement. “It became a massive phenomenon … It made violence against women, which was hidden and naturalized until then, visible.” | https://brightthemag.com/out-of-the-closet-and-into-the-streets-abortion-reproductive-health-argentina-women-230b933e2a7f | ['Belén Arce Terceros'] | 2019-08-01 18:04:22.229000+00:00 | ['Gender', 'Abortion', 'Health', 'Features', 'Women'] |
Innovation Recommendation: Upping the ambition for global collaboration in R&D | International collaboration is the bedrock of research and innovation (R&I). It is also vital to tackling the global challenges we face today, a point underscored by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The UK Government understands the importance of this. Indeed it has highlighted its ambitions of ensuring the UK remains a world leader in R&I through the launch of the Research and Development (R&D) Roadmap.
Dr Sandeep Sandhu is the Knowledge Transfer Manager for International & Development at KTN, with a considerable background in international strategy and policy; she previously worked at UKRI and the Medical Research Council, leading on facilitating R&I collaborations with key economies around the world. Drawing on her knowledge and experience, Dr Sandhu considers the Roadmap and what needs to be addressed if it’s to be successfully implemented.
The Roadmap refers to three broad priority areas relating to international collaboration:
An agile approach to global collaboration
Supporting new and growing existing collaborations
UK leadership in multilateral forums
Having analysed the Roadmap, I can see a number of things which need to be considered if it’s to deliver the Government’s international R&I ambitions for the UK.
First, a more simplified R&I landscape is critical to ensuring the UK’s offer of funding, support and relationship brokering is clear to both domestic businesses and to those international partners considering engagement with the UK.
There needs to be a toolbox approach to the funding of international collaboration. That means building on existing mechanisms and curating new ones where they are needed. This approach would guarantee the most appropriate mechanism is used for the right context and would encourage both the UK and global R&I communities to collaborate. It would also further mobilise public, private, philanthropic and direct foreign investment capital for global R&I activities. Blended funding approaches would demonstrate agility and responsiveness. For example, blending official development assistance (ODA) funding with non-ODA funds would enable impactful collaborations which don’t fit in a specific ‘box’ to be supported rather than purely defining collaborations based on ringfenced funds.
The protection of intellectual property (IP) is another key consideration. Protecting an international collaboration is such an important and complex area that it may act as a barrier to innovators, deterring their global aspirations. That’s because other nations approach this differently. The UK would benefit from understanding these differences and specifically how research and innovation IP is protected in other countries. This would help ensure effective and safe collaboration. Furthermore, agreed framework agreements on IP sharing and protection, through bilateral/multilateral deals with partnering countries, would help to alleviate these barriers.
Support needed
Beyond this, I see three broad areas where the Government needs to provide support and develop collaborations.
There needs to be renewed focus internationally, particularly with our European partners in a post-Brexit environment. Although providing financial support for EU collaboration is welcome, it will not be sufficient to solidify R&I collaborations with European partners. Further support will be needed to ensure that we remain well networked within the European R&I ecosystem and that new and strong relationships are brokered with EU innovators.
The Government also needs to ensure UK businesses benefit from our renowned academic record. These benefits must be widely shared, leveraged and translated into business collaboration opportunities with international partners.
Work also needs to be done between Government bodies, ensuring that a coherent strategy is shared. Several agencies work within the R&I space. These include the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Department for International Trade, UK Research & Innovation, the Science and Innovation Network and the newly formed Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. Such agencies need to work in concert, building upon academic partnerships to help facilitate and build alliances for our business communities. To achieve this, their capacity needs to be strengthened and approaches aligned.
Looking internationally, the UK has demonstrated strong leadership in multilateral forums. It needs to build on this to support and nurture future collaborative opportunities. This should be done through scaling up public spending on bi-lateral and multi-lateral funding programmes such as Eureka. Doing this would increase the UK’s international credibility as a nation looking to collaborate in R&D.
Conclusion
UK R&I continues to be an evolving and dynamic landscape. However, if the issues and areas I’ve discussed are focused on, the UK will be better equipped to realise the Roadmap’s ambitions, collaborate globally, and remain a world leader in research and innovation. | https://medium.com/@sandeep-sandhu-89/innovation-recommendation-upping-the-ambition-for-global-collaboration-in-r-d-71c570c5439d | ['Sandeep Sandhu'] | 2020-12-21 10:23:36.795000+00:00 | ['Collaboration', 'Research', 'Innovation', 'Research And Development', 'Policy'] |
Sufficiently Advanced Technology: Visual Processing | As 2016 comes to a close I reflect on the many articles in my news feed exclaiming that Machine Learning, AI, Data Scientists, Big Data, Cloud, and <insert Technology here> are poised to take 2017 by storm. But what do these technologies really do? How are they used and what can they be used for? To answer these questions I will be doing a deep dive on the top offerings in different technology areas.
Visual Processing: Getting 1000 words out of a Picture
Visual processing is a key component of may tasks and specific cases such as alphabetic and numeric recognition is effectively solved. The classic example being the MNIST database with some impressive algorithms performing with less than a 1 percent error rate. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MNIST_database)
But what about a more challenging problem, what about Star-Lord?
Who? So glad you asked. Star-Lord the charismatic leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy, recently played by Chris Pratt in marvel’s movie of the same name, directed by James Gunn. Overall great critical and fan reception, part of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not so gratuitous cast photo included here.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
So with guardians being such a cultural phenomenon how do the top image visualization tools do with identifying and classifying the image above? I asked Google’s Cloud Vision API, Microsoft’s Computer Vision API, IBM Watson’s Visual Recognition, and Amazon’s Recognition to take a look at the image and tell me what they saw. (Note: All of these services on continually updating and improving their offerings so your milage may vary if you ask them yourself.)
Results Summary:
All of the offerings were able to identify the unforgettable Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord and as much of a scene stealer as he is, it’s disappointing that more characters were not identified. Even accounting for Groot and Rocket being non-standard humanoid faces, the top two apis only identified 3 of 4 human faces for a total of 50 percent of all character faces on display.
Top Differentiators:
Google and Microsoft identified 3 of 6 character faces where IBM and Amazon only found 1 of 6.
Number of Facial Landmarks identified:
Google 34
Microsoft 27
Amazon 25
IBM 0
Microsoft and Amazon have detailed facial hair and glasses/sunglass detection, Google shows only a headgear category.
Google’s and Amazon’s labels (subjectively) seem more useful than Microsoft’s listing of multiple people in a photograph. Watson seemed to go off the deep end with label here (literally) with references to diving gear and aqualungs.
Even when combining the best results across all of the services, there still remains quite a bit of information left in the image that was not yet able to be extracted. And while no one answered the question of who is Star-Lord (Hint: there are other APIs for that) they all could tell us where he was in the photo.
Goodbye APIs of 2016, looking (pun intended) forward to what you will become in 2017.
Details for those who like that sort of thing. | https://medium.com/state-of-analytics/sufficiently-advanced-technology-visual-processing-fc948503a6ba | ['Andrew Tubley'] | 2017-01-03 21:18:02.105000+00:00 | ['Machine Learning', 'Amazon Web Services', 'Google Cloud Platform', 'Ibm Watson', 'Azure'] |
The Advanced Guide To Facebook Marketing: How To Promote Your Business. | If you’re looking for a way to promote your business on Facebook, you’ve come to the right place. This guide will teach you how to use Facebook marketing to promote your business, but we’ll start with a quick overview of Facebook marketing so you know what to expect. Facebook is the best tool to get more sales to your business. So, choose the best digital marketing courses in Chandigarh to improve your career growth and business growth.
We all know Facebook is a great way to keep in touch with our friends and family, but have you ever thought about how you can use Facebook to promote your business? Here’s how:
Every business is constantly looking for ways to grow their business and improve their bottom line. One way to do this is through social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. These two sites allow you to interact with your customers and potential customers and grow your business exponentially.
Have you ever stopped and wondered how Facebook made $11 billion in 2013? Or how they were able to get Facebook pages to over 100 million users in just two years? Or how they can make mobile phones into a mass-market product? No, we didn’t think so. (That’s why we use this blog).
The world is filled with lots of opinions, but relatively few experts. The rest are at best followers, at worst talking heads. When it comes to Facebook advertising, there is a lot of hearsay, but very little hard data. This means that we often don’t know what we don’t know. And that makes us unlikely to reach the right audience with the right message.
We’ve all heard the old rules of marketing apply to Google and Facebook, but what about Twitter? I’m often shocked by how few businesses are active on Twitter, and that’s why I wanted to write this in-depth guide to help you harness the power of this microblogging site. Facebook’s market penetration is massive and growing, but you can’t ignore the potential of Twitter too. It’s FREE, simple to use, with very low barriers to entry, and allows you to rapidly disseminate news, links, and promotions to an ever-expanding audience.
Facebook is a great way to promote your business. However, it is only one channel for doing so, as there are other social media networks to consider. For example, you may want to promote on other channels such as Twitter, LinkedIn, or Pinterest. Our guide to social media marketing will help you select the channels that make the most sense for your business.
Facebook is the most popular social networking site on the planet. Every day, over 2 Billion people use Facebook to keep in touch with friends and family, share photos, and promote their businesses.
The Facebook marketing world is an exciting place and is filled with new and exciting ways to promote your business and brand. We have already seen how you can use Facebook Insights, create Facebook ads, and create fan pages that are all forms of Facebook marketing. There is so much more to learn, and there is even more to learn than that.
Facebook has become a hub for small businesses, with 93% of small businesses using the platform. Facebook is a great place to market your business, but before you go advertising your services and products, it’s important you know what to do. Facebook marketing is one of the best ways to advertise your business. In today’s blog post, I’m going to teach you everything you need to know about Facebook marketing.
Facebook is a great way to promote your business. However, it is only one channel for doing so, as there are other social media networks to consider. For example, you may want to promote on other channels such as Twitter, LinkedIn, or Pinterest. Our guide to social media marketing will help you select the channels that make the most sense for your business.
The Facebook marketing world is an exciting place and is filled with new and exciting ways to promote your business and brand. We have already seen how you can use Facebook Insights, create Facebook ads, and create fan pages that are all forms of Facebook marketing. There is so much more to learn, and there is even more to learn than that.
Facebook has become a hub for small businesses, with 93% of small businesses using the platform. Facebook is a great place to market your business, but before you go advertising your services and products, it’s important you know what to do. Facebook marketing is one of the best ways to advertise your business. In today’s blog post, I’m going to teach you everything you need to know about Facebook marketing.
As a business owner, it’s important to market your products and services. But in the world of social media, it’s not as simple as just creating a landing page and hoping for the best. You need to be strategic in how you engage with your customers. You need to know how to properly promote your brand. And you need to know exactly how to do all of this without driving an uninterested audience away. | https://medium.com/@ganesh007/the-advanced-guide-to-facebook-marketing-how-to-promote-your-business-2e99fe302472 | [] | 2021-12-17 06:36:35.345000+00:00 | ['Facebook Messenger', 'Facebook', 'Facebook Ads', 'Facebook Marketing'] |
How to Make a Small Fortune on Kickstarter or WeFunder Without losing a Large Fortune! | How to Make a Small Fortune on Kickstarter or WeFunder Without losing a Large Fortune! Patrick Kennedy Thomas Apr 29·6 min read
How Did we Get from Kansas to Oz?
You and your team of intrepid entrepreneurs, technicians, and designers have spent sleepless nights, weekends, and every thin dime to develop technology to transform the world for the better, no, the greatest, a new golden age. Only problem is you are now exhausted, broke and have tapped out all your friends, family, and angel and investing networks. But the world needs your product like it needed the invention of fire, the wheel, the Bronze Age, the Sistine Chapel, the Gutenberg Press, the microprocessor and, of course, the Iphone.
Talk to banks? That’s hilarious. What was the last innovation a bank funded? CDs? Your rich uncle? He wants you to invest in plastics. VCs don’t talk to you, they talk at you, and you don’t understand a single word they said; something about rounds and unicorns and their junior year lacrosse crush at Choate. Selling a kidney is painful, short-term, and might be illegal depending on the laws of your state.
Crowdfunding! Yes, my god, yes. Post some pics, a draft of the prototype, a video of the prototype sitting on your kitchen tabletop looking somehow cute and yet awesome, dash off peppy Mad Men copy, show your team looking like those astronauts in the Right Stuff with a soundtrack that would make Wes Anderson weep. Throw in a bunch of acronyms, swooping shots of the earth from space, remind them you’re slaying a multi-billion-dollar market with your killer app and then stack that cash!
We thought so too, ten years ago when Kickstarter and Indiegogo were new and WeFunder just a gleam in the Y Combinator’s tech mavens’ eyes. We were a small team of digital, PR, and marketing professionals who had worked on political campaigns, non-profits fundraising, and our own projects ranging from community theatres to international street dog rescue. The 2008 Recession had laid bare the fragility, inequality, and stacked deck of crony capitalism and Kickstarter and Indiegogo seemed to be a better way to launch innovative tech, design, and art and also empower everyday people to get in on the ground floor.
The honeymoon period was short, feverish, and nearly erotic in its intensity. New York Makes a Book was the first Kickstarter campaign and funded for $3,239 within two days. Allison Weiss got three times her funding goal to make a fantastic album. The blogger Daring Fireball recommended The Masters campaign and helped it raise $50,000 in a month. Then the big one: TikTok + LunaTik watch raised nearly $1M on a $15,000 goal. Elevation Deck raised $1,464,706 in only six hours later. Double Fine Adventure raised $1M in less than a day and $3,336,371 total.
Those were heady times, innovation and even revolution was in the air, a Brave New World of technology, visionaries, and designers being supported by citizen pledgers and investors. Neil Young has done it. Charlie Kaufman. Joan Didion. David Fincher. Spike Lee. Did we mention Joan Didion? If it was good enough for those masters of the universes than it was good enough for the us and our clients: nobodies who wanted to be somebodies.
The Dark Side is Stronger:
Every story has a dark side, and since those heady times there have been as many failures as successes, campaigns that overpromised and underdelivered, companies absconding with funds to some far-flung beach with their prototypes merely sketches and their pledgers left holding the bag. The tornado that took us to Oz inevitably landed us back in Kansas or Dorothy’s house landed on us or pledgers instead of Glinda.
Kickstarter is very forthright with their numbers. At a Meta Level: they have had over 200,000 successful campaigns with $5.7 B pledged, with 71 M total pledges, and nearly 20 million backers. Impressive Stats.
There’s at least two more layer to it though. A “successful” campaign means a campaign that met their initial goal which is often set artificially low so that it’s blown through the first day to increase the phycological confidence of the pledgers, the ranking on Kickstarter and also Google, and likelihood the product will be delivered as pledgers herd together. Herd behavior, it’s called in the industry. Told you there was a dark side.
Secondly, the cost of launching a campaign with over a $100,000 goal on Kickstarter is $20,000 to $50,000 including a professional shot video (assuming you aren’t a wiz at video editing), prototypes, vendors of all kinds, PR, and the biggest cost of all: digital marketing.
See, the battle for Kickstarter success is won or lost on Facebook and even the best digital marketing agencies shoot for 3 X to 5 X return on spend. If you reach 3 X, subtract the cost of goods as 1 X, and the cost of staff as 1 X and you broke even. If it drops below 3 X (as it often does) than you are losing money and the paradoxically the more you raise the more you lose. Some agencies promise 5 X, 10 X, 30 X to get around this Valley of Death. They are lying.
What about going alone? DYI. Old School Punk. You can do that. Some do and it works beautifully, but again the numbers aren’t encouraging. Also, be prepared to work sixteen hours a day for six months before the campaign, a couple months non-stop during the campaign, and six to twelve months after to deliver. And not on all the cool, groovy stuff you like working on, but SEO, analytics, answering the same question slightly differently worded a hundred times a day only to receive another slight variation two minutes later from the same person.
The Hell Realm of Digital Marketing Agencies:
Most big campaigns have a digital marketing agency that handles most or all of their marketing ranging from producing the campaign video to designing the campaign page to email and FB marketing and everything in between. Kickstarter lists some of the top contenders here: https://www.kickstarter.com/experts
Most agencies charge from $10,000 to $20,000 to start and some charge a significant portion of the proceeds too. They boast of their $1 M + campaigns and much of that is true. Keep in mind the 2–3 X rule though and you realize the client is paying $350,000 in FBs ads to reach $1M, then Kickstarter takes 5%, the processor another 3% to 5%, and the agency 5–10%, and all of a sudden that $1M is $450,000. Still a lot, but you have to make and ship the product and already gave half your income away on day one.
How do you break out? There have been 545 $1M plus campaigns out of over 200,000. Only 3% of campaigns raise over $100,000 and 18% raise zero, most raise between $1,000 to $10,000. There are currently over 30,000 campaigns on Kickstarter and 10,000 on Indiegogo. Many media and blogs focused on crowdfunding receive between 100 -300 email pitches per day to feature campaigns new launches. They ignore them unless they come from a high-end PR firm (budget: $25,000.)
A Better Way: Equity Crowdfunding on WeFunder
After ten years in the business, we are switching to equity funding campaigns exclusively for companies seeking to raise $1M on WeFunder. It’s not just all the craziness, chicanery, and outright fraud of the agencies. It’s that Kickstarter and Indiegogo have both been so successful that there is no way they can support the tens of thousands of campaigns on their platforms. Compare Kickstarter and Indiegogo to WeFunder:
1.) Why compete with 10,000 campaigns when you can compete with 225?
2.) Why raise funds for a one-time product when you can raise equity for a scalable business?
3.) Why rush to deliver that product when you can take your time and go through several iterations of technology before getting it right?
4.) On WeFunder, investors are confident that you have been vetted by the SEC including a criminal background check on all principles, reviewing the company’s last two year financials, and business partnerships, contracts, and sales.
In November 2020 the SEC amended crowdfunding rules, which the SEC calls “Regulation Crowdfunding.” The new rules, which went into effect on March 15, 2021 allowing companies to raise $5 million every 12 months by selling securities through regulated, online crowdfunding portals such as WeFunder, SeedInvest, and SearchEngine, and Crowdfunder.
You can raise up to $1,070,000 while still reaching out to non-accredited investors and tapping into WeFunder’s list of nearly one million investors.
There are some good agencies that drive WeFunder campaigns though they charge an arm and a leg. Aurora Projects charges $20,000 upfront and 20% of the total raised. IdeaPros requires the client has $500 K in sales to launch and then they partner with $200K and take 35% of the equity.
Let’s talk and see if it’s a match.
www.weraise.fund | https://medium.com/@patthomas108108/how-to-make-a-small-fortune-on-kickstarter-or-wefunder-without-losing-a-large-fortune-e2d52cad2fb9 | ['Patrick Kennedy Thomas'] | 2021-05-27 17:50:39.706000+00:00 | ['Angel Investors', 'Equity Crowdfunding', 'Crowdfunding', 'Kickstarter', 'Indiegogo'] |
The Art of Thinking in Other People’s Heads | The complaint that technology and media have distorted our culture, politics, our very understanding of reality is by now well-worn.
A ruthless critic who regularly excoriated the press in his magazine The Torch, Kraus blamed German newspapers for the outbreak of World War I. He reserved a special hatred for the feuilleton section of the paper, which included, along with art, literature, and reviews, short impressionistic pieces about city life and culture.
Baudelaire’s poems, forebear of an evasive genre scholar Andreas Huyssen has termed the “Modernist miniature,” were somewhat out of place in the feuilleton section, like stumbling on an art film while channel surfing.
Whereas Baudelaire’s feuilletons tried to capture in language the experience of flânerie, the popular feuilleton transformed flânerie into a saleable commodity in its own right.
In a note from the Arcades Project, which contains Benjamin’s unfinished notes on late nineteenth-century Paris, he writes of the three main ingredients of the French newspaper: “On information, advertising, and the feuilleton: the idler must be furnished with sensations, the merchant with customers, and the man in the street with a worldview.” Thus was born a style of writing one might call, repurposing a phrase of Bertolt Brecht’s, “The art of thinking in other people’s heads.” | https://medium.com/cogly/the-art-of-thinking-in-other-peoples-heads-858ecde02ffc | [] | 2017-03-09 21:07:34.797000+00:00 | ['Culture', 'Thinking', 'Experience', 'Technology', 'Philosophy'] |
Or Maybe Just Me | There is enough trauma in my body for 10 of me
Sex therapy is nothing like Robin said it would be
I showed up in the body of a 24-year-old but in the feeling of a four year old
There is no such thing as pleasure to me, only pain.
Pleasure is sloppy and dangerous, the same way men are.
It took me ten years to talk about what happened to me because I always thought nobody could be mean to a child.
And surely the pain was my overactive imagination. | https://medium.com/@aishahnyeta/or-maybe-just-me-99f6267666f4 | [] | 2020-12-08 15:26:21.144000+00:00 | ['Abuse', 'Identity', 'Domestic Violence', 'Family'] |
Electromaker Show Episode 25 | Electromaker Show Episode 25
Welcome to the Electromaker show, episode 24! This week saw a major Raspberry Pi OS update, Elementary OS released for the Raspberry Pi, an Adafruit machine learning module for the Raspberry Pi announced, the Nintendo Game and Watch Classic hacked to run Doom, and more. Check out these maker, tech, DIY, IoT, crowdfunding, and embedded updates! Electromaker Follow Dec 9, 2020 · 1 min read
Welcome to the Electromaker show, episode 25! This week saw a major Raspberry Pi OS update, Elementary OS released for the Raspberry Pi, an Adafruit machine learning module for the Raspberry Pi announced, the Nintendo Game and Watch Classic hacked to run Doom, and more. Check out these maker, tech, DIY, IoT, crowdfunding, and embedded updates!
We publish a new show every week. Subscribe here. Don’t have time to watch the show? Listen to the Electromaker Show in podcast format!
Electromaker Show Episode 25 Highlights | https://medium.com/electromaker/electromaker-show-episode-25-c3419a7e00e1 | [] | 2020-12-09 10:15:31.851000+00:00 | ['Raspberry Pi', 'Electromaker Show', 'Arduino'] |
The Question. | I’ve always wondered, more so lately, may be it is due to my excessive reading habit but whatever may be the reason, I’ve always tried to understand is there really a meaning to anything. I am not just talking about what Camus or Sartre would call the “human condition”, and the absurdity of it, rather, I am talking about the reality of existence of the Universe itself. Even if I was to leave the existence of humans aside, the whole reality as it is, makes little sense, add to it our existence and what we in turn make out of this reality, you’ve got some terrible news, an absolutely incomprehensible state of being, not ours, but everything.
Let me give you an example, take for a moment a death, everyone must have seen a death in their family or extended family or friends or someone like that. A person whom they knew for years, perhaps decades, suddenly wiped out off the face of the Universe. He/she worked hard, had many struggles, taught themselves to eat, to speak, to walk, to run, to feel, to earn, to spend and one day, it’s all for nothing, gone. It doesn’t matter if the person was old or young, or that they have “lived” their lives or not, what matters is the fact that one day, it’ll all be for nothing, what sense does it make? True, some might say, but what about all the relationships, all the friends, all the achievements, all the moments of happiness but then if that is what it is all about then we are no more than robots, just sent here to live out our Pre programmed lives, do a set of pre assigned tasks. Some might say that this programming is what destiny is, if that’s the case and if everything is anyways fixed and would happen as it’s supposed to be, then there is no need of any conscious effort. If you say what if this conscious effort was itself part of the program (the Cartesian example), it must be then noted that it makes everything even more meaningless and if at all it’s not the case, it still doesn’t answer the question I raised to begin with and it all still stays meaningless. To come, do a random set of things and to go, this is not something meaningful, this is exactly the opposite of any meaning whatsoever. No matter if the set of things is what the person is made to feel was the “purpose” of their lives, the set would still remain random. Some might say that we are but playing our role in the larger plan of things, in that case, what exactly is the plan? Maybe you’d say no one knows as no one is smart enough to know, in that case it remains meaningless. If you are to say that maybe it is to fulfil our destiny and go, then yet again, we are in fact robots, nothing more. If you say that we are wrong in looking at ourselves and trying to find meaning of everything but we must look at everything and then try to find meaning of our existence, I would say, again, it makes little sense. Because, even if one was to do that, it is inevitable that we’d end up where we started. My place in the Universe is of a guy, in a developing nation, in the civil services, trying to do his job, okay, what does this prove? If at all I was to look at my existence in relation to others, I’d ask a few questions, why me? Why was I supposed to be doing this and not that? If it doesn’t matter then why not and if it does then how? If I am supposed to be better, then I guess all who were in my position ever were supposed to better but many failed terribly, if that was part of the plan, then again, why were those who failed were chosen to fail? If it was they who picked it, and it is always us, which opens a whole new Pandora’s box. The issue thus remains unsolved, the question remains? | https://medium.com/@n.chandra248/the-question-b6dcfe5f6a40 | ['Naveen Kumar Chandra'] | 2020-12-09 06:46:57.012000+00:00 | ['Existentialism', 'Introspection', 'Meaning Of Life', 'Questions', 'Finding Yourself'] |
Dimensionality Reduction using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) | An important task to handle dataset with more number of features/dimensions.
Data keeps on increasing every second and it has become crucial to interpreting insights from this data to solve problems. And, as features of data increases so dimensions of the dataset increases. Eventually, a Machine Learning model needs to handle the complex data resulting in more complexities. On the other hand, there are a lot of features that are futile for the model or are correlated with others. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is the way out to reduce dimensions and deduct correlated features from the dataset.
The article is divided into the following sections:
Definition- PCA Need & Advantages of PCA Real-time usage/application Steps to perform PCA —
Data standardization
Computing covariance matrix
Determining eigenvalues and eigenvectors
Computing PCA features
5. Implementing PCA to MNIST dataset using Python
6. Conclusion
What is PCA?
Principal Component Analysis(PCA) is a Dimensionality Reduction technique that enables you to identify correlations and patterns in a dataset so that it can be transformed into a dataset of significantly fewer dimensions without loss of any important information.
Need of PCA
A dataset with more number of features takes more time for training the model and make data processing and exploratory data analysis(EDA) more convoluted.
Advantages of PCA
Reduces training time.
Removes correlated features (removes noise).
Ease for data exploration (EDA).
Easy to visualize data (maximum 3D data).
Real-time applications
PCA is used for dimensionality reduction in the domains such as face recognition, computer vision, image compression, image detection, object detection, image classification, etc.
Steps to perform PCA:
Data Standardization
Standardization is all about scaling the data in such a way that all the values/variables are in a similar range. Standardization means rescaling data to have a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1 (unit variance).
Why? It is about making sure that data is internally consistent; that is, each data type has the same content and format.
Computing covariance matrix
The covariance matrix is computed after data standardization and it is used to find correlated features in the dataset. Each element of the covariance matrix represents the relation between two features.
Why? It is used to determine the correlation between features.
Reference - Analysis Factor
Determining eigenvalues and eigenvectors
Eigenvalues and eigenvectors are the mathematical constructs that must be computed from the covariance matrix in order to determine the principal components of the dataset.
Principal components are the new set of variables/features that are obtained from the initial set of features. They compress and possess most of the useful information that was scattered among the initial features.
Eigenvectors are those vectors when a linear transformation is performed on them then their direction does not change.
Eigenvalues simplify denote the scalars of the respective eigenvectors.
Why? To find the direction of the maximum spread of the features.
Reference - HMC
Computing Principal Components
Let’s suppose there are 5 features in a dataset, then after computing eigenvectors and respective eigenvalues, there will 5 principal features, each of the features will have its eigenvalue and eigenvector.
The features with the highest eigenvalues have most of the details/spread of the data in comparison to other features.
So the features with high eigenvalues are considered as principal features and those features would be the output of PCA.
Now, these principal components would be used as input to train the model and for data visualization.
Implementing PCA to MNIST dataset using Python
Problem statement — To perform step by step PCA to MNIST dataset in order to reduce dimensions.
MNIST dataset contains various images of 0 to 9 numbers and it is primarily used to recognize image/digit for beginners. Each image is 28 * 28 pixels and when converted to vector form, it would be 28 * 28 = 784 features and it is tough to visualize 784 features on the screen and to train the model. So, here I will reduce the dimensions of the dataset and visualize data in 2D.
Dataset is already prepared and converted to matrix form(stored in CSV format), so it would be easy to use it for further tasks (How data is prepared is not explained in this article as the subject of the article is PCA). To download data, visit — https://www.kaggle.com/c/digit-recognizer/data
Let’s dive into coding. Firstly, load data and read using pandas;
Then separate label data and features data;
Apply column standardization the sklearn library;
Now, computing covariance from standardized data as follows;
Following to that, find eigenvectors and eigenvalues here I have computed the top 2 eigenvectors;
Computing principal components;
Plotting data with two principal features using seaborn;
Implementing the PCA package from the sklearn library;
Conclusion | https://medium.com/analytics-vidhya/dimensionality-reduction-using-principal-component-analysis-pca-41e364615766 | ['Rajvi Shah'] | 2020-09-18 14:00:10.822000+00:00 | ['Machine Learning', 'Data Science', 'Data Analysis', 'Data Visualisation', 'Dimensionality Reduction'] |
How To Create An Easy Blog Calendar and Stick To It | You want to blog regularly. You need to. Yet, you can’t get it together.
Why? Oh, several reasons:
I have so many topics running around in my mind. I can’t settle on one.
I can’t find the time.
I’m completely blocked. I’ve already written about everything.
I started blogging in 2008, so I’ve experienced all of the above. I coach clients as well on this and I hear these statements a lot. We are all busy, so the best way to handle all of the above is to get yourself organized. How? It’s a simple approach to what is honestly a simple problem: have a system.
Let’s discuss a few options.
Keywords/KeyPhrases
One of the biggest mistakes I see writers and bloggers make is not identifying their author branding, which is the very foundation of everything they will do on their social media and in blogging.
They just want to talk about and sell sell sell their book. We all know these authors. We all avoid these authors. Maybe you’re one of them. Let’s change that.
By identifying what interests you, what you’re an expert in, what you’re passionate about, what you want to learn more about (aka, your keywords and keyphrases), you are creating a roadmap for yourself. A plan to follow. A system.
These topics are what you will blog about.
I suggest 5–6 main branding keywords/keyphrases, and 3–4 “back-ups” — topics that are fun, lighter, yet still make you, you.
Remember, we’re talking personal (aka, author) branding here. We brand the author, not (only) the book. Why? You’ll be writing more than one book. If you talk only about the book you’ve written, what happens when the next book comes along? You have to create all new accounts. Save yourself the trouble.
People connect with people, readers follow authors, so build relationships with readers by being the person you are. You’ve been doing it your whole life. Be authentically who you are. That’s what personal branding is all about.
Want to learn more about personal branding? Read here:
Example: For my writing account, Rachel Thompson, Author (aka, @RachelintheOC) my keywords/keyphrases are the following:
surviving childhood sexual abuse
relationships
love and loss
women and children’s health
mental health
writing
My back-up keywords are:
my cats
my lack of cooking skills
my love of Nutella, reading, and champagne
You won’t see me writing about champagne or my silly cats on my blog, however, I will share photos of them on my social media. This is how the keywords/keyphrases work across our entire platform. This also solves the issue of having too many topics.
Narrow your focus to help your readers know what to expect from you, yet don’t make it so incredibly restricted that you’re only writing about one thing all the time because, boring.
First Assignment: Write out a list of what interests you, as I mentioned above. Pick your 5–6 major topics and your 3–4 back-ups. Keep it handy.
Creating Your Topic Lists
Now that you know your 5–6 main keywords/keyphrases, create topic lists. I do this in my business blogging idea notebook in columns. Do what works for you. I spend about 10 minutes each week coming up with blogging ideas and just keep adding to my columns.
If it’s a blank-idea day, that’s okay. I know I’ll come back to it.
Here’s a super high-tech image of my super high-tech blogging idea notebook:
Courtesy of Rachel Thompson, Author
No need to try to figure out what I wrote. Point is: get it out of your head and onto something, whether that’s a computer program, a Notes app on your phone, or an actual notebook.
So in the example above, I have four blog post ideas under the heading of BLOGGING, and four blog post ideas under the heading of SOCIAL MEDA.
This takes a few minutes out of my week. Surely you have the time to take a few minutes to write down blog topics instead of futzing around on social media.
This is your second step in getting organized.
Once I’ve written down the blog ideas under the main topics, I transcribe them into my blogging calendar (see more below), and start again with more ideas. Stuck for ideas? Even when you think you’ve written everything there is to write, I guarantee you haven’t. I’ve been consistently blogging for 12 years.
Where to find ideas, beyond what I’ve mentioned above? Social media is a great place. I asked my @BadRedheadMedia Twitter which of these four topics held the most interest for them (all on my blogging calendar already), and “creating a blogging calendar” was by far the most popular, so this is what I’m bringing to you this week.
Courtesy of Rachel Thompson, Author
Honestly, this is my favorite go-to way to assess interest. I received over 25 responses and then went over to Facebook with a more specifically-worded question: do you have a blogging calendar and if so, what do you use and if not, why not? Those responses helped me create this post as well.
Some folks go to Quora, a Q&A platform. See what topics interest you and dive in.
I also find great topics here on Medium when I read what someone wrote and feel inspired, or, more often, read the comments and completely disagree!
Inspiration is everywhere, y’all.
Create Your Blogging Calendar
Step number three. There are many, many ways of going about this. Fancy, simple, and somewhere in-between. I’m a practical girl, so I go with something that works for me and isn’t difficult to learn: Google Calendar.
It’s free, easy to use, and easy to share, in case you have an assistant or accountability partner.
Take the lists you’ve created in your blogging notebook (or wherever you stashed it), and now add your topics to an actual calendar, which takes only a few minutes. I keep it short and sweet:
Research and outline on Mondays
Fill in on Wednesdays
Finish and submit on Fridays
Here’s what my October calendar looks like: | https://medium.com/ninja-writers/how-to-create-an-easy-blog-calendar-and-stick-to-it-22dd871239b3 | ['Rachel Thompson'] | 2020-10-17 16:45:47.311000+00:00 | ['Marketing', 'Blogging', 'Social Media', 'Productivity', 'Writing'] |
Unlimited | There was a simple girl, living a simple life with her family happily. She wanted to fulfill her dream of becoming a famous writer, so she applied for a job in a publishing and production company. She was overjoyed, as soon as she accepted the job, she did not know what fate had in store. As events unfold, the game of fate begins in the poor girl’s life. The manager of the company was a good and poor person living a miserable life with his wife who always cheated on him, this is the talk that deceived that girl that night and in hindsight he could easily deceive her He was getting closer to her little by little and made her believe that she was the one who would bring happiness into his life and that she was the one who convinced him to divorce. The girl saw in him the image of the right person for her, she believed in love. Events developed, and she was offered to marry and a love affair developed between them. The big accident came, the girl discovered that she was pregnant and told him she was afraid, but he was happy with that news and made her dream of a wonderful family. They prepared a beautiful room for her child, and that was her happiest moment. The day of hell came, he told her that he would take her to his doctor friend for examination, I went to her, and the woman was kind and affectionate, so she proceeded to examine, but I tried to give her medicine, she did not feel safe, so I told her what this medicine is. A drug for abortion was a surprise and ran out of the office to her baby’s room, frightened. She found the man waiting for her and told him everything that happened, and the shock was when he said that he was the one who asked her to do that.
The girl did not understand what was happening. He said to her: Do you really think that I will love you or by carrying this child, you will enter my house and I will ruin my family for you, you are really a stupid girl. The girl was completely destroyed. She tried to escape, but he started beating her, but she managed to escape and found someone protecting her, his driver, whom she considers like her brother. He helped her and drove her home and promised her that he would not tell anyone and that he would bring her back from leaving the country with her family….. Continued | https://medium.com/@noorcute/unlimited-11a8ebaa3c2e | [] | 2021-07-09 11:48:04.616000+00:00 | ['Writing', 'Sad', 'Unlimited', 'Followers', 'Stories'] |
ESG Development in Mexican Construction & Commercial Services Supplies | September 3rd, 2020
This week, we are sharing our ESG Development Heatmap for 2 new sectors in Mexico: Construction and Commercial Services Supplies. As in the past, we only focused on (1) companies listed in the Mexican Stock Exchange (using the stock exchange sector classification actually) and (2) publicly disclosed materials.
Construction
Commercial Services Supplies
What can we read from these heatmaps?
Only 31% of the Construction companies an 0% of the Commercial Services Supplies companies have done a materiality assessment and published its results. The second generation of homebuilders (Cadú, Javer, Vinte) interestingly have all done a materiality assessment. No company in either group has publicly communicated KPIs for its material topics. Only 33% of the companies in these sectors have and ESG Committee or a dedicated team. One third of the companies in these sectors have mapped its ESG efforts to the UN’s SDGs. No company in these sectors has committed to support TCFD or the Science Based Targets efforts. Only one company (Vesta) has aligned to CDP. Only two companies in both groups have become participants of the UN Global Compact. As we have seen in other sectors too, corporate governance info is available across the board. More than half of the companies share their efforts in terms of social impact. More than two thirds of the companies share their environmental efforts. 40% of the companies have published integrated or sustainability reports, and almost all of these are done under the GRI methodology.
Overall, the Construction sector seems to be above average with disclosing environmental efforts (which may have to do with the regulatory requirements of their regular operations). Having said that, most companies in both sectors still have a long way to go to really formalize a robust ESG strategy. As we have suggested before, if you don’t use a materiality assessment to truly know where to focus on, your efforts may not be having an optimal impact.
I hope you found this interesting. As usual, if there is anything we can help you with, please reach out.
Best,
Marimar
Partner, Miranda ESG | https://medium.com/@marimartorreblanca/esg-development-in-mexican-construction-commercial-services-supplies-49b5e15cfaa5 | ['Marimar Torreblanca'] | 2020-12-14 15:09:34.561000+00:00 | ['Consulting', 'Real Estate', 'Esg Investing', 'Esg', 'Finance'] |
How journalists can use Instagram to engage and inform | During the process of redeveloping Me Explica in the Tow-Knight Center program, I have experimented with different tools and strategies to create engagement around my content. In my last article, I explained how my new strategy is to focus on social media because that is where citizens are mostly getting their news from.
In its past iterations, Me Explica was an article-based publication, first as a blog, then as a site. As the years went by, I noticed that being on social media requires much more than simply posting links to your content. You need to truly engage with the reader, answer questions, address criticisms and sometimes even accusations. As a small publication, I am able to do it with little effort but I believe even bigger ones need to commit to talking directly with their readers.
Having this in mind, I have been conducting a few experiments on Instagram. Once defined as a "photo-sharing" app, IG is very versatile and allows for the publication of text, photos, videos, cards (images with text), and videos with text (either with subtitles or only text).
I will share what I have been doing, the tools used to create the content and brief observations about the results.
Experiments
My tests revolved around three kinds of content:
(1) Cards
Explainers on images that are perfect for the photo feed and can easily be shared on other platforms.
Card about Petrobras' losses after a statement by the Brazilian President
(2) Video explainers
The presenter (me) talks directly to the audience in native videos that can be short (1 minute for the feed) or long (up to 10 minutes os IGTV).
Video explainer about the militias in Brazil
(3) Video Stories
Even though the Stories feature only allows for smaller videos, creating the content on an external tool can be helpful in order to do something that lasts a little while longer.
Considerations
These experiments have shown that there is an opportunity to create engaging and informational posts on Instagram. The audience is interested in consuming journalism on a platform that is not made for long-form content but still allows establishing a quick connection to the news. Instagram may not be the best place to break the news but is a good tool to build on it.
One major difficulty for journalists and outlets is to monetize their Instagram profiles. There is no option for doing that and there is no news showing that Facebook might be interested in building such features. Yet, we have plenty of success stories of news delivery on Instagram, such as former CNN White House correspondent Jessica Yellin, Poynter's Media Wise, and Uno.ar (from Argentina).
Toolkit
Having decided what kind of content you will post, you can use the many tools that can help journalists create posts quickly and efficiently at a low cost. I will share some of the platforms and products used to conduct the tests on Me Explica.
Visuals: Canva
Canva is one of my favorite tools. I use it to make presentations, design posts and covers for social media and to create the card I showed above. It is very intuitive: you need only to drag and drop. There are thousands of templates to choose from. The free version is already very good, but the pro subscription allows you to resize projects so you can post in multiple social media channels. https://www.canva.com
Video: Lumen 5
I have only recently come across Lumen 5 but I'm already a fan. I used it to create the Stories video shown above. It helps you create social media videos very easily -from text or your own audio. Its artificial intelligence creates new frames automatically, speeding up the process. Anyone with little to or no design experience can use it and have great results. https://lumen5.com/
Smartphone videos: Cheap tools
Showing my gear on Instagram
I shared on my Instagram account some of the accessories I have been using to film my explainer videos and some people got interested in the equipment. Amazon was the source for both the selfie ring light that can be attached to any smartphone and the lavalier microphone. Considering that Instagram allows for more informal and amateur-ish videos, this set up is very helpful for filming on the go. All for less than 20 dollars.
Here's the microphone:
And here's the light:
Conclusion
Instagram is a great tool to explore new ways of delivering information to audiences that no longer want to visit homepages in search of news. It is a good testing ground to get a sense of what might and not might work to engage citizens. Even with its limitations in terms of generating revenue, it can be a good way for smaller outlets and individual journalists to get a sense of what resonates with audiences. It is worth experimenting. | https://medium.com/journalism-innovation/how-journalists-can-use-instagram-to-engage-and-inform-62b0ad80b74b | ['Diogo A. Rodriguez'] | 2019-05-10 02:43:21.857000+00:00 | ['Journalism', 'Storytelling', 'Social Media', 'Instagram', 'Innovation'] |
How do two numbers compare? | To compare two numbers, you need to know their size.
Example:
If the numeric size is less, then the number is less.
See also calculator — compare numbers online. | https://medium.com/@igor-ivanov/how-do-two-numbers-compare-b6c6ff6f4c4c | ['Igor Ivanov'] | 2020-12-11 08:19:55.406000+00:00 | ['Math', 'Mathematics'] |
5 Things To Do When Setting Up Your WooCommerce Correctly For Your Online Store | Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
Setting up an WooCommerce Online Store on WordPress is relatively easy. I will take you step by step in this blog post so you can see for yourself.
The challenging part in setting up your WooCommerce online store is what I will concentrate on in the later sections of the post.
What Is Woocommerce?
WooCommerce is a simple plugin which transforms your WordPress website into an online store. It provides functionality such as the shopping cart, maintaining products, prices, and integration with your payment service providers so you can accept credit card or PayPal payments. It has a lot more functionality and provides add-ons for analytics and a myriad of other applications.
How To Setup Your WordPress Site With WooCommerce:
Step 1: Get a domain and hosting service:
As you may have read in my “Important Things To Be Aware Of Before Hosting Your Website With Bluehost ” blog post, I would highly recommend you do this step with Bluehost. If you sign up with Bluehost, you will get a free domain for 1 year and you’ll get a free SSL certificate. You would need the certificate to make your site secure and all shared information would be encrypted. This is an absolute must for an online store where payments will be accepted.
Another advantage of going with Bluehost is its WordPress and WooCommerce guided setup. The registration process will take you a few minutes. My recommendation is not to pay for any extra services that they offer you. Once you’ve entered your credit card information and paid for the new domain and hosting, you will get an email confirmation so you can choose your login password. You also get the option to setup your website.
Step 2: Install WordPress & WooCommerce
You can do this step either right after you register, since the wizard will lead you here, or at a later time by signing in with your password. The following screen is what you get. Notice that it asks you if you want to set up your website as a blog and/or a store. By choosing Store, the option will automatically install WooCommerce for you.
Once you click on Continue, Bluehost starts installing WordPress and then WooCommerce for you.
Note: If you already have setup your website / blog on WordPress and now you want to have an online store, all you need to do is:
Go to Plugins in your WordPress menu and select Add New. Type WooCommerce in the keyword search box Click Install in the WooCommerce plugin option, as in the screen shot below Once the Plugin is installed, click on Activate. You’ll then be able to configure WooCommerce
Step 3: Configure WooCommerce and Install / Activate Theme
The wizard will then take you through some standard configuration of WooCommerce, which, at the installation stage, I’d recommend to leave the options as is. Just go through the motions with the wizard until the installation is complete. You’ll have plenty of time later to configure and play with the WooCommerce options.
The standard theme for WooCommerce would be their Storefront theme. You can keep this for now as you can also select other themes later.
That’s how easy it is to setup WooCommerce!
5 Crucial Things You Need To Implement Before Setting Up Your WooCommerce Online Store:
№1: Create An Online Store Strategy
As demonstrated above, it’s easy to setup your online store. But, without a sound online store strategy, your business may not strive or will completely die out within a short time. So, what goes into your online store strategy? Here are a few suggestions:
Your Online Store Web Page Design
Do not underestimate the importance of this step. Your online store design is your window to your customers. If you don’t WOW your customer, how will they stay on to purchase any merchandise? Nowadays, customer experience is the most important element of any e-commerce site. Make sure your website is designed professionally, is easy to navigate and its payment gateway is integrated seamlessly. Read (10 Highly Effective Web Design Tips Backed by Scientific Research)
Products Types
Will you be selling digital and/or physical products? If you sell digital products only, you may not need after sale customer service and you won’t need any shipping integration. Your products will be available for download right after payment is confirmed. On the other hand, physical products need to be shipped and you will need to setup customer service for returns and/or refunds.
Payment Gateway
You need to investigate the different payment plans available for e-commerce in your country. Most banks and service providers will charge a percentage on your payment transaction. You need to consider service levels, fees, and who integrates the service to your online store. WooCommerce also comes in with some integrations that you need to ensure operate in your country.
Shipping Integration
If you plan to use courier services, do you plan to integrate them into your online store or have them apart?
The above are just examples of what should be in your Online Store Strategy before setting up your WooCommerce online store. It should be a working document where you’d often refer to so that your online store is always in line with the strategy you put in place.
№2: Product Information
Here are some questions you should be asking yourself and documenting:
How will you create your product information on your online store? Will you upload them from somewhere, or will you create them manually?
What categories and tags will you use? How will you maintain their prices, discounts? How will you handle taxes?
What method do you want your customers to find your products? By size, color, shade, price?
As you design your website, you may want to add categories, tags and other attributes to distinguish your products and make them searchable and easily found. This is especially true if you have a store with thousands of products.
The importance of this strategy will become clear as you start loading your products. Unfortunately, if you happen to load, say a thousand products, and then think of a new attribute to add, you would need to maintain this additional attribute on every loaded product one by one. Instead of having to do this, think about all the attributes you need before loading your products.
To load your products, you can have an Excel sheet with the product ID, its description, the category, tag, and different attributes. You can also add columns depending on your needs. For example, let’s say that every now and then you want to run a promotion on certain products. Let’s say the promotion is for products which are close to their expiration date and which you still have a lot of stock for them. You need a way to flag these products so that you can apply the discount. This flag may be part of the load sheet, and designed on the website as an attribute.
The following screenshot is an example of a load file for men’s shirts.
№3: Product Images
Do all your products have images? Do you have your products in stock so you can take their photos? What image sizes do you want to maintain?
If you don’t have images for your products, how will you get them? You need to be very careful not to capture images from the internet, as most may be copyright protected. I would not recommend this strategy even if the images are royalty free, because you need to be consistent with the image quality on your site. You need to have consistent sizes and resolution.
How will you handle variations of products, for example, if you’re selling the same T-shirt in different colors? Will this be one product, with variations, say 10 colors, or would it be 10 different products? Decisions here will save you lots of time in execution.
№4: Inventory Management
How do you intend to manage your stock? Will you upload your stock situation on a periodic basis?
Would you prefer to have stock always available in WooCommerce so you won’t lose a sale? If so, can you replenish out of stock items by the time you need to fulfil that order?
How would you replenish your stock as it is gradually sold? When will you do your physical stock count to ensure that your website product stock and your physical stock match?
What kind of reports would you like to generate on a periodic basis to be able to manage your stock correctly?
№5: Pricing
What will your pricing strategy be? How will you handle promotions? Will you do a promotion on all or select products? Would you like WooCommerce to show that you have a discounted price?
What reports do you want to generate to help you assess your profit & loss, balance sheet situations?
Tips: You can connect product catalogs to WooCommerce, which will give you the advantage of someone else providing you the products, images and updating them periodically. Other options exist where you can redirect customers to other websites where they can purchase the product there and you get the commission (an example of affiliate marketing using e-commerce).
Are You Ready To Setup Your Online Store Now?
As you can appreciate, you need to put a lot of thought on theses five crucial things above BEFORE setting up your WooCommerce online store. The more you think and document these, the more prepared you are to start your store and be successful.
Of course, like blogging, once you start selling, it doesn’t end here. You will need to promote your website to get the traffic to start selling your merchandise.
Also, like blogging, you will need to keep your online store updated. You need to load new products, pricing, stock on-hand, images, etc. Make sure you always put these things into consideration before starting your execution.
Was this helpful? share your thoughts. | https://medium.com/@web-link007/5-things-to-do-when-setting-up-your-woocommerce-correctly-for-your-online-store-b5ba1f84ff65 | ['Chúck Nzama'] | 2020-12-27 14:55:34.908000+00:00 | ['Bluehost', 'Woocommerce', 'Website', 'Dropshipping', 'Online Shopping'] |
Planning for Remote Team Activities | The events of this year have been unexpected and downright challenging for absolutely everyone. Our team has been grinding away non-stop as clients, established and newly added, put an increased emphasis on PR and Analyst Relations. Like other teams, we are missing out on the perks of office life that help keep team spirit strong, such as casual banter while making coffee, free lunch Fridays, and birthday celebrations; and with the holidays rapidly approaching, in-person gatherings are still not a viable option.
Fortunately, we have found ways to keep team morale high despite these important in-person team interactions. Specifically for this upcoming holiday season we are planning a virtual gathering complete with company supplied party boxes and trivia! Here are some ideas for what to include in your own party boxes, or ‘just because’ boxes: | https://medium.com/@wayneschepens/planning-for-remote-team-activities-b0e97979a30 | ['Wayne Schepens'] | 2020-12-14 20:27:23.768000+00:00 | ['Team Building', 'Internal Communications'] |
A short history of (Philips) Design, from a female perspective. | “And in the end // the love you take // is equal to the love // you make” (Lennon, McCartney, 1969). And in the end, I delivered my keynote to close the Philips Design Alumni Global event, second leg in US-friendly time zone, organized by Jeroen Frumau, MBA, for the benefit of his good cause and great initiative, 4better2morrow supporting youth and young talent worldwide to inspire a better future (please donate: see above bitly URL). Jeroen had been calling out to all former talents of the creative industry powerhouse of the Dutch technological manufacturer, and yesterday they responded and gathered they did. Of course, I deviated from the announced script as presented on Medium two weeks ago, because (as each stage performer, even in his coda, however virtual the stage) knows that the element of surprise is key to reach deeper to the heart of the audience. After my colourful set with inspiring photography, I joined the closing panel, where former leaders of Philips Design to share views about better futures. The panel triggered indeed some very valid points, however the composition of the panel reflected the reality of yesterday’s design leadership, as it was representing only my gender. Retrospectively, this comes as no surprise, as Philips Design, however being relatively highly inclusive in terms of generational and gender representation in its staff base, is an organisation that in in its nearly one 100 years of existence, always had men at its helm. Great men with grand visions and unparalleled managerial courage, like my 1990’s personal hero, Stefano Marzano. However, at its very top, mostly “men without women”, as Ernest Hemingway titled one of his best collections of short stories. This is not meant to be a political or ideological contribution, as that would expose me to possible accusations of “mansplaining”, or worse. The issue of gender equality, like all issues of Diversity and Inclusion, is a major one also in the design and creative industries, as proven by what I consider scandals like the 2013 petition to extend the 1991 Priztker Prize from Robert Venturi to also include his wife, Denise Scott Brown. I will make my best efforts to intellectually produce reflections in scholarly writing, for the Journal of Tourism Futures, where I will soon review literature about feminism in my areas of scientific research. Instead, with this personal, somehow intimate, article, I am attempting at offering a modest yet heartfelt contribution to acknowledge and to pay my tribute to some of the great female talents I had the privilege to meet at Philips Design, to their history or legacy or to just one anedoct that might shed a different vibe on this organization. To quote Elton John:
“It may be quite simple, but now that it’s done // I hope you don’t mind // That I put down in the words // How wonderful life is while you’re in the world”.
Firstly, my roaring decade at Philips Design started because of a little miracle of female intuition, in a Milanese restaurant. In 1998, I was 31, with ten years of odd jobs and relatively junior positions in the Italian creative industry, a family business with a strong tradition of Small Medium Enterprise. As a result, entering my 30’s, I had a professional portfolio that was a multidisciplinary patchwork, worthless to any corporate recruiter without a leap of faith and a superior ability to connect the dots. I applied to a generic vacancy for a “Trend Research Consultant” at Philips Design because a) my Italian employer, Euro RSGC Milano, just installed this new digital miracle called “the internet” in the studio; b) although futures research was not a discipline yet, back then I already had a keen interest in foresight and trends, in which I designed and delivered a course at IED Milan; and 3) I generically wanted to “change the world”, and writing Italian commercials for diapers and tuna fish brands did not feel like the best place to be to achieve such purpose. To my surprise, Philips Design replied to my unlikely application, where I only scored a 50% match with the job requirements. A meeting was planned, in the aftermentioned Milanese restaurant, with the leader of the new “Trends & Strategy” team that Stefano Marzano, then Managing Director, was initiating in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Josephine Green was in her 40’s then, with an impeccable British accent and an exotic Italian musicality in her voice, given her roots in Naples from her mother’s side. Having been the linking pin between Francesco Morace’s FutureConceptLab and Philips design teams in the legendary Vision of the Future program, Josephine had recently decided to move from“the Lioness”, Brescia to the “Heart of Brabant”, Eindhoven, to set a whole new future practice of Social Science and Humanities, within a rapidly transforming High Tech universe. After the inevitable Italian introductory “chit chat”, her severe English review of my peculiar portfolio of mixed commercial work and fine arts articles followed. As expressive as she was in Italian, Josephine held her cards in English, and at the end of the meeting, while calling from a public phone booth (Note for Millennial readers: back then, mobile phones were not everywhere and had very tiny plastic keyboards), I remember calling my soon-to-be bride: “The interview went fine. The job will never be mine”. However, I was wrong. I have never asked Josephine what made her decide to let me pass her first filter but she might have seen in me potentialities I was not able to express, or even she might have connected the dots within my schizophrenic portfolio, from Miuccia Prada to Baby Pamper’s, with her unique intuition.
Josephine Green led “Trends & Strategy” in the formative years of the practice. She contributed in hiring an exceptional team rich of talents from all over the world, hence multicultural, multilingual, and multidisciplinary. She put on the corporate agenda themes like equality, female values, and her leading single, “the pancake society”, as a metaphor for a future world where societal hierarchies of patriarchy and authority would be collapse, thanks to digital technologies. She pursued her political vision with drive and passion, in spite of a highly positivist and engineering-driven context. Josephine was not the only Senior Director I met in my first years at Philips Design. As much as Josephine was a humanist at heart, Irene McAra McWilliam engaged in Design Research and digital design as a tech-savvy visionaire. Strong of her Scottish accent and event stronger of her ideas and taste, Irene led early Ambient Experience projects that changed the way we look at technology. As anecdotal level, in 1999, Irene vigorously introduced “The Experience Economy” by Pine & Gilmore to Philips Design by purchasing a box of 25 copies and distribute them among teams. I did not understand, receiving the book, how groundbreaking this marketing paradigm would be for the future, to the point that it is still referenced and imitated now, nearly 25 years after its printing, in academies and creative agencies worldwide. Irene went on to rightly become a successfull professor in Glasgow, where she inspired and promoted generations of young design talent. In 2016, she has been appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) “for services to art and design”.
So, there I was, at the age of 32, freshly married and recently hired in the best design team in the world as a “trend research consultant”, a fancy title for a job which description we were collectively writing ourselves, with our daily practice, inspired by exceptional senior leaders like Josephine or Irene. What could possibly go wrong? Well, everything. In a perfect twist of fate, or rather a perfect empirical demonstration of the universal validity of Murphy’s Law (at least for what pertains to my own life), the mighty heir to the Philips throne, the next President and CEO, left. He was “the guy” who promised financial support for the ambitions connected to the trend research program I was hired to be part of, and therefore this translated in all related budgets being put on ice. Or at least, this is how I remember it. In any case, beyond historical accuracy, fact was that I was sitting in the studio without a cent to even buy a bus ticket on a project budget, and without any way back to Milan or exit strategy to anywhere else. After parading all about town to celebrate my migration to the promise land of treds, how could I return to Milan after three months, empty-handed? Not the kind of glamorous future I anticipated as a “trend research consultant”. My self confidence as a “whatever-I-dreamt-I-would be” was greatly challenged. I needed serious help. My direct manager, though, saw a spark in me as the potential manager of a small but very vital team. The “Visual Trend Analysis”, or VTA, practice within Philips Design has established a few years before by Marion Verbucken, a sharply ironic, deadly witty, extremely talented creative mind with a taste for strategic mapping. The team was looking for a manager, although it was apparently self running. I was looking for an internal job to justify my own existence in the company, and my leaders, at that particular period in time, did not want to let go of me. So, in a typical Dutch democratic managerial ritual, the team was proposed to try me out as their long vacant manager. Thank God, they accepted. And that is how I met Claudia and Brechje.
At that time, VTA required the endless browsing of fashion and design magazines, like The Face, or ID, or Dutch, and the cutting and glueing of visuals on moodboards that would then used to map trends, to facilitate design strategy sessions, and to inspire business leaders to choose the best combinations of colours, materials, and finishing, for a future-proof aesthetic factors. I had actually spoken on the phone with Claudia Lieshout, from Milan, before moving to The Netherlands and back then, I inquisitively asked her: “So, your job is basically to read fashion magazines all day?” Well, Claudia and her main partner-in-crime, Brechje Vissers, then Innovation Director at SigmaKalon and now accomplished entrepreneur with her own consulting firm, could take my dark humour, cynical jokes, and intellectualised wit at face value, namely as a manifestation of deeper care that most might not (want to) see. Just like the rest of this small team, they were alumni of the prestigious Design Academy Eindhoven, our neighbour on the 3rd floor in the historical “White Lady” industrial heritage building in Eindhoven, where Lidewij Edelkoort moulded trends into design, and the other way around. Claudia and Brechje, however, were not be moulded, but inspired. We designed, we ran, and we promoted a trend research program, under the name of CultureScan, a name that was conceived by Josephine Green before hiring me, with the task to develop it. We worked together bottom up, earning small budget after small budget, earning credibility with projects and with conferences and publications, raising the profile of the VTA practice into a cultural trend analysis and into brand design. With their natural talent for networking, Claudia and Brechje were instrumental in growing our small team by internal connections with their peers in Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore, Atlanta, and with our progressive “sister studios” in Milan, London, California, India, and then with designers, students, and what have you in the magic worlds of architecture, advertising, fine arts, all-things design. Having graduated in Modern Literature and being a former copywriter and editor, I was not trained as a manager. I was very unlikely, insecure, and ultimately fragile as a leader. As a relative junior professionals, Claudia and Brechje and the rest of the team granted me their trust and that made me what I became, or at least for the best part of what I have become. Ultimately, the team was mostly self running and when Ieft, Claudia naturally inherited my former role, by then grown into a global responsibility. Just like the finest Swiss watches, the job had always been hers and it still is. I merely treasured it for a few years and passed it on to its owner.
For a few years, the entire Strategic Design practice was “the” platform that aggregated talent and inspired dialogs across aesthetics, cultural analysis, social sciences, and all things multidisciplinary and multicultural. Its extended team was strong of variably 35 to 50 globaltalents, where I like to recall the ones, who -just like Claudia- went on with excellent corporate or company careers: Kitty Suidman, Director CMF at Sonos; Annemartine van Kesteren, now Curator at the Boijmans van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam; Stefanie Un, now Global Consumer Planning at PepsiCo; Lorna Goulden, a charismatic thought leader who enjoyed top design positions at the likes of Cognizant; and Pernilla Johannson, who after 25 years abroad became Swedish again to lead the Electrolux global design team as their CDO; and the others, who -just like Brechje- went on with successful entrepreneurial enterprise: Lisa Yong, Founder of Y Studios in San Francisco; Patta Arkaresvimun, Founder at BiteUnite, in Hong Kong / San Francisco; Zuzanna Skalska, who divided her charisma between Poland and The Netherlands, building a continental reputation and profiling in media and in the industry; Laura Traldi, who developed from Public Relations Officer into one of the most influential design journalists in Italy and beyond; and Lucy McRae, based in Australia, whose world class visionary work as “Sci Fi Artist and Body Architect” is simply immense.
The above list might read a bit dry, as the economy of this article requires synthesis, it is however purely a reference to stand for the greatness of the sheer talent that these design professionals, entrepreneurs, and leaders expressed through the years, year after year, in business or in education or wherever they operated. Most of all, the above list is just a reflex of genuine admiration and gratitude for having crossed path with so many gifted individuals. There is, however, a special one who I want to especially remember, Lucile Rameckers. She worked closely with Stefanie on people’s behavior and they wrote together groundbreaking work on persona’s and the fuzzy front of innovation. I remember Lucile’s sharp critical insights and great intellectual resilience. I remember how she came back to work, still in her 30s, after her first, long hospitalisation, with her condition changing her appearance and her diet but not her smile and her wit. I remember the sobriety of her 2009 funerary service, with red balloons released in the clear Spring sky, for the two little chidren she left behind to watch with their father pointing at them and explaining that their mother was now above, in the clouds. I sometimes think of those toddlers, now young adults, and I remember the Summer workshops or the sometimes sarcastic, however goodhearted, exchanges with their mother. And I think of the legacy we all leave behind, being Lucile’s intellectual legacy in our small personal history in this Strategic Design team, always alive to me.
If the above is the history of some who left, there is also a small history waiting to be written about the ones who were left behind or -in this case- the ones who kept their jobs at Philips. Besides Claudia Lieshout, who runs nowadays trends lab, to Dr. Mili Docampo Rama, whose resilience in earning her Ph.D. in the early 2000s at the Technical University Eindhoven was rewarded with a leadership position overseeing People Research with a senior portfolio of managerial and scientific tasks, to Dr. Simona Rocchi, who built a prestigious academic record in Lund and Rotterdam, with Professor Ezio Manzini among her promotion committee, and has established and led efforts towards sustainable design and sustainability at large within Philips and beyond, for the last 20+ years. Both Mili and Simona earned their doctoral promotion while working on tight deadlines, tighter budgets, and all sorts of “missions impossible” within tour Strategic Design team and this is should be a perfect testimony of all the good reasons why their growth should not stop where it is now. After all, the current CEO of Philips Experience Design has been there for a decade already and perhaps it will be the turn of a female card for the next leader of this world class creative force? Why not? I personally think that today is about time. I personally think that tomorrow is already one day too late, for change to come.
If I have to think about the future and about tomorrow’s talent that will make a better future, I think about two young but already accomplished designers who are somehow related to Philips Design although they never worked there a single day. Lizzy Stuyfzand, CMF and Stretagic Designer based in Switzerland, and Lucy Stuyfzand, Service Designer, based in Copenhagen. These two Dutch sisters are the offspring of Jos Stuyfzand, Senior Director Ambient Experience Design at Philips, formerly Design Director for Philips Lighting, and possibly one of the best talents I ever met. I guess neither Lucy not Lizzy would recognize me in the street if they saw me (neither would I) or even know exactly who that slightly overweight, quite overdressed, somehow funny Italian guy might be but I am always delighted when I remember Lucy and Lizzy as (screaming) children in back of Jos’ Volvo Station Wagon, shouting loud: “Museums are boring!”. I guess in time, they might have changed their mind and perhaps one day soon their work will be featured in design museum. I find it inspiring to think that both of them chose to follow the steps of their gifted father, a designer of unique perseverance, although sometimes with a surprisingly short temper beyond any diplomacy, whose best contribution to design might still be yet to come. Carmelo Bene, the Italian actor, used to say: “No one is father to no one” but I retrospectively disagree with him. Collectively, generationally, and in view of our civic responsibilities, we are all mothers and fathers of the next generations, in which the children of today will bring their dreams forward and perhaps sometimes a fragment of our own dreams, if we will inspire them, even further than we managed to do in our time on the planet. Talents like Lucy and Lizzy will shape their world of the future as we tried to shape ours, hopefully even better. Or better said:
The future is female. That’s why the future is better.
(Editorial Disclaimer: All the mentioned talented individuals are linked to bios or online referencing at least once, from Josephine to Lucy and Lizzy. In spite of his best efforts to identify and refer to qualified sources, the author is available to any of the directly or indirectly represented individuals who to report or request any correction or change to any representation that might prove incorrect) | https://medium.com/@marco-bevolo/a-short-history-of-philips-design-from-a-female-perspective-e74f60657606 | ['Marco Bevolo'] | 2021-04-27 00:29:21.040000+00:00 | ['Design', 'Female Entrepreneurs', 'Female Founders', 'Futures Thinking', 'Female Empowerment'] |
Tf-idf and doc2vec hyperparameters tuning | Photo by Roberta Sorge on Unsplash
Introduction
In this article we will continue the discussion about hyperparameters tuning, referring to the problem and models described in our previous studies that are available at Betacom — Medium.
In particular, we will analyze the tf-idf and doc2vec models. The method we will use to choose the best parameters for the models will be explained in the first section. In the last two sections we will apply the method to the two models and discuss the results.
The tuning method
In the previous article we discussed hyperparameters tuning for the LSI model using the Topic Coherence measure. It is a metric that aims to emulate human judgment in order to determine the number of topics within a given corpus i.e. the num_topics parameter which defines the LSI model.
Unfortunately, there is no analytical method to determine the best parameters to use for the tf-idf and doc2vec models. Thus we will define a semi-objective way to determine models performances.
With an unsupervised learning model, such as our tf-idf and doc2vec implementations, it is often a problem to define a metric. The key point is that any metric we may choose, it can’t be computed based on human labelled data and it doesn’t depend on the model itself, rather than the application scenario. Our metric will then be based on our fictional application goal of movie title retrieving engine.
First of all, we will choose a dataset on which to test the models as their parameters vary. For each model, the results obtained on the chosen dataset will then be evaluated: taken the top n results, if the correct result is in position p then n-p+1 will be added to the overall score of the model. Let’s take a look at an example to understand how the score is computed.
The models study will be based on the movie-plot task described in the previous articles. We will use the Wikipedia Movie Plots Dataset which is available at this page and consists in ~35000 movies. Let’s see how to compute the score of a given model.
Suppose the test dataset is composed solely of the following plot: “School of magic, fight a Dark Wizard, quidditch matches”. Of course the movie we are looking for is one from the Harry Potter saga. Let’s assume we ran the query and got the following top 5 results:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Django Unchained Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2
The correct results are on the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th positions. Thus, the model score will be computed as:
In our case n is equal to 5 since we chose the top 5 results, thus the model score will be 12. Once the score for each model has been calculated, we will choose the hyperparameters corresponding to the highest score.
The tuning method in Python
Let’s see how to implement in Python the method described above.
First of all, we need to install and import all the packages we will use.
!pip install --upgrade gensim
import re
import gensim
import itertools
import pandas as pd
from gensim.models import TfidfModel
from gensim.similarities import MatrixSimilarity
from gensim.models.doc2vec import Doc2Vec, TaggedDocument
from gensim.parsing.preprocessing import preprocess_documents
from gensim.parsing.preprocessing import preprocess_string
We can now load the dataset and store the plots into the corpus variable. In order to avoid RAM saturation, we will only use movies with release year ≥ 2000. The corpus is also preprocessed in order to be fed to the models.
df = pd.read_csv('wiki_movie_plots_deduped.csv', sep=',')
df = df[df['Release Year'] >= 2000]
corpus = df['Plot'].values
processed_corpus = preprocess_documents(corpus)
The dataset we will use to evaluate the models performances will be the following. Please note we use regular expressions for the movie title since some of the plots could match more movies from a specific saga.
moviesVal = [ {'plot': 'infiltrate in minds and extract information through a
shared dream world. different levels of dreams',
'titleRegex': '^Inception$'}, {'plot': 'In the arcade at night the videogame characters leave
their games. The protagonist is a girl from a candy racing
game who glitches',
'titleRegex': '^Wreck-It Ralph$'}, {'plot': 'Blonde bride goes to Japan and kills many people',
'titleRegex': '^Kill Bill Volume (1|2)$'}, {'plot': 'Jedi knight lightsaber starship',
'titleRegex': '^Star Wars: (.*)$'}, {'plot': "Boy studies ballet in secret. His father wants him to go
to the gym and boxe. They raise money for audition
in London",
'titleRegex': "^Billy Elliot(.*)$"} ]
The parameter we will work on for the tf-idf model is the smartirs one. SMART (System for the Mechanical Analysis and Retrieval of Text) Information Retrieval System is a mnemonic scheme for denoting tf-idf weighting variants in the vector space model. The mnemonic for representing a combination of weights takes the form XYZ where the letters represent the term weighting of the document vector. The three letters correspond respectively to the following concepts.
Term frequency weighting. Recall that the term frequency is the normalized count of terms in a given document. This value can be set to:
• b - binary,
• t or n - raw,
• a - augmented,
• l - logarithm,
• d - double logarithm,
• L - log average. Document frequency weighting. Recall that the document frequency is the number of documents in a corpus that contain a given term. This value can be set to:
• x or n - none,
• f - idf,
• t - zero-corrected idf,
• p - probabilistic idf. Document normalization. Each document is normalized so that all document vectors are turned into unit vectors. In doing so, we eliminate all information on the length of the original document; this masks some subtleties about longer documents. First, longer documents will — as a result of containing more terms — have higher term frequency values. Second, longer documents contain more distinct terms. The document normalization can be set to:
• x or n - none,
• c - cosine,
• u - pivoted unique,
• b - pivoted character length.
A quite exhaustive description can be found on the Wikipedia page.
Let’s now define a list with all the possible combinations for the smartirs parameter.
termfreq = ['b', 'n', 'a', 'l', 'd', 'L']
docfreq = ['n', 'f', 'p']
docnorm = ['n', 'c', 'u', 'b'] smartirsList = [''.join(comb) for comb in
list(itertools.product(*[termfreq,
docfreq,
docnorm]))
]
The evaluation function for the tf-idf model will then be the following.
def evaluation_tfidf(dataList, params, processed_corpus, top=10):
# preprocess corpus
dictionary = gensim.corpora.Dictionary(processed_corpus)
bow_corpus = [dictionary.doc2bow(text) for text in
processed_corpus] # preprocess dataset
for movie in dataList:
tmp = preprocess_string(movie['plot'])
movie['plot_bow'] = dictionary.doc2bow(tmp)
movie['regex'] = re.compile(movie['titleRegex']) score = {}
for param in params:
index = None # avoid RAM saturation
score[param] = 0
try:
tfidf = TfidfModel(corpus=bow_corpus,
dictionary=dictionary,
smartirs=param)
index = MatrixSimilarity(tfidf[bow_corpus])
for movie in dataList:
new_vec = movie['plot_bow']
vec_bow_tfidf = tfidf[new_vec]
sims = index[vec_bow_tfidf]
topSims = sorted(enumerate(sims),
key=lambda item: -item[1])[:top]
for i in range(len(topSims)):
if movie['regex'].match(df['Title'].iloc[topSims[i][0]]):
score[param] = score[param] + (top - i)
except Exception as error:
print(f'Cannot evaluate model with samrtirs={param}
because of error: {error}')
continue
return score
The parameters for the doc2vec model that we will vary are the following.
dm: it defines the training algorithm. If dm=1, PV-DM is used. Otherwise, PV-DBOW is employed.
vector_size: dimensionality of the feature vectors.
window: the maximum distance between the current and predicted word within a sentence.
hs: if 1, hierarchical softmax will be used for model training; if set to 0, and negative is non-zero, negative sampling will be used.
dm = [1, 0]
vector_size = [10, 20, 50, 70, 100, 150, 200]
window = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
hs = [1, 0] paramsList = [{'dm': item[0],
'vector_size': item[1],
'window': item[2],
'hs': item[3]
} for item in
list(itertools.product(*[dm,
vector_size,
window,
hs]))
]
The evaluation function for the doc2vec model will be the following.
def evaluation_doc2vec(dataList, params, processed_corpus, top=10):
# preprocess corpus
tagged_corpus = [TaggedDocument(d, [i]) for i, d in
enumerate(processed_corpus)] # preprocess the test dataset
for movie in dataList:
movie['plot_preproc'] = preprocess_string(movie['plot'])
movie['regex'] = re.compile(movie['titleRegex']) scoreList = []
for param in params:
param['score'] = 0
model = None
try:
model = Doc2Vec(tagged_corpus,
dm=param['dm'],
vector_size=param['vector_size'],
window=param['window'],
min_count=1,
epochs=10,
hs=param['hs'])
for movie in dataList:
new_doc = movie['plot_preproc']
test_doc_vector = model.infer_vector(new_doc)
sims=model.docvecs.most_similar(positive=[test_doc_vector])
topSims = sims[:10]
for i in range(len(topSims)):
if movie['regex'].match(df['Title'].iloc[topSims[i][0]]):
param['score'] = param['score'] + (top - i)
scoreList.append(param)
except Exception as error:
print(f'Cannot evaluate model with parameters {param}
because of error: {error}')
continue
return scoreList
Models evaluation
Let’s now evaluate the tf-idf model and print the parameters and their score.
score_tfidf = evaluation_tfidf(moviesVal,
smartirsList,
processed_corpus)
# sorting scores and printing them
score_tfidf = {k: v for k, v in sorted(score_tfidf .items(),
key=lambda item: -item[1])}
for s in score_tfidf:
print(s, sortedScore[s])
The results are shown in the following table.
As you can see, the model with ‘npu’ smartirs that we used in our first article (BOW + TF-IDF in Python for unsupervised learning task) is the third best model. The highest scores are very close to each other and it means that the model we chose appears among the top scorers. The more examples we use, the more significant the results obtained are. Indeed, if we use only one movie to evaluate the models the results will be misleading. Let’s try it.
newMovie = [
{'plot': "Boy studies ballet in secret. His father wants him to go
to the gym and boxe. They raise money for audition
in London",
'titleRegex': "^Billy Elliot(.*)$"}
] newMovieScore = evaluation_tfidf(newMovie,
smartirsList,
processed_corpus)
newsortedScore = {k: v for k, v in sorted(newMovieScore.items(),
key=lambda item: -item[1])}
for s in newsortedScore:
print(s, newsortedScore[s])
The results show how using only one movie is not a good way to evaluate the model performance. The larger the test dataset is, the more accurate the models’ evaluation is.
Let’s now evaluate the doc2vec performance.
score_doc2vec = evaluation_doc2vec(moviesVal,
paramsList,
processed_corpus)
score_doc2vec = pd.DataFrame(score_doc2vec)
score_doc2vec = score_doc2vec.sort_values(by=['score'],
ascending=False)
print(score_doc2vec.head(15))
These scores show that the best parameters value are:
dm = 0,
vector_size between 70 and 100,
window ≥ 3,
hs = 1.
In order to get more accurate values, we can perform the hyperparameters tuning setting dm=0 and hs=1 and varying vector_size and window in a smaller interval than before. Please also note that we trained the models for only 10 epochs because of time reasons, but increasing this value to 50 or 100 will return more reliable results.
Conclusions
Performing the method several times, each time varying the parameters values in a smaller interval than before, will also return more accurate values than performing it only one time.
Performing the method several times, each time varying the parameters values in a smaller interval than before, will also return more accurate values than performing it only one time.
Feel free to modify the code in order to improve the method accuracy and retrieve more reliable results. | https://medium.com/betacom/hyperparameters-tuning-tf-idf-and-doc2vec-models-73dd418b4d | ['Eleonora Fontana'] | 2020-11-09 12:09:53.645000+00:00 | ['Movies', 'NLP', 'Python', 'Programming', 'Machine Learning'] |
Why We Should Worry About China and India’s Border Skirmishes | Three decades ago, the two countries reached an understanding not to fight. But Beijing is now a much stronger power.
Tensions between India and China are not new. The two countries — which share the world’s longest unmarked border — fought a full-fledged war in 1962 and have since engaged in several small skirmishes. Not since 1975 has a bullet been fired across their shared border. As a result, the theory that Sino-Indian clashes are flashes in the pan and unlikely to lead to more extensive fighting has become a widely held consensus. Recent events, however, suggest that escalations are highly possible. Both sides have substantial — and growing — military deployments along a mostly disputed border. And for more than a decade, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has been testing India’s military readiness and political resolve along several strategic areas. Peace can no longer be taken for granted.
The most recent clashes took place earlier this month. On May 5, Indian and Chinese soldiers clashed near the Pangong Tso lake in Ladakh. It is believed that the skirmish took place because the PLA had objected to Indian military patrols in the area. Most of these clashes apparently stem from differing assessments of the location of the so-called Line of Actual Control — the de facto international border. And then on May 9, at an altitude of 15,000 feet, in the Naku La region near Tibet, soldiers from both sides came to blows and threw stones at each other mostly in efforts to induce the Indian troops to move back from the areas they were patrolling. No arms were used but several dozen soldiers were injured, including a senior Indian officer who was required to be airlifted to a hospital.
After a long period of relative quiet along the Sino-Indian border, militarized incidents have come to the fore again. According to the Indian government, the Chinese military crossed into Indian territory 1,025 times between 2016 and 2018. Given that China and India’s borders remain unmarked, such transgressions are likely rooted in how Beijing and New Delhi have different perceptions about the extent of their territories.
In 2017, when Indian and Chinese troops faced off for two months in Doklam, an area claimed by both Bhutan and China, a serious military clash was a distinct possibility. While that particular crisis abated, it is perhaps instructive to see the standoff not as an aberration but as part of a new phase in relations between the two countries. The old phase dates back to 1988, a year after a military skirmish between India and China in the Sumdorong Chu Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, when Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi visited his counterpart Deng Xiaoping in Beijing to mend ties. The two leaders agreed to establish a forward-looking relationship even as important issues such as the border dispute were temporarily set aside. The reason for this pragmatism was rooted in economic and strategic factors: Both China and India needed a stable external environment to promote domestic economic development. China was already a decade into the dramatic economic reforms that Deng had initiated, while Gandhi’s India had also embarked on a similar path, albeit hesitantly.After a long period of relative quiet along the Sino-Indian border, militarized incidents have come to the fore again
The 1988 compromise between India and China, helped in part by New Delhi’s studious silence on developments within Tibet, was driven by the fact that the two countries were near equals on the world stage. According to the World Bank, India’s gross domestic product was $297 billion compared with China’s $312 billion that year, while India’s defense spending, at $10.6 billion, was also close to the Chinese allocation of $11.4 billion.
The material balance of power between China and India has dramatically changed since then. At $13.6 trillion in 2018, China’s GDP is now more than five times India’s $2.7 trillion. Similarly, China spent $261.1 billion on defense expenditure in 2019, almost four times India’s total of $71.1 billion. While India has risen as an economy and a global power in the past three decades, its relative strength to China has in fact greatly declined.
A new economic dynamic means that the underlying bedrock of the Gandhi-Deng bargain — of similar means and goals — is fizzling out. Although it remains unclear when exactly the understanding between New Delhi and Beijing began to fade — most likely after the 2008 global financial crisis — China has become far more assertive in its foreign affairs in recent years, from artificial-island-building activities in the South China Sea to its muscular diplomacy amid the coronavirus pandemic. Indeed, some scholars have argued that an impending power transition is underway between China and the United States, the current global hegemon. While New Delhi has also become a more assertive player in global politics its rise has not been of much concern to the United States.
China and India’s recent border clashes look increasingly worrying in the context of these changing power dynamics. The Gandhi-Deng bargain paved the way for a number of border management agreements (including the 1993 and 1996 agreements related to confidence-building measures and the 2005 agreement on the political parameters guiding boundary negotiations). More recently, high-profile summits between the two countries’ top leaders — in Wuhan and in Mamallapuram — have played an important role in managing the overall relationship. However, even as the 1988 deal allowed relative tranquility along their border and promoted commercial links between China and India, none of their outstanding issues — including the border dispute — were actually resolved.
China and India find themselves in an “extraordinarily complex relationship,” according to Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s foreign minister. In addition to the border dispute, some of the core issues in the Sino-Indian rivalry include Tibet (the presence of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan government-in-exile, and tens of thousands of Tibetan exiles in India), the burgeoning China-Pakistan partnership, and the two countries’ overlapping spheres of influence in Asia. These issues have become more salient in the context of the two countries’ simultaneous but asymmetric rising power.While India has risen as an economy and a global power in the past three decades, its relative strength to China has in fact greatly declined
China and India’s material capabilities remain in flux; China continues to outstrip India along most axes of power even as New Delhi seeks to boost its own capabilities. According to the World Bank, India recorded higher growth rates than China every year between 2014 and 2018. While the long-term economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic remains unclear, India’s smaller economy and marginally faster growth rates mean that it has the potential to narrow its power gap with China — at least in the long term. In other words, India is the only major power that is rising with respect to China — even as China grows faster than other major powers such as Japan and the United States.
In addition to accruing power domestically, India is also building strong strategic partnerships with China’s other rivals, especially the United States and Japan. Meanwhile, a rising China has stabilized its northern borders with Russia and is working to undermine the United States’ primacy in the East Asian maritime commons through the modernization of its military and its push to build islands. This basically leaves only one border issue with a rival unresolved: namely, the Sino-Indian border. It is hardly surprising that it is exerting periodic pressure on India along this front — a trend that is only likely to escalate.
China-India border: Why tensions are rising between the neighbours
The armies of the world’s two most populous nations are locked in a tense face-off high in the Himalayas, which has the potential to escalate as they seek to further their strategic goals.
Officials quoted by the Indian media say thousands of Chinese troops have forced their way into the Galwan valley in Ladakh, in the disputed Kashmir region.
Indian leaders and military strategists have clearly been left stunned.
The reports say that in early May, Chinese forces put up tents, dug trenches and moved heavy equipment several kilometres inside what had been regarded by India as its territory. The move came after India built a road several hundred kilometres long connecting to a high-altitude forward air base which it reactivated in 2008.
The message from China appears clear to observers in Delhi — this is not a routine incursion.
“The situation is serious. The Chinese have come into territory which they themselves accepted as part of India. It has completely changed the status quo,” says Ajai Shukla, an Indian military expert who served as a colonel in the army.
China takes a different view, saying it’s India which has changed facts on the ground.
Reports in the Indian media said soldiers from the two sides clashed on at least two occasions in Ladakh. Stand-offs are reported in at least three locations: the Galwan valley; Hot Springs; and Pangong lake to the south.
by bbc
India and China share a border more than 3,440km (2,100 miles) long and have overlapping territorial claims. Their border patrols often bump into each other, resulting in occasional scuffles but both sides insist no bullet has been fired in four decades.
Their armies — two of the world’s largest — come face to face at many points. The poorly demarcated Line of Actual Control (LAC) separates the two sides. Rivers, lakes and snowcaps mean the line separating soldiers can shift and they often come close to confrontation.
The current military tension is not limited to Ladakh. Soldiers from the two sides are also eyeball-to-eyeball in Naku La, on the border between China and the north-eastern Indian state of Sikkim. Earlier this month they reportedly came to blows .
And there’s a row over a new map put out by Nepal, too, which accuses India of encroaching on its territory by building a road connecting with China.
Why are tensions rising now?
There are several reasons — but competing strategic goals lie at the root, and both sides blame each other.
“The traditionally peaceful Galwan River has now become a hotspot because it is where the LAC is closest to the new road India has built along the Shyok River to Daulet Beg Oldi (DBO) — the most remote and vulnerable area along the LAC in Ladakh,” Mr Shukla says.
India’s decision to ramp up infrastructure seems to have infuriated Beijing.
Image copyrightAFP
Image captionThere have been protests in Nepal against India’s new road link
Chinese state-run media outlet Global Times said categorically: “ The Galwan Valley region is Chinese territory , and the local border control situation was very clear.”
“According to the Chinese military, India is the one which has forced its way into the Galwan valley. So, India is changing the status quo along the LAC — that has angered the Chinese,” says Dr Long Xingchun, president of the Chengdu Institute of World Affairs (CIWA), a think tank.
Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia programme at the Wilson Center, another think tank, says this face-off is not routine. He adds China’s “massive deployment of soldiers is a show of strength”.
The road could boost Delhi’s capability to move men and material rapidly in case of a conflict.
Differences have been growing in the past year over other areas of policy too.
When India controversially decided to end Jammu and Kashmir’s limited autonomy in August last year, it also redrew the region’s map.
The new federally-administered Ladakh included Aksai Chin, an area India claims but China controls.
Senior leaders of India’s Hindu-nationalist BJP government have also been talking about recapturing Pakistan-administered Kashmir. A strategic road, the Karakoram highway, passes through this area that connects China with its long-term ally Pakistan. Beijing has invested about $60bn (£48bn) in Pakistan’s infrastructure — the so-called China Pakistan Economic corridor (CPEC) — as part of its Belt and Road Initiative and the highway is key to transporting goods to and from the southern Pakistani port of Gwadar. The port gives China a foothold in the Arabian Sea.
In addition, China was unhappy when India initially banned all exports of medical and protective equipment to shore up its stocks soon after the coronavirus pandemic started earlier this year.
How dangerous could this get?
“We routinely see both armies crossing the LAC — it’s fairly common and such incidents are resolved at the local military level. But this time, the build-up is the largest we have ever seen,” says former Indian diplomat P Stobdan, an expert in Ladakh and India-China affairs.
“The stand-off is happening at some strategic areas that are important for India. If Pangong lake is taken, Ladakh can’t be defended. If the Chinese military is allowed to settle in the strategic valley of Shyok, then the Nubra valley and even Siachen can be reached.”
In what seems to be an intelligence failure, India seems to have been caught off guard again. According to Indian media accounts, the country’s soldiers were outnumbered and surrounded when China swiftly diverted men and machines from a military exercise to the border region.
This triggered alarm in Delhi — and India has limited room for manoeuvre. It can either seek to persuade Beijing to withdraw its troops through dialogue or try to remove them by force. Neither is an easy option.
“China is the world’s second-largest military power. Technologically it’s superior to India. Infrastructure on the other side is very advanced. Financially, China can divert its resources to achieve its military goals, whereas the Indian economy has been struggling in recent years, and the coronavirus crisis has worsened the situation,” says Ajai Shukla.
What next?
History holds difficult lessons for India. It suffered a humiliating defeat during the 1962 border conflict with China. India says China occupies 38,000km of its territory. Several rounds of talks in the last three decades have failed to resolve the boundary issues.
China already controls the Aksai Chin area further east of Ladakh and this region, claimed by India, is strategically important for Beijing as it connects its Xinjiang province with western Tibet.
n 2017 India and China were engaged in a similar stand-off lasting more than two months in Doklam plateau, a tri-junction between India, China and Bhutan.
India objected to China building a road in a region claimed by Bhutan. The Chinese stood firm. Within six months, Indian media reported that Beijing had built a permanent all-weather military complex there.
This time, too, talks are seen as the only way forward — both countries have so much to lose in a military conflict.
“China has no intention to escalate tensions and I think India also doesn’t want a conflict. But the situation depends on both sides. The Indian government should not be guided by the nationalistic media comments,” says Dr Long Xingchun of the CIWA in Chengdu. “Both countries have the ability to solve the dispute through high-level talks.”
Chinese media have given hardly any coverage to the border issue, which is being interpreted as a possible signal that a route to talks will be sought.
Pratyush Rao, associate director for South Asia at Control Risks consultancy, says both sides have “a clear interest in prioritising their economic recovery” and avoiding military escalation.
“It is important to recognise that both sides have a creditable record of maintaining relative peace and stability along their disputed border.” | https://medium.com/@petnamenewemail/why-we-should-worry-about-china-and-indias-border-skirmishes-16bd7b1c00b6 | [] | 2020-06-15 14:54:07.401000+00:00 | ['Médium', 'BBC', 'China Vs India', 'Viral'] |
Should I use pointers all the time in C++? | C++ Programming
Contrary to most answers here, I have no particular aversion to pointer implementations in C++.
To me, a pointer is just a variable. So saying ‘pointers are bad’ is saying variables are bad. After all it is really just an unsigned integer that contains an address and has a type associated with it.
An indirect reference serves a purpose. It allows access without copying and replacing values and allows objects to cross context boundaries. Of course the possibility of abuse and error is present in such situations, but it always is anyway really. Any variable can contain a bad value, be it a pointer or a direct variable.
C++ has some tricks up its sleeve with references, lvalue references, smart casting, etc, that do indeed make for safer code constructs when indirection and pass-by-reference is used — which is all the time. Of course it is encouraged to use these tools to write more robust and reusable code.
But it is not altogether possible to avoid pointer implementations in a lot of situations, so to be ‘afraid’ or revulsed by them is to throw away some essential programming tools.
Look into the STL and you will find a lot of pointer stuff in there.
Almost any time you need to interface with C code you are going to be passing pointers around. You have to; that’s how C operates on anything more complicated than a primitive value.
Most of the STL library utilities and object have pointer-return and pointer-parameter functions for this purpose.
“Never Use Pointers” is like saying “Never Peel Oranges and Never separate orange into slices — the only way is to chomp down, peel and all. After all , raw orange internals are delicate and you could break them and leak juice all over!”
You learn how to safely use pointers and when there are better ways to get a job done (and when there aren’t). If you are not comfortable with pointers and how to use them, then that is a hole in your education, not a good thing. If you must abstract your programs up and away from memory locations and allocation and referencing, well then perhaps a hardware-facing, compiled systems language that is a super-set of the C language is not the language you should be learning.
That is not to say refactoring out raw pointers is not necessary or preferable in a lot of cases. The additional mechanisms for indirection and referencing in C++ over C are there to help facilitate safer code and they should be used, preferred, and leveraged to the hilt. | https://medium.com/@iteshubham/should-i-use-pointers-all-the-time-in-c-62aefe6d5e60 | [] | 2020-12-22 08:19:26.499000+00:00 | ['Skills', 'Programming Interviews', 'C', 'Programming Languages', 'Development'] |
Fuse | There was a young man with a short fuse
Who was constantly chasing his muse
She said it’s curious
That he grew so furious
Which just helped to blow his fuse | https://medium.com/rambling-mind/fuse-d6d1d76e06a3 | ['Tom Thomasson'] | 2017-09-21 17:50:20.649000+00:00 | ['Limerick', 'Poetry', 'Humor', 'Inspiration'] |
Motivational Monday — 12/21/2020. About Me Stories — New Updates and New… | Motivational Monday — 12/21/2020
About Me Stories — New Updates and New Writers
Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash
Hey everyone!
We’re approaching the end of 2020 and what a year it’s been. We’ve seen our patience, mental health, and economic securities tested this year like no other year before. But despite all of the crazy stuff that’s going on, there’s still so much good to balance it out.
Jennifer Marie’s situation
Last week, I told you all about my co-editor’s situation at home. Jennifer Marie had her house broken into two weeks ago while she was out of the house. The thieves took everything under her Christmas tree, including all of her presents that she bought for her children. They even broke her mirror and her TV on their way out. She was absolutely devastated.
I announced a GoFundMe and posted her story in last week’s post. She was so appreciative of the love and support from everyone, especially from some of the members of the community from About Me Stories.
To JGS Jay Pendragon Megan Benson and a few more anonymous donors from the Medium community — thank you so much for your generosity. We’ve been able to raise $620 out of the $2000 in expected losses she incurred. She’s eternally grateful and was so surprised to see the GoFundMe.
She’s currently still trying to figure out what to do and is taking a few weeks off from the publication. If you’re still wanting to donate to help or find out more, here’s the link to the GoFundMe. All funds will go towards helping her recoup the losses and bringing some semblance of Christmas joy back to her talented boys. | https://medium.com/about-me-stories/motivational-monday-12-21-2020-b363ffcbdfcd | ['Quy Ma'] | 2020-12-21 04:22:36.479000+00:00 | ['Bio', 'Community', 'Writing', 'Motivation', 'About Me'] |
On Love and Enlightenment | Not two weeks before I began reading Flossie Deane Craig’s novel Feathers In A High Wind did I encounter those lovely lines in the quasi-Sufi philosopher’s collection of mystical poetry, originally composed in twelfth century Khorassán (a region of modern day Iran). Given that the former title is a gritty narrative of life in bucolic northern Arkansas over the years book-ending World War One, I thought these two works to be about as remote from each other as they could be. Imagine my surprise, then, when I stumbled upon that very quatrain a little over halfway through Feathers in a High Wind. As it turns out, Flossie was a woman of more literacy, eloquence and style than her seemingly humble origins would imply.
In the decades after her death, the journals comprising Flossie’s novel were treasured by her family as entirely fictional works. However, it was eventually discovered that those heirloom stories of love, strife and change were more than just recreations of the habits, customs and livelihoods of the period; rather, they chronicled actual events. More incredibly, the names scattered throughout the journal entries were recognized as pseudonyms for the people in Flossie’s life. Thus, when Feathers was finally published in 2015 thanks to the combined efforts of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, the pseudonyms were reverted to their corresponding historical names, and Feathers debuted as an authentic ledger of Flossie’s remarkable and tumultuous life in the years from 1912 to 1919.
Flossie Deane Craig is my great-great-great grandmother. So closely related to me is she that a picture exists of myself as an infant being held by her then very senior daughter Cerece (whose birth and rambunctious childhood form one of the book’s most tender threads), and yet, for the first twenty years of my life, the significance of this relationship escaped me. Family trees tend to forego vivid details for the sake of graphical efficiency, causing ancestral marriages and unions to appear as nothing more than procreative mechanisms necessary to reach “the present’’. Thus, in my youth I found it difficult to recognize Flossie from among myriad faces in sepia-toned old photos, or to distinguish her name when it emerged from time to time in nostalgic family chatter. Again, until I read Feathers in a High Wind, I failed to understand how impressive a woman she really was.
Consider the ambient conditions of her rural town of Paragould, Arkansas (population then around 5,500) in the 1910s. Aside from the stirrings of growing industry, the region was one of agriculture, piety, patriarchy, and, if a man was from a well-to-do family, inherited responsibility (of tending to a family farm or business, for example). For women, who were not to win their franchise for quite a few years to come, opportunities for the pursuit of individual ambition were slim, as their futures usually hinged on the career trajectories of the men they married and attended to. Societal roles were, in modern parlance, “traditional”. Men worked and earned the vast majority of household income, and women were the domicile managers, cooks, and primary child-rearers. One could certainly argue that this environment exerted a stifling effect on the development of those progressive elements like female intellectualism, independence, and autonomy that would only evolve en masse nearly a century later. And yet, the pages of Feathers In A High Wind reveal Flossie to be a woman equipped with period-revolutionary sorts of bravery and intellect so premature that they align snugly with the female empowerment campaigns of today.
Take bodily autonomy as a case-in-point. At several instances in the novel, women (including Flossie) are burdened with the arduous task of pregnancy and childbirth as a consequence of the random (and occasionally violent) carnal hungers of their husbands, who then return to their work lives and leave their expectant wives to cope. Such treatment exacts monstrous mental and physical tolls on these women, one of whom snaps and merrily subjects her cruelly rapacious husband to a Tarantino-esque murder-castration. Thankfully, Flossie elects a different solution, and covertly begins a rudimentary course of birth control, freeing herself from the constant, gnawing anxiety of being subjected once again to pregnancy. This at a time where the refusal of a husband’s advances, much less the suppression of reproductive functionality, was sufficient merit for moral castigation, especially on Christian grounds.
Where the spiritual and the transcendent are concerned, Flossie spurns the idea of locating God in stuffy farm churches and among shrieking, frenzied worshipers (Flossie’s mother-in-law exclaims “when God wants to shout me, I just let him shout me!”), preferring instead to forgo the services and seek God in winds and snows and in nature’s other splendors. She derides the casuistry of the churchgoers who exalt God’s favor in the Great War, noting that her kind and loving God would never be partial in such horrendous human conflicts, and observes that the most enthusiastic believers are often the poorest models for her notion of Jesus (for years, my father cruised south Georgia in a truck sporting a bumper sticker with a Gandhi quote reading “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.” I’m not claiming that Flossie was Gandhi, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t draw the similarity). In the face of a hawkeyed preacher who questions her devoutness, she conceals these convictions with an admirable and clever mendacity. No doubt those convictions would have alienated her from her community as an out-and-out heretic, destined for Hell.
That eternal condemnation, which I suspect she would still earn from certain Christian sects today, brings me to perhaps her most groundbreaking intellectual reform, captured contemplatively when she writes “But all I could see was that Man… managed to make for himself a hell, wherein, if one listened, there might always be heard weeping and wailing and the gnashing of teeth.” Her surmise that Hell is earthly and man-made, or in other words a product not of divine creation but of human frailty, is strikingly similar to that revelation which saw the megachurch preacher Carlton Pearson lose his congregation almost one hundred years later.
I have not even begun to describe Flossie’s ardent battle to wrest influence over financial matters from her lovable, endearing, and at times equally despicable husband Alex Walker, or her fervent struggle to win over his leery and judgmental parents, or her charming enthusiasm for “new” technology like cars, running water, and electricity and lighting systems, but if I haven’t yet made my point about Flossie’s striking and uncommon enlightenment, I’m not going to have made it, am I?
However, the vital artery of the book, and transitively of Flossie’s character, is her desperate quest not just to find romantic love — she and Alex accomplish this feat for a time early in the book — but to determine its authentic sources, to capture it for good, and to distill it as best she can. Unlike some couples in the novel, she understands that love does not stem from the sex and the distribution of responsibility that accompany wedlock, and that while the children of a marriage do not guarantee a love between the parents, they may certainly help to kindle it. Flossie (I think accurately) comes to envision love as a fluctuating state and searches again and again to find its stasis.
This endeavor fails frequently, though often through no fault of her own, and each failure elicited in me an unusually potent twinge of familial compassion. After all, her loneliness when Alex leaves her to fend for herself during a trying pregnancy, her broken spirit when she learns of his unfaithfulness, and her confusion and resignation at his repeated unwillingness to say “I love you” are all palpable accounts of the suffering of my kin. Her trials reminded me of something the author Salman Rushdie once remarked during an Emory University literary panel discussion about love:
“When we talk about love, we usually add to it.. related concepts such as fidelity, durability… it’s supposed it would go on for a long time, and it’s supposed to be monogamous… that might all be nonsense. That might just be a kind of comforting, bourgeois domestication of love. And that actually love might have more or less nothing to do with those things. It might be much more savage and brutal and non-enduring, a thing that betrays itself… it might be the kind of love that you find in high tragedy.”
Flossie never seems to find respite from confrontations with the callousness and temporality of love, and yet that struggle seems to be the surest indicator that her love was true. There were poignant and powerful instances of love and devotion, especially one wrenchingly sublime moment of vulnerability and understanding and partnership with Alex after several years of marriage, but even that long-awaited unity succumbs to high tragedy as the novel mournfully concludes. After closing the book in what I can best describe as a trance, I felt as if I suddenly knew my third-great grandmother and her family as if I had met them, but that elation was dampened by the sad reality that they had all died long before my arrival to this world.
I suspect that a natural consequence of knowing one’s ancestry, or of being anyone’s descendant, is to (perhaps solipsistically) wonder what traits and vestiges of past generations endure in oneself, and after I reveled in Feathers In A High Wind, I couldn’t help but give in to that little tug of introspection. While I entertain the notion that I can write, I have yet to scribble as elegantly and poetically as Flossie, and while heresy and nonconformity are for me sources of personal pride, I have yet to exercise those postures as daringly as she did. Nonetheless, and despite the chasm of time and societal change that separates us, I daresay we would have had a great deal to talk about, and I have a great deal from her left to learn. Fortunately, Feathers promises that what lessons she may yet teach her great-great-great grandson are hidden in the glorious depths of her work. | https://medium.com/@ethanwetherington/on-love-and-enlightenment-6be646f8d32d | ['Ethan Wetherington'] | 2020-12-19 05:19:17.498000+00:00 | ['Empowerment', 'Enlightenment', 'Literature', 'Love', 'Family'] |
Breaking the Habit 2020 | Breaking the Habit 2020
Life of 2020 for an ordinary self-centred man
Photo by Alexis Fauvet on Unsplash
Before 2020
Early to bed, early to rise
Early to work to punch on time
Kids to school, missus cooks all
In this stressful pool, feel like a tool
Fights on roads, days and nights
Honks with others, bonks with words
Late home drowsy, kids be sleepy
Missus be lovely, yet my mood’s gloomy
Weekends hopeful, are so cheerful
I am so grateful, Mondays aren’t wrathful
Routines monotonic
Are gone with sputnik
There comes the pandemic
Break our lives like a ceramic
After 2020
Early to nothing, late to nothing
Not good everything, yet the silver lining
Kids stay home, misses re-born
We all helping, each others wellbeing
No ones honking, roads are soothing
An era that's changing, to a life that is calming
Social distancings, no more holding
For events calling, for friends gathering
Yet homes different, together and coherent
Just zoom meetings, no more timed punching
Be home relaxed, with missus beloved
With kids chillaxed, life’s now relaxed
No more sleepy goodnights
No more missed sunrises
Few more time with sights
Of my family that brights!
I hope everyone’s staying safe and adjusting to the new environment in a positive manner. XOXO | https://medium.com/the-brain-is-a-noodle/breaking-the-habit-2020-e77a940729b0 | ['Anuradha Wickramarachchi'] | 2020-11-16 11:55:16.006000+00:00 | ['Poetry On Medium', 'Life', 'Family', 'Poetry', 'Pandemic'] |
Do You Even Know Who They Were Before You? | Do You Even Know Who They Were Before You?
Seize the quarantine to find out who your parents are.
They’ve seen us grow up.
They’ve seen us become who we are.
They’ve been there all along.
Yet, we only know them as our parents, our mom, and dad.
We sometimes forget that they were a whole different person before taking on the role of parent.
Take this time of isolation, to reconnect with them.
And find out who they are?
How was their kindergarten experience?
What were they like in school?
Who was their first crush?
What things they loved of uni, and what things they hated?
What’s their first memory?
What’s their best memory?
Have they ever been truly scared of something? When? Why?
What was it like to live X event?
Etc, etc.
Find out who they were before they had you.
Because if not now, then when? | https://medium.com/live-your-life-on-purpose/do-you-even-know-who-they-were-before-you-ee82446eec1f | ['Cristina Rojas Colloridi'] | 2020-05-08 22:01:01.083000+00:00 | ['Life', 'Parents', 'Life Lessons', 'Memories', 'Family'] |
Ravencoin — Virus false-positive. Just an update to let you know that we… | Just an update to let you know that we discovered a virus false-positive on the 4.3.2.0 Ravencoin Windows installer.
It was first brought to our attention in our weekly dev meeting on Discord.
After some research, we found that only Windows Defender detected the wacatac virus. You can verify this for yourself by downloading from here (https://github.com/RavenProject/Ravencoin/releases/download/v4.3.2/raven-4.3.2.0-win64-setup-unsigned.exe), and uploading the file to https://www.virustotal.com/gui for scanning by multiple AV programs.
Since there were no changes between 4.3.1 and 4.3.2 that would introduce a threat, we suspected that it was a false-positive. AV scanners use signature strings to detect viruses and can occasionally detect a sequence of characters that indicate a threat when there is none. In this case it appears to be a false positive. We’ve sent the offending exe to Microsoft for analysis.
We changed only the version number to 4.3.2.1, and built the binaries again, and the virus is no longer detected. You will find a couple of anti-virus programs will detect the built-in mining code, but that is to be expected.
This post is here for reference and can be sent to anyone that experienced Windows detecting and removing the Ravencoin Windows installer upon download. Once the 4.3.2.1 binaries are released later today, Windows Defender will not flag the installer.
Thank you to all those who pointed this out so we could address it.
There were rumors about KAWPOW being the cause, and from what we found it looks like KAWPOW does trigger a few anti-virus programs to detect it as a miner — which, of course, could be used maliciously to earn somebody RVN by hijacking an unsuspecting user’s video card.
Thank you to Doug for testing the binary against more than one AV. Thank you Mark for running it against lots of AV scanners. | https://medium.com/@tronblack/ravencoin-virus-false-positive-dd8b511cca79 | ['Tron Black'] | 2020-12-08 18:53:15.854000+00:00 | ['Antivirus', 'Ravencoin', 'Installer', 'Fake News', 'Download'] |
ALTYAPI OTOMASYONU NEDEN GEREKİYOR? | 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/albaraka-tech-global/altyapi-otomasyonu-neden-gereki%CC%87yor-4b444736a954 | ['Ertan Çiftlik'] | 2020-11-19 11:00:53.043000+00:00 | ['Automation', 'Infrastructure', 'Digitalization', 'Infrastructure Automation'] |
My first React project (part I) | For this second portfolio project, I had the option to keep working on my Bootstrap project and update it with my new found React powers or start a new project altogether. I decided to go with the second route and build a new project from scratch.
I have different interests, and I want my portfolio to showcase them. Disclaimer: This article cover picture is not an indication that I plan on binge-watching movies on Netflix instead of coding. For this second portfolio project, I decided to create a copycat Netflix using React. At first, I was thinking of building a Netflix-like app but specifically showcasing indie movies. But that would mean designing the UI from scratch, which I usually enjoy. But for this particular project, I decided to concentrate on assessing my understanding and command of React.
I’m only a week into my React course, so I still have a whole lot to learn. But I’m beginning to see the power of React and why it is so in demand.
Expected list of components
Navigation bar | Hero picture | Movie title |Short movie description
Rating | Carousel |Card | Card description
There are probably some components that I am missing right now, so this list might evolve as I progress with my project.
What my project won’t include
I wanted to give the user the ability to login and save movies as favorites. I quickly realized that, in order to do so, I would need some backend knowledge, which I don’t possess at the moment. It would be a challenge for the weeks to come.
Final thoughts
I’m both excited and a little anxious about this project. React has been a little bit challenging so far but I know that when I’ll get very comfortable with it, it will be so rewarding. This project will get me closer to this.state. | https://medium.com/@lauraharston/my-first-react-project-part-i-20117bd12c8c | ['Laura Harston'] | 2020-12-26 02:08:53.913000+00:00 | ['Netflix', 'Portfolio', 'Bootcamp', 'React', 'Frontend'] |
I Just Received an Email I Wrote 8 Months Ago and It’s Depressing | In April, I wrote a letter to my future self. I used a site called Future Me which allows you to write an email to your future self. You can choose whatever date or however long, I chose the 31st December.
I retrieved the email from my junk folder this morning and read it blurry-eyed whilst I laid in bed. It was more like a letter and so hopelessly optimistic it made me want to pat Past-Me on the back and say “oh sweetie” in that really condescending way people do. I wrote that email 3 weeks into the national UK lockdown so by then the world was already looking pretty rubbish. I can’t blame it on not knowing that it was going to be a crazy year.
Reading through, I saw all the goals I set for myself: build 3 income streams, save £25,000 in my account, and I can’t help but laugh. I mean I did try. It wasn’t for lack of trying. And I can’t say they were impossible goals either because a lot of people have had a really good year considering.
At the time, I wanted to start a social media marketing agency and I was cold calling to get clients. That was hard. Especially as this was just at the beginning of lockdown and people weren’t interested in shelling out for advertising, particularly when they didn’t know what was going to happen a few months down the line.
In the letter, I wrote about how proud of myself I was to have moved to London, started a new job and a side hustle. Now, nearly 8 months later, I had moved back home, quit the job, and that side hustle. What a difference some months can make. I wonder now, would Past-Me still be proud? We’re kind of back to where we started the year at. Similar bank balance, same house, same hobbies.
Though on the surface not much looks different, I’ve experienced some growth over the last 12 months at the very least.
Probably what’s changed the most is my relationship with money, or how I think of money. When I started this year, and probably all the years before, I was concerned about making more of it. If I had more of it, I’d be more secure. I’d feel safer. Things would be better.
My side hustles were based on the premise of building value for others in exchange for money. That’s what I’d learned all those hours YouTubing and reading. I thought social media marketing would be a good avenue for me to go down. But soon after starting, I realized I wasn’t enjoying it, especially the cold calling.
Isn’t that the game though? If you want money you have to do things you don’t necessarily enjoy in order to get it?
There was a point in 2019, where I was earning more than I ever had before and I was still pretty miserable. I realized then that money was not enough to make me stay, I valued something else much more than that.
Money is important, don’t get me wrong but is it possible that there is another way? I’d been in the same cycle for years, doing bits here and there to get by, all for the sake of money. I’d tried it the conventional way, so maybe I needed to change tack. What if I spent more of my time focused on the things that I actually did enjoy. Would it be possible for me to be able to sustain myself that way? Maybe not now, but eventually? Possibly. How would life be if I tried it a different way?
That would mean quietening my anxiety around money. It would mean removing my worth from my bank balance. It would also mean doing things unconventionally and surrendering control, not trying to force things or do things for the sake of it. It would mean saying no to ‘quick money’ business ideas and concentrating my energy inwards.
So, that’s how I got here, on the face of it, back to where I started but with renewed inspiration. I do not currently have £25,000 saved or have 3 streams of income but I have a new goal and a newer determination for 2021.
To Past-Me who may be horribly disappointed about the current situation of Present-Me, I apologize. Things change, get over it. | https://byrslf.co/i-just-received-an-email-i-wrote-8-months-ago-and-its-depressing-c0c201f7b635 | ['Zed Bee'] | 2021-05-09 06:19:15.115000+00:00 | ['Personal Development', 'Growth', 'Personal Growth', 'Self-awareness', 'Beyourself'] |
Crochet Affirmation №13 | Crochet like you mean it. — crochetbug
Stepping into the room of a sleeping toddler, your steps should be stealthy and tentative; with crochet, however, your stitches should be bold and unapologetically crocheted.
Do not defile your craft by trying to make it something it is not; instead, embrace all that it is, one glorious stitch at a time. | https://medium.com/crochet-affirmations/crochet-affirmation-13-7c9f6ea52029 | ['Leslie Stahlhut'] | 2020-03-07 17:35:23.325000+00:00 | ['Affirmations', 'Creativity', 'Crochet', 'DIY', 'Makers'] |
5 Leadership Behaviors I’ve Learned from 2 Years of Data Science and Engineering | The last leadership skill that I have taken away from these experiences is understanding the value of having a mentor and being a mentor. I have found both to be incredibly beneficial for myself and the others involved. I gravitated toward adopting a mentor when I started my current job. In past positions, they assigned mentors, but the experiences were not useful. Either I didn’t feel the connection with the person, or it was an uncomfortable relationship I was forced into. In picking my current mentors, I gravitated towards individuals who had skills in areas that I wanted to improve. One had excellent communication skills and developed MVP projects, and the other excelled at envisioning the future and path forward. When I started to mentor months later, I sought out a mentee who was a woman at the start of her career looking to learn more about the STEM field.
5. Mentoring
Mentor and be mentored. Finding a mentor in data science can be a valuable asset. They are someone you can speak to about your challenges, successes, and career progression. Find someone you are comfortable talking to who can help provide you with the resources you need. While looking for a mentor, consider becoming a mentor for someone. This person may be someone younger or earlier in their career than you. It may seem stressful at first, but you have a story to tell, and you can help them along their path through what you have learned along with yours. No matter what stage you are in your career, you can get a mentor or become a mentor. Consider doing both and jumping out of your comfort zone.
Tip: Stay in touch with different organizations within your company who are frequently looking to pair mentors and mentees up. If you don’t have one, reach out to colleagues both within and outside of your organization to find a mentor/mentee. These individuals do not need to work in the same place to help you in your career.
Finding a mentor can help you in your career, and becoming a mentor can help someone else who is navigating their own. Learning to leverage both can help you traverse through your path, and help improve your leadership skills. Through these experiences, I have learned to assist others who come to me for advice or help. | https://towardsdatascience.com/5-leadership-behaviors-ive-learned-from-2-years-of-data-science-and-engineering-32b53dce45a3 | ['Rose Day'] | 2020-11-29 16:03:21.530000+00:00 | ['Technology', 'Data Science', 'Career Advice', 'Careers', 'Data'] |
How Shop Drawings can help your timber construction? | Shop drawings are an indispensable part of the construction industry. And when it comes to timber construction, we can’t emphasis enough on the importance of it. With all the rapid technological advancement that has happened in the last few years, this is one such service that has very prominently helped the overall architectural industry.
If you are into timber construction and are uncertain about getting shop drawing services then you are at the right place.
Shop drawings are documents of drawings related to construction. It consists of each and every detail related to the construction project. The details further includes information of the materials used in the fabrication and the exact installation technique to be used.
While talking about shop drawings it is important to know what kind of shop drawings we are referring to. There are two kinds of shop drawings; mill-work shop drawings and timber frame shop drawings. And the timber construction goes for both according to the requirements. The mill-work shop drawings include the cabinetry and casework drawing which eventually are made of wood. And the timber drawings includes all the timber paneling and truss shop drawings.
Advantages of shop drawings
1. Explicit assembly instruction
Shop drawings show a fine layout of fabrication of the end product, with information regarding the used materials, measurements of the products and the joints present in it. The clarity in the drawings makes it exact as the needful to be installed at the space.
2. Documentation
Shop drawings are a great way to document and future references. If any kind of faults occur while laying out the furniture or anything, the designers can look at the drawings and instantly know the defect causing it. This also helps in modification of the timber works.
3. Correct pricing of the final product
With the near-perfect shop drawings, it is easy to determine what the cost will come up-to. The materials, size and color is pre decided through the drawings, and this eventually shows the final price on the product. This will assist the overall manufacturing cost as well.
4. Alterations in any kind of issues beforehand
Working with timber can be a tedious process. But with shop drawings, both cost and time can be reduced at large. As it has been mentioned earlier as well, that with the drawings any kind of defects can be recognized at an early stage and adjustments can be made accordingly. You can create a total walk-through of the timber projects and let your clients view it from different angles.
5. Mobility
As it is already said that shop drawings carry all the information that is possibly required in any stage of furniture making. And as it is a digital storage of information, accessing those information is possible from literally anywhere. This makes shop drawings portable and easy to carry around.
6. Training
The shop drawings not only helps the timber construction industry but also helps their future employees by providing sufficient and subject related knowledge of the timber works. A lot of knowledge can be gained by looking at the pictures. The technical drawings provide a better understanding of the wood works and projects than a theoretical writing. This makes the training process of the new artists efficient and easy.
After going through the benefit of shop drawings it is very well understood how essential it is for timber construction. It is a segment that effectively strengthens the connection between the architectural and timber industry. | https://medium.com/archdraw-outsourcing/how-shop-drawings-can-help-your-timber-construction-ac13f4ffb1d4 | ['Chandresh Chudasama'] | 2020-12-24 05:36:23.845000+00:00 | ['Timber Frame', 'Timber Shop Drawings', 'Shop Drawing', 'Timber Construction', 'Construction'] |
BIG Change at The POM — Please Read | BIG Change at The POM — Please Read
We have new submissions guidelines and more news!
Author’s screenshot
This newsletter pertains to:
ANYONE who writes for The POM
ANYONE who WANTS to write for The POM
Samantha Lazar and I have been hard at work behind the scenes to make sure The POM runs smoothly. We are a growing family and it is too hard to keep reminding people not to overstep editorial boundaries — people keep approving articles and poems that are not their own. The easiest solution is to centralize and move all non-editors that have editorial status over to writer-only status. If you HAD editorial status and you had submitted a draft in the last few days, but for some reason had not published (was leaving it to the editors to do) then you must check to be sure your draft is still pending for The POM. Look in your draft and it should say at the top if it is submitted.)
From this point forward, our editorial staff — that means myself and Samantha — must approve all posts.
We have all new submissions guidelines which all writers for The POM are expected to read.
Thank you all for making this a GREAT space for poetry!
Poetically yours,
Christina and Samantha | https://medium.com/the-pom/big-change-at-the-pom-please-read-1cb541856a0e | ['Christina M. Ward'] | 2020-12-16 00:02:16.409000+00:00 | ['Poetry', 'The Pom', 'Submission', 'Newsletter', 'Writing'] |
More Resilient Than You Can Imagine | I’ve got bilateral hip dysplasia. I’ve written some about it here, and I’m very open about it with my clients. In early 2019, I decided to get pelvic x-rays taken for the first time since about 2004 for tracking purposes. Today I remembered to get a copy of the images for myself, and want to share a little about what they show and mean.
Here is my 2019 x-ray, looking at the front of my pelvis and very strange hip joints. For those who don’t know what an average female pelvis x-ray looks like, or just want a reminder for comparison, here’s an example.
Having hip dysplasia means I have shallow hip sockets. Make a fist with one hand and cover it entirely with your other palm and fingers — that’s a normal hip socket shape. Now pull your hand back so only your fingers cover your fist — that’s a dysplasic hip socket shape.
There are all kinds of things you can see in this x-ray about my surgical and developmental history. For starters, you can see how shallow both sockets are, and you can see how deeply different my right side is from my left. You can see how much smaller the right femur and femoral head (leg bone and where it meets the socket) are from barely being used while on crutches and avoiding that leg while I was still growing in middle school and high school.
Notice the odd shape of the right wing of my pelvis? An x-ray technician who didn’t know my history read that as an underdeveloped illiac crest, but they were wrong. It’s actually where a surgeon cut part of the crest off to make a bone graft and extend my then extremely shallow right hip socket. See the weird little lip on the outside edge of the hip socket and the gap above it? That’s where the surgeon attached the bone graft, and then where my body decided it did not want extra bone and then reabsorbed said graft.
In this same section of the x-ray, look down and to the right from my hip socket. You’ll see another shallow divet — that is my original hip socket. It was so shallow that in elementary school, my femur migrated up and to the left to where it is now. With some help from that surgeon and despite a LOT of complications, it made a new socket for itself there, and it’s functional.
The point of all this is that bodies are AMAZINGLY resilient. That cliche phrase, “Life will find a way”, kind of drives me nuts, but it’s also true. My body needed to keep me upright and able to walk if at all possible, and it did and learned how to stabilize on this totally weird right hip joint. Not only can I walk, but I can dance and hike and have very little limitations or pain.
If you’re dealing with your own complications, please take this story as a little boost of your faith in your own body’s deep capacity to heal and function as well as it possibly can under very weird conditions. It’s trying really hard.
Originally published at www.rachelhamstra.com. | https://medium.com/@rachelhamstra/more-resilient-than-you-can-imagine-eefc28aca09e | ['Rachel Hamstra'] | 2020-12-15 22:22:37.670000+00:00 | ['Hip Dysplasia', 'Neuroplasticity', 'Feldenkrais', 'Resilience'] |
The right suffering | Question from the Internet:
“Is suffering a part of the human condition?”
Yes, as without suffering, without feeling a lack, we would never develop, move out of our comfort zone.
But this suffering doesn’t have to be actual, painful, intolerable pain. We could develop in a way that therefore that pulls us towards is a positive, “love suffering", constantly aiming at a higher, better, more optimal future state we couldn’t reach yet, but which state is so important, desired that we feel that without reaching is life is worthless.
This is the positive, hastened way of development instead of instinctively, blindly running away from actual pain, actual physical suffering.
Whether we consent to it or not, Nature’s relentless evolutionary plan is driving us towards a final, most optimal goal together with the whole Natural system. As we are oblivious about this plan and the final goal, at this stage Nature’s drives, develops is by blows — like the coronavirus for example — from behind.
But through a unique, purposeful and highly practical educational method we could understand, map the Natural developmental plan with our own role in i it. Then we can shift to the above mentioned positive suffering, pulling ourselves ahead without waiting for the blows.
https://youtu.be/D-2IIEh6fu4 | https://medium.com/@samechphoto/the-right-suffering-984f0b99b4ca | ['Zsolt Hermann'] | 2020-12-21 21:08:39.365000+00:00 | ['Humanity', 'Evolution', 'Education', 'Development', 'Suffering'] |
The Teeth Of American Democracy Are In The Senate. Will Voters Learn? | Image via: The Telegraph
For many, the results of Super Tuesday were painful. In a race that started with six viable women, not one remains. For many canvassers, phone bankers, and activists, this moment could not have come sooner. Mass media, Twitter, and college campuses across the country have been buzzing with presidential election activism for months. Many Gen Z first-time voters are teeming with glee at their opportunity to defeat President Trump with a single vote. I, too, long for election day. But, it’s not this simple. In the midst of the 2020 excitement, I am left feeling shaken and alarmed. It is almost as if people have forgotten about the 34 Senate and 435 House elections in November. Plagued with a flurry of debates, forums, town halls, and new policy packs, it has become impossible to separate daily life from presidential elections. It is easy to become enthralled with the presidential election and fall prey to the shiny systematic change progressive candidates are promising. The debate-stage rhetoric that fetishizes the demolition of the Trump-era with a single vote is convincing. That is precisely the problem. These idealized outcomes of this election are far from true. A victory for a Democratic candidate alone will not be enough to bring forth Democratic policies or control for Republican hardlining if the Senate is not shifted blue. But, a win for Democrats in the Senate alone will be enough.
How is this possible?
Democrats are defending 13 Senate seats this election cycle, while 23 Republican Senators are up for re-election, with strong speculation and approval ratings indicating that 13 Republican seats in 12 states are vulnerable to flipping blue. Democrats, if successfully able to defend their territory, must then gain at least 3 seats in order to achieve a majority in the Senate. The necessity of a Democratic majority has been proven pivotal. A blue majority could have voted to ensure witnesses in the highly anticipated impeachment trial. The Senate impeachment results found Trump not guilty of either abuse of power or obstruction of Congress. The entire process of impeachment was hazy and became imbued with confusion and fury on both sides of the aisle. Across party lines, the impeachment results left a lasting, universal effect among voters; it detached us from the Senate. The target of media and legislative criticism quickly became President Trump. These reports, while founded, were still missing the real problem. Incompetent President aside, the conundrum Democrats have been grappling with is a severe lack of governmental oversight and control. This will only be resolved if the Senate flips; without such a flip, Democrats will be unable to ensure fair impeachment and accountability, or confirm judges, Secretaries, or most importantly, Supreme Court Justices.
The vulnerability of the Supreme Court
MANDEL NGAN/AFP / Getty Images / Via cnn.com
I don’t know about you, but I am tired of Googling “Ruth Bader Ginsburg health” every morning and setting up plans to donate organs from my living body to her, if ever called upon. There is great concern, and rightfully, over whether more Justices will be needed between 2020–2024. It fills me with disgust when I remember that 22% of the Supreme Court is composed of accused sexual assaulters and harassers. This ensued after the Senate majority voted to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018. This Senate has confirmed two nominees: Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, leaving a conservative majority and only a greater chance for that margin to increase if Democrats do not win back the Senate. A conservative majority leaves everything from overturning Roe v. Wade to rolling back rights for DACA recipients possible. In order to prevent a biased conservative court from forever altering our nation’s history and reversing what decades of civil rights activism has fought for, we must elect a blue Senate.
It is simpler to discuss qualms with President Trump. It is harder to tease away the complexities of the Senate, but we must. In order to sweep 2020 up in a blue wave, we must mobilize for more than one candidate. Canvass, contact local legislative offices near you, and step up for your prospective Democratic Senator and House Representative, or look for ways to volunteer virtually for other campaigns outside your state. The era of just “going local” in order to influence politics has passed; we must be willing to step outside state boundaries in order to participate in the most critical, flip-inducing races. We are living in complicated times where technology can both aid and hinder campaigns, but nonetheless provides a powerful avenue for out-of-state supporters to volunteer for a candidate whose activities as a Senator or House Representative will indefinitely transverse state lines. This includes phone banking or volunteering to send text messages to recruit volunteers for a campaign.
“A Senate flip in 2020 is more than a pipe-dream”
A blue Senate will not only make Democratic policies more palpable, but contribute to diversifying and democratizing positions of power. In 2018, record numbers of women, queer people, and racial minorities ran for federal seats. Among those, the campaigns of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes, Amy Vilela, and Cori Bush were chronicled in the Netflix-original documentary, Knock Down the House. In that cycle, 125 women were elected to House, Senate, and gubernatorial seats. 37 women were elected to the House for the first time. The past record was 24. The trajectory of progressive candidates has not fizzled out. For the first time in 22 years, Virginia Democrats won control of both legislative houses in the elections in November 2019. The Trump-backed governor of Mitch McConell’s Kentucky was voted out. A Senate flip in 2020 is more than a pipe-dream or mere possibility, I assure you. But, it will take our time, energy, and money to realize.
The Senate election in 2020 will be pivotal in determining the course of our country’s politics. The power of the Senate is more profound than even the presidency. In 2018, Senators and House Representatives exercised incumbent reelection rates of 84% and 91%, respectively. Pouring time, energy, and small dollar donations into these flippable districts will serve as another chance for Democrats to establish strong roots in swing states and retain lasting political influence. This will also serve as a critical opportunity for women to take control of political seats, amid a presidential climate rife with accusations of sexism or sexual assault against every major male candidate still on stage or recently departed.
The role of sexism
NBC and MSNBC / Via dallasnews.com
In this so-called “two man” race, the contributions and value of female candidates has been effectively erased by media stations, pundits, and supporters of Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden alike. The most stunning upset is perhaps the fact that former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg received nearly the same number of delegates as Senator Elizabeth Warren, dubbed the woman of all plans, on Super Tuesday. Amid highly qualified, prepared, and uncontroversial political histories, the record number of women candidates that ran remain merely a footnote in this election now. Perhaps the most bipartisan efforts in this election cycle have been the collective enforcement of nearly impossible standards for women in the race and the malicious undermining of their qualifications from politicians and media members on both sides of the aisle. This became especially clear when Senator Warren unrelentingly sought to exact accountability after sexual misconduct allegations became wedged against Bloomberg and his non-disclosure agreements surfaced. This, of course, is coupled with Bloomberg’s implementation of racial profiling through stop and frisk, which was fiercely brought to light on the Nevada stage. Nevertheless, Bloomberg’s deflection still earned him over 60 delegates on Super Tuesday and, in turn, contributed to criticisms of Senator Warren.
Not all hope should be lost, however. Following the trend of the impressive number of women vying for the presidency, there are a number of women running to unseat incumbent Republicans in the Senate. The progressive flip so many Democrats are chasing is not only more possible in the Senate, but remains probable. This can be attributed to the robust campaigns being fiercely mounted in purple and red states. Sara Gideon, speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, is challenging Senator Susan Collins, polling above Collins as of early March, in what will be an extremely tight and critical race. Additionally, Amy McGrath, running to unseat Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, has raised $17 million dollars since launching her campaign in July 2019, the fourth highest of any Senate candidate in the country. The former Marine fighter pilot is the leading Democratic candidate in the race. According to the Rutgers University Center for American Women and Politics, 15% of female candidates that lost federal elections in 2018 are likely to run again in 2020. Many of these women are in swing districts or states. Let’s help them finish the job.
So, is a blue Senate more important than a blue president? To me, the answer is yes. However, I do not believe a sweeping progressive agenda will successfully pass through the Oval Office unless a blue President is in place. But, winning back the Senate will bring forth much-needed governmental stability and oversight. Moreover, the big structural changes Democratic presidential candidates are calling for, such as Medicare for all, a Green New Deal (a Blue New Deal, too), and immigration reform, will be impossible without a blue Senate. But, they will be very possible, though not easy, without a Democratic President. A blue House, which is likely to be maintained in 2020, coupled with a blue Senate, will grant Democrats far more power to block conservative agendas and put more pressure on the President to pass fair, bipartisan policies. We must flip the Senate because we should acknowledge the shortcomings that will occur, even if a president of the party we desire is elected; we must also flip the Senate in order to recognize the absence of checks and balances when a president of the opposing party has been elected.
“Persistence is a choice, but not an easy one.”
While I truly believe the Democratic frontrunner, whomever it may be, will successfully mobilize voters of diverse views and backgrounds to vote President Trump out, we cannot entertain the risk of mass devastation in 2020 by neglecting the Senate. Doing so would not only be careless, it would be dangerous. Negating the importance of the Senate, one of the ultimate provisions of checks and balances in our Constitution, would be embodying the antithesis of our democracy. In order to truly prevent hardening of conservative policies and lay the roots for necessary progressive reforms, we need to throw ourselves all in for a Senate flip. Protecting the vulnerable Supreme Court alone is absolutely urgent. The stakes for women’s rights, immigrant protections and reform, climate change, and national security have perhaps never been higher. Do not let mainstream media distract you with the erasure of Senate races and the remarkable lack of coverage of the women working tirelessly to fuel their campaigns in battle ground states. 2020 is the year of not forgiving and not forgetting. I implore you to focus your time, energy, and political donations on advocating for progressive candidates in the Senate, even those outside your state. If you’re angry about the results of Super Tuesday, like me, I want you to know that you’re allowed to be. And you’re not alone. Our country needs your anger, frustration, and passions to move progressive values forward and ensure a victory. When you’re ready, there are a whole fleet of campaigns eager for your support.
Persistence is a choice, but not an easy one. In these moments of national soul-searching and pain, you must remember what makes you care so much in the first place. You must remember your strength and power as an individual, regardless of whether your top candidate is still in the running. It all feels so personal, and it is. This is your fight, but the battle is so much bigger. It is not just me who is counting on your willingness to choose love over hate and hope over fear in these trying times — it’s our democracy, too. | https://linzyrosen.medium.com/the-teeth-of-american-democracy-are-in-the-senate-will-voters-learn-6b01807626ff | ['Linzy Rosen'] | 2020-03-10 13:56:24.378000+00:00 | ['Politics', '2020 Presidential Race', 'Super Tuesday', 'Elizabeth Warren', 'Senate'] |
Live FREE to Air South Africa Springboks vs Canada Rugby World Cup Streaming TV | How to Watch South Africa Springboks vs Canada LIVE: Rugby World Cup 2019 TV Channel. Canada v South Africa live streaming tv guide — Kobe Misaki Stadium. Springboks vs Canada: How The Two NFL 2019 Match Up.
The Rugby World Cup will kick off on September 20, is probably going to be the biggest sporting event of the year with host nation Japan taking on Russia. The final will take place on November 2 at the Nissan Stadium in Yokohama. The highlight of the competition had originally been he National Olympic Stadium, which will be the main stage for the 2020 Summer Olympics, before being changed. We’re starting early and showing you how to watch rugby world cup 2019 from all around the World.
The fans, along with the teams, are super excited about the very first match that will begin on September 20. As far as the news for Fans goes, we have got each and everything for you. Ranging from online TV channels to VPN Services, you will get to know every single way to watch Rugby 2019 matches, anytime and anywhere.
Well, if you too are fanatics of this fantastic Rugby World Cup, make sure to book tickets if you want to watch matches from the stadium. Or else, you can continue reading this excellent article that will bring you some good ways to watch every single Rugby match. Still, for watching, you got to have a good speed internet connection and a compatible device that can support the entire stream.
Talking something about the Rugby World cup, it’s an event where the world-class teams will compete with each other. The teams are divided into group stages ranging from Pool A to Pool D. Every single team is looking good on paper, but as we know, the actual real story is far different from the paper formation. Indeed, New Zealand is one of the finest teams in the Rugby world; other teams are not left far behind. In short, every team is practicing hard and are aiming for the gorgeous Rugby Trophy, altogether.
Rugby World Cup 2019 Live Streaming Telecast Channels
There are a lot of options and channels available to watch and stream the 2019 Rugby World Cup from any parts of this World. We will guide you with each and everything related to the Rugby World Cup channels below. If there is no official channel in your Country, follow any VPN network and change the Country to USA, Uk or Canada.
Not everyone has time and resources for watching the match live from the stadium. We know that Rugby fans are spread all across the world, and not all can reach the venue. For them, we have compiled a list of tv channels which they can use to watch the matches from their home countries. We hope the below mentioned TV channels along with the countries would help our readers become better informed about the options. | https://medium.com/@foxtvstream/live-free-to-air-south-africa-springboks-vs-canada-rugby-world-cup-streaming-tv-3f9dce0702d6 | ['Free To Air'] | 2019-10-08 04:06:42.450000+00:00 | ['South Africa', 'Canada', 'Rugby', 'Live'] |
How to create Azure account from Russia? | Photo by ThisisEngineering RAEng on Unsplash
If you want to learn and try Azure, opened a training course and started creating a test account, you will have an unpleasant surprise: if you specify the region “Russia” during registration, you will receive a message that Azure subscriptions are not available in Russia at the moment. Judging by the forums, this message has been on for several months (if not years) now. Fortunately, it is easy to get around.
Disclaimer. Below I describe my experience. You act under your responsibility.
The way to bypass the message is simple. All you have to do is indicate your country is not Russia. Are you surprised? I was a little surprised, too.
To pass the identity verification you need to provide your phone number and credit card number. This is required to prevent some anonymous person will not use “training” resources for their malicious purposes. It turns out that regular Russian phone and credit card will do. My phone and credit card worked.
When asked for address I gave the address of the Apple office in California. I had to google Cupertino’s zip codes, but it was not a difficult task.
Beware: you can’t change the country/region for an existing account later. Microsoft support recommends creating a new account and migrate services to that new account. So during registration, I selected “Germany” as my country and it fits me perfectly.
After all registration steps are done you can use Azure sandbox and other features for testing and experimenting purposes and Microsoft has information for your identification. | https://medium.com/@yuriybelonozhkin/how-to-create-azure-account-from-russia-96f3a784798b | ['Yuriy Belonozhkin'] | 2020-02-20 09:38:03.346000+00:00 | ['Microsoft Azure Training', 'Cloud', 'Learning', 'Lifehack', 'Azure'] |
TryHackMe — Advent of Cyber 2 — Day 17 | Good afternoon everyone,
Today we will be tackling the first reverse engineer challenge. As I have only done this roughly 3 times. Should be a good review and learning lesson for me. The walkthrough on TryHackMe’s site has them doing it with radare2 so I’ll give that a shot.
We have to get into the machine with the given creds and get the needed files.
We got the challenge1 file and made sure it was an executable real quick.
challenge1: ELF 64-bit LSB executable, x86-64, version 1 (GNU/Linux), statically linked, for GNU/Linux 3.2.0, BuildID[sha1]=884f57a67cddb0fc0104f1d556ab051183952324, not stripped
Anyhow lets load it up into radare2 and let it run.
Once it completes, we can start the analysis
Question 1: What is the value of local_ch(var_ch in mine) when its corresponding movl instruction is called (first if multiple)?
We can see the answer right there at the 0x00400b51 instruction. But we can verify if we set a breakpoint at 0x00400b51 and look at @rbp-0xc.
Question 2: What is the value of eax when the imull instruction is called?
Here we can look at main again and see where the imull instructions are located, set a breakpoint and checkout the value of var_8h
Final Question: What is the value of local_4h before eax is set to 0?
Again, we can look at main and see we need to set the breakpoint at 0x00400b69, let it run and take a look at var_4h
Here we get the value of eax before it is set to 0. I mainly following directions on this and still struggled. I need more practice, if you know of a good place to get more practice with this, drop a note.
As always, best of luck. If you enjoy my content, feel free to add me on LinkedIn and let me know you saw the blog.
Until next time,
-3lduderino | https://medium.com/@3lduderino/tryhackme-advent-of-cyber-2-day-17-c45afca363ec | ['Trent Darrow'] | 2020-12-20 09:37:16.089000+00:00 | ['Radare2', 'Reverse Engineering', 'Beginner', 'Walkthrough', 'Tryhackme'] |
Reinforcement Learning and the Rise of Educational AI | Ever since the astounding triumph of Alphago over Lee Sedol at the Go contest in 2016, the world’s attention has been drawn to artificial intelligence and reinforcement learning. This victory signalled that machine learning was no longer simply about big data classification, but was making progress in the realm of true intelligence.
Reinforcement learning (RL) introduces the concept of an agent, and addresses the problem of making the most-rewarded decision a subjective entity in a known or unknown environment. It could be seen as a learning approach sitting in between supervised and unsupervised learning, since it involves labelling inputs, only that the label is sparse and time-delaying.
In life we aren’t given labels of every possible behaviour in the world, but we learn lessons by exploring strategies on our own — hence RL provides the closest problem setting to the learning process of a human brain. This accounts for the excitement that the progress elicits from machine learning scholars.
So far there have been two approaches to a reinforcement learning problem.
1. Markov Decision Processes
MDPs are a mathematical framework which model the world as a set of consecutive states with values, and inside this world there is a rational agent that makes decisions by weighing rewards caused by different actions.
If the state values are unknown, the agent may begin by interacting with the world first, observing the consequences — and with enough experience, it may exploit the knowledge and make optimal decisions. It builds on top of the rules drawn from observing human intelligence in behavioural psychology experiments, rather than modelling on a grander scale the rules that cultivate human intelligence, which is where evolutionary computation comes from.
2. Evolutionary Computation
Evolutionary computation is a family of algorithms which apply the concept of evolution to the computation area as a searching technique to find the fittest solution. More specifically, it utilises concepts from Darwin’s theory of evolution — such as mutation, crossover, and fitness — and models the computer to perform natural selection in search of an optimal solution. In other words, it does not attempt to build intelligence from scratch, as long as it renders quasi-intelligent results.
RL algorithms can be really powerful tools in a range of tasks and may potentially contribute to the realisation of general AI, which in return may greatly improve the education industry in terms of adaptive learning experience, student path prediction, and unbiased grading systems. | https://medium.com/vetexpress/reinforcement-learning-and-the-rise-of-educational-ai-99a68a687a55 | [] | 2018-01-15 22:46:21.610000+00:00 | ['Algorithms', 'Edtech', 'AI', 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Reinforcement Learning'] |
12 Questions on the Future of Design | Dong-Ping Wong (Family): Buildings, mostly.
Jasmina Grase: I design everyday objects with a moment of discovery. Sustainable improvements to our fast lifestyle. Right now I’m a co-founder of “MIITO” and the studio “Chudy & Grase.”
Tim O’Reilly: I make books, conferences, and big ideas that help organize communities of practice — ideas like “open source,” “Web 2.0,” “makers,” or “open government” (“government as platform”).
Colin Raney (Formlabs): We design/make 3D printers.
Grase, Wong, Raney, O’Reilly, and Waldman
Matthew Waldman: I created NOOKA Inc. to bring the revolution of interface design to fashion and objects. That said, I’m best known for my timepieces that express the ideas of universal global language.
Emily Fischer (Haptic Lab): Physical projects and textiles that explore haptics — the body’s sense of touch.
Eric J. Winston (SFDS): Fabrication and design.
Hidden (John van den Nieuwenhuizen & Vitor Santa Maria): We design poetically simple audio projects.
Fischer, Desbiens, Winston, the Hidden team, and Perry
Justin Nagelberg (Parallelogram): I design objects that try and explore form and function in new, unexpected, and ideally more interesting or useful ways.
Nicholas Desbiens: I am an architect, computational designer, and, most recently, the creator of fahz, the 3D printing project that lets you put your face in a vase.
Marco Perry: Pensa is a consulting firm that works with startups and Fortune 500 firms for just about any consumer project. We spun off another company that makes the D.I.Wire, the first desktop CNC wire bender.
Bapu, Thrift, Danzico, and Nagelberg
Pavan Bapu: I’m the co-founder of a consumer electronics startup called Gramovox, and we reimagine vintage audio design with modern technology.
Liz Danzico: Chair of the MFA Interaction Design program at the School of Visual Arts, and creative director at NPR.
Scott Thrift (The Present): I’m an artist and I produce work on time. | https://medium.com/kickstarter/12-questions-on-the-future-of-design-f4ef3d69375f | [] | 2018-05-09 15:37:38.774000+00:00 | ['Industrial Design', 'Design', 'Technology', 'Graphic Design', 'Information Design'] |
Conversational Collective turns 3 | I’m totally amazed the Meetup I created back in December 2017 has grown so much AND is now global. We have almost 800 members and received an overwhelming response to our request for 2021 speakers. We’re ready to deliver our best year of programming yet!
The idea for this Meetup all started when I realized I wanted to learn more about voice user interfaces (UIs) and user experience (UX) design. I’m a UX designer that believes #VoiceFirst will be the next big thing to dominate the tech industry. To quench my thirst for knowledge (and to make myself a more valuable asset — hello, job security!), I ventured out to learn more about this up-and-coming technology. In 2017, there was still limited information about conversation design available. I purchased a few books, and read what I could find online from the developers working at Amazon and with Google’s Dialogflow. What I learned through my research was great, but I knew it wasn’t going to be enough for me to get a job in this field.
Years ago, I read a book written by Seth Godin called “Tribes,” which gave me the idea to create this Meetup. His book inspired me to become a Tribe leader and to start my own voice Meetup in Austin, Texas — where I’ve been living and working. The Meetup would be key to connecting those interested in the conversation design with thought leaders in the field and give the community a dedicated space to learn from them. | https://medium.com/@bauerhorst/conversational-collective-turns-3-5a6dff714dc8 | ['Jessica Nunn'] | 2020-12-15 22:45:52.432000+00:00 | ['Conversational UI', 'Voice First', 'NLP', 'Bots', 'Chatbots'] |
Easy Steps to Use Dropdown Tree with Organization Structures in ASP.NET MVC Applications | The Syncfusion ASP.NET MVC Dropdown Tree component is used to display and select data in hierarchical tree-like structure with a quick, readable UI.
In this blog, we are going to walk you through the steps to use the ASP.NET MVC Dropdown Tree component with an organization’s structure. Let’s say, for example, an accounts team wants to ensure the payslips of all employees before delivering them with a readable UI.
Initialize the Dropdown Tree
Before proceeding further, please go through the getting started UG documentation to render the Dropdown Tree component.
Add your Dropdown Tree component to the Index.cshtml file, as shown in the following code example.
@using (Html.BeginForm())
{
<h1>Admin payslip application</h1>
<table>
<tr>
<td>Select employee(s): </td>
<td>
<div id='container' style="margin: 10px auto; width:300px;"> @Html.EJS().DropDownTree("ddt").Placeholder("Select an employee").Render()
</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>@Html.EJS().Button("btn").Content("Show").Render()</td>
</tr>
</table>
}
Binding the data source
Bind the organization’s data source to the Dropdown Tree component in the controller page, as explained in the following code example.
public class HomeController : Controller
{
public List<Employee> GetData()
{
List<Employee> Employees = new List<Employee>();
Employees.Add(new Employee
{
EmpId = "1",
EmpName = "Steven Buchanan",
EmpImage = "10",
Role = "General Manager",
HasTeam = true,
Expanded = true
});
Employees.Add(new Employee
{
EmpId = "2",
ReportingEmpId = "1",
EmpName = "Laura Callahan",
EmpImage = "2",
Role = "Product Manager",
HasTeam = true
});
Employees.Add(new Employee
{
EmpId = "3",
ReportingEmpId = "1",
EmpName = "Nancy Davolio",
EmpImage = "4",
Role = "Product Manager",
HasTeam = true
});
Employees.Add(new Employee
{
EmpId = "4",
ReportingEmpId = "1",
EmpName = "Janet Leverling",
EmpImage = "3",
Role = "HR",
HasTeam = true
});
Employees.Add(new Employee
{
EmpId = "5",
ReportingEmpId = "2",
EmpName = "Andrew Fulle",
EmpImage = "7",
Role = "Team Lead",
HasTeam = true
});
Employees.Add(new Employee
{
EmpId = "6",
ReportingEmpId = "3",
EmpName = "Michael Suyama",
EmpImage = "9",
Role = "Team Lead",
HasTeam = true
});
Employees.Add(new Employee
{
EmpId = "7",
ReportingEmpId = "5",
EmpName = "Anne Dodsworth",
EmpImage = "1",
Role = "Senior Developer",
HasTeam = true
});
Employees.Add(new Employee
{
EmpId = "8",
ReportingEmpId = "5",
EmpName = "Lilly",
EmpImage = "5",
Role = "Developer",
HasTeam = true
});
Employees.Add(new Employee
{
EmpId = "9",
ReportingEmpId = "6",
EmpName = "Robert King",
EmpImage = "8",
Role = "Senior Developer",
HasTeam = true
});
Employees.Add(new Employee
{
EmpId = "10",
ReportingEmpId = "6",
EmpName = "Mary",
EmpImage = "6",
Role = "Developer",
HasTeam = true
});
return Employees;
}
public ActionResult Index()
{
ViewBag.Val = null;
ViewBag.DataSource = this.GetData();
return View();
}
}
Map the fields in the source to the property fields of the Dropdown Tree component in index.cshtml.
@Html.EJS().DropDownTree("ddt").Placeholder("Select an employee").Fields(field => field.DataSource(ViewBag.DataSource).Value("EmpId").ParentValue("ReportingEmpId").Text("EmpName").HasChildren("HasTeam").Expanded("Expanded")
).Render()
Now the component will be rendered similar to the following image.
Customizing the items
You can customize the Dropdown Tree items using ItemTemplate property to showcase a more readable and attractive UI in the Index.cshtml file, as shown in the following code example.
@Html.EJS().DropDownTree("ddt").Placeholder("Select an employee").CssClass("custom").Fields(field => field.DataSource(ViewBag.DataSource).Value("EmpId").ParentValue("ReportingEmpId").Text("EmpName").HasChildren("HasTeam").Expanded("Expanded")
).ItemTemplate("<div><img class=\"eimage\" src=\"https://ej2.syncfusion.com/demos/src/drop-down-tree/images/employees/${EmpImage}.png\" alt=\"${EmpImage}\" /><div><div class=\"ename\">${EmpName}</div><div class=\"ejob\">${Role}</div></div></div>").Render()
Add the CSS to customize the items in the Index.cshtml page.
<style>
/* Customizing the Dropdown Tree items */
.e-ddt.custom .e-treeview .e-fullrow {
height: 72px;
} .e-ddt.custom .e-treeview .e-list-text {
line-height: normal;
} .e-ddt.custom .e-treeview .e-list-parent.e-ul {
width: 100%;
} .custom .eimage {
float: left;
padding: 11px 16px 11px 0;
height: 48px;
width: 48px;
box-sizing: content-box;
} .custom .ename {
font-size: 16px;
padding: 14px 0 0;
} .custom .ejob {
font-size: 14px;
color: #979A9C;
opacity: .87;
padding: 5px;
}
/* Application level styles */
.layout {
width: 49%;
float: left;
height: 500px;
}
</style>
Now the output will be similar to the following screenshot.
Multiple selection
You can enable multiple selection in the Dropdown Tree component using the ShowCheckBox property. Please refer to the following code example.
@Html.EJS().DropDownTree("ddt").Placeholder("Select an employee").CssClass("custom").ShowCheckBox(true).Fields(field => field.DataSource(ViewBag.DataSource).Value("EmpId").ParentValue("ReportingEmpId").Text("EmpName").HasChildren("HasTeam").Expanded("Expanded")
).ItemTemplate("<div><img class=\"eimage\" src=\"https://ej2.syncfusion.com/demos/src/drop-down-tree/images/employees/${EmpImage}.png\" alt=\"${EmpImage}\" /><div><div class=\"ename\">${EmpName}</div><div class=\"ejob\">${Role}</div></div></div>").Render()
Now the output will look similar to the following screenshot.
Get the selected items in server-side
Get the selected items in the server-side using the Dropdown Tree component ID attribute. The string array represents the multiple values. During form submission, the selected Dropdown Tree values can be accessed.
[HttpPost]
public ActionResult Index(string[] ddt)
{
ViewBag.DataSource = this.GetData();
}
Display the selected items payslip
Filter the payslip data from selected items and show these details in the main page. Please refer to the following code example.
public List<Payslip> GetPayslipData()
{
List<Payslip> Employees = new List<Payslip>();
Employees.Add(new Payslip
{
EmpId = "1",
EmpName = "Steven Buchanan",
Date = "1/1/2020",
Role = "General Manager",
Salary = "$5000",
Deductions = "$100",
NetSalary = "$4990"
});
Employees.Add(new Payslip
{
EmpId = "2",
EmpName = "Laura Callahan",
Date = "2/2/2020",
Role = "Product Manager",
Salary = "$1000",
Deductions = "$50",
NetSalary = "$950"
});
Employees.Add(new Payslip
{
EmpId = "3",
EmpName = "Nancy Davolio",
Date = "3/3/2020",
Role = "Product Manager",
Salary = "$900",
Deductions = "$50",
NetSalary = "$850"
});
Employees.Add(new Payslip
{
EmpId = "4",
EmpName = "Janet Leverling",
Date = "4/4/2020",
Role = "HR",
Salary = "$700",
Deductions = "$40",
NetSalary = "$660"
});
Employees.Add(new Payslip
{
EmpId = "5",
EmpName = "Andrew Fulle",
Date = "5/5/2020",
Role = "Team Lead",
Salary = "$500",
Deductions = "$30",
NetSalary = "$470"
});
Employees.Add(new Payslip
{
EmpId = "6",
EmpName = "Michael Suyama",
Date = "6/6/2020",
Role = "Team Lead",
Salary = "$400",
Deductions = "$30",
NetSalary = "$370"
});
Employees.Add(new Payslip
{
EmpId = "7",
EmpName = "Anne Dodsworth",
Date = "7/7/2020",
Role = "Senior Developer",
Salary = "$300",
Deductions = "$10",
NetSalary = "$290"
});
Employees.Add(new Payslip
{
EmpId = "8",
EmpName = "Lilly",
Date = "8/8/2020",
Role = "Developer",
Salary = "$200",
Deductions = "$10",
NetSalary = "$190"
});
Employees.Add(new Payslip
{
EmpId = "9",
EmpName = "Robert King",
Date = "9/9/2020",
Role = "Senior Developer",
Salary = "$250",
Deductions = "$10",
NetSalary = "$240"
});
Employees.Add(new Payslip
{
EmpId = "10",
EmpName = "Mary",
Date = "10/10/2020",
Role = "Developer",
Salary = "$150",
Deductions = "$10",
NetSalary = "$140"
});
return Employees;
}
[HttpPost]
public ActionResult Index(string[] ddt)
{
List<Payslip> PayData = new List<Payslip>();
ViewBag.Val = ddt;
ViewBag.DataSource = this.GetData();
List<Payslip> TempData = this.GetPayslipData();
if (ddt != null)
{
foreach (var Data in TempData)
{
for (var i = 0; i < ddt.Length; i++)
{
if (Data.EmpId == ddt[i])
{
PayData.Add(Data);
}
}
}
}
ViewBag.PayslipData = PayData;
return View();
}
You can maintain the selected data in the drop-down component during the form submission using the Value property. Also, you can display the selected employee payslip data in the main page. Please refer to the following code example.
<div class="layout">
@using (Html.BeginForm())
{
<h1>Admin payslip application</h1>
<table>
<tr>
<td>Select employee(s): </td>
<td>
<div id='container' style="margin: 10px auto; width:300px;"> @Html.EJS().DropDownTree("ddt").Placeholder("Select an employee").CssClass("custom").ShowCheckBox(true).Fields(field => field.DataSource(ViewBag.DataSource).Value("EmpId").ParentValue("ReportingEmpId").Text("EmpName").HasChildren("HasTeam").Expanded("Expanded")
).ItemTemplate("<div><img class=\"eimage\" src=\"https://ej2.syncfusion.com/demos/src/drop-down-tree/images/employees/${EmpImage}.png\" alt=\"${EmpImage}\" /><div><div class=\"ename\">${EmpName}</div><div class=\"ejob\">${Role}</div></div></div>").Value(ViewBag.Val).Render()
</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>@Html.EJS().Button("btn").Content("Show").Render()</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
</table>
}
</div>
<div class="layout">
@if (ViewBag.PayslipData != null)
{
<h2>Employee details</h2>
foreach (var CurData in ViewBag.PayslipData)
{
<h3>Employee</h3>
<table>
<tr>
<td>Employee Name: </td>
<td>@CurData.EmpName</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Employee Code: </td>
<td>CMP - @CurData.EmpId</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Designation: </td>
<td>@CurData.Role</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Date of joining: </td>
<td>@CurData.Date</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Salary Earned: </td>
<td>@CurData.Salary</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Deductions: </td>
<td>@CurData.Deductions</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Net Salary: </td>
<td>@CurData.NetSalary</td>
</tr>
</table>
}
}
</div>
The final output will be the following.
Resource
You can download this complete sample from this GitHub repository.
Summary
I hope you now have a clear idea of how to use our ASP.NET MVC Dropdown Tree for an organization’s structure. The Dropdown Tree component is designed to be completely customizable, as well as have flexible usage from the application point of view.
If you don’t have a Syncfusion license and would like to try the Dropdown Tree component, you can download our free trial. You can also visit the Dropdown Tree source in GitHub and check our sample browser and documentation for detailed explanations and the understanding to proceed further.
If you have any questions, please let us know in the comments section below. You can also contact us through our support forum or Direct-Trac. We are always happy to assist you! | https://medium.com/syncfusion/easy-steps-to-use-dropdown-tree-with-organization-structures-in-asp-net-mvc-applications-5da89f40da75 | ['Rajeshwari Pandinagarajan'] | 2020-12-03 13:45:13.835000+00:00 | ['Productivity', 'Organization', 'Aspnet', 'Csharp', 'Web Development'] |
Boston and Kyoto Celebrate 60th Anniversary as Sister Cities | Mayor Kadokawa welcomed at Japan Society of Boston’s annual gala dinner.
Boston welcomed the Mayor of Kyoto, Daisaku Kadokawa in late April with an annual gala dinner hosted by the Japan Society of Boston. The Society also invited Nobel Laureate and Kyoto University Distinguished Professor, Tasuku Honjo, to attend the event.
Sister cities differ from other bilateral community relationships in that they are recognized with an official signed agreement. Because of the formal structure of this relationship, the two cities are able to successfully foster deeper cultural, educational, and business ties. The sister relationship between Boston and Kyoto began when Mayor Takayama visited Boston in the early 1950s and he was impressed with the similarities between the two cultural and educational centers. Mayor Takayama suggested the partnership for official cultural exchange, and Mayor John Hynes accepted on June 24, 1959.
These ties are best shown via university study programs between Kyoto and Boston. Boston falls into Massachusetts 7th and 8th Congressional Districts and in total, the two districts have seven universities with Japanese studies programs. Overall, there are over 480 international students from Japan who contribute around $2.3 million to the local economy. For Kyoto, the Ritsumeikan-Showa Boston University Culture and Society Research Program offers a four week experience that focuses on Boston’s societal and cultural elements. Furthermore, there are four bilateral study abroad exchanges between Kyoto and Boston. Boston University has two partnerships with institutions in Kyoto: the Kyoto Consortium and the Kyoto Tachibana University. Other bilateral exchanges include the University of Massachusetts, Boston and Ryukoku University, the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (Boston) and the Kyoto University of Art & Design.
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the friendship, many special events are being held in Boston.Japan Festival Boston was held on April 27 to 28 with food booths, workshops, stage performances, etc. It aims to introduce authentic Japanese culture and pass on traditions to the next generation.CIC ArtWeek: Global Arts, Eats & Beats was held on May 3 to introduce the roots of Japanese cultural traditions through art, food, and music.
Japan gave a Japanese-style house to the Boston Children’s Museum for its 20th anniversary. Before that Boston received two cherry blossoms, in addition to four Japanese gardens. These ties and current efforts signal a bright future between Boston and Kyoto.
Caitlin Huynh is a participant of the Young Professionals Program at the East-West Center in Washington. She graduated from Virginia Tech with Bachelors of Arts in International Studies and French.
Seol Hong is an ASAN Academy Fellow and a participant in the East-West Center in Washington’s Young Professionals Program. She is a graduate of Korea National University of Arts concentrating in Musicology and minoring in Arts Management. | https://medium.com/asia-matters-for-america/boston-and-kyoto-celebrate-60th-anniversary-as-sister-cities-e0e6051e14ac | ['East-West Center In Washington'] | 2019-06-18 14:05:44.301000+00:00 | ['Diplomacy', 'Asia', 'Japan', 'Boston', 'Sister Cities'] |
Python ภาษาคน : Regression analysis | Bilingual who passionately immersed in new tech. | https://medium.com/@vvajratiya/python-%E0%B8%A0%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A9%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%99-regression-analysis-238ce7930010 | ['Nicky Vajropala'] | 2020-10-26 05:52:44.105000+00:00 | ['Python Programming', 'Python', 'Regression'] |
The Service Design Dad | Applying ITV’s service design approach to the kids morning routine
Taking my work home with me isn’t always a bad idea.
The morning routine in our household was something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemies. It was so draining I often felt like I’d done a day’s work before even starting my working day. Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous, all they have to do is get from their bed to the car and in the process, do spellings, get dressed, washed and eat breakfast.
Why is that so difficult?
I have delivered numerous multi-million-pound projects, I have swum the channel, cycled to Paris, I overcome adversity and solve problems every day. It’s what I do! Why on earth can’t I solve this?
Every morning it starts with gentle encouragement that turns into nagging every step of the way from their beds to school.
Until one day I said to my wife “I have an idea!” (I lied, this wasn’t my idea, I had drawn inspiration from a Vlog that had been shared with me from our Service Design Partners BJSS and Spark. design-thinking dad, Well worth a watch!)
I explained to my wife that we didn’t have any other options other than adoption, only semi-joking. I then explained the principle of Service Design as succinctly as possible.
“At work, when we solve problems, we do it as a group, and we include the people that are directly impacted by the problem and therefore have a vested interest in creating the right solution.” We talked about this approach in a previous blog — We’ve been on a hell of a discovery.
Sceptical but she agreed to give it a go.
We could use straightforward tools such as post-its and stickers, making it a bit of a game, it could even be fun. In fact, we may even be able to agree on something that works for all of us!
That evening after dinner, I set the game board out.
The players
The kitchen cupboards
The coloured post-its
The circle stickers
The pens
I set out our problem statement — A brief reminder of the morning routine and it’s pain points (in child-friendly language!). I then offered a different kind of morning as a possible future vision — a hypothesis for us to test.
We tried to spark their imagination and open the discussion up to the art of the possible:
Maybe there are things they want to do in the morning that we haven’t been able to do?
Maybe they’d heard something their friends do that we could draw inspiration from?
Maybe their favourite superhero had a great way to start their day?
To be honest, the stickers and pens were enough to spark interest, alongside a firm reminder that Sharpies are only for the Post-its!
Problem Definition
The next 5 minutes were spent writing down on post-its the things none of us likes about the mornings. What are the problems?
We then stuck them to the kitchen cupboards, and each of us took a turn to explain their post-it. We grouped them up into common problems to be solved.
It was tricky to retain everyone’s attention. Note to self, don’t do this at the end of the day in future.
With the problems clearly grouped, I reframed them into questions for us to solve.
Ideation: How might we?
By reframing the problems as questions, we now had a different perspective on the problem. It suddenly becomes a positive and opportunistic thing to solve.
This immediately triggered a flood of ideas and we had a job to hold them back so that we could get the ideas down onto their post-its.
I was actually quite surprised by some of the findings and how readily the ideas came.
To maintain their energy, we promptly moved on to voting. Using dot stickers, we all voted for our favourite ideas to take forward.
Prototyping
The debate and discussion around what was possible was interesting, but equally the engagement with the process was fun to watch.
With an idea agreed on, we set about prototyping and writing out a morning routine that each of us wanted.
Or thought we wanted :).
That night both boys surprised me and set their alarms for 6:30 am ready to start their routine. They were taking this seriously.
This is a great example of prototyping, testing and iteration as my youngest, who is 8, was up at 6:30 am ready and downstairs for his workout with Dad. My oldest who’s 11, on the other hand, couldn’t get out of bed and we had the same old problem. Late for school again!
We let the week play out to see how the new routine would work, and on the weekend, we held a family retrospective. We did this verbally and went through the days of the week and the routine to explain what we liked and disliked about it.
This time we narrowed down on a specific problem each.
My oldest said, “it takes a long time for my eyes to wake up and I don’t have time”.
After another round of ideas, we ended up with a new solution to try out. A 30-minute warm-up period where I would put some music or an audiobook on for him to wake up to slowly.
My youngest son wanted to move the morning exercise to be at the end of the day. So we now do either football or a workout before dinner in the evenings. Giving him more sleep time in the mornings.
The past few weeks have now been blissful, happy and not once late for school!
Hopefully, this inspires you to look at your problems differently, involve your teams and your users. Don’t be afraid to get it wrong as it’s all part of the process of learning together.
What can we solve next? | https://medium.com/@jamesadaniel/the-service-design-dad-4fe38b22c8a0 | ['James Daniel'] | 2020-12-16 13:40:07.040000+00:00 | ['Design Thinking', 'Learning', 'Prototyping', 'Ideation', 'Service Design'] |
Data in Politics — the Towns Fund and the Pork Barrel (Part 2) | After joining all of the above data together into a single table, we get something like the following:
2019 IoD & election results vs. Towns Fund decisions. Full table available here.
For each constituency, we have our seven deprivation scores, the one-hot encoded election winner (a column for each party, with a 1 if that party won the 2019 election and a 0 otherwise), the victory margin in points and our target column, “funded”, which is 0 if the constituency was chosen for the Towns Fund and 1 otherwise. The constituency name and code aren’t useful — we just leave them in the table for the reader’s benefit, and in case you want to do anything else with the data yourself (if you do, please let me know in the comments!).
Now that we have data, what are we gonna do with it?
The modelling
To achieve our goal, we will train a machine learning model to use the features we defined to predict the funding outcome. This is a simple classification problem where our classes are no (0) and yes (1) funding decisions, however there is a twist.
Normally in machine learning the goal is to make predictions for new, unseen data that will be presented to us in the future. We can teach our model how to make these predictions by providing a historic sample of data X (called the training dataset) along with some known outcomes Y. This approach is called supervised learning. The model calculates a function that converts the inputs (our political and deprivation statistics) into the desired output (the yes/no funding decision) with the smallest amount of error (ε) possible based on the correlations it can find in the dataset:
This equation is only half of the picture though. The training data is only one snapshot of all the possibilities that your model might have to deal with in the future. You will almost certainly come across new examples in the future that are a little different from all of the examples in the training data. Therefore if your model perfectly tunes itself to your training data, it becomes over-fitted on that one single snapshot and will probably perform poorly on future data samples.
The amount of mistakes a model makes on the training dataset is called the training error. This is easy for us to measure since we know what the answers (Y) were supposed to be for the training data. We don’t know what the answers are for future data though (otherwise there would be no point in building a model!) so the amount of error on this data, known as the generalisation error, is unknown. Generally we try to estimate the generalisation error by having another dataset, known as the test dataset, which is used to measure the performance of the model but never to train it. Model validation is a big subject that we won’t cover here, but if you’re interested in learning more this post provides a good introduction to the subject.
Our problem is slightly different though. There are no new towns for our model to classify; we are simply trying to recreate decisions that were already made and then study the model to find out how those decisions could have been made (this is called model introspection). Therefore we couldn’t give two hoots about the generalisation error; all we have is a single training dataset that we want to recreate the known outcomes for. This means we can indulge ourselves in all of the bad habits our data science professors beat out of us on day one. If this makes you uncomfortable, read no further!
We aren’t complete cowboys though. To meet our goal we must be careful to only break the rules of data science in specific and limited ways. We need to achieve two things: 1) recreate the observed funding decisions as accurately as possible (for which we will be ignoring the generalisation/testing error) and 2) inspect the behaviour of the model to understand how the decisions were made. For 2) we need to put our Good Data Scientist hats back on and start acting like grown-ups again.
Model introspection
To avoid drawing any false conclusions, we need to be careful about our choice of model and choice of features.
Model choice
There are many supervised learning approaches to choose from. We can categorise these approaches into linear models and tree-based models. Linear models are based on linear regression. Logistic regression (LR) and neural networks (NNs) are two examples of linear models that could be applied to our task. LR is probably not a good choice for us as it’s too simplistic. Its simplicity comes from making lots of assumptions about the data and its relationship to the target variable. NNs are the opposite — while they are flexible and don’t make too many assumptions about the data they are also very complex. This makes it difficult to inspect the model and understand how it works. Decision trees are a happy medium for us: flexible enough to model the outcomes well, and simple enough to easily inspect. We will use gradient-boosted decision trees from the XGBoost package in this case.
Feature choice
When inspecting a model, we have to beware of collinearity (or multicollinearity). This is where we have two or more features in our inputs that are strongly correlated with each other. Collinearity can affect the quality of predictions in linear models, but shouldn’t present such an issue in decision trees. However, even for decision trees collinearity can render any model introspection useless. When we are looking at the importance of a particular feature to the predictions of a model, if it is strongly correlated with another feature then the model could easily use that feature instead; worse still it could use one feature half the time and another feature the rest of the time. This could mean that our related features all end up with a low importance for the model, even though the latent feature (the unseen thing that links them all together) is actually very important.
Our deprivation statistics look particularly risky for this. If you have poor educational opportunities, that’s probably going to limit your future earning potential and employment opportunities. So there’s a good chance that the income deprivation index is correlated to education and employment deprivation scores. We should look at all of our features to see how strongly they are correlated to each other, and for every group of correlated features, just pick one; the one that does the best job of separating the “yes” funding decisions from the “no” ones. Here is a pairplot of all our feature correlations:
Feature correlations.
As expected, Income (INC) and Employment (EMP) deprivation scores are very strongly correlated. In fact, INC, EMP, EST (education, skills and training), HDD (Health deprivation and disability) and CRI (crime) deprivation are all highly correlated. Since HDD appears to have the largest difference between funded/non-funded constituencies, we will keep that feature and drop the other four. We will therefore define deprivation based on health/disability, barriers to housing and services (BHS) and living environment (LIV). All other forms of deprivation can be inferred reasonably well from these three measures alone.
The results
Now let’s train our model. As we mentioned earlier, we don’t care about generalisation error here so that makes things very easy as we’re happy to have a model that overfits. So we’ll just take a simple classifier and turn all the settings up to something ridiculously high so that we get 100% accuracy:
Our model overfits like crazy and perfectly replicates the actual funding decisions using the features we provided! Normally, this is a Very Bad Thing but in this case it’s exactly what we want. We can now look at our classifier model ( clf ) and see how it made these decisions. We will use two techniques for this. Let’s start with permutation importance.
Permutation importance is a simple concept: how well does the model make predictions if we take a certain feature away? If the performance doesn’t change much, then this feature can’t have been particularly useful. If performance is much worse, then that feature must have been important. And if the performance improves when we take a feature away (which gives a negative permutation importance score), then it actually has a detrimental effect on the model. If we care about generalisation error, we should consider removing such a feature.
Here are the permutation importance scores for each feature in our model:
Permutation importance for each feature.
This tells us that Health deprivation (which, remember, is strongly correlated to income, employment, education and crime deprivation too) is the most important feature. That’s reassuring. However, the next most important feature should play no part in the funding decisions: the election victory margin. Worse still, the next strongest predictor is whether or not the constituency returned a Conservative MP in the General election. We already knew from Part 1 that Conservative constituencies were more likely to get funding, we can also see now that marginality (constituencies that the Conservatives were fighting to hang on to, or fighting to win from another party in the upcoming election) also plays a part. Let’s dig into this further with another approach to analysing feature importance.
Shapley values are a way of analysing feature importance using game theory. Here we assume each feature is playing a game to “win” as much responsibility for each prediction as possible. The Shapley values (aka SHAP values) are a score assigned to each feature for each prediction. The higher the score for a feature for a given prediction, the more responsible the feature was for that particular outcome. This allows us to take a very detailed look at the relationship between features and outcomes. We can easily calculate Shapely values with the excellent Shap package.
Let’s start with a summary plot, which shows the average SHAP value across all predictions for each feature:
Average SHAP values per feature.
This tells a very similar story to the permutation importance values. However the power of SHAP is that it lets us see how these importances vary across different predictions. Let’s plot each prediction individually:
SHAP values per prediction.
A high SHAP value means that a feature made a funding decision much more likely to be a “yes”. A very low SHAP value means the feature strongly pushed the decision towards a “no”. A neutral SHAP value means the feature wasn’t very important for that particular prediction.
Each point on the above chart is coloured based on the feature value. So for HDD, if a point is red then this indicates a constituency with a high deprivation score. We can see that the more deprived an area is, the more that deprivation is factored into the decision, and it leans towards a “yes” which is what we’d expect. For the vote margin, it appears to be the opposite. This is bad. This means that a seat being marginal affects the decision, and the tighter the margin, the more it contributes to a “yes” decision. This is Pork Barrel Politics — allocating funding based on party political considerations at the expense of wider public interests. The winning party feature (CON) also tells the same story: the places that voted Conservative in the election (confusingly coloured red in the chart) are more likely to be judged favourably.
Let’s look at a few specific predictions to understand this more. Here’s Loughborough, the least deprived town on the Towns Fund list:
Loughborough (CON). Note that a final score of > 0.5 means a town gets funding.
Loughborough was won by the Conservatives in 2019 by 13 points. It is a bellweather constituency, meaning that it nearly always selects an MP from the party that goes on to win the election. Until the 2019 the seat was held by Nicky Morgan, a high-profile MP who stood down shortly before the election. The winning Conservative candidate was Jane Hunt, who was elected for the first time. The SHAP values show us that being a Conservative seat had a small effect on the final decision, but the marginality had a larger effect. HDD had a negative effect, meaning that the Town got funding despite its relatively low deprivation scores.
Halton (LAB).
Halton was the safest Labour seat that received funding. In fact, it’s one of Labour’s safest seats in the country, and they won by a 41 point margin in 2019. The SHAP values for Halton show us that political considerations hardly affected the outcome at all: it was almost all down to Halton’s high deprivation scores.
We can also look for any correlations between SHAP values and the feature itself:
SHAP values for Health and Disability Deprivation Index.
We can see in the above chart that the higher the deprivation score is, the larger its apparent effect on the funding decision. This is what we would hope to see. We can also see that the non-Conservative (which almost always means Labour) seats are more often at the higher end of the deprivation scale. This is another way of showing us what we discussed in Part 1: even though Conservative seats were more likely to get funding, they were also less likely to be deprived. Let’s look at the relationship for victory margin next:
SHAP values for 2019 victory margin.
This time we see a downward trend. The more hotly contested a seat is, the more this becomes a factor in the final funding decision.
Conclusion
In this post we used machine learning to learn more about the correlations between different measures of deprivation, political allegiances and the decision for whether or not a town was allocated funding. Just as in Part 1, we saw lots of evidence to suggest that the party political interests of the Conservative party played a significant role in the outcome.
Machine learning isn’t a smoking gun; it can’t tell us for certain what ministers and officials were thinking when they made their decisions. It can however tell us that correlations exist where they shouldn’t if the process was fair. A parliamentary watchdog committee conducted an inquiry that said the process gave “every appearance of having been politically motivated”. Our own observations would appear to support that conclusion.
The inquiry also criticised the lack of transparency around the qualitative criteria used in the process — the features that we had to omit from our analysis because no data has been published for them. The government response to the inquiry was:
We completely disagree with the committee’s criticism of the town fund selection process, which was comprehensive, robust and fair.
If they want us to believe that, they’re going to need to show us the data that proves it. | https://medium.com/@tasmn/data-in-politics-the-towns-fund-and-the-pork-barrel-part-2-2a755fba2e73 | [] | 2020-12-16 01:23:27.246000+00:00 | ['Government', 'Data Journalism', 'UK Politics', 'Data Science', 'Machine Learning'] |
Higher-order functions .map, .filter and .reduce in JavaScript | Things I want to accomplish in this Higher Order Function tutorial:
Introduce newbies to the idea of Higher Order Function in JavaScript. (In a way that entertains, because HOs can get quite boring.) Show fun animations explaining how Higher Order functions work.
JavaScript Grammar book explains higher-order functions in detail and also shows you how they work by creating your own version of .map() method. (Among many other great examples.)
Array.map — map all values to an expression.
To kick off this tutorial I’ll start with animated example of higher-order function map. It modifies each item in the original array and returns a copy. In this case we’re simply incrementing all array items by 1. Or in other words it “maps” a new value to existing items by following the supplied expression.
**Array.map(): apply “value + 1” to a set of 7 numbers [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]**
1] Expression ```value + 1``` is applied to every item in the original array.
2] .map()``` returns a modified copy of the array leaving original untouched.
3] Result: ```[2,3,4,5,6,7,8]``` (a copy of the original array is created.)
The higher order function map can be used for mapping items in one format to another. (Number to String, for example.)
Like any other higher-order function map can be applied to many different problems. It depends on what you’re trying to do with a given dataset.
Higher-order functions are abstract on purpose. They are not here to tell you exactly what problems you should be solving using them. They simply capture a commonplace pattern present in many basic logical problems.
Array.filter — keep all that match a condition.
Watch out! there is a small mistake in the animation. It should return [6,7], not [6,7,8]. I’ll fix it shortly. . .but you can’t learn anything without admitting mistakes. A mistake is simply an inverse of understanding how something actually works:)
function value > 5 is applied to every item in the original array. .filter() returns modified *copy* of array: the original is still available! Result: [6,7,8] (only values that passed the condition.)
Array.reduce — reduce all items to a single value.
A common use for a reducer is combining prices of all items in shopping cart.
What makes reduce unique is that it uses an accumulator.
Accumulator is required. Set it to a starting value. Here it is 0.
1] Reducer function F takes value and accumulator.
2] In this example .reduce(v, a) returns the sum of all values.
3] Result: 28 (the sum of all numbers in the original array.)
Higher-order functions map, filter and reduce have been around for a long time. They are often seen as part of Functional Programming style. They work on a set of data (e.g. Array) by transforming it from its original state to some modification.
For example the filter function will physically remove items from an array based on a logical criteria passed to the function in the form of an equation.
The map function will map one value to another. One basic (and perhaps practically useless) example is incrementing all numbers in a set by 1.
And reduce combines all items into one value. For example this is often done to calculate the total of all items in a shopping cart. But use cases are endless.
Animations in this tutorial only tried to make attempt at visualizing purpose of each higher order function. This is done merely for entertainment as you probably won’t learn them in depth from simply looking at the visuals.
More About Higher-Order Functions
On your journey as a webdev you probably already know about variables, arrays, functions, loops and objects…it’s a good time for your next challenge.
I remember that time in my life when I had to solve a problem involving a large set of items I would simply write a for-loop.
> I used to write for-loops for everything. They made me feel comfortable because it gave me control over the logic of my code. I knew exactly what would happen to data on each iteration.
Here’s a simple for loop I’d write to increment all array items by 1:
let numbers = [1,2,3];
let copy = [];
for (let x = 0; x < numbers.length; x++)
copy[x] = numbers[x] + 1;
console.log(copy); // [2,3,4]
I felt dumb when I saw a coder on our team use git to commit a chunk of code containing a higher-order function to sort out a list of React components. Although HO functions produce same results as a well-crafted for loop it felt like a black box you throw a condition at and it simply applies intended actions. At first sight higher-order functions were easy to read. But at the same time hard to understand. Here is a very basic example of **.map** function:
/* Example of a higher-order functions .map */
let copy = [1, 2, 3].map(value => value + 1);
console.log(copy); // [2,3,4]
Same effect as for-loop above. But much cleaner code.
In this example the function .map will create a copy of the original array [1,2,3] with all of its items incremented by 1 which will produce a new array [2,3,4] .
This classic example often used as an introduction to HO functions.
Higher-order functions exist natively on objects of type Array. So you can already start using them but not all Array methods are higher-order functions.
Looking at their simple syntax I could actually understand what they were doing. But I had no idea how to write my own, how to modify them or what they were.
Why you should learn Higher Order Functions sooner than later?
On your way to JavaScript mastery (*or any computer language*) you might want to deepen your knowledge of higher-order functions and their use cases.
If you become employed to work on a commercial project you are not going to get away writing clean code with just the standard while and for-loops (*by the way, there is nothing wrong with them.*)
What are higher order functions and what do they help with in general?
Technically speaking… A *higher-order function* is defined as a function that takes another function as one of its arguments. In this context normal functions you’ve been using all along are referred to as **first order functions. Clean code. If you are interested in clean code higher order functions are definitely your friend. They consist of pre-written do, while or for-loops and this code already exists natively as part of JavaScript language specification. Pre-written, Multi-purpose for-loops. Wait. Don’t write that for loop. There is already an existing higher-order function that can help you solve the same logical problem you’re coding in a for-loop. Data modification: Higher-order functions help modify large datasets by following a condition. Different HO functions exist for a reason. Each one can help you remove items, convert them to different format or map them. Doing bulk actions: Let’s say you have 1000 items in your array. You want to perform an operation on each item. Instead of doing it by hand to each item (which would be redundant) simply pass a rule to a higher-order function and it will perform that action on the entire set of items. Abstracting common logic: Let’s say you have a list of animals and insects in an array. Without higher-order functions to “remove all insects” you would write your own custom loop. Or simply pass a condition “not an insect” to a higher order functions such as filter and it will do all the work for you. Filtering datasets is an incredibly common action in computing. Used in React: React is a popular JavaScript library. It uses components to render HTML elements. Higher order functions like filter can help you with sorting lists of items. Using filter in combination with React’s render function you can render a filtered set of items from a set. For example, to only display Admin accounts from a set of all registered users. Functional Programming: Although there is much more to *functional programming* than simply using higher-order functions, they definitely play an important role in it.
Higher Order Functions are Smart
Higher-Order Functions are friends. Use them over for-loops.
No higher-order function is made alike. They are similar but not the same.
Each function should be used in proper context.
The output is controlled not only by the function but also by logical criteria (passed to the function in a form of what looks a lot like a mathematical equation often in the format of arrow function.)
Use higher-order functions for their intended purpose only
It’s possible to make map function do filter’s work because essentially they are both for-loops. But it’s not recommended. Try to apply the proper function to the logical situation at hand.
Best thing you can do is simply learn the actual purpose of each method. Often that simply takes getting your hands dirty and practice writing code.
Whenever you see a problem involving hundreds or thousands of entries or items, think of whether a suitable higher-order array method already exists to solve that problem instead of writing your own code. More than often it does.
Conclusion
Hope this tutorial helped someone out there.
Recommended Coding Books
You can’t go wrong with these coding reference books available via Amazon. | https://jstutorial.medium.com/higher-order-functions-map-filter-and-reduce-in-javascript-b7f200c1de18 | ['Javascript Teacher'] | 2020-10-23 22:00:01.559000+00:00 | ['JavaScript', 'Coding', 'Programming', 'Web Development'] |
A few CSS properties I’ve been trying. | I’ve been working on creating another website and trying to improve my front-end creativity and styling. I’m using this blog to write down and share some of the things I’ve learned recently.
background-blend-mode
Using CSS blend modes is a great way to unify the look of the content across your website. It also enables you to set different color versions of an image by changing only one value in CSS: the color. There are 15 possible blend mode values, including screen, overlay, lighten, and darken.
There are a couple of implementation methods depending on the type of element you would like to apply the effect to. For example, if your using background-image and background-color, you can set background-blend-mode: darken to blend these together and make them a color overlay on the image. You can read more about this property on MDN Web Docs.
Another similar property is mix-blend-mode. This lets you blend content of the element with the content or background of its direct parent. This works especially well on overlapped lettering.
mask
Masking tells your browser which pieces of an element should be visible, and is very useful for building creative shapes and layouts. Masking can be done in three ways: using an image, CSS gradients or an SVG element. Masking is actually quite useful because it enables you to apply the same properties to background images, defining their position, size and repetition.
One great use you’ll normally see for CSS masking is in articles that combine text and images. Irregular containers and images are very popular in print, and thanks to masking this allows for the same use on the web. Here is the MDN Web Docs for mask.
clip-path
A shape’s boundary is called the clip-path, and clipping defines what area will be visible. Clipping is similar to cutting out a piece of paper, anything outside the path will be ‘cut off’, while everything inside the path will stay visible. What cool with this is that we can use shape functions and SVG as clip paths, which lets you do some cool things. For instance, you could animate them into morphing shapes.
The difference between clipping and masking is that masks are images and clips are only vector paths. It’s worth mentioning that masking will consume more memory, as you’re working with a full image so everything has to be done pixel by pixel. Again, you can read more on the MDN Web Docs. | https://medium.com/@ericksenm93/a-few-css-properties-ive-been-trying-748bc6fe1518 | ['Matt Ericksen'] | 2021-01-18 19:33:56.428000+00:00 | ['Front End Development', 'Flatiron School', 'CSS'] |
11 Open House Safety Tips From Team Lancaster to Help Prevent Theft | 11 Open House Safety Tips From Team Lancaster to Help Prevent Theft
When selling a home, you’re going to want to hold an open house. In fact, you’ll probably hold several of them if you don’t attract a buyer right away. This means your home will be crawling with strangers that will be opening up cabinets and closets and who may even pull open drawers out of curiosity. While it might be in your nature to trust everyone, you’re still making yourself vulnerable to snooping eyes and even potential thieves. Use these 11 tips Team Lancaster has learned by holding hundreds of open house events in order to make sure that nothing gets stolen from your home:
1. Schedule a meeting with Team Lancaster or your current real estate agent about what they do to protect your valuables during an open house event. They should have enough experience to give you solid advice on precautions to take.
2. Make sure none of your valuables are displayed in the photos that you’ve put up online. You don’t want to advertise the fact that you have valuables displayed during your open house, since this is a good way to attract thieves.
3. Team Lancaster provides an extra agent or assistant that we post on your second floor (if you have a second floor). This way, you’ll have somebody to watch out for potential thieves on every floor of your home.
4. Team Lancaster uses an Open House iPad app and requires all visitors to sign in when entering the home. While actual thieves looking for valuables to steal can just sign a fake name, most people that steal things at an open house do so out of impulse; if they’ve signed their name, they’ll be discouraged from doing so since you can just hand the list over to the police if something has been taken.
5. Go through your home and remove anything of value that is displayed out in the open, such as small antique figurines on the fireplace mantel. You can find cheaper items with which to spruce up your decor; you won’t want to tempt anyone into grabbing something of value and shoving it into their pockets, after all.
6. Make sure you don’t leave out any mail, bank statements or bills on your countertops, table surfaces or even in your drawers. You should collect these sensitive documents and store them where no one else can access them, since they contain personal information that could be used to steal your identity.
7. Go through all of your drawers and cabinets — including your medicine cabinets — and remove all valuable items, such as jewelry or even prescription medication. If you have a safe, you should lock these up; if you don’t have a safe, you should consider getting one.
8. Don’t worry too much about bigger valuables, such as your 60-inch HDTV. Nobody is about to try to walk out of your door with something like that without being spotted. It’s the smaller items that can fit in someone’s pocket or purse that you should be wary of.
9. Smaller electronics, such as smartphones, laptops, tablets and more, should be removed and placed in a safe location as well.
10. While nobody is going to steal your desktop computer, make sure you are logged out, and the computer is put to sleep on a screen saver so that nobody can gain access to it.
11. Once your open house has ended, Team Lancaster will walk through the home and make sure that all windows and doors are locked. This will ensure that nobody will return after scoping out your open house to steal anything.
The open house is an important part of finding a buyer for your home. It also can leave you vulnerable to potential thieves, but you shouldn’t be paranoid about it. Instead, use these 11 tips to ensure that your valuables are secure and that you don’t leave yourself open to theft during your open house.
If you are considering selling your home and would liket o speak with a sales specialist at Team Lancaster please call 808–425–7974 or email [email protected]
For more seller tips please visit http://www.teamlancaster.com/hawaii-home-seller-tips/
For Hawaii Real Estate Buyer Tips Click Here
To search all active properties on Oahu for sale please click here | https://medium.com/@MyOahuAgent/11-open-house-safety-tips-from-team-lancaster-to-help-prevent-theft-76b2f8312639 | ['Chris Lancaster'] | 2015-10-26 17:36:24.155000+00:00 | ['Real Estate', 'Real Estate Investments', 'Hawaii'] |
I Love Sauna, love Finland. | Kuusamo
Entrance of arctic. Kuusamo, Finland.
isokenkaisten klubi
A place where the concept of sauna in me has changed.
everyone dive this holl after sauna.
And also, my life.
Northern lights
Hi. Nice to meet you.
My name is Junki Kamiguchi.
I love sauna, Finland and coffee. I also like records these days.
Thank you for coming to my page that is so small and narrow.
I’m just getting started English, so sometimes it’s may be offensive for you.
But I will do my best. Please let me know If there is any wrong expression.
In this web site “Medium”, I write about sauna, Finland, and any others.
There are 3 reasons why I started this “Medium”.
First, I wanna spread about goodness of the sauna.
Next, I wanna improve my English.
Finally, I wanna know myself.
I think you couldn’t understand what I said in this sentence,
I will explain about these 3 reasons in more detail next time.
So, I hope you remember at least that “a Japanese sauna crazy” appeared.
Thank you for reading. Kiitos!
Junki
*Kiitos means “Thank you” in Finnish. | https://medium.com/@kamijun913/i-love-sauna-love-finland-e817805d10d3 | ['Kamiguchi Junki'] | 2020-12-27 03:52:09.854000+00:00 | ['Finland', 'Arctic', 'Japanese', 'Sauna', 'English'] |
freelance Difference between UI/UX Designer and Web Designer? | Web Designer is an IT professional he is responsible to develop the best layout according to the user and everyone easily understands web layout. A good web designer needs to have good Technical skills and Creativity to make the best design and they need to have a site will look and how it will function.
Below I will share some points a Web designer has to know all skills.
1. Creative concerting.
2. Color theory.
3. Typography.
4. Icon development.
5. Diagrams.
6. Infographic.
1. Creative Concerting: — If you want to become the best web designer. You have to creativity because using Creativity you can make a unique design. And these all creativity is very helpful for making the best design.
2. Color theory: — The color theory is best because using the color combination you can make an interactive design. And these all combination is best.
3. Typography: — Using Typo you can modify your design and make the best design according to user presence. And this technique is very helpful for any designer.
4. Icon Development: — Icon Development is very important because you are designing the best web. You need a unique Icon and if you know a design you can make it.
5. Diagrams: — Diagrams are a very important part for any designer because the first priority put a Diagram on the web and this totally depends on Creativity.
6. Infographic:-Infographic provide the best information using diagrams and more site is available to share an Infographic.
UX Design: — UX design is very important for any app and web because using UX you can understand how to interact with a user on a product because the interaction is very important for any user and product. UX stands for user experience means to establish an interaction between user and product.
UX is most important because using UX you can establish a connection between user and product.
1. Multiple user types.
2. Multiple products or services catering to different audiences.
3. Size of the website.
4. Merger or acquisition.
UI Design: — UI stands for User Interface using UI you can make an interface for your website and apps. UI gives a direction to establish the best design to every client and customer and this is very helpful for the user.
UI/ UX design is an Interface of a user and there is more important for anybody and there is a very useful process. | https://medium.com/@josephsamue01/freelance-difference-between-ui-ux-designer-and-web-designer-8eae4ab64cf4 | ['Joseph Samuel'] | 2020-12-14 06:10:46.325000+00:00 | ['Designer', 'USA', 'UI', 'UX', 'Freelance'] |
Book Review: Mere Christianity | A Book Review on Mere Christianity written by C.S. Lewis; Publisher: HarperOne, 2001. 227 pp. ISBN:978–0–06–065292–0
Reviewed by: Red Robregado (March 2021)
“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”
These are the words of a romantic rationalist longing for a haven while living in a world of ceaseless pain and suffering. Born on the 29th of November 1898 in Belfast, Ireland from a solicitor father and a mathematician mother whose ancestral lines involve a generation of church ministers, Clive Staples Lewis, famously known as C.S. Lewis, a literature prodigy and globally renowned Christian apologist, was brought up in a humble Christian household. But as a sharp-witted lad, it didn’t take long for him to recognize the apparent problems of evil and see his religion as a chore. The inner tension deepens; the doubt increases day by day as he served in the infantry during the horrors of the First World War, where he had witnessed moral corruption at its peak. The pain induced by suffering from the loss of his comrades, physical injuries, depression, and the death of his beloved mother became the grounds of his resolve to deny his faith in the Divine and its existence altogether.
After the war, he returned to Oxford to finish his studies; in due course, he achieved outstanding academic records in three different degrees: Greek and Latin literature, Ancient History and Philosophy, and English. Thereon, he held academic positions at both Oxford and Cambridge. Over time, Lewis became increasingly baffled by the possibility of a Divine creator. In 1929, after many long discussions with his close friends J.R.R.Tolkien and Hugo Dyson, C.S. Lewis was finally moved to believe that God exists. Within two years, Lewis, who first subscribe to theism, became a Christian.
At the height of the Second World War, Lewis delivered a series of BBC radio talks that were produced to elucidate the essential tenets of Christianity. Over the years, Lewis collected and delicately revised his radio talk manuscripts to create a book, which has a preface that explains its title and purpose, that is, to present mere Christianity — the core beliefs and doctrines common to all Christian denominations and traditions. More than 70 years after the talks first broadcast and 65 years since it first showed up in print, Mere Christianity is still among the most influential and widely read Christian books today, having sold millions of copies worldwide.
The book itself consists of four books; Book 1: “Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe”; Book 2: “What Christians Believe”; Book 3: “Christian Behaviour”; and Book 4: “Beyond Personality.” In Book 1, Lewis argues against atheism (denial of a Divine existence) by explaining man’s intrinsic sense of universal and absolute morality and how it ultimately points to a God — a divine Law-giver. Unhurriedly, Lewis guides the readers from theism to Christianity, in Book 2, by discussing the rival conceptions of the Christian God. Contrary to the pantheistic view that the universe and everything in it is part of an immanent God, Lewis presents the Christian God as both immanent and transcendent. After establishing the Christian God, Lewis writes about Christian virtues: four cardinal (prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude); and three theological (charity, hope, and faith). Taking matters even deeper, Lewis touches on the doctrines of atonement, Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), and sanctification (from created to begotten) in Book 4. To him, theology is vital as it functions like a map that one can use to gain a better and more encompassing understanding of Christianity.
Without a doubt, Lewis’ prolific rhetoric and literary skills were evident in Mere Christianity. The book is full of creative illustrations, unparalleled analogies, and clever metaphors that often persuasively describe profound truths. Lewis was able to simplify complex theological and philosophical ideas for an average reader, even without being academically trained in systematic and biblical theology. The effective use of language is crucial in presenting convincing rational arguments for the readers to follow. Lewis knew this well, so he capitalized on the appropriate and compelling use of words to logically present Christianity and demonstrate its reasonableness. In doing so, he challenged the skeptics not to easily dismiss Christianity, but to give it some rational consideration.
While some of the most pragmatic principles are in Book 3, the most essential part of the book is in Book 1, where Lewis argued for theism based on the universal concept of morality since the rest of the book hinges on this assertion. It is a risky yet tactful and strategic evangelistic move since it is folly to assume that every person in the world believes in the concept of morality and acknowledges one’s defiance and non-observance. Hence, this initial step is good to bring awareness to such truth and reality.
Although the book has some obvious philosophical sophistication, there were several times when Lewis’ arguments were weak, vague, unconvincing, or even logically fallacious. Take for example when he argued that the universal and absolute morality cannot be attributed to a sheer social convention or instinct, and instead of presenting further explanations or supporting arguments, he just recapitulated his proposition several times using figures of speech. Though it may seem creative, it still does not make his claim any more substantial. Additionally, when Lewis explained the rival conceptions of God in Book 2, it is startling to see how he suddenly arrived at the conclusion that Christianity is true without putting similar rigorous effort as he did when arguing for theism. Using deductive reasoning, Lewis canceled out both atheism and pantheism but has not thoroughly ruled out other monotheistic religions such as Judaism or Islam as well as address noticeable counterarguments to his position. This is understandable, to some extent, since Lewis’ approach is purely philosophical; without relying on the Scriptures, explanations concerning physical, moral, and spiritual realities will naturally be inadequate.
Other considerable cautions for this book would be the lack of clear presentation of the Gospel, i.e. the life (divinity and humanity), death (the value and particulars of the atonement on the cross), and resurrection of Christ; and the personhood of the Holy Spirit. Since the book does not present in-depth explanations of the Christian doctrines and any other consequential arguments aside from the moral argument for God, any diligently-informed Christian who has been exposed to the works of some advanced, post-modern Christian apologists would find little apologetic help from it. Conversely, any knowledgeable, well-read thinker who has seriously considered atheism or agnosticism and has been exposed to the writings and teachings of some post-modern skeptics would possibly find the arguments from this book basal. Consequently, it seems like this book is aiming to reach those who are already interested in Christianity. Likewise, those who are are new in the faith and want to get better at defending and explaining their belief would find significant insights from this work.
Overall, Mere Christianity is a well-written philosophical classic that is worth reading. It has served its stated purpose to give an overview of Christianity to Christians and skeptics alike. It offers just the right amount of depth — enough to present the core beliefs and virtues of Christianity and leave the readers wanting to know more. C.S. Lewis has undoubtedly left a legacy through his pioneering apologetic work with Mere Christianity. It certainly has and will continue to influence Christian writings and theology everywhere in the world, even a hundred years from now. | https://medium.com/@redrobregado/book-review-mere-christianity-97f8e1fa02f0 | ['Red Robregado'] | 2021-04-07 04:13:35.828000+00:00 | ['Morality', 'Mere Christianity', 'Book Review', 'Cs Lewis', 'Christianity'] |
The Top 10 Python Libraries for Data Science | The Top 10 Python Libraries for Data Science
Getting started in data science? Start here
Photo by Chris Liverani on Unsplash.
Python has become the most widely used programming language today — especially in the world of data science because it is a high-performance language, easy to learn and debug, and has extensive library support. Each of these libraries has a particular focus. Some manage image and textual data, while others focus on data mining, neural networks, and data visualization. Python can be used for statistical analysis and building predictive models. When it comes to solving data science tasks and challenges, data enthusiasts, analysts, engineers, and scientists are leveraging the power of Python.
In this article, I will be talking about the top ten most useful Python libraries for data science and machine learning.
Some of the libraries have been installed if you are using the Anaconda distribution. All you have to do is import the library or install it with pip if it is not available on your machine. | https://medium.com/better-programming/top-10-python-libraries-for-data-science-21e6cd95ca55 | ['Olufunmilayo Aforijiku'] | 2020-09-07 16:04:06.455000+00:00 | ['Machine Learning', 'Data Science', 'Python', 'Deep Learning', 'Data Visualization'] |
Sadhguru | Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more
Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore | https://medium.com/sadhguru-jv/sadhguru-5df9a7abb463 | [] | 2020-12-23 12:50:39.164000+00:00 | ['Life', 'Yoga', 'Life Lessons', 'Meditation', 'Quotes'] |
The Only 2 Things Product Managers Must Do | Product Management is like porn. You know it when you see it. You can tell when it’s good or bad. But what is it? I’ve recently been asked several times about the goal of a product organization and traits of good PMs.
There’s a ton of material that’s just filled with buzz words and cliche advice — communicate well, run a team, iterate, be agile, data-driven, scrum, synergy CEO of a product, buzz, buzz buzz, etc etc.
It’s boring. Uninspiring. And it’s missing the mark.
The 2 Key Parts to the PM Job
Really, product management boils down to just two things.
1. Defining the “Why’s”
The first goal of a PM or product team is to be a champion for the onslaught of ‘why’ questions that relate to strategy and feature roadmap:
Why are we doing this? Why are we not doing that?
Why are we building it this way? Why are we building that first? Why are we building this feature and not that feature?
Why is a given date our deadline?
Why are we partnering with that company?
Why is our data telling us that it is/isn’t working?
There are a million “why” questions that investors, management, teammates, and you personally will have. Answering them is crucial:
It establishes shared team conviction and surfaces the key debates that teams should be aware of and gain signal towards.
It helps you clarify team strategy and priorities and helps towards establishing team buy-in (without pushing for team-wide consensus)
People want to give their best efforts when they believe the underlying reason of the work at hand. That is, it is much more important that teams understand why they’re working on something rather than just dwelling on the what and the how — it multiplies your effectiveness. Most product managers miss this key point.
Conveying “why” is much more important than just sharing the “what and “how” — it multiples team effectiveness.
2. Define and Minimize Scope
Product organizations should bias towards getting products to market as quickly as possible that have value for a user. Only then can teams really start learning, use data to make decisions, see the fruits of their labor (which becomes a strong motivator for teams!), and iterate towards the right product.
You’re the scope police, always scoping work down.
If you can’t compromise on engineering quality and speed of getting to market, the variable you can change is the scope of the initial work. Start with a small scope to iterate more quickly towards making something people love.
Technically, the scope of the work or feature is a why question that should be answered, but it’s important enough to call it out as the second part of the focus of product managers. Time and again, the assumptions people make about of a product’s codebase, the way systems should work together, and user desires leads to decisions and processes that bloat the time it takes for features to get to market. A good product manager asks the right why questions to find which assumptions can be broken and find what a user really wants to minimize scope. | https://medium.com/@pstav/the-only-2-things-product-managers-must-do-17912db4e581 | ['Paul Stavropoulos'] | 2020-12-27 02:04:14.675000+00:00 | ['Startup', 'Product', 'Product Manager', 'Product Development', 'Product Management'] |
Watch!! RWBY ~ Volume 8 Episode 7 TBA Full — Episodes | Watch!! RWBY ~ Volume 8 Episode 7 TBA Full — Episodes
RWBY
The story takes place in the world of Remnant, which is filled with supernatural forces and shadowy creatures known as the "Creatures of Grimm." Prior to the events of the series, mankind waged a battle of survival against the Grimm before discovering the power of a mysterious element called Dust, which allowed them to fight back against the monsters. In the present day, Dust is used to power magical abilities and weapons. Those who use these abilities to battle the Grimm are known as Huntsmen or Huntresses.The series focuses on four girls, each with her own unique weapon and powers. Together, they form team RWBY at Beacon Academy in the city of Vale, where they are trained to become Huntresses alongside team CRDL (pronounced "cardinal"), team JNPR (pronounced "juniper"), team SSSN (pronounced "sun") and team CFVY (pronounced "coffee").
Title : RWBY
Episode Title : TBA
Number of Seasons : 8
Number of Episodes : 7
Genres : Action , Adventure , Animation , Anime , Fantasy
Networks : Rooster Teeth
Status: Returning Series
Quality: HD
The Great Christmas Light Fight : Season 8 , Episode 1 || FULL EPISODES | On Series The Great Christmas Light Fight Season 8 Ep 1 Episoder : features the hero in action scenes that display and explore exotic locations. The subgenres of adventure films include swashbuckler film, disaster films, and historical dramas-which is similar to the epic film genre. Main plot components include quests for lost continents, a jungle or desert settings, characters going on a treasure hunts and heroic journeys in to the unknown. Adventure films are mostly occur a period background and may include adapted stories of historical or fictional adventure heroes within the historical context. Kings, battles, rebellion or piracy are generally observed in adventure films. Adventure films may also be combined with other movie genres such as for example, science fiction, fantasy and sometimes war films.The Great Christmas Light Fight Season 8 French : The coverage of sports as a television program, on radio and other broadcasting media. It usually involves a number of sports commentators describing the events because they happen, to create “colour commentary.”
❏ TELEVISION ❏
(TV), in some cases abbreviated to tele or television, is a media transmission medium utilized for sending moving pictures in monochrome (high contrast), or in shading, and in a few measurements and sound. The term can allude to a TV, a TV program, or the vehicle of TV transmission. TV is a mass mode for promoting, amusement, news, and sports.
TV opened up in unrefined exploratory structures in the last part of the 88s, however it would at present be quite a while before the new innovation would be promoted to customers. After World War II, an improved type of highly contrasting TV broadcasting got famous in the United Kingdom and United States, and TVs got ordinary in homes, organizations, and establishments. During the 88s, TV was the essential mechanism for affecting public opinion.[8] during the 88s, shading broadcasting was presented in the US and most other created nations. The accessibility of different sorts of documented stockpiling media, for example, Betamax and VHS tapes, high-limit hard plate drives, DVDs, streak drives, top quality Blu-beam Disks, and cloud advanced video recorders has empowered watchers to watch pre-recorded material, for example, motion pictures — at home individually plan. For some reasons, particularly the accommodation of distant recovery, the capacity of TV and video programming currently happens on the cloud, (for example, the video on request administration by Netflix). Toward the finish of the main decade of the 2020s, advanced TV transmissions incredibly expanded in ubiquity. Another improvement was the move from standard-definition TV (SDTV) (81i, with 202081 intertwined lines of goal and 120202020) to top quality TV (HDTV), which gives a goal that is generously higher. HDTV might be communicated in different arrangements: 120208881, 120208881 and 8. Since 2020, with the creation of brilliant TV, Internet TV has expanded the accessibility of TV projects and films by means of the Internet through real time video administrations, for example, Netflix, ABC Video, iPlayer and ABC.
In 881, 81% of the world’s family units possessed a TV set.[8] The substitution of early cumbersome, high-voltage cathode beam tube (CRT) screen shows with smaller, vitality effective, level board elective advancements, for example, LCDs (both fluorescent-illuminated and LED), OLED showcases, and plasma shows was an equipment transformation that started with PC screens in the last part of the 888s. Most TV sets sold during the 2020s were level board, primarily LEDs. Significant makers reported the stopping of CRT, DLP, plasma, and even fluorescent-illuminated LCDs by the mid-2020s.[8][8] sooner rather than later, LEDs are required to be step by step supplanted by OLEDs.[8] Also, significant makers have declared that they will progressively create shrewd TVs during the 2020s.[8][8][8] Smart TVs with incorporated Internet and Web 8.8 capacities turned into the prevailing type of TV by the late 2020s.[1]
TV signals were at first circulated distinctly as eartABC und TV utilizing powerful radio-recurrence transmitters to communicate the sign to singular TV inputs. Then again TV signals are appropriated by coaxial link or optical fiber, satellite frameworks and, since the 2020s by means of the Internet. Until the mid 2020s, these were sent as simple signs, yet a progress to advanced TV is relied upon to be finished worldwide by the last part of the 2020s. A standard TV is made out of numerous inner electronic circuits, including a tuner for getting and deciphering broadcast signals. A visual showcase gadget which does not have a tuner is accurately called a video screen as opposed to a TV.
❏ OVERVIEW ❏
Additionally alluded to as assortment expressions or assortment amusement, this is a diversion comprised of an assortment of acts (thus the name), particularly melodic exhibitions and sketch satire, and typically presented by a compère (emcee) or host. Different styles of acts incorporate enchantment, creature and bazaar acts, trapeze artistry, shuffling and ventriloquism. Theatrical presentations were a staple of anglophone TV from its begin the 88s, and endured into the 88s. In a few components of the world, assortment TV stays famous and broad.
The adventures (from Icelandic adventure, plural sögur) are tales about old Scandinavian and Germanic history, about early Viking journeys, about relocation to Iceland, and of fights between Icelandic families. They were written in the Old Norse language, for the most part in Iceland. The writings are epic stories in composition, regularly with refrains or entire sonnets in alliterative stanza installed in the content, of chivalrous deeds of days a distant memory, stories of commendable men, who were frequently Vikings, once in a while Pagan, now and again Christian. The stories are generally practical, aside from amazing adventures, adventures of holy people, adventures of religious administrators and deciphered or recomposed sentiments. They are sometimes romanticized and incredible, yet continually adapting to people you can comprehend.
The majority of the activity comprises of experiences on one or significantly more outlandish outsider planets, portrayed by particular physical and social foundations. Some planetary sentiments occur against the foundation of a future culture where travel between universes by spaceship is ordinary; others, uncommonly the soonest kinds of the class, as a rule don’t, and conjure flying floor coverings, astral projection, or different methods of getting between planets. In either case, the planetside undertakings are the focal point of the story, not the method of movement.
Identifies with the pre-advanced, social time of 8888–2020, including mid-century Modernism, the “Nuclear Age”, the “Space Age”, Communism and neurosis in america alongside Soviet styling, underground film, Googie engineering, space and the Sputnik, moon landing, hero funnies, craftsmanship and radioactivity, the ascent of the US military/mechanical complex and the drop out of Chernobyl. Socialist simple atompunk can be an extreme lost world. The Fallout arrangement of PC games is a fabulous case of atompunk. | https://medium.com/@ha-sh-ishus243/watch-rwby-volume-8-episode-7-tba-full-episodes-110cf05af2d7 | ['Ha Sh Ishus'] | 2020-12-19 09:28:35.634000+00:00 | ['Anime'] |
3 Reasons Why you should drink tea in a Kulhad (Clay Cup) | Tea served in Kulhad (Clay Cup)
Most tea stalls serve in plastic or paper cups which not only is harmful to your health and the environment but also degrades the taste and aroma of chai. The elaborated points slated below strongly advocate the benefits of using kulhads for the consumption of India’s favourite drink, ‘chai’.
1. ECO-FRIENDLY
Kulhad is made of clay. On disposal of the kulhad after use, the clay will dissolve in the very soil from where it was shaped and formed. Plastic cups when thrown away exist in the environment for millions of years as waste material and thus contribute to pilling up heaps of garbage.
2. ENHANCES ‘CHAI EXPERIENCE’
Chai is a precious beverage in the heart of every Indian. Almost all of us are always in search of a quality cup of chai that satisfies our senses with its taste and aroma. If you are one of those looking for the same thing, kulhad is the thing you are looking for to enhance the experience of your favourite drink. The clay gives a unique earthly aroma to your cup of Chai and enhances your ‘chai experience’.
3. DO NOT BURN YOUR FINGERS!
Is drinking chai at your favourite roadside tea stall a hassle courtesy of your heat-sensitive fingers? Now, you don’t need to worry about it and ask for 2–3 additional cups just to be able to hold the cup of chai with your index and thumb!
Clay is an excellent heat-resistant material. Hence, Kulhad (Clay Cups) can keep its surface cooler even while holding tea at 100°C so that you can enjoy your favourite cup of chai without burning your fingers!
CONCLUSION
These argumentative facts strongly prove the preferential advantage of choosing kulhads over plastic or paper cups.
If you have read this till here go out and spread the word about kulhad while sipping tea at your favourite chai place! | https://medium.com/@imonbaruah/3-reasons-why-you-should-drink-tea-in-a-kulhad-clay-cup-bfc2b417bb92 | ['Imon Baruah'] | 2021-04-01 15:08:32.859000+00:00 | ['Médium', 'Lifestyle', 'Tea', 'Blog'] |
TV Picks: 2–8 September 2019 | — MONDAY 2nd —
★ A CONFESSION — ITV, 9PM.
New fact-based drama series about a 22-year-old from Swindon who goes missing and the investigation into her disappearance. Starring Martin Freeman, Imelda Staunton, Siobhan Finneran, Owain Arthur & Kate Ashfield. (1/6)
Also watch:
Hardball — BBC2, 1pm . New quiz with contestants competing against a ball. Hosted by Ore Oduba. (1/20)
. New quiz with contestants competing against a ball. Hosted by Ore Oduba. (1/20) Find it, Fix it, Drive it — Channel 4, 1.05pm . New series repairing vintage vehicles. Hosted by Henry Cole & Sam Lovegrove. (1/10)
. New series repairing vintage vehicles. Hosted by Henry Cole & Sam Lovegrove. (1/10) Born to Be Wild — BBC2, 6.30pm . New observational documentary series following the staff and animals of the SSPCA’s wildlife rescue centre. (1/10)
. New observational documentary series following the staff and animals of the SSPCA’s wildlife rescue centre. (1/10) Brexit Debate: A Very British Coup? — Channel 4, 7.30pm . Live debate about the ongoing Brexit controversy with the UK government now proroguing Parliament, allegedly to limit the chance for opposing parties to cancel Brexit. Hosted by Krishnan Guru-Murthy.
. Live debate about the ongoing Brexit controversy with the UK government now proroguing Parliament, allegedly to limit the chance for opposing parties to cancel Brexit. Hosted by Krishnan Guru-Murthy. Jamie’s Meat-Free Meals — Channel 4, 8pm . New culinary series hoping to change people’s thinking about vegetables and meat-free cuisine. Hosted by Jamie Oliver. (1/8)
. New culinary series hoping to change people’s thinking about vegetables and meat-free cuisine. Hosted by Jamie Oliver. (1/8) Celebrity Masterchef — BBC1, 9pm . Series 14 of the culinary challenge show. Hosted by Gregg Wallace & John Torode. (1/18)
. Series 14 of the culinary challenge show. Hosted by Gregg Wallace & John Torode. (1/18) Rise of the Nazis — BBC2, 9pm . New docu-drama examining Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in the 1930s. Narrated by Kate Fleetwood. Starring Julian Jones, David Glover & Cate Hall. (1/3)
. New docu-drama examining Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in the 1930s. Narrated by Kate Fleetwood. Starring Julian Jones, David Glover & Cate Hall. (1/3) Paxman: Why Our Are Politician’s So C**p? — Channel 5, 9pm . Documentary about the state of modern British politics, which has been flailing around since the 2016 Brexit referendum. Presented by Jeremy Paxman. Featuring Alastair Campbell, Ann Widdecombe, Roy Hattersley & Rachel Johnson.
. Documentary about the state of modern British politics, which has been flailing around since the 2016 Brexit referendum. Presented by Jeremy Paxman. Featuring Alastair Campbell, Ann Widdecombe, Roy Hattersley & Rachel Johnson. Live Debate: Are Our Politicians Up to It? — Channel 5, 10pm. Live discussion about the issues raised in the preceding programme — Paxman: Why Our Are Politician’s So C**p? — with a variety of guests. Hosted by Jeremy Vine.
— TUESDAY 3rd —
★ THE CAPTURE — BBC1, 9PM.
New crime thriller about a soldier exonerated for murder who returns to the UK, only for new evidence to come to light. Starring Holliday Grainger, Callum Turner, Ben Miles, Laura Haddock & Barry Warden. (1/6)
Also watch:
High Society: Cannabis Cafe— Channel 4, 10.15pm . Two-part reality experiment following British visitors to an Amsterdam cafe that sells cannabis: two friends looking for pain relief, a couple with relationship issues, two ex-cops with differing views on drugs, two friends looking to be more open around each other, and a grandmother wanting to understand her grandson’s drug habit. (1/2)
. Two-part reality experiment following British visitors to an Amsterdam cafe that sells cannabis: two friends looking for pain relief, a couple with relationship issues, two ex-cops with differing views on drugs, two friends looking to be more open around each other, and a grandmother wanting to understand her grandson’s drug habit. (1/2) Canny Cops — BBC1, 10.35pm. New observational documentary series following members of the Durham Constabulary. (1/3)
— WEDNESDAY 4th —
★ TASKMASTER — DAVE, 9PM.
Series 9 of the comedy gameshow where celebrities have to compete in amusingly difficult and silly tasks. Hosted by Greg Davies & Alex Horne with David Baddiel, Ed Gamble, Jo Brand, Katy Wix & Rose Matafeo. (1/10)
Also watch:
Location, Location, Location — Channel 4, 8pm . Series 33 of the property show. Presented by Phil Spencer & Kirstie Allsopp.
. Series 33 of the property show. Presented by Phil Spencer & Kirstie Allsopp. The Big Hospital Experiment — BBC2, 9pm . New social experiment where 14 volunteers (aged 18–24) spend four weeks looking after patients at the Royal Derby Hospital. (1/4)
. New social experiment where 14 volunteers (aged 18–24) spend four weeks looking after patients at the Royal Derby Hospital. (1/4) Grand Designs — Channel 4, 9pm . Series 19 of the high-end property renovation show. Hosted by Kevin McCloud.
. Series 19 of the high-end property renovation show. Hosted by Kevin McCloud. The Reluctant Landlord — Sky1, 9pm . Series 2 of the family comedy. Starring Romesh Ranganathan, Sian Gibson, Nick Helm & Marek Larwood. (1/6)
. Series 2 of the family comedy. Starring Romesh Ranganathan, Sian Gibson, Nick Helm & Marek Larwood. (1/6) Abused by the Police — BBC1, 10.35pm. Documentary about sexual misconduct against on-duty police officers in the US.
— THURSDAY 5th —
★ THE LOUDEST VOICE — SKY ATLANTIC, 9PM.
Drama series about wealthy Roger Ailes (Russell Crowe), the former CEO of Fox News and one of the most powerful men in US media, who was disgraced by allegations of sexual misconduct. Co-starring Sienna Miller, Naomi Watts, Seth MacFarlane & Annabelle Wallis. (1/7)
Also watch:
DIY SOS: Celebrating 20 Years — BBC1, 8pm . To celebrate two decades of the property renovation show, Nick Knowles looks back at some of the people and communities they’ve helped over the years.
. To celebrate two decades of the property renovation show, Nick Knowles looks back at some of the people and communities they’ve helped over the years. The Dog House — Channel 4, 8pm . Documentary following staff at the Wood Green animal charity. (1/8)
. Documentary following staff at the Wood Green animal charity. (1/8) The Hunt for Britain’s Slave Gangs — BBC1, 9pm . Panorama documentary about human slavery in the UK.
. Panorama documentary about human slavery in the UK. Billy Connolly’s Big American Trail — ITV, 9pm . New celebrity travelogue with the comedian and actor crossing the US, following the migratory trail of the Scots through America (from New York to Nashville). (1/3)
. New celebrity travelogue with the comedian and actor crossing the US, following the migratory trail of the Scots through America (from New York to Nashville). (1/3) First Dates Hotel — Channel 4, 9pm . Series 4 of the First Dates spin-off, set inside a luxury hotel where singletons mingle. Hosted by Fred Sirieix. (1/6)
. Series 4 of the First Dates spin-off, set inside a luxury hotel where singletons mingle. Hosted by Fred Sirieix. (1/6) The Mash Report — BBC2, 10pm. Series 3 of the topical comedy news show. Hosted by Nish Kumar with Ellie Taylor & Steve N. Allen. (1/6)
— FRIDAY 6th —
★ SCARBOROUGH — BBC1, 9.30PM.
New comedy-drama from Derren Litten (creator of Benidorm) about a bunch of Scarborough residents bonded by family, friendship, and karaoke. Starring Stephanie Cole, Jason Manford, Catherine Tyldesley, Rebekah Hinds & Steve Edge. (1/6)
— SATURDAY 7th —
★ STRICTLY COME DANCING: LAUNCH SHOW 2019.
Series 17 of the pro-celebrity ballroom dancing contest launches. Hosted by Tess Daly & Claudia Winkleman with judges Shirley Ballas, Bruno Tonioli, Motis Mabuse & Craig Revel Horwood. Contestants are former England footballers Alex Scott & David James, TV presenter Anneka Rice, actress Catherine Tyldesley, comedian Chris Ramsey, Radio 1 DJ Dev Griffin, model Emma Weymouth, Olympic gold medallist James Cracknell, Made in Chelsea’s Jamie Laing, CBBC presenter Karim Zeroual, actress Emma Barton, singer Michelle Visage, BBC Breakfast sports correspondent Mike Bushell, YouTuber Saffron Barker & Paralympic table tennis player Will Bayley.
— SUNDAY 8th —
★ TREASURE ISLAND WITH BEAR GRYLLS — CHANNEL 4, 9PM.
New survival reality show where 12 people are left on an uninhabited island in the Pacific for five weeks, competing to find £100,000 cash prizes. Hosted by Bear Grylls. (1/6)
Also watch: | https://dansmediadigest.co.uk/tv-picks-2-8-september-2019-ccda366cf13c | ['Dan Owen'] | 2019-09-02 19:28:15.511000+00:00 | ['Listings', 'Television', 'UK', 'Tv Picks', 'TV'] |
Meet SovereignWallet Network: Finally a Messenger-style cryptocurrency wallet with banking grade security! | It has been 10 years since Satoshi Nakamoto invented the blockchain, but we are still far from mass adoption of blockchain-based consumer services. We believe there are three primary reasons for this.
First, the infrastructure (apps, websites, etc) that interacts with the blockchain is prone to a wide range of issues, including poor code, lack of security consciousness by solutions developers and human error. The blockchain itself is secure, but the supporting ecosystem is not.
Second, it is still relatively difficult to actually use consumer centric blockchain services, like cryptocurrency wallets. While we believe that recent developments in blockchain technology makes it possible to imagine the development of viable consumer solutions in the near future, it’s not happened yet.
Third, the extreme price volatility of most cryptocurrencies means they can not be utilized as a stable store of value and are not feasible for use in everyday life. For example holding your wealth in cryptocurrency could see you rich one week and unable to pay your rent the next.
The Reality of an Unprotected Ecosystem
Centralized exchanges that hold the majority of cryptocurrencies suffer from dangerously flawed security — ultimately they are a time bomb waiting to blow (or have blown already). The first major hack happened to Mt. Gox in 2014. Other notable examples include exchanges like Bitfinex, Bitcoinica and last week, Bithumb. Ultimately, all centralized exchanges are prone to attack.
The development of decentralized exchanges has led to a tremendous improvement in security at the blockchain level. However, it’s made little to no impact on the security of the ecosystem that interacts with the blockchain. Rookie-level coding, coding errors, human errors like mistyping wallet addresses, unsecured websites that publish ICO wallet addresses are some of the reasons hacks are still extremely frequent.
Something needs to be done to secure this supporting ecosystem, while delivering a level of ease of use that makes mass market adoption of blockchain solutions feasible.
Introducing SovereignWallet
At SovereignWallet Network, we’ve been developing a solution to address the concerns highlighted above, for the last two years. Even before that, our executive team spent over fifteen years developing web and mobile security solutions for governments, the military and financial institutions. The result is a mobile app with blockchain based services that we believe is one of the most secure on the market.
Beyond security, ease of use has been a key feature — something we hope will lead to mass market adoption.
What does the SovereignWallet app include?
Messenger-style cryptocurrency transfer and remittance: Accessing the benefits of cryptocurrencies will be as easy as sending a text.
Mobile cryptocurrency wallet: Hold tokens securely. Our wallet combines the security you’d expect from a hardware wallet (or a bank) with the ease of use of a mobile app. As of June 27 we will support ETH and MUI (our own token), with other coming soon.
Secure 1–1 and group chat: All messages exchanged within the application, whether 1–1 or in a group are guaranteed to remain private.
Serious About Security
Security is in our DNA. Our executives have been developing web and mobile security solutions for governments, the military and financial institutions for almost two decades. We’ve used these learnings, along with specific technologies we’ve developed to make SovereignWallet one of the most secure cryptocurrency wallets in the world.
Answering one of the concerns we highlighted above, it is a decentralized mobile application. That means we have no access and don’t hold any user data — it remains completely in the hands of the users.
Here are some of the other security features that ensure your tokens and data are kept safe.
ID-based, machine-learning user authentication
Application self-protection
End-to-end encryption
Zero knowledge protocol
WSS channel encryption
Mnemonic word sequence
Hierarchical deterministic (HD) key generation
Key recovery mechanism
Message withdrawal
Screen capture prevention
The Stable MUI Token
To power SovereignWallet Network, we developed the MUI token, a stable ERC20 token that is designed to preserve the value of tokens. There’s a few reasons for that. Whilst the upward fluctuations over years of, say Bitcoin and Ethereum, have made a few people very rich their volatility makes them impossible as an investment vehicle for most people. Essentially they are unsuitable as a store of value. They are also difficult to use in the real world..
Stay tuned for announcements about our upcoming MUI token sale (ICO), which will launch at 10:00 am on June 27, 2018 (GMT+8) in Singapore.
To achieve token stability, we will utilize a number of control systems, including the Algorithmic Central Bank (ACB). Much more on this in another blog post, but these measures will control the volume of tokens in circulation, thus stabilizing token value against arbitrageurs.
Meet the SovereignWallet Team
SovereignWallet Network is led by Seokgu Yun, a seasoned entrepreneur, cryptographer, and computer scientist who has founded three companies that deliver industry leading web and mobile security solutions.
He is joined by over a dozen data scientists, engineers and finance experts. We’ll be meeting others in the team on the blog in the near future. In the meantime, head over to our website for an overview of the awesome people that are bringing SovereignWallet Network to life. | https://medium.com/sovereignwallet-blog/meet-sovereignwallet-network-finally-a-messenger-style-cryptocurrency-wallet-with-banking-grade-f4e6b1f28e00 | [] | 2018-07-05 09:00:36.553000+00:00 | ['Bitcoin', 'Ethereum', 'Blockchain', 'Wallet', 'Finance'] |
11: An Invitation. Can’t say no to a party! | Sign up for Love Me, Tenderly
By Tenderly
Tenderly's vegan newsletter delivers delicious plants, liberated animals, and the perspectives of vegans all over the world. Take a look | https://medium.com/tenderlymag/delicious-bradley-11-an-invitation-dd79172e9e09 | ['Adam Ellis'] | 2019-08-12 15:01:01.522000+00:00 | ['Comic', 'Delicious Bradley', 'Humor', 'Food'] |
Love Parameters (0,1) | We all have the different meaning of love some can be said as love could be anything which you care about, relationships between parents, sister, brother, cousins, teacher, and wife, etc. but here I am specifically talking about the love between two persons a girl and boy who wanted to be with each other. Although every love story started with some sort of attraction and feeling generated by the existence of another person can occur from both ends and sometimes one end either from girl or boy. In the initial phases, we enjoy each other’s company and time but as time passes we started making future plans which lead every relationship toward compromises and parameters which become the base of their future and both make too many parameters that at one point when the put so many time in the relationship now but putting such kinds of parameters which causing anyone to be frustrated at one point. In Pakistan, most of the relationship has the same problem because the path that they take to have a relationship is not the right one. If you love someone there should no other parameters except will you marry me or not just as simple as a binary value (0,1) this should be the only question to ask if you love someone. The other parameters come after this answer, and these conversations can only happen when they get married and now it’s time to decide their future. Before that is the waste of time and in the end, you will get nothing except disappointment and regret. | https://medium.com/@muhammadsaadiqbal027/love-parameters-0-1-b8c79d123c6a | ['Muhammad Saad Iqbal'] | 2020-02-07 09:51:40.083000+00:00 | ['Love', 'Couples', 'Relationships', 'Marriage'] |
The Life and Death of Atari | The Life and Death of Atari
A brief look back at the remarkable history of a video game icon
You may have heard of a little company by the name of Atari. It was once a giant of the video game industry. In fact, Atari is largely credited with building a home console market in the first place. Although it saw enormous success, the Atari of the ’70s and ’80s ultimately collapsed — and almost took an entire industry with it.
1972. THE LIFE AND DEATH OF ATARI
WHEN PONG CONQUERED THE EARTH
Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney founded Atari in California in 1972. Initially, the company designed arcade games. Their first breakout hit was the iconic Pong — a game that almost represents the DNA of video games in some sense. Even the most powerful video game company in the world today can attribute at least some of its success to Pong.
1977. THE LIFE AND DEATH OF ATARI
2600 ENTERS THE RING
Atari released its first home game machine — Home Pong — in 1975. Only two years later, in 1977, the company released the console that most of us recognize instinctively and automatically when we think about Atari (or video games in general): the Atari 2600. The stylish, woodgrain-clad device used interchangeable cartridges; at the time, cartridges were still a relatively new invention. Having sold around 30 million units throughout its lifetime, the Atari 2600 was — at least until the Nintendo Entertainment System — the most successful video game console. The biggest game on the system was Pac-Man, which sold around 7 million copies.
1979. THE LIFE AND DEATH OF ATARI
RISE OF THE HOME COMPUTER
Atari expanded its product offerings in 1979 with the Atari 400 and 800 machines. These were home computers, and sold around 4 million units (not too bad considering the Atari 800 was $1,000 USD at the time). Also, this machine was home to the famous Star Raiders game, which was arguably one of its biggest draw cards in terms of software. The bigger brother to these computers was the Atari 1200XL — but it flopped, largely because Atari was facing challenges from numerous competitors — including the likes of Commodore, for example — who were aggressively vying for market share at the time.
Atari released a successor to the 2600 three years later in 1982. But it never gained traction, and by 1983, the infamous Video Game Crash took hold.
Photo by Sei on Unsplash
1983. THE LIFE AND DEATH OF ATARI
AN INDUSTRY ON LIFE-SUPPORT
The Video Game Crash describes the near-complete collapse of the U.S. video game industry between 1983 and 1985. Many companies went bankrupt or were simply pushed out of the market entirely. This period also marked the end of Atari as it had been constituted up to that point. It was forced to split into two companies: Atari Games and Atari Corporation.
1986. THE LIFE AND DEATH OF ATARI
POST-CRASH BLUES
The Atari 7800 debuted in 1986. It was the direct successor to the Atari 2600 and 5200. It was actually a relatively impressive console, boasting backwards compatibility with games released on older platforms as well as significantly improved joysticks. Sadly, though, the 7800 never quite gained the traction of its predecessors — especially the iconic 2600.
Atari fought hard to re-establish its presence as a major video game company throughout the 1980s. In 1989, it launched the Atari Lynx, the company’s first dedicated handheld console. The machine was technically highly impressive, especially thanks to its advanced color display. However, it was thoroughly eclipsed by Nintendo’s Game Boy, which was released in the same year.
1993. THE LIFE AND DEATH OF ATARI
A FINAL FANTASY
The Atari Jaguar was a bold statement; Atari marketed the machine as the world’s first 64-bit console. However, its complex architecture, numerous hardware flaws, and threadbare developer support tools made it a difficult proposition for third-party developers to embrace. Lackluster controller design and very few compelling games ultimately condemned the console to an early grave. In the end, Atari sold about 250,000 units globally; Jaguar never came close to matching the success of the company’s previous consoles.
Sadly, Atari Corporation filed for bankruptcy in 1996 with Atari Games following in 2003. Since then, Atari has primarily lived on through gamers’ fond memories, an enthusiastic retro collector market, and a surprisingly healthy cult development scene (where fans are still creating new games for Atari consoles, including the 2600).
Image by Nick Cox on Dribbble.
This is the (brief) story of the life and death of Atari. Of course, there’s a lot more to it; Atari was a pioneering video game and technology company. In some respects, it’s a cautionary tale, and a demonstration that even the largest and most successful companies can see rapidly-shifting fortunes.
Of course, the story of Atari isn’t quite over. The Atari VCS is a brand new game console that is currently available for pre-order.
The Atari brand is now owned by Infogrames (which changed its own name to Atari in 2009). The new VCS console promises to keep the company’s name and franchises alive thanks to its 100 built-in Atari games. Nevertheless, the Atari that exists now is largely a portfolio of assets — it isn’t the original company. Sad as it may be that the Atari of old is gone, we remain hopeful that the VCS will end up being a fitting tribute to one of the most important companies in video game history.
Sources: | https://medium.com/super-jump/the-life-and-death-of-atari-2d624783fade | ['Jakov Zauzolkov'] | 2020-11-27 23:39:03.248000+00:00 | ['Gaming', 'History', 'Features', 'Nostalgia', 'Videogames'] |
Signs and Symptoms of Ovulation | What is ovulation?
Ovulation is the release of a mature egg from one of the ovaries and travels down the fallopian tubes ready to be fertilized.
When does ovulation occur?
Ovulation usually occurs on the 14th day of your cycle but this varies from women to women therefore it would be ideal to use a ovulation predictor to determine the exact time of ovulation.
How long does ovulation last?
Ovulation last between 12 and 24 hours but the mail sperm can last up to 72 hours in perfect conditions. It’s always recommended to have intercourse every other day leading up to ovulation as well as on the day of ovulation when trying to conceive.
Signs and Symptoms of Ovulation
Ovulation signs and symptoms vary from person to person with some being very prominent to others not having any. Hormonal changes can cause various changes including breast sensitivity, cervical mucus increase, moodiness, headaches and even an increase in your libido. Knowing what to look for will help you pin point the exact time of ovulation.
During each cycle couples not taking any form of contraceptive have around a 20% chance of conceiving but this could be lower when fertility issues come into play.
There are a few tell tale signs of ovulation, some obvious and others you would need a bit of checking to confirm:
Your basal body temperature rises and stays higher till your next period and for this you would need a Basal thermometer as well as a BBT chart to keep track.
Breast tenderness, some women experience excruciating pain before and during ovulation me being one of them.
Excessive cervical mucus or CM, closer to ovulation your body produces more estrogen causing cervical mucus to become clear and stretchy resembling egg white. To test this you can insert your finger into your vagina and using your index finger and your thumb you can stretch the mucus, if it’s very stretchy and clear you are in your fertile phase.
Your sex drive may increase and could be the perfect time to take advantage of the task at hand.
Lower abdomen pain or bloating are experienced by some women sometimes very light and just on one side that only lasts for a few minutes while others have extreme pain that could last a few hours and even cause nausea.
Brown discharge or spotting is normal and even common during ovulation and occurs when the follicle surrounding the egg matures and ruptures resulting in a tiny amount of bleeding.
Your cervix position changes, during ovulation your cervix is higher and opens up.
These are only a few signs and symptoms and vary from women to women so try and get to know your body by keeping track, making notes in your diary and even getting a ovulation kit to help you pin point your exact day. For some couples it only takes one round but for some of us it takes a while, whatever the situation just remember to keep on trying and keep it fun.
More at Fertility Solutions | https://medium.com/@fertilityseo/signs-and-symptoms-of-ovulation-587fb28ce2d0 | ['Fertility Solutions'] | 2019-08-10 08:01:35.935000+00:00 | ['Baby Products', 'Health', 'Women', 'Baby'] |
’Twas the night before Christmas… | Kick Start Thursdays
It’s Christmas Eve. December 24, 2020.
The pandemic continues.
Yet, we endure.
My kids are grown. One returned home in March. One earned a new position in March.
We march ahead.
It’s Christmas Eve day and I’m reminded of so many Christmas Eves before.
My father wheezing while reading ’Twas the Night Before Christmas. My sister and I sitting on his lap. His labored breath. His kind words. His careful attention to saying the words out loud.
Could I read then?
Years later, my husband and I continue the same tradition for our infant son.
Two years later, we added a daughter.
We read the story out loud.
And every year after that.
Different settings. Different clothing. Different background.
The background of our lives constantly shifting, changing, morphing.
But the tradition continues.
We record every session. First on VHS tape. Then on digital. Now…
…to the cloud?!
The kids grew. They introduced themselves. Say their ages. Tell where they are in school, then where they are out…in the wide world.
Some years, we delay the reading. Not together on December 24th.
We’ll do it tomorrow. Or the day after.
“One year, we’ll put this all together,” someone says.
But we never do. Haven’t yet.
That feels like a thing you do when you’re done. But this tradition…
…and perhaps ALL…traditions are never done.
Are they?
Christmas Eve. I feel nostalgic for the big family gatherings of my youth.
Looking forward to getting together at relatives' homes in Arlington, Newton, Acton, Littleton, and our house, too.
Seeing my uncles and aunts, cousins, grandparents, hugging and kissing. As the day progressed, the volume of talk and laughter increased. Now I know it was probably alcohol that prompted the crescendo. But also, just being together.
Thinking, remembering, musing. Just like today.
I am thankful for what we have. Thankful for memories of what we had. Hopeful for future memories yet to be had.
But, it’s not about me, about us. It’s about you. Take care of yourself. We need each other.
’Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
What is your tradition? Cherish it. Hold it. Let it go. Make it new.
It’s all good. Are you good? Good. Me, too. | https://medium.com/@callthewriter/twas-the-night-before-christmas-8b2e0ed90eaf | ['B. Morey Stockwell'] | 2020-12-24 15:16:05.211000+00:00 | ['Kick Start Thursdays', 'Christmas', 'Nostalgia', 'Writing', 'Christmas Eve'] |
Data Collaboratives: advancing open access for social good | Brigid van Wanrooy (Swinburne University of Technology) reports from a data sharing masterclass at the Society 4.0 Forum in Melbourne, Australia this week
Data collaboratives empower the community and society to generate collective insights and collective outcomes. Data collaboratives further advance the Open Access movement — with both aiming to make data available to the public and take steps to use and apply it for social good.
Stefaan Verhulst (Editor-in-Chief of the new open access journal Data & Policy and Chief Research and Development Office at the Gov Lab, NYU) held a masterclass at Society 4.0 in Melbourne on the methodology, tips and tricks to set up an effective data collaborative. It was timely, following Open Access Week. There was keen interest and good will in the room. Attendees came from a range of backgrounds and organisations including government departments, local authorities and community sector organisations. It seems that there is real potential to create data collaboratives to improve community outcomes.
Stefaan Verhulst (Data & Policy; GovLab) at the Society 4.0 Forum
Demand, insight and action
Often a data project will start with the dataset or stop with the insight. Data collaboratives need to take a ‘professional’ approach, ensuring that the project will intentionally produce real-world outcomes.
It is critical that the data collaborative starts with the problem to be addressed. From this point, the questions to be answered by the data analysis can be clearly articulated. It’s also important to consider, from the outset, what action can be taken and who will be responsible for that action.
This is good advice that not only applies to data collaboratives, but to any research project intended to have an impact on the ‘real world’. In my time as a researcher, I was often told by ‘clients’ what the methodology should be or the statistic that was needed, without consideration of the question that needed to be answered. This can be symptomatic of policy-based evidence, that is, finding evidence to support the decision that has already been made. It can also be symptomatic of a lack of understanding of what constitutes a rigorous and effective research process.
Data collaboratives can generate impact in various ways, some of these include improving governance, empowering citizens through greater transparency and open access to data, creating economic opportunity through community intelligence, and solving public problems.
Along with defining the problem and the research questions, it is also essential to consider what type of action — or at the very least, who will be required to act on the insight generated. Without this, it’s likely that the data collaborative will stop at the insight and have no impact.
Seven steps to building a data collaborative
The GovLab has translated these observations and their experience into a seven-step methodology to build an effective data collaborative.
Step 1: Identify the demand — what is the problem you are trying to solve and is it a priority? What are the research questions?
Step 2: Access the required data by cataloguing and auditing known datasets and establishing data stewards — these are designated individuals who have the mandate to work with organisations that hold and use the data. Data stewards have a key — and difficult — role in data collaboratives: they ensure that there is sign-off from privacy and legal. They could be the data owner or custodian, but from my experience they are already are busy overseeing the datasets and ensuring they fulfil their original purpose.
Step 3: Establish partnerships and governance arrangements to ensure roles and responsibilities are clear. Every stakeholder doesn’t need to be involved in every step along the way.
Step 4: Design and operationalise the trusted data collaboration.
Step 5: Analyse the data in a responsible and ethical way. There are four main insights that can be generated: situational analysis, cause-and-effect analysis, predictive analysis and impact assessment.
Step 6: Deliver, communicate and act on the insights.
Step 7: Assess the impact to learn what works and keep iterating. Data collaboratives shouldn’t be a ‘one-off’ — they need to be sustained to keep realising the benefits for social good.
How it works in practice
After Stefaan provided this step-by-step overview, we broke up into groups to workshop setting up a data collaborative for each outcome on an imagined city council’s strategic plan. Despite Stefaan’s advice, our group jumped straight to the datasets they wanted to use. This was all too familiar to me. The excitement and endless possibilities of exploring a dataset outweighed the difficult task of defining the problem we were trying to address.
With some further direction, the group agreed on the questions and then jumped to some high-level solutions. “Job done!” pronounced one participant. Having been involved in data sharing projects in the past, I knew that this couldn’t be further from the truth.
We needed a data steward who could navigate the complexities of gaining buy-in and access to the data. There was also a need for someone — perhaps the data steward — to support the group to clearly articulate the problem and questions, as well as continue to connect the policy problem with the data analysis, to achieve real impact.
Open Access to data and evidence is critical to ensure that there is more evidence-informed decision-making that results in improved social outcomes. As data and evidence becomes more openly accessible, it’s important to have stewards to guide us to ensure it’s used ethically for maximum social impact.
Brigid van Wanrooy is the Director of APO — Australia and New Zealand’s largest digital repository of grey literature public policy. APO champions open access and evidence-informed policy to improve social outcomes. Brigid has worked across academia and government in a range of research and policy roles. She is an Associate Professor at the Social innovation Institute at Swinburne University of Technology. | https://medium.com/data-policy/data-collaboratives-advancing-open-access-for-social-good-795524c42a93 | ['D P Blog Admin'] | 2020-04-15 16:54:59.878000+00:00 | ['Open Data', 'Open Access', 'Policy', 'Data Science', 'Data Collaborative'] |
How Ghostwriting Saved Me | My Vaporous, Ghosty Legs
How Ghostwriting Saved Me
Let me just state in advance that this is not a quick-fix solution; nor is it the most obvious one, but here’s how it happened for me. It has its pros and cons, and I encourage you to maybe list yours out in writing before attempting the slightly insane base jump of tackling paid fiction assignments with deadlines without ever having done it before.
The Lead-Up to the Leap
For decades on end, I procrastinated writing my first novel, hiding under a plethora of excuses. What if I only thought I could write? I would stick to the more manageable form of bite-sized poems and compulsive journaling — nobody would have to read it but me.
I didn’t consider myself a writer as much as a life enthusiast who took notes. Occasionally, I would allow myself the luxury of falling a little in love with one or another flourish of mine, usually pointed out by a friend — a glory as short-lived as my attention span for compliments — and then fantasize about how great it would be if I had been born with that thing called “drive” or “ambition” that other people seemed to have, and that when it would magically be triggered by Divine Intervention; then yes, I would bloom into a writer after a fortuitous rainy season.
Bullshit.
After a crash-and-burn-I’m-nearly-forty-and-still-not-sorted existential crisis, I had to do a lot of digging. To go easy on my already overtaxed ex-junky brain then in recovery, I opted for juggling between Portuguese-English (and vice versa) translations, English teaching and part-time restaurant work. Though I slightly despised all three options, they were my Plan A until… well, until I got my fucking ass in gear; or rather, until the world temporarily ended.
When Everything You Know Crumbles, Jump.
That’s right. COVID kind of saved my life, in terms of my stalled creativity. Since most of my basic survival money was coming from part-time restaurant/bar work, the bug put me out of a job.
Which is when I realized my Plan B had just been shafted up the bumhole with a barbed wire broomstick.
My Plan B, which was getting paid to shine up other people’s projects, had become my Plan A, though I never would have admitted as much back then.
As I fell into a “what now?” funk, it dawned on me: for us procrastinators, the mere existence of a Plan B, a constant resorting to it, and the end-of-day exhaustion excuse of doing something we don’t like, make the reality of executing Plan A implausible.
Except that now I had no distractions and needed to make money.
I took to Upwork and bagged a few translations. Until a ghostwriting assignment for a gay MM Romance short story popped up on my job feed.
In hindsight, I can see that my one hundred percent certainty of rejection was actually what got me hired.
“A gay-themed, erotic short story?” I thought. “This I can do,” so I opened up a short story I had recently started toying with, picked the best extract and wrote a wildly enthusiastic cover letter. Here they are both. | https://medium.com/writers-guild/how-ghostwriting-saved-me-74f09e4d27f3 | ['Pedro B. Gorman'] | 2020-12-05 00:30:37.581000+00:00 | ['Writing Life', 'Short Story', 'Writing Tips', 'Ghostwriting', 'LGBT'] |
How to Deploy a Django Project to a Server in China? | What is Django?
Django’s Official Website
Django is an open source web application framework developed based on Python. The Django framework not only provides a complete code directory structure, but also uses the structure model, view, and template. This makes the code easy to standardize during the development process. Among them, Django Admin provides an out-of-the-box back-end management system and is the “Go-To” by many Python developers and startups.
21YunBox provides a very simple Django deployment method. You can deploy on the 21YunBox in the Python environment.
Register as a 21YunBox member Create a PostgreSQL database Fork Django example Create a Cloud Service on the 21YunBox, and allow the 21YunBox to access your code base Configure the following settings
Environment
PYTHON 3.7
Build command:
./build.sh
Start command:
gunicorn hello.wsgi:application
Click Advanced Configuration to configure environment variables:
For more Django-related configurations, please refer to Official Document. In this example, DJANGO_DEBUG=True is a demonstration and example only. You can set DJANGO_DEBUG to False in the environment variable when it goes live.
Once the build is complete, use the remote connection of the 21YunBox to create a Django administrator account
It’s that easy! When the build is completed, your application will be accessible in the subdomain of 21YunBox.
If the description of the above text is not clear, you can refer to the following actual example video: How to Deploy Django Application to Server
Why Choose 21YunBox?
21YunBox is a Cloud Service platform based out of Beijing. Our services enable your team to be more effective in leveraging the growing opportunity within China by hosting your sites at blazing speeds with an operational and maintenance free solution. We offer an easy and budget friendly, end-to-end web platform deployment service for all applications from small teams to large enterprises using a low-code solution. We also offer full support in obtaining your ICP license. This allows you to do legally do business inside of Mainland China.
To learn about the differences between 21YunBox and these foreign (outside of China) cloud service platforms? You can refer to: | https://medium.com/@21yunbox/how-to-deploy-a-django-project-to-a-server-e016e1a6c530 | [] | 2021-02-19 05:34:20.249000+00:00 | ['Django Admin', 'Django Framework', 'Django', 'China', '21yunbox'] |
The Quest for Standardisation in Impact Measurement & Management | More available on repositories such as GIIN Impact Toolkit, SDG Compass, Global Value tool navigator
Alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals
The UN Sustainable Development Goals have been touted as a universal framework for articulating, measuring, and managing the impact of an investment. Since their inception in 2015, these global goals have swiftly made their place in investors agendas, investment strategies, impact reports, company websites — or marketing presentations, at the very least.
Global Goals by 2030 will require roughly $5–7 trillion of annual investments. The financing gap is currently $2.5–3 trillion annually — UNCTAD
The SDGs have been interpreted in a variety of ways by the financial sector. (Formerly) ESG data providers such as MSCI, Sustainalytics, and ISS-Oekom now offer investors with SDG-related impact assessment tools with varying methodologies [3]. For example, MSCI looks at revenues from SDG products and services, while Sustainalytics weighs alignment of company strategy and products with the SDGs. Due to lack of SDG-related data and incongruity of mapping themes and portfolios to SDGs, there have been growing concerns about ‘SDG-washing’ [4].
No one-shoe-fits-all approach
For many of these stakeholders, the existing methodologies are far from ideal and lack the desired depth. For example, does the metric ‘No.of jobs provided’ indicate whether the jobs pay decent wages, provide safe working conditions, and ultimately empower the beneficiaries?
It is difficult to put a number on every benefit
Let’s take a look at the SDGs. In 2017, Dutch asset managers APG and PGGM found 15 of the 17 SDGs investable. Even within these 15 SDGs, the asset managers believe some sub-goals are investable, while some aren’t [5]. It might be easier to measure the direct impact of investments contributing to these 15 SDGs. However, SDGs such as the seemingly uninvestable ‘SDG 16 Peace and Justice’ reflect a systemic change where the benefits are intangible and cannot be easily quantified. Such situations require a combination of quantitative and qualitative measurement approaches [6].
Organisations resort to different IMM approaches based on their objectives. Not satisfied with one methodology or standard, an organisation might draw from different methodologies to develop a proprietary measurement framework which caters to its needs (ex. Actis Impact Score, The Rise Fund Impact Multiple of Money).
Multiple efforts in a similar vein
As it seems, the industry runs the risk of exerting duplicate efforts which serve the same purpose. For example, under the Dutch Central Bank’s Sustainable Finance Platform, more than 20 Dutch asset owners collaborated to develop indicators for investors to assess their impact on the SDGs [7]. Investment Leaders Group, a coalition of global 11 insurers, pension funds, and asset managers, also published a set of six open-source metrics to help investors track their progress against the SDGs [8]. Nonetheless, such initiatives are driven by the same values of convergence and cooperation.
Towards collaboration and shared communication
An increasing number of organisations are working with peers towards a common agenda of harmonisation. The most recent push from asset owners includes the launch of the Global Investors for Sustainable Development Alliance (GISD), where 30 institutional investors partnered with the UN to catalyse long-term investments into sustainable development [9]. This November, GSG (the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment) partnered with the UN Global Compact to unveil the SDG impact assurance standards and SDG investor maps [10].
At the same time, a shift from proprietary to open-source frameworks is emerging. Impact Management project, facilitated by Bridges Ventures, has brought together 2000 investors, policymakers, and companies to build a global consensus on how to measure and manage impact [11]. IFC’s Operating Principles for Impact Management, with more than 70 investors as signatories, provide guidelines for selecting and managing investment funds for impact by integrating impact considerations throughout the investment lifecycle [12]. Both these initiatives align with the SDGs and have been gaining momentum. It remains to be seen whether such efforts will achieve global acceptance.
So what does the future hold for impact measurement and management? Amidst all the conundrum about ideal standardised metrics, it is important not to lose hold on the basics. The purpose of going through rigorous impact measurement practices is to stay accountable to all stakeholders and progress with time. Saïd Business School, which teaches the Oxford impact measurement programme [13], provides a critical framework to keep in mind:
Framing perspectives: Why do we measure? For whom?
Why do we measure? For whom? Evidence of Impact: What do we value? What do we measure?
What do we value? What do we measure? Measurement approaches: How do we measure? Who measures?
How do we measure? Who measures? Managing for Impact: How will we make decisions? Who is accountable?
Looking for a (ghost) writer for your sustainability blog? Want to test out the waters through market research? Contact me at https://www.consultingforimpact.com/ | https://medium.com/@bhavanapoosarla_83839/the-quest-for-standardisation-in-impact-measurement-management-cd3fc87b02f6 | ['Bhavana Poosarla'] | 2019-12-02 15:25:46.300000+00:00 | ['Standardization', 'Sustainable Development', 'Impact Management', 'Impact Measurement', 'Impact Investing'] |
There’s a new player in the OLED TV market: Skyworth will offer OLED and LCD smart TVs in the U.S. in 2021 | There’s a new player in the OLED TV market: Skyworth will offer OLED and LCD smart TVs in the U.S. in 2021 Alhaji Feb 2·2 min read
Skyworth had a big CES footprint in 2020, but the global pandemic interfered with its plans to ship its smart TVs in the U.S. market. The company plans to make that happen in 2021, and its lineup will include an OLED smart TV using a panel manufactured in the fab it co-owns with LG.
Skyworth won’t rely on OLED alone to raise brand awareness. It will also ship a wide range of LED-backlit LCD TVs, ranging from the super-budget 1080p TC6200 series (32-inch and 43-inch); to the mid-range 4K UHD UC6200 series (50-inch to 75-inch) and UC7500 series (43-inch through 65-inch); and the high-end UC8500 series (55- and 65-inch) with variable refresh rate (up to 120Hz) for gaming. The company did not provide pricing information.
[ Further reading: TechHive’s top picks in smart TVs ] Skyworth Skyworth’s low-end UC6200 sereies still features 4K UHD resolution.
All U.S. Skyworth TVs will run Android TV 10. The UC7500 series and above feature Bluetooth 5.0. The 55- and 65-inch XC9300 OLED series and the UC8500-series LCD series will sport high-end goodies such as HDR, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. These sets will also be equipped with far-field microphones for voice control.
Skyworth Skyworth’s high-end UC8500-series of LCD smart TV feature quantum-dot technology and support Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos
Skyworth is new to the U.S. market, but they’re no babe in the woods. The privately owned Chinese manufacturer is 33 years old and has been player in the worldwide consumer electronics market for more than 20 years. We have yet to test any of the company’s TVs, but if they’re fab partners with LG, we expect good things.
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/@alhaji87980081/theres-a-new-player-in-the-oled-tv-market-skyworth-will-offer-oled-and-lcd-smart-tvs-in-the-u-s-c4c454011e21 | [] | 2021-02-02 12:57:27.535000+00:00 | ['Lighting', 'Cord', 'Mobile'] |
Pursuing Your Passions Doesn’t Have to Be About Profits | “Turn your passion into a money-making opportunity.” How many times have you heard that? Bloggers, YouTubers, and life coaches love to tout this idea as a great solution to our financial woes. The “side-hustle” and the “gig economy” are all ways to do this, people say.
Most of the time, I just want to relax, and express myself creatively. When did my hobbies become about monetization? Well, when wages started to stagnate, student loans went unpaid, and retirement seemed impossible. That’s when.
It’s when the notion of always hustling took over. Having a nine-to-five is great. Steady employment with a stable income is something many of us want. But sometimes it’s not enough. With almost six figures of student loan debt and little income coming in, I understand this.
I fill my free-time with low-paying jobs on Upwork and other content mills. I write basic ad copy for $.05 a word. I constantly plan and re-plan about how I can use my skills to make more money. Should I start a blog? A Youtube channel? A digital marketing firm? And I try to upskill as much as possible, so I never have to rely (and therefore pay) others for their share of the work.
This all helps me earn more income, but it also has a negative effect: I can never enjoy my passion or even relax.
When I try to write for fun, my brain freezes up. The guilt settles in and I get writer’s block. I look at my money making goals and realize there is no time for silly little stories.
Moreover, whenever I have downtime and decide to flip on Netflix or complete a puzzle, my anxiety kicks in. A voice in the back of my head tells me I’m wasting time, not trying hard enough. A heavy weight forms in the pit of my stomach, making it hard to unwind. And the harder I try, the worst the feeling gets.
But studies have shown us, again and again, that relaxation is important to function as a normal person. Relaxing and working less resets stress levels, makes it easier to sleep, and boosts creativity. All the things we should want during our normal, productive hours.
This is proven in studies, but also is true anecdotally: The more I try and force productivity, the less productive I become. But it’s so engrained in me to think it’s never enough.
So how can we shake it?
It’s hard when we constantly consume media about the hustlers and the entrepreneurs out there making huge salaries off their passions. We want to be like them, earning good money for doing what we love.
But when we force something so much, it no longer becomes enjoyable. Writing no longer became something I enjoyed because I was no longer writing what I liked. I was writing for companies and people I will never meet and who will replace me in a heartbeat, for a better price.
It’s taken several years for me to realize what has happened. I’ve been so consumed with becoming that person, I forgot what it’s like to enjoy my passion. To enjoy writing and do it for fun. I don’t have the answers on how to fully shake it, but I do know what works for me.
Set Boundaries
I have set boundaries with myself. When and where I am allowed to work. It varies each day, but no more than eight hours a day, like a normal person. If it’s been eight hours, I am not allowed to work. Or think about working. Or feel guilty for not working. This allows me time to relax, be active, or write for fun. It hasn’t totally stopped the guilty feeling, but it reduces it significantly.
Meditate
I used to hate the idea of meditation. Sitting in silence is just another way of being unproductive. But now I’ve embraced in and realized how great it can be. Not only does it increase my creativity, it also has great physiological affects. I mostly do moving meditation to engage my body as well as my mind. Even a few minutes a day helps clear the negativity taking space in my mind.
Enjoy My Passion Again
Another thing I’ve finally started to do again was write without purpose. I’ve upgraded the wide-ruled paper with a keyboard and a blank Word doc. For November, I am participating in NaNoWriMo, a month-long project to finish a novel. Thousands of people around the world join each year with the goal to write 50,000 words in a month. Some people are very competitive, but most are just in it for fun, like me. So far, I am very far behind at only 6,500 words. But I don’t care. Because I have finally embraced the creative writing I have denied myself for years.
A few days into the month, I started thinking about how I could eventually pitch this novel to publishers. Old habits die hard, I suppose. And someday, I might try and make something out of it. I would love to get paid for my creative storytelling. But for now, I want to focus on the process, not the end goal. I want to feel the joy I used to feel when crafting a story, without profits on my mind.
Because even if I never make a living from my storytelling, it’s still worth pursuing. The joy and calm it provides me is worth more than any dollar amount. It’s time to stop thinking about all our passions as profit-making devices, and start to learn how to embrace being unproductive, even if just for a little bit. | https://medium.com/wholistique/pursuing-your-passions-doesnt-have-to-be-about-profits-788ae8ca024 | ['Ashley Hague'] | 2020-12-04 10:00:20.526000+00:00 | ['Productivity', 'Personal Growth', 'Passion', 'Writing'] |
SOME ESSENTIAL SOCIAL MEDIA STATS THAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW | SOME ESSENTIAL SOCIAL MEDIA STATS THAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW Hinnalee Jul 6·2 min read
A computerized showcasing organization should know about the web-based media details and know about the social media marketing clients. Like, the quantity of Social media clients at a specific time, how long they spent on a web-based media stage or the web overall, or the quantity of clients every day and every month. Here are a few highlights to investigate by a digital marketing agency sheffield:
The progressions in the quest solicitations of the clients for items, administrations, or data.
Socioeconomics of online crowds are logically changing each day.
The effect of eCommerce and how it is developing quick.
Versatile is a fundamental key for web-based media details, yet there are different things to take care of.
Following the measurements associated with web-based media details and how changing the measurements is fundamental for a computerized showcasing organization.
A media purchasing office comprehends that web-based media is an always advancing spot. Utilizing this online framework as advertising trap needs close perception and reality checking of the insights once in a while. Here are some fundamental parts of Social media that impact advanced showcasing.
The principal thing first we need to know is the amount of the total populace is progressively getting advanced with online stages:
READ MORE: How to Manage Multiple Social Media Accounts?
Total populace:
7.83 billion of individuals were recorded toward the start of the year 2021. Reports say that there is a development in this figure of almost 1% every year.
Mobiles:
66% of the all out populace utilizes cell phones at the current age, making 5.22 billion individuals. This number is quickly developing every day, with an expansion of 1.8% of interesting portable clients and a 0.9% increment in versatile associations. It makes 8.02 billion portable associations toward the start of 2021.
Web:
Since last year, there has been a flood of 7.3% of web clients, making 4.66 billion individuals utilizing the web toward the start of 2021. As of now, the worldwide web entrance has reached 59.5%.
Social media:
As of now, 4.2 billion digital marketing agency stafford clients are recorded around the world. This figure makes a 13% flood inside a year, making 490 million new Social media clients. It is in entirety 53% of the all out total populace.
The above details depict how tremendously web-based media is developing every year and give a sufficient justification a media purchasing organization to look further into the Social media details. | https://medium.com/@hinnalee1322/some-essential-social-media-stats-that-everyone-should-know-3ba40e907f03 | [] | 2021-07-06 09:31:25.370000+00:00 | ['Social Media Marketing', 'Video Marketing', 'Content Marketing'] |
Pragmatism for Whomst?. What’s the counterbalance to hope? | What’s the counterbalance to hope?
Frequently, we talk about ‘pragmatism’ in politics. Words like ‘reasonable,’ ‘compromise,’ ‘balanced’ and ‘thoughtful’ are all, aesthetically, associated with more moderate members of the Democratic Party. Critics of this might allege that ‘caution,’ or ‘fear’ might also be hallmarks of the pragmatist. This connotative norm can contrasted with words like ‘hope,’ ‘idealism,’ and ‘values’ being associated with liberals and left wing Democrats (and some times, ‘purity’ or ‘unrealistic’). ‘Pragmatism’ is often offered as a balm to the excesses and overreach of idealistic but naïve liberals — and the form of this sentiment is moderation of policy and political communication. But does moderation always naturally follow from a commitment to pragmatism? Are there times when the counterbalance to idealism isn’t moderation?
Put a pin in that question.
In this piece, I want to speak on the controversy around ‘Defund the Police’ using this recent Minneapolis Star-Tribune article as the focal point. It discusses the issue in depth (one reason why local papers are so crucial).
Here’s a recap of the relevant events of this intraparty discussion. The discussion of how the slogan “Defund the Police” impacted the 2020 elections was kicked off after Rep. Spanberger’s comments during a closed doors House Democratic Caucus meeting leaked. She blamed specifically the slogan and how it was toxic in her district for poor outcomes (despite an eventual win). “No one should say ‘defund the police’ ever again,” Spanberger said on the call, according to two sources. “Nobody should be talking about socialism." Shortly after, similar sentiments have been expressed by Democrats in South Florida and Texas, and Rep. Jim Clyburn has cited this in the loss of Jaime Harrison in South Carolina. Jim Clyburn has also raised concerns “Defund” is comparable to “burn burn burn it all down” and the “black power” slogans of the late sixties, which has been blamed by some for a decrease in white support.
To condense these sentiments, the argument being made is that the Democratic Party should abandon Defund the Police and other polarizing slogans, and attempt to squelch use of then by activists. Respectfully, I believe this analysis is wrong. I have three issues with this framing and general theory of the case.
But first, a quick disclaimer. Exit polls are very bad many years — they often require substantial de-skewing and adjustment to yield usable results. Further, exit polls often don’t breakdown complex groups like Latinos or Asians, where nationality and class significantly impact voter behavior. The best evidence towards the sentiment of the electorate is typically academic work, and not enough time has elapsed yet — as of writing, it’s been about two weeks since the election. Already some emerging evidence conflicts with the conclusions Spanberger et. al., but I don’t want to fall into the trap of presenting this evidence as decisive. Flatly — we do not have great data yet for trends in the electorate until real, sustained research takes place. While Gallup and others have begun this process, it will take time. That said, I think even with the facts available to us, the analysis presented by Spanberger, Clyburn, and others, is flawed.
Turning now to our first substantive problem, take a look at this excerpt from the article above: “[Minneapolis City Councilor] Palmisano said some in political circles had told her privately that if Democrats lost this year, “the blame will be laid in Minneapolis.” She declined to name them, saying she didn’t want to betray their confidence. “I think some of that is really fair,” she said. “Some of it is not.””
Is it reasonable for a representative democracy with degenerate (a fancy word for ‘localized’) government to have a totally nationalized political climate? I don’t think it’s reasonable for elected officials grappling with a city governance issue to be held accountable for outcomes thousands of miles away either. Never mind the fact that the police have yet to actually be defunded in Minneapolis, despite the pledge of some public officials. Let’s be clear: conservative and moderate voters don’t merely have aesthetic or tone issues with this policy. They have *substantive* issues with the policy. They don’t want it to happen anywhere, period. How do you square that? Should locally popular but nationally unpopular policies just be outright quashed by the national Democratic Party? Notably, Democratic voter share and turnout in Minneapolis ticked up to above 2016’s narrow victories, despite the optics problems of burning police stations (although a Democratic seat in Western Minnesota was lost). With this in mind, how do we justice to those voters’ interests? How do we translate local nuance in opinions to a polarized national electorate? What are the implications for the independence of Democratic clubs and state parties?
To be blunt: the implications are bad. What moderates are looking for is an overbearing national mandate, obviating the independence of local and state organizing. And this mandate isn’t without costs.
Above: an August 15, 2020 poll of Minneapolis voters.
Second, let’s assume that we could get this policy (‘defunding the police’) to majority approval, nationally, with the right framing. How do we manage message discipline for the over 80 million Democratic voters?
That’s not a rhetorical question — Republicans referenced individual *mean tweets* during Amy Comey Barrett’s hearings. Clearly, the salience of a comment, and the notoriety of a commenter, doesn’t need to be high to become the subject of partisan propaganda. This also creates the risk of a vicious cycle. Once Republicans figure out any scrap of bad messaging can block action in blue states and cities, they will weaponize this tool to limit our ability to function and govern even where we do hold power. This has already started happening. This is particularly galling around questions of infrastructure spending and homelessness issues, where great fear (among elected officials) of the monikers of ‘public housing’ and ‘socialism’ persist (despite the general popularity of affordable housing). This creates latent pressure on even common sense policies like transit expansion. It is a ‘lowest common denominator’ spiral, and we cannot risk this escalating.
Third, we’ve seen the collapse of the deactivation theory of organizing. Republican turnout has been sky-high for four years of the worst president in a century. Initial returns indicate high Republican turnout — even in places Democrats won narrowly. During a pandemic. Sans the intercession of an alleged *pedophile* candidate (Roy Moore), it is rare that Republicans stay home. We should anticipate more polling errors in the future due to low trust and response rates among Republican voters. We should not have the tacit expectation that moderate messaging will prevent the inflammation of the Republican base. It is highly probable our ability to impact this is marginal in light of initial returns. Ticket splitting, from initial results, remains low, and when it does happen, it seems to favor Republicans. It is not likely, then, that any amount of short-term softening of rhetoric will depress turnout. As a result, sans actual, long term persuasion and conversion of Republicans into moderate Democrats (and moderate democrats into proper liberals), we will not be able to solve the problem of high Republican engagement in red districts.
It is true that mere mobilization is not enough in red and purple districts. But we should also respect that but for sky-high participation in Detroit, Philadelphia, the Navajo and Hopi Nations, Las Vegas, and Atlanta, we would have been completely fucked. This is thanks to Black Voters, Latino voters, Navajo and Hopi voters, and union organizing. We cannot understate that our reliance on these communities has been vindicated, and any strategy going forward has to ‘reward’ these voters with tangible progress and sustained investment. Punishing them for grievances held by the residents of purple and red districts further entrenches invidious hierarchies and and is counterproductive. And let’s be clear: when we talk about ‘softening rhetoric,’ in practice, this often means acquiescing to the prejudice of the target electorate (white voters) and distancing ourselves from Black voters. ‘Welfare,” “public housing,” “busing,” and other issues are not just objected to on technocratic grounds — people don’t like them because it reminds them of us.
Here’s my response to these problems.
It is neither workable nor pragmatic to expect politically toxic slogans that are specific to a given geographic area to go away. Pragmatism is not an aesthetic. It requires prediction. It requires models, and plans. There is no meaningful plan I am aware of that can completely mitigate the risks created by voters speaking off-message outside of the target district. We can barely get people to wear masks. The probability of total compliance among activists approaches zero. Further, the damage such a strategy would do to partisan infrastructure would be substantial. Further, virtually no national-level elected officials support defunding the police. Further, there is little to no evidence that such a strategy would address the cyclical surge in Republican turnout in vulnerable districts (and the sustained high floor for turnout). So what do we do? We need to solve this problem with field operation principles rather than communications principles.
First, we can soften the edges of public anger and increase popular support through canvassing, which in studies can have a causal impact — in one French study approaching approximately 3% of additional vote share. Arizona in particular benefited heavily from canvassing and outreach efforts to Latino voters. We can also improve our digital strategy and shift funds away from ad spending. We can tacitly give moderates the gift of attacking progressives rhetorically, if said moderates cooperate substantively. The AOC-Mancin beef is an example — it’s largely beneficial to both parties for them to fight in public. Both have voter bases that hate each other’s voter bases. Finally, we can become more nimble with our positive messaging in specific districts. We should invest into better polling so that we can remedy the polling errors introduced by low-trust voters and shy conservatives.
This is not the first time we have grappled with this issue. Abortion, gay rights, and even the ACA have had their turn being ‘the one obstacle’ to Democratic success. Indeed, this issue is so recurrent that ‘Dems in Disarray’ has become a meme. The frustration of some liberals is understandable: in the eyes of some commentators, the proposed answer to all circumstances, victory or defeat, is moderation of messaging and policy.
It is irrational to permit our policy debates to be pegged to the lowest common denominator in every circumstance. The stakes are too high. This is especially dire with regard to climate issues, wherein we have a literal ticking clock on our hands. We cannot operate as a party that is aggressive on offense and brittle on defense. While some issues must be abandoned, tactically, this should be a district by district decision made by the campaigns themselves — not national level operatives, press commentators, or even moderate members attempting to defend their turf. While I am sympathetic to the fears of those sympathetic to Rep. Spanberger, and to the lived experience of Rep. Clyburn, these fears appear to be grounded more in trauma and reactive emotion than a workable strategy. They are not ‘pragmatic’ despite urging moderation. This does not mean substantial work is required to persuade voters to soften their views on hot button issues — even black and brown voters. Nor does it mean that national Democrats should become fire-breathing bomb-throwers. But our strategies must be grounded by workable goals. Total party discipline is not workable.
I know it is not enough to have high minded ideals. We must win. But the counterbalance to hope isn’t fear. It’s clarity of vision. The facts we have available to us show us the outline what we must do. Our understanding of these facts will change as the scholarship improves. That does not change the ultimate conclusion: it is time to begin the process of following through. | https://medium.com/@krishna-hammond/whats-the-counterbalance-to-hope-5cdab5a8133a | ['Krishna Hammond'] | 2020-11-22 18:32:32.597000+00:00 | ['Defund', 'Racial Justice', 'Democratic Party', 'Politics'] |
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